It's official!!

Today we finalized Rafael's adoption. It is 2 days short of when we got our referral. Rafael did great at the courthouse and things went so quickly. So he is now Rafael Tolentino Michael Ash. Wow!!! That really is a long name! I hope that he is a good speller!

Rafael also had his birthday party yesterday. It was pretty crazy with 7 kids running around the house but he had lots of fun. I think his favorite part was all the balloons. As soon as he woke up this morning, the first word out of his mouth was balloons. He had a barney cake which he also loved.

Tomorrow I head back to work after 8.5 months off!! Crazy! I can't believe that I won't get to spend everyday with Rafael anymore. We had lots of fun in the past 8 months and now he'll have lots of fun at the sitters house. He absolutely loves it there playing with the other kids so I don't feel too bad about leaving him. I'm sure it will only take a day or two and it will feel like I never even left work.

It's a rainy, windy day here. Not the best day for trick or treating but hopefully we'll still get out to a few house with our little lion. He loves dressing up especially in dresses and tutu's. Maybe that will be the costume for next year!! That's all for now. Happy Halloween!!!

Photos from Rafael's birthday

Happy 2nd Birthday Rafael!!!

Our little cutie pants turned 2 today!!!! He had a wonderful day and especially loved blowing out the candles on his cake! I'll post those photos later. This morning he had a halloween party at playgroup and Brian took the afternoon off work so that we could go to the park and go out for supper. Afterwards we came home for cake. Yum!! Rafael's party isn't until Sunday but we had lots of fun celebrating today. Isn't our two year old the cutest little lion???? I hope you all enjoyed your day!

Wordless Wednesday

This photo should have been first!!

Welcoming Fall

I can't believe that in just one month I'll be heading back to work. Rafael had his first day alone at the home daycare that he will be going to while I work. He did great!! He loved playing with the other kids and going to the park. We're so proud of our big boy!!

We are also so happy that Rafael will have a new little Filipino friend to play with very soon. A friend who lives just five minutes away was matched with a little girl in August. She is just 3 months younger than Rafael and I'm sure they will have lots of fun together when she comes home.

Rafael now says more than 30 words. I just love hearing him speak. It's precious, except when he yells no. We hear that alot!! We aren't having much luck with the toilet training but we'll keep plugging along.

His birthday party is planned for Oct. 29. We are having a Halloween theme and all the kids are dressing up. Rafael will love it! We bought him a lion costume and he looks soooo adorable! I can't believe that he will be two on Oct. 25. The time is just flying!! On Oct. 29 last year, our social worker sent us the e-mail telling us that we had been matched with a little boy and now a year later we are celebrating his birthday with him. Soooo special!!!!

We have been so blessed to become parents to this wonderful little boy. He is so happy and social and outgoing. He definitely keeps us super busy but he always keeps us laughing and smiling. I can't imagine life without him!!

Home sweet home

Rafael has now been home for six months!! He just had his first haircut, since coming home, last week. We think he looks like such a cutie with his new do! Rafael has now started the "no" phase. Everything I ask him, he will reply no. I hope that this doesn't last long. He also started to say "mine" all the time and is no longer such a fan of sharing. We're going to have our hands full with this little boy. We haven't gotten too far with toilet training yet. I guess we'll have to be patient. That's all for now!

6 months ago....

Rafael now (well a few weeks ago)

Rafael on Feb. 19, 2011. What a sweetie!

Meeting Rafael for the first time!! He initi.ally came towards me, but then ran away

It was six months ago on Friday that we first met out son. It is still hard to believe he has only been in our lives for six months. It seems like he has been with us forever! It seems to us that he is doing wonderfully. He seems to be well attached to us, he is saying more and more words everyday, he seems to be understanding more and more of what we say, and he is just the cutest and happiest little boy ever! We have been so blessed that Rafael was chosen to be our son. He is just perfect for our family. Yes, there are days when he drives me a little crazy. Like Friday afternoon when he poured the dog's water bowl on top of his head, then he marked on the walls in pen, and then he threw his supper on the floor, but I guess that's just part of having an almost two year old in your house! I'm sure there lots more of that to come so we'd better get used to it. The terrible twos are just around the corner!