Birthday, Easter,Birthday Hooray!

My computer has been acting a bit weird lately (perhaps its from a certain little one that clicks the on/off button a gazzillion times before Mommy catches him) so I wasn't able to update when I wanted to do so. A warning, this post will be filled with awesomeness, cuteness, birthday craziness and LOTS of pictures.

Eli's birthday fell the Tuesday after Easter, so naturally we celebrated with our family the Saturday before and had Easter Sunday.  We just had grandparents, aunts and uncles there, my little nephew didn't make it which was a bit sad but we had a blast anyway! We kept the party small as Eli is just getting used to celebrating birthdays and holidays. With his Birthday and Easter back to back we knew it was going to be a lot for him, but we wanted to celebrate his life and what an awesome boy he is!

 Eli loves, loves, loves him some puppy dogs and will excitedly point them out whenever he sees one.  He has multiple stuffed puppies and loves to cuddle them and feed them and love on them. It's the cutest ever! I had a few things made on Etsy and then got the rest at Party City, all puppy themed of course.  I wanted to get less cheezey items for the table, but I plan on doing that for his big during the summer. So Party City items it was and it turned out rather cute and Eli loved it

 

 He was definitely SPOILED (he has a couple of grandma's that just melt for this boy!) for his birthday and got A LOT of beautiful toys.  He opened them all that day, but we slowly introduced them into his play over the course of the past two weeks so as not to overstimulate him and to give him time adjust! He was extremely excited to get a smokin new set of wheels and a play kitchen which he has been making Puppy breakfast every morning!

 

 

 We ended the day with a Paleo birthday cake and coconut milk ice cream which Eli L-O-V-E-D!  He doesn't really ever get desserts except fruit or an occassional paleo muffin. He was in HEAVEN!  My mom did a fantastic job with the cake! The LORD blessed us mightily in every way, shape and form!

If you are all wondering if my child smiles, I guarantee you he is a VERY smiley, happy, silly boy.  HOWEVER, when he is in a new situation or one with a lot of people or new things around, he gets very serious and observes everything.  We know this is part of the process of him healing and trusting that nothing bad is going to happen.  We know he thinks back to the day when he was taken out of everything he knew, traveled three hours in a vehicle he was never in, placed in a new room with a bunch of nannies and kids and bombarded by a bunch of Americans so excited to see his face and other children's faces in that room. VERY, VERY VERY scarey if you ask me, so little by little his is trusting more and more in new situations but he gets very quiet and keeps an eye on Mommy/Daddy.  He is doing wonderfully, but we always have to keep in mind his point of view and what he might be experiencing.

The next day was Easter and we dressed in our finest and headed out the door for church. I cried thinking about every Easter that had past, praying to hold a child in my arms and this year the Lord showed Himself mighty!

We had another beautiful day filled with the peace and love of Jesus Christ and really reflected on what the day meant and the salvation that was given to us that day!  We had a little egg hunt for Eli and then ended the day with a delicious meal!  We are truly blessed to have a such an amazing family!

On Tuesday, we celebrated Eli's 2nd birthday!  We prayed that morning for his China Mommy and Daddy who so lovingly gave him life so we could hold him in our arms forever. It's not anything AJ and I take for granted and we will always honor his birth parents in celebrations like this. 

We wanted his first birthday with us to be filled with love and family time, just the three of us. AJ took the day off from work and we headed to a local zoo for the morning to celebrate!  Eli loved all the animals, the train ride and most of all his first PONY RIDE!  He was so brave and courageous-he had to go by himself with two strangers spotting him on the horse around a big track!  He LOVED LOVED LOVED it! I asked AJ if we could get him a pony for Christmas and that was quickly shot down! We had a quick bite out to eat and then had some left over cake and ice cream for dessert that night! It was really a beautiful way to celebrate our first child, our first son, our first birthday with Eli and our first time celebrating a birthday as parents!

We have seen Eli just flourish in the past almost 5 months since being with us!  The amount of change that has transpired since bringing him home Christmas day is incredible and a testimony of the Lord's power to heal.  He went from a sad, shocked little baby to an incredibly vibrant, social, rambunctious, silly, joy-filled toddler!  Eli is initiating hugs, kisses, and a few "I wa oo" (i love you) from time to time and showing more and more healthy attachment.  All this excitement did create some regression in the beginning of last week. So we did  A LOT of lap time, snuggling, holding and rocking to comfort him and reassure him.  He is adjusted once again now and we are preparing for May which holds a few birthdays, Mother's day (MY FIRST!!) and a surgical procedure for Eli. So  I am sure there will be a lot of snuggles, lap time and hugs in store for our lil man, but nothing that Jesus can't restore through His love and healing power! 

Friends, we are so blessed that you all helped us in some way, shape or form to get to this point in our lives and to enjoy being the parents we so desired to be!  Words will never express the gratitude we have for you all!  Above all, we thank the Lord for all He has done, is doing and will do in our lives!  God bless!

God is GOOD and we are BLESSED!

"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

Three months (now four!)

I wanted to write a three month post of all that has been happening in the Pilato household, but that time came and went with much much MUCH going on!  I thought I would still write it and share with you all what being home with our little man for three months looks like. 

The beginning of March, we celebrated my (GASP) 35th birthday. I remember each and every birthday leading up to this year from 2008...they were pretty much the same...a huge ache in my heart and another year without being a mom.  This year we celebrated with SOOOO much  joy and thankfulness that THE BEST birthday present was given to me!  I woke up on that morning with tears in my eyes and fullness in my heart knowing the LORD had answered my prayers in such a HUGE way and better than I could ever imagined.  My parents and AJ surprised my that day with a beautiful dinner out.  My parents kept Eli while AJ took my to one of our absolute favorite places to eat The Stone House. We had a wonderful night out!
 

Best birthday gift ever!

First birthday as a Mama!

A week late later we celebrated 3 months since the say Eli became our first child! The day will be forever etched in my mind.  I remember all of us crammed in the elevator to the 3rd floor of the civil affairs building. I remember Sherry, our guide telling  us not to talk too loud or smile too big (yeah right). I remember being told the children would be brought to the room we would wait in only to be totally surprised to see a room full of nannies with three gorgeous children. I also remember seeing a scared little boy as we entered the room watching and wondering what all of this meant. AJ and I scrambled for our camera and video recorder as we were not prepared to have them already in the room. I remember the nanny speaking Mandarin to Eli saying something to the effect that this is "your Mama and Baba!"  The warmth I felt in my arms when I took him in my arms and Eli was no longer an orphan was incredible...that I remember.  So much I remember that day and at three months so much had changed from that day.

First moment I laid eyes on Eli

Eli's nanny

We are a family!

 Since December 15th 2013, Eli went from a scared, malnourished child, to one that is filled with joy, spunk and a love for Jesus. He eats like a horse, has grown almost 4.5" and gained 7 pounds. He has learned to trust, to love and come to us when he has a boo boo. He sleeps without terror and screaming through the night. He wakes with peace and calmly calls for us, rather than throwing himself into hysteria. He can climb, run, jump, use simple phrases, dance, ride his scooter, match puzzle pieces/shapes and build large towers.  His love for puppies is unfailing and he is finally learning to like being dirty. He even smiles for pictures (not an easy feat)! Above all, he loves Jesus. He talks about Jesus, sees Jesus everywhere and raises his hands in worship daily and on his own volition.  Eli runs to his room after breakfast and devotionals to do his own Bible time. He'll sit on floor of his room and page through his Bible jargoning about Jesus and God telling his own version of the Word.  What a miracle to see how the LORD brought this child out of a desperate situation and into His grace and mercy. The power and transformation of adoption is one of the most beautiful things to see witness!  It's a TON of work and patience but worth the fight!

Puppy love!

After we celebrated our three month marker, we took a trip back down to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) to consult with Dr. D on Eli's medical condition and status. He will need a procedure to ensure all is well internally and we will be heading back down to CHOP in the next month to get that done, as well as, his 4th month developmental evaluation. Although we did not want to hear a procedure that involves general anesthesia was needed, we knew adopting a child with medical special needs would entail something of the sort.  Please keep Eli in prayer for this procedure.

We ended the month with snow melting and spring coming out a bit. The shedding of winter coats and boots!  We brought Eli to his first children's birthday party and watched him like a hawk the next couple days to make sure he was not overstimulated or that it was too much for him to process. He did great and was only a bit tired the next day.  He does require routine and we need to pull back often to ensure we don't over do it for him.  If a weekend gets to busy or there's too many changes at once, he has more behaviors and crying/clinging. So we advocate for him and protect him from too much, which means having to back out of plans or to say "please don't pick him up," or for us to hang home for a day or two. We want the best for him, even if means someone might be offended!  

In less than a weak is Eli's 2nd birthday. We have a small celebration of just immediate family planned Easter weekend. It's going to be a beautiful weekend to celebrate Eli's life and the life Jesus gave so we could be washed from our sin live eternally with Him! WOW! We, however, do not want to overshadow his birth parents in all of this.  I often think and pray for his birth parents, especially his birth mom.  I pray that she somehow knows her little boy is safe, loved and knows Jesus. I pray she knows the love of Christ and that He can heal her wounds.  I pray the LORD comforts her as his birthday approaches. Although Eli is still far too young understand, we will ALWAYS include his birth parents in celebrations. We will honor them because they gave him life and we now have a wonderful, amazing, funny, outgoing son because they chose to do so.  That is something I am forever grateful for.

AJ and I pray you have a beautiful Easter weekend. Please remember what Easter is all about.  Jesus' sacrifice and laying down of his pure life so that we may live and live more abundantly. Without his saving power, we would be nothing and have nothing. God bless you as He has blessed us so greatly!  Have a very HAPPY EASTER!

God is Good and we are BLESSED!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 

John 3:16-17

Year of the Horse-our first Chinese New Year!

To say that this year will be full of emotion is an understatement, but that's what the year of the horse tells me this year will be!  Emotions never felt before, new  prayers prayed and a heart full when once before it was missing a bit of something!  What a year it will be!

When AJ and I were in China we made it a point to purchase items for Eli that would represent his province, his people and his culture. Several of the items were traditional like the silk outfits for him to wear on special occasions like the Lunar New Year!  

 We wanted to start celebrating both Chinese and American holidays ASAP even though Eli is still working on settling in and needs life to be a little boring at this moment.  We planned a quiet day filled with love and joy and family.  My parents and my younger brother came over to celebrate our new traditions and dine Chinese style!

 We decorated the house with various red Chinese lanterns, some we hung, some we strung and some we placed on tables.  I had centerpieces from my my shower that were red Chinese takeout boxes filled with flowers and red chopsticks. I placed these downstairs on our shelves and on our dining room table upstiars.  I used a red tablecloth to add more red to the day!

   

 My mom and I cooked some traditional Chinese dishes paleo-style  and/or gluten-free as my family eats very clean-but it all came out great!  We made pork fried brown rice, paleo General Tso chicken, spicy green beans, pork filled spring rolls, Mongolian beef and sauteed bok choy, I placed chocolate dipped "fortune" cookies at each setting on a Chinese soup spoon!  I use the term "fortune" loosely because they were filled with Bible verses! I also broke out the beautiful chopsticks that we bought in Guangzhou just for an occasion like the Lunar New Year!

 

It has been one of my most treasured days since Eli entered our family. We all played in the snow together, took many pictures, spoke about how blessed we are, prayed together and shed some tears of joy!  We look forward to the many many many more New Years to come where we can thank the Lord for His goodness, faithfulness and promises He has given us!  What a year it has already been and what a year it'll be!

The next day AJ, Eli and I headed out to our very first church service as a family of three. The last time we had been in church we were being prayed over for our trip to China!  It has been a long time coming and everyone was so excited to meet Eli and welcome into our church family.  We quietly went and quietly left as we didn't want Eli to be overwhelmed by the whole experience. So if you didn't know we were there or didn't get to see Eli last week, no worries we will be back!  He did so great the entire service and LOVED worship. He was raising his hands and clapping and praising Jesus!  What more could you ask for!  A very special Chinese New Year weekend indeed!

GOD IS GOOD AND WE ARE BLESSED!!!!!

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,"

Deuteronomy 7:9