Another "Ianism"

I'm going to bed...it's late and I have an insanely busy week at work. BUT...not before I post another "Ianism".

This morning we had breakfast in the living room. Why? Our carpets were cleaned yesterday and our kitchen was still full of stuff from the other rooms. Ian and Daddy sat in the floor at the coffee table and I sat in my rocking chair.

Ian was finished with breakfast...or so we thought. He had eaten pretty well. He hadn't touched his food for over 5 minutes and it was time to clean up. So, Charlie...being the good daddy he is...cleaned up the table. A minute or so later...here comes Ian...."where my beckfas?" The words alone were not the amusing part...but the intonation of the phrase and his little hand gestures. He had his little hands up as if to say "I don't know". He repeated "where my beckfas" several times and then proceeded to say "Ian hungee".....so we gave him a Nutri Grain Bar and he was happy. Charlie and I have laughed about this several times today.

Except for the temper....I'm loving this age. His little vocabulary is exploding and he's so expressive. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Things I Don't Want To Forget

It seems like there's something new every day now with Ian. It's hard for a momma to keep up. So, I'm hoping to jot these little things down so I can remember them.

He's counting to 3 all by himself. He's can also count 8, 9, 10 alone. After each set (1, 2, 3 and 8, 9, 10), he's so proud of himself.... he claps his little hands and just smiles.

He's a climber. Tonight he almost tipped the recliner over because he was climbing over the top of it. Then...he walked in the kitchen and climbed up in the chair that his booster seat is in...promptly turned around, sat down and said "buckle peese".

"Me-mote control" = remote control. "my me-mote control, daddy's me-mote control".

Tickle, tickle, tickle....one of his favorite things to do.

"Airpanes...up in ky"...."burbs up in ky"..."bees up in ky"....."aboon up in ky" (balloon). Every time he hears and airplane he stops whatever he's doing and says "airpane up in ky" Not exactly sure where he learned that airplanes are up in the sky....but that's OK.

"boose"....juice

Loves to listen to "Wheels On The Bus" and "If You're Happy And You Know It" (he's got the clapping, stomping and hooray thing down pat).

He can show us where India is on the globe. Amazing.

In daycare this week, they've worked on shapes and colors. For Ian...most everything is green. He starts off with green and then moves to the right color. But, he's always been good with shapes. His "teachers" are thrilled that he'll say the shapes when they point the them....and even get their attention and say something like "triangle". Tonight, he was all about rectangles and triangles....with a few stars and hearts thrown in.

The way he dances...or what I think is his version of dancing. He tries...it's really cute...but really funny to me.

He knows when I get the camera out that he's supposed to turn around and say "cheese". When he's tired of momma taking pictures he'll say "no cheese momma".

I think he could probably eat chicken for every meal. He LOVES chicken. Loves french fries too.

He says his name so sweetly. He's progressing nicely with his entire name. If we ask him to say our names..."say Charlie".....he smiles and says "daddy"...."say Nadra"....."momma". Eventually he'll say them, but I'm surprised that he really knows what our names are. Charlie and I usually call one another daddy and momma.

He's still not sleeping an entire night in his big boy bed. But...that will come. Hopefully.

Yesterday evening was rough. I'm not sure what was going on with him, but something was. He was incredibly fussy and clingy. Nothing made him happy...I mean nothing. He was just miserable all evening. Tonight...completely different. Who knows.


OK....I'm probably boring all of you...but it's important that I write this stuff down. Time is flying by and I so want to remember as many of the sweet, rotten and amazing things Ian does.


Tonight I saw a glimpse of a little boy...not a baby...but a little boy. Where has my baby Ian gone? He's so sweet, but he's growing up way to fast for his momma. As I watch him grow and learn, I'm just so thankful that God paved the way so that we would have the joy and honor of being parents to such a great little guy.

More Ian Conversation

Another adoptive Mom reminded me how special it was to hear the word "momma" spoken by your child for the first time. Micah finally said "momma" to Pam this week. What a special day.

Ian has been saying Momma for about a year now. He says it quite well and often.

Here is just a sampling of a recent conversation....

Ian: Momma
Me: Yes Ian
Ian: Momma
Me: Yes Ian
Ian: Momma
Me: Yes Ian
Ian: Momma
Me: Yes honey
Ian: Momma
Me: Yes baby
Ian: Momma
Me: Yes Ian
Ian: Momma
Me: Ian
Ian: Momma
Me: Ian
Ian: Momma
Me: What is it Ian?

Get the drift? It continue a few more times and then he was done. Giggling by the end and finished by saying "no way momma".

Music To A Momma's Ears

We just got home from a feeding Brad's dogs and a short drive around the neighborhood. In the car, Charlie asked Ian if he wanted to count....Ian replied "Yep". So they counted....one, two, tree, four, five, sicks, cheban, ate, nine, ten. Great job. Then we heard him in the back seat saying "one, two , tree".

Ian proceeded to say "king a-b-a momma". I didn't quite get that, so I asked him to repeat it..."king a-b-a momma". So I got it that time..."Sing ABC's Momma". So...we sang the ABC's. Each time I'd stop...."no momma, sing a-b-a's". He would sing with us...."a, b, a, b, a, c, r"...in tune...but not in the exact order. It was so cute though, even after 30 times of singing "a-b-a's".

Love this kid...just love him.

Polite and Cute

Every day is a new day with Ian. He's still cute as can be. The past few days we've noticed his vocabulary picking up significantly. He'll pretty much try to say whatever we ask him to, but now he's starting to say more things on his own without our prompting. The past 2 days he's been doing the cutest thing. If we say "Thank you Ian"....he says "I welcome Momma". Polite and cute....wow what a combination.

When I rock him to sleep at night, I always sing "Jesus Loves Me". The past couple of nights he'll sit on my lap and look at me and say "Jesusth momma". I say "do you want to sing the Jesus Song and he says "yes peese". So I start singing. When I get to "yes Jesus loves me" part...he'll sing "yes Jesusth me". He's so sweet.

We have an amazing little guy and I'm so thankful that God chose me to be his Momma. "Yes...Jesus Loves Me".

Swimming On the Fourth Of July

Yesterday we decided to go swimming in Uncle Brad's pool. Uncle Brad is in Florida, but we're checking in on his dogs while he's gone...so we are taking advantage of the pool. Ian was ready to get in as soon as we walked outside. He LOVES the water. He didn't like his float much. He preferred being in Daddy's arms. He even went under water several times. Each time he'd come up smiling. Then a few seconds later he'd say..."ready....set....go". He had so much fun. He was a little prune by the time he got out. He did venture out a couple of times to check out a flower in Brad's back yard and to try to figure out the doggie door. He kept trying to see if he could go through the doggie door. Fortunately, he hasn't figured it out yet. But, it won't take him long. It's a large doggie door, so he can fit. We had hoped to go see fireworks last night, but after an afternoon of swimming Ian was ready for bed. He crashed about 8:30 even though we tried to keep him up. So....we'll see fireworks another time.

STINKER BALL

Ian and Daddy have a new game.....STINKER BALL. Ian picked up his Spiderman ball and then picked up the blue ball for Daddy. They bounced it off one another for a while and then Ian's ball hit the ground. Ian said "stinker ball". So...everytime the ball hits the ground (of if Ian does)...one of them will cry out....."Stinker Ball". Who knows why Ian calls it Stinker Ball...but it's pretty fun to watch them play.

Pictures

Momma has a new camera....woo, hoo!!!! Tonight I figured out how to download my pictures. Another woo, hoo!!! I LOVE MY NEW CAMERA!!!! I was so tired of waiting for my other digital camera to take a shot. Now I have one that has amazing shutter speed. Woo, hoo!!! These pictures are from the past few weeks. I could post a bunch more...but these are a few of my favs. Enjoy!!!

Ian's Skin

Ian has developed some strange light spots on his face. I've tried several different types of lotions and nothing seems to work. So, today I called the doctor to see if we needed to see a dermatologist. Dr. Sood wanted to see him just to make sure it wasn't anything major. After a quick look by Dr. Sood....it's nothing to be concerned about. He said that because Ian's skin is so dark naturally, this will happen to him in the summer months. His skin is very dry and we'll just have to do our best to keep it hydrated. We'll also need to make sure we're using sunscreen at all times when he's outside. That's going to be a challenge. Sometimes Ian likes lotion and sometimes he says "no otion momma".

Two's and Guilty Momma

It's official....the "terrible two's" are real. Ian is definitely going through some sort of phase now so I'll assume it's the terrible two's. He has really started using his words more...primarily the word no. I know we'll get through this, but it's challenging to say the least.

He didn't get a good nap yesterday. We attended Vietnam Family Day and it started right around his usual nap time. We only stayed about an hour because he was just too cranky. Then last night he fell asleep just fine and even slept in his big boy bed...all of 15 minutes.

Today....again...not a good nap. But...so far, he's asleep in his bed. Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight.

He stayed in the bath tub a little longer than normal this evening. When he got out, his little fingers looked like little prunes. I think that's the first time that has happened. He didn't like it at all. He kept saying "momma fix it" and kept trying to wipe his little fingers on my shoulder.

He's also going through another "velcro" stage with me. He wants to be by my side...in my arms...on my lap....all the time. I love the closeness...but I can't get anything else done. I'm feeling so guilty. I told Charlie today while we were waiting for church to begin that I'm just feeling to guilty for not being able to spend more time with him. By the time we all get home in the evening it's nearly 6:00pm and he starts getting ready for bed around 7:45. So...not a lot of time with my little guy. What's a mom to do? I know I'm not the first or the only mom to have these feelings, but it's sure tough on momma heart when he cries. I'm taking a couple of days off in July...so maybe we can spend some more momma and Ian time together then.

Conversation With Ian

This morning I had the pleasure of experiencing morning drive conversation between Charlie and Ian. Charlie's car had to go to the shop, so the boys took me to work. The conversation goes like this:

Charlie: Way

Ian: No Way

Charlie: Way

Ian: No Way

Charlie: Way

Ian: No Way

Get the drift? This went for about 3 blocks and then Ian started talking about "pick-up pucks", "cars", "vans", "burbs (birds) up in sky", "airpanes up in sky", etc.

Usually my drive to work is quiet with the sounds of contemporary christian music on the radio. Today, it was completely different....and I LOVED IT. What a great way to start the day.

Ian is Mr. Talkative at home and in the car. I think he talks quite a bit at school too. But, he doesn't say much at church or around people he doesn't know well. It takes him a little while to warm up...but then....watch out...he'll talk your leg off.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Ian & His New "Bike"

Where Did That Come From?

It's something new almost daily with Ian. His vocabulary is really picking up. He pretty much "talks" non stop when it's just the three of us at home. He's in a "shy" phase right now. It's taking him a lot longer to warm up to people. But, that's OK.

His new thing today is "don't like it". Where in the world did that come from? Pretty much everything I asked him this evening he'd just shake his little head and say "don't like it". Who knows.

Ian & Mia

Angie sent this picture to me. It's also posted on her blog. The kids are adorable. I love this picture and just had to share. Little Jadyn is not quite sure what to think of these two. Ian is one lucky little guy...right in the middle of two beautiful Bengali Princesses.

NO....NO, NO, NO

I had convinced myself that my precious little guy would be sweet and easy going forever. OK, I'm delusional. But I liked it that way.

This weekend, Ian discovered the word NO. Wow it's a fun word. He likes it so much, he says it a million times a day. The funny (not really) thing is that he knows HOW and WHEN to use the word. When he says NO, he's responding to a question or a request. He doesn't just say it once...he repeats it...NO, NO, NO. Shaking his head and pointing his little finger / hand all at the same time. He's really discovering lots of new things. I think he's testing his Independence somewhat. Momma's not ready for that. It's great fun watching him grow, develop and learn. I just don't like this "no, no, no" stuff.

Oh well, we will get through this phase. We're not the first to go through it and we certainly won't be the last.

From Kolkata to Oklahoma...Ian, Mia and Jadyn

Pictures of our incredible day with Mia, Angie, Dustin, Jadyn, Grace and Shane. Three beautiful children...all born in Kolkata, India....all now with their forever families in Oklahoma.

Play Date With Mia and Jadyn

Today we finally got together with the Tucker's and the McMahan's. It was SOOOOO good to see everyone. It's hard to believe how much our kiddos have grown. I haven't seen Jadyn since the night they arrived home from India. She is such a cutie and is developing so well. She has a sweet little personality. She was very quite when she first got to our house. Partly because she had just woken up and our crazy dog Molly was barking incessantly. She finally warmed up (or woke up)...and she's PRECIOUS. She's tiny, but can certainly hold her own with Ian and Mia.

Miss Mia...wow...what a doll. This little one has a very, very special place in our heart. As everyone knows, she and Ian were side by side in the orphanage until Ian came home. God is so good. Who would have thought that these two orphanage pals would be a mere 100 miles apart in Oklahoma. It's a God thing. She came in blowing kisses and saying hi. She shook Ian's hand a little later and said "how you?" They gave each other lots of hugs and kisses throughout the day (with a little prompting from us).

Ian...well today he was a bit cranky. He learned a new word today....NO....and he used it a lot. He loved seeing everyone at our house. He had to show off for everyone when they first arrived. Then he just wanted to play. He's loves to have fun and he's such a happy little guy....most of the time.

We played at the house for a little while and then loaded up our cars and headed for the Zoo. It was a bit overcast today, but the breeze was great. We didn't get to the Zoo until about 3:30 and there were not very many people there....which made it nice. Ian wanted to constantly be moving. Not much stopping for anything. We tried several times to get great pictures of the three of them...but usually Mr. Ian started throwing one of his lovely little fits and screaming "walk" (he wanted us to walk...not him). We got the kids out of the strollers to let them play on the playground for a little while. The slide was the favorite for all three of them. Mia can climb the steps on the big slide all by herself.

Most of the animals were inside their habitats...so we didn't get to see a lot of things. But....by this time (it was almost 6:00pm) the Zoo was closing. Plus....we (the adults) were starving. We left the Zoo and headed to India Palace for dinner. Ian was tired and fell asleep in the car on the way. He was wide awake when we stopped the car and got him out.

It went well at first...then Ian decided he'd had enough. He ate a little...mostly "rios". He wanted to get up and walk around. He did for a little while and then we got a different chair (a regular one). That seemed to help for a few minutes. Bottom line...all 3 kiddos were tired. We had done a lot in a short amount of time. Plus Jadyn and Mia traveled quite a ways to Tulsa. We finally finished dinner. The momma's were all outside with the kids while the daddy's paid our checks. The food was great...but it just takes too long to get it. By the time we get our food, the kids have had it and are ready to go.

Overall, it was a great day. We all experienced a melt down or two with our kids today, but that's to be expected. Mia and Jadyn and just beautiful and so, so sweet.

We are so blessed to have these great people in our lives. We all waited a long time for our wonderful kiddos and through that wait God led us to one another. We all laughed and cried with one another through the agonizing wait to travel to India. We prayed for one another and praised God for the amazing blessings he gave us. We might not be able to get together every day...or every week...but we're all close enough that our kids can grow up near one another. How great is that?

What's That Word & Other Ramblings

Ian is talking up a storm. Some things we understand clearly and others we have to really listen and then ask him to repeat it (several times sometimes). He's really cute when we have to continually ask him to repeat something. He gets LOUDER each time he repeats it. :)

Here's just a sampling of a few of his "Ianisms":

Ack = clock and sometimes milk
Ack = watch (it looks like a clock)
wach = watch (sometimes)
poon = spoon
bow = bowl
outtide = outside AND inside
bred = Brad
lub = love
wheeelll = wheel (duh, momma)
shoe aww = shoe off
shoe on = shoe on
tinky = stinky (his feet)
i k = I'm OK (when he fell off the hearth last night)
bok = chicken (you know...bok, bok...chicken)

my new favorite...

Rios = cheerios


There are lots more...each day it seems like he's saying something new.

It's a busy weekend in the Conner household. Tonight momma and daddy have a date. Marcia, Bill and Amanda are going to watch Ian this evening.

Tomorrow...it's ISRC baby day...for us anyway. Mia and Jadyn (and their mommies and daddies) are coming to Tulsa for a play date. We're going to the Zoo and then to India Palace for dinner. We are so excited to see everyone. I'm sure we'll take lots of pictures. I'm just thrilled that we all live so close together and our kids can see each other from time to time.

Gotta run.....must get ready for my date :)

May 1, 1987

20 years ago today...in a church in Huntington, West Virginia....a young woman and young man stood before family, friends and their God and vowed to love one another forever.

Today...a somewhat older woman and man...are still fulfilling that vow.

20 years ago today....May 1, 1987....Ian's Momma and Daddy married.

For some reason, I'm so emotional about this anniversary. God has given me so much.....an amazing husband who is the best daddy in the world.....an incredible son who makes us smile with wonder everyday....and He's blessing us again with another child. What did this small town girl do to deserve such magnificent gifts?

Charlie...if you're reading this....I was so much in love when we married. But...not really. When I look back I realize every day we have been married you have taught me how to love just a little deeper. You are my rock...my soul mate...my best friend....and I love you with every fiber of my being. Thank you for being the man you are....and the man you've yet to become.

May 1, 1987....20 years ago today....our lives began as one.