All along, Ethan’s adjustment through this transition has been a primary concern. We’ve been here less than two week so far, but his adjustment is going quite well.

He certainly has been through much the past couple of weeks, not to mention the last 5 months: different people coming over to the house at Manor Hill while we packed, and his first “sleep over” at Grandma’s while we pulled an all-nighter to finish packing before the movers came.

Now he finds himself in a new home. He had a couple of rough nights — one night he kept waking up crying and we put in bed between us. We have never done that at home before (just when we stayed at a hotel). Even in our bed he was snuggled with my arm around him through the night, which was fine until my arm went to sleep.

But the last few nights, Ethan has been sleeping through the night well. He’s been going to bed well too. On previous nights, he didn’t want us to leave the room until he was asleep, but recently he’s been rolling right over, ready to go to sleep.

The most recent adjustment is that he’s now waking up in a good mood again. He woke up crying some at first and that’s just not like him. The last few mornings he’s been content to lay in his bed awhile after he wakes, sometimes trying out his vast new vocabulary while he lays there waiting for one of us to come and get him.

He is very clingy, though, especially toward me. At the church, he doesn’t venture very far. Sunday morning when I went in my office, he wouldn’t even let me put him down. He wanted me to hold him. That’s why it was so amazing that he went to the assistant lay leader so well during the service time.

We are sure it’s all a part of getting adjusted to his new surroundings. One person from West Side, who has two adopted daughters, said that even though he’s a bit clingy, she can still tell he’s a people baby.

I’m glad that he does as well as he does. After the two days of babysitters at West Side which changed every few hours, I said that he is going to know people quicker than I am!

Ethan attended his first night of Vacation Bible School Monday at West Side. The ages really begin at three years of age, so I stayed with him and we joined the preschool class. He did very well.

The theme is a beach theme, and during the opening songs when the kids were “surfing,” he put his hands up in the air, attempting the motions. Craft time was painting; Mommy opted out of that one. Ethan watched the kids play games and got to throw the beach ball a couple of times (with it landing right at his feet.)

Ethan sat around the table with all the other boys and girls in his own little seat, listening to the story about Gideon. He got a bottle that each night the kids will add a memory verse and trinket. I was so impressed when Ethan put his trinket, a fish, in the bottle all by himself!

He’s pictured with his fish he could bring home. The children colored their fish. Ethan tried to put the crayon in his mouth more than he tried to color, but he did color a few light strokes all by himself.

Sometimes I look at him in amazement at how he’s growing up so quickly. He is 13 months old today.