11 Months Old!!

Well, back to work tomorrow for Mama.... This 9 weeks has went by very fast. I am soo sad to have to leave Devin. We had a great time together. He is definitely a Mama’s boy. Now it is Daddy's turn. I guess I have to share. UGH!!!

Here is what Devin has been doing over that past few weeks.

1/ 4th of July - Devin and Mommy went to Nanny’s house because Daddy had to work. We just had a good time hanging out with our family. We also went to the beach that weekend.

2/ Devin has started to stand on his own and has even taken a few steps.

3/ Devin started infant swimming lessons last week. He does not like it. He cries and screams the whole time. The first week his instructor taught him to float on his back. It has been quite difficult on Mommy & Daddy to see him so upset and taking in all that water. Although, we know it is for his own good.

4/ Devin turned 11 months old this week. It is hard to believe he will be a year old in less than 30 days.

5/ First Photo Shoot - Today Devin went for his first photo shoot. He would not sit or stand still. It was quite difficult for them to get a good shot. However, I think they turned out very cute. We had some pictures taken in a handmade shirt we bought in Guatemala for him.

Here are some photos. Enjoy!



My first photo session...

I am trying to float...

Getting ready for my first swim lesson...

Oops!! Mommy went a little crazy with the sunblock

Happy 4th of July

Update

Wow…We have had a busy few weeks.

We have had a lot of family in town, been to the beach several times, and had a baby shower. Devin got to meet his Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, Great Grandmother and a lot of friends. First, my brother and niece were in town for a week. We went to the beach for a few days. Devin had a blast with them. Then my sister and grandmother came into town. My sister has been a big help since she has been here. Last Saturday was Devin’s baby shower. Devin got to attend his own shower. How cool is that? The baby shower was an absolute blast. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that came and the amount of stuff he got. He is definitely loved very much!!!

He has adjusted very well to all the chaos. He is doing much better when we leave him in his crib. He seems a lot more comfortable getting in his bed and us leaving the room. I think he just needed some re-assurance that we were not leaving him there and we would be back. He barely cries now when you put him down to sleep. The past few days he has not cried at all. This is a large step. He is still sleeping through the night.

Devin will be 11 months old in 11 days. I can’t believe he has only been with us for 6 weeks. It feels like he has been with us since he was born. He fits perfectly into our family. Here are some photos of our last few weeks. Enjoy!!!



Helping mommy open all my great gifts...


Having a great time at my shower


Aunt Kimmie made me a great cake


Hanging out with Mommy & Nanny under the umbrella

2nd trip to the beach. Playing in the sand with Uncle Mark & my cousin Marley

First time at the Beach!!!

Hanging out by the pool in my walker. Trying to pet my cousin's puppy!!!

Happy 10 months baby boy!!!

Our little man is 10 months old today. He has been home a little over 3 weeks and it feels like he has been with us since he was born. He fits right in to the family perfect. We can not ask for a better baby. He seems to be bonding with us very well. Almost too good because he doesn't really want to go to other people. We are working on that.

Devin's doctor did a bunch of bloodwork on Devin and everything came back good. That was great news. Now, he will just go for his regular checkups and immunizations.

Over the past few weeks Devin has went to a family get together on Memorial Day, Mommy's company picnic, and to the beach. The beach was quite an experience with a child. Devin loves to eat sand. At one point his Dad brought him out to the water to see me and he was literally covered from head to toe in sand. He wasn't sure what to think of the waves.

We are going to have family in town for the next 4 weeks so Devin is going to be pretty busy. I am sure he will adjust just fine. I probably won't get a chance to post much over the next month. Before you know it I will be going back to work. UGH :( I am not looking forward to leaving Devin. The good thing is that Philip will stay home with him for at least 6 weeks after I go back to work. We have Devin's daycare lined up and he starts Aug 25.

Accomplishments over the last 3 weeks:
1/ crawling all over everything
2/ pulling up to things
3/ he is starting to get better balance - today he stood by himself for a few seconds
4/ He got in his 8th tooth (it is on the bottom towards the front)

Pictures

Here are some pictures of our last few weeks as a family. Enjoy!!


Mommy loves my kissable lips



Eating at Mommy's company picnic



Scooting around the house in my elmo walker



I learned real quick that when I get in this chair I get food...



I love my pool...



Playing with my friends (the Dillons')



Meeting my cousins Michelle & Brandy



Nanny just got me out of the crib.. This is my sleepy look



Playing with Aunt Susie



I finally got to meet my friend Cayden



My first day home....

10 days ago.......

Devin has been home for 10 days and he is doing great. He had a lot of visitors. It has not seemed to phase him a bit. As a matter of fact, he loves being around people and children especially. Of course, everyone has just fallen in love with him like we have.

He is getting better at going down to sleep. He will still cry but it is very short (5 minutes or less). I tried everything to get him to go down without getting upset but each time I tried something different it seemed to make it worse. After doing some research and talking to other parents I learned that getting him into a routine before I put him in his crib has helped tremendously. He is still sleeping 11 hours a night and taking 2 naps during the day.

Devin has been in the pool twice this week. He absolutely loves water. He loves taking a bath and splashing around in the pool.

Bailey and Devin are adjusting quite well. The first day Devin didn't know what to think of Bailey. He was a little afraid. That all changed by the next day. Now, he loves to pet her and crawl all over her.

Today was my first day by myself with Devin. Philip went back to work today. He is going to take off 6-8 weeks after I do so that we can keep Devin out of daycare as long as possible. We will see how it goes. Devin is down for his morning nap right now.

I have some pictures to post but my computer is acting up. I will have to post them later.

Long awaited update - We are home!!!!

Hello everyone. Sorry I have not posted sooner. It has been a busy last few days. Being a new mom takes a little getting used to. I am trying to get myself somewhat organized!!

We made it home safe. Devin was a great traveler. Our flight was 2 hours and 45 minutes. We then had a 4 hour drive home. Keep in mind this was Devin's first experience with a car seat. Devin did absolutely wonderful. He slept on the plane for about an hour and then was up for the rest of the flight. He did not fuss at all. On the car ride home he slept for a few hours and played the rest of the time.

Since he has been home he has had a lot of visitors. He has done very well. He is such a happy baby. From a developmental standpoint the is also doing very well. He is crawling, pulling himself up to things, he will walk (with you holding his hands, of course). He has 7 teeth, 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom.

Devin is a great sleeper. Since he has been home he sleeps from 8pm-7am and takes a nap in the morning and afternoon. The only issue we have run into is putting him down to sleep. He cries every time you put him in his crib. This has been very difficult. It is a lot different with adopted children. At first, you really shouldn’t put them in their crib and let them cry it out because you want them to know you are there for them and not going to leave them. So, I decided to try rocking him to sleep and then putting him in bed. That worked the first few times. Now, you can rock him to sleep and as soon as you put him in his crib he wakes up and cries. I can’t win with this one. He does not cry for long maybe 10-15 minutes. I guess I have no choice but to let him cry it out a little bit because he will not get into his crib and sleep without crying. It breaks my heart to hear him cry but I don‘t know what else to do at this point?

Yesterday he had his first doctor visit. He is over 28 inches tall and 20 pounds. The doctor stated he was a healthy, happy baby. He had a few shots. He was so strong about it. He did not even whimper on the first 2 shots. The 3rd one he cried briefly until Philip picked him up and then he was fine.

Here are some pictures from Guatemala and Devin‘s homecoming. Enjoy!!

No longer waiting for Devin,
The Busters



Gifts and balloons waiting for Devin at the front door - Thank you to the Dillons!

Thank you to the Eagans for decorating our front lawn welcoming Devin home

Miami Airport - I am officially an United States Citizen!!! YEAH

On my way home!!!!

Sightseeing in Antigua, Guatemala

Embassy Day!!!

Rough start to Happy Ending!!

We had a very rough start to our trip. I did not even think Philip was going to be able to come with me. He started getting sick at 9pm the night before we left and didn't stop until lastnight, 24 hours later. We had to be up at 5am to drive 4 hours to Miami and then get on the plane to Guatemala. I literally had to stop 4 times on the side of the road because he was sick. I told him before we left I could go by myself but there was no way he was going to miss this trip. I admire his strength to go because I am not sure how he did it being so sick. Finally, he is feeling better today. We think he may of had food poisioning.

Devin was placed in our arms lastnight for good. It is an amazing feeling. It was very tough for his foster mother but I thought she did pretty good considering the circumstances. She is a very strong lady. Devin has been such a trooper. He is such a happy baby. He slept through the night and he has not been fussy at all! I really think it helped visiting him. He seems really comfortable with us.

We had our Embassy appointment today and everything went well. We pick up Devin's visa tomorrow. When he touches down in the U.S. he will oficially be a U.S. citizen. WOHOO!!!

When we get home I will post some pictures of our trip and our little Guatemalan Prince....

Love,
Kelly