KaWaii Love

While I may never get to Hawaii, my son's bottom loves Kawaii brand diapers. I just wanted to let those considering cloth to check them out as they are SO MUCH cheaper than other brands we looked at and other brands we own. So far we have had many fewer leaks with them than any other type of diaper. My son's thin thighs are still an issue, but they work much better in this area that the Bum Genius typically work. Heather, I can't comment on your new blog (like blogger won't let me) so I mostly wrote this post just to make sure you know about them!

"Lava Bars" and other strange things

This post is written to those of you who know our family in real life. Recently our local paper did an article about Celiac. They interviewed me and took photos at our home. Over all the article was quite good, but there were some errors large and small that I want to clarify for those who might have read it and wondered why in the world I said what I said. I will also attempt to post it on my FB page if it has not been removed from the newspaper site.

1. As the blog post title states "Lava Bars" as far as I know don't exist. M does really enjoy Lara Bars. They are nut bars that have lots of good protein for my son who doesn't really like meat. They are not chocolate energy bars as the article states. While they to have a chocolate variety, it says it may contain milk so we have never tried it.

2. This one is a BIG one. While my son was severely malnurished in his early months, he was NOT when we brought him home. The article states he was likely to have died in a week. This is so wrong. Yes, that was the case when he was 9 months old in ET, not upon coming home.

3. Gluten Free foods did not turn my son's life around. The article said that as soon as he tried gluten free foods he began to gain weight and breathe normally. It was actually dairy that made the HUGE difference for our son, not gluten.

4. I am not sure if the formula he was given in ET contained gluten, it did however contain dairy.

5. I never gave M rice based formula though I do give him rice and almond milk.

6. If I only ate gluten free products I would not starve to death, but I would be very unhealthy as specifically gf products are all made to replace gluten so they are all starches and that wouldn't be a very balanced diet.

7. This is a personal combo one. I would love for my husband to be called a pastor and not a Rev. I would also love for my son to be called my son or if appropriate my son who was adopted from Ethiopia, not me adopted son!

It was a long article and interviewed another family too. All it all, it was very good and if not for the stuff about M being near death when coming home I would not have written, but I wanted to honor the orphanage that cared for him and represent his health carefully and accurately.

Photos with family part 2

I am BACK! I wanted to share some photos with you from my trip to visit all of daddy's family. I got to meet so many fun people and play with my super cool cousin A! Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

~M

After a long long long car ride, it was great to be sitting on Grandpa's lap listening to a good book!

Can you believe my great aunt gave me this awesome lawn mower! My cousin and I really love playing with it and my best bud L likes it too. Really, everyone loves it!


I was about to give an "all right" to my new friend T. He loved playing chase with me. His brother T is super fun too.

A and I got a lot of good work done on a special computer just for us!


G.G. was teaching me a new version of Patty Cake. It was very fun to "toss em in a pan" with her!

This is G.G. my Grandpa's mommy. She has 3 great grandsons and wanted a photo of all of them. Seriously, the whole room was taking photos and this is apparently the best one anyone got. If you don't believe me, you should see the ones I didn't post.


Don't mind me, I am just watching some cows and dogs!


Grandma's brother let me sit on a big tractor. It had a cool wheel. I am a good tractor driver.

Working on my computer is so much fun. It is amazing how many screens I get get up in a second or two. My favorite computer activity is turning the computer off and on as quickly as possible. The noises it makes are glorious. (Note, this computer is broken, but amazingly still allows a couple of things to open...providing HOURS of fun for a toddler or two!)

I was feeling cool!

Yes, there are athletic Ethiopian cowboys. I know many of you were wondering.

Hanging out with Great Grandma and Grandma and Daddy means there are 4 generations together. I still don't know what that means. I do know that Great Grandma lives a a great place with lots of radios for me and treats for daddy and nurses that like to smile at me.

My family!

Mom, really? Oh well, it is a good shot of my belly button!

I could not figure out how to get the tractor to fit down the slide.

The tractor was also too small to ride. I am not really sure with it was for if I can't ride it or put it down the slide.

My big cousin is so fun. He got all these for us to jump on. I didn't know how to jump then, but I can really jump now so next time I will be a pro... just like my cousin.

Daddy and I were driving Grandpa's boat. It went fast and loud so I loved it!

The beach is so lovely. The water was warm and I could have stayed there all day.

My family enjoying the beach together.

The next generation of tubers? A and I were not super excited about our tube ride, but our daddy's sure had fun later once we were safely in the boat eating chips!

I had so much fun in the water with Mommy. It was relaxing for my body, though whenever I said down Mommy would not set me down. I am not sure why. (Note, this is not my favorite photo of me, but I am determined to share photos that are cute of my son and not worry so much how the mommy looks in the shot.)

I learned how to do the back float from Mommy.

I have an apple! Oh yea, and I am getting one last photo with these two wonderful people before the LONG car ride home.

Photos with family part one

This summer my family and I traveled all over the mid-west spending time with family. The first week we were with Mommy's family. We had lots of fun at a family reunion, playing at parks, going to the cabin, playing at the water park two times, and just being silly. Mommy's cousins took lots of great photos at the reunion so we will have to get time some day and put them up... sorry we don't have more to share.
~M

We went on a tractor ride (actually a hayride) and I got to sit by Paul and Kelly! I really really like them. Mom and Dad were there too!

Hanging out with some really cool big boys.

Grandma and Grandpa gave me that really cool pet clinic and best of all, it has keys. The keys also work to start my car and open doors at home.

I admit, I was a little fearful of all the water at first. This little bubble water thing was my speed.

Then I found these BIG water shooters and they were pretty cool too!

Can you believe my grandpa (the guy next to me) used to ride this horse too? Pretty sweet!

You sure can tell we are related!

Grandpa, I am trying to smile for the camera!

If you mess with Mommy you have to face me and Grandpa and we are pretty tough!

Hanging out with Grandpa's mommy and daddy at the cabin. Mommy thinks this is a really cool photo.

Great Grandpa has lots of caps that he shares with me!

Ride the horsey!

Grandma, I can't find many photos of you... this is all we had... shocking. I guess Grandpa and I just pose together more. You are a wonderful grandma. We should take more pictures together!


My first time fishing. I didn't catch anything, but I did release my bobber and Grandma had to land it!

My fishing buddy, Grandpa!

In a BIG TRUCK (loader) with Daddy!

I am ready for a long day of lawn mowing... anyone hiring?

Riding a pelican is hard work, good thing Grandpa is helping me!

What? I can't work for NASA??? But I love riding rockets, and I am so good at it!

My second time to the park I went down the big slide. Mommy lifted me up high so I wouldn't go under when we hit the water. I just wanted to go again and again!

Stay tuned for part two of my vacation. My assistant (Mommy) is ready to be done blogging for the night!

Turning 2... the photo version

My Birthday happened over a month ago, but now that I am 2 things are getting pretty busy at our house. I have a lot of running, making echos (screaming), dancing, and laughing to do, but I am really to reflect on my 2nd Birthday and my 1st Birthday home.

Wearing Grandpa's shoes is a great way to start the day. I also had my keys so I was ready for the day. Mommy likes me to wear real clothes and not PJ's though so I guess I wasn't quite ready.

OK everyone, I was excited... check out my gifts and my amazing shirt that my friend L let me wear!

Daddy, this train is moving on the track, I just can't believe it. Put on another track as fast as you can!

I sure like my sleeping bag from L!

AT THE ZOO!!!!!

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Walking at the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa. It a long way to the monkeys!



Mom and Dad were clearly more impressed with the elephant than I was. I mean, where did my rice cake go?


Am I the only one concerned about how close Grandpa took me to the giraffe?

My very own Banana Bread Birthday Cake! I blew out the candle all by myself!

Since I love standing in the middle of the action I am so glad some friends gave me this awesome paper and crayons. I never knew I liked to color this much!

It was a great day. I am thinking about making every day my Birthday, but mommy says I am growing to fast already so I guess I will make her happy and stay 2 for a while!