Smart Guy

So I was telling David my confusion with Nataga saying "NaNa" because he only does it when he is upset. I posted a few days ago that I wasn't sure why he was saying it and today David figured it out! Näy is a word that means "come here" in Amharic. We use it all of the time when we want Nataga to come and say "Na, Na". Well Nataga's Amharic is MUCH better than ours so when we hear his, it is said correctly! It sounded slightly different from what we say and I had no clue what he was trying to relay to us. I am so glad David figured it out. Nataga also says "abat" and "enat" every now and then (the words for father and mother). I love hearing him say them b/c it sounds so neat. When we say them they are... well... there really isn't a word except "slaughtered".

When we were in ET, the people at our guest house were so sweet and I would speak to them in Amharic while they spoke to me in English. They were very encouraging and complemented my Amharic while we were there. They spent lots of time teaching me new words. They understood everything I was saying and got a laugh out of me b/c I learned the polite (the form an elderly person would use) way to say the words. As I hear Nataga talk- I am thinking... I have a slew of random words to throw out- and apparently I talk like an old person and can't pronounce them just right! ;) Also not nearly enough words to use an actual sentence! This isn't looking good for me as I have been trying to teach Nataga his colors in Amharic. ~I can just see it -He'll go back and they won't have a clue what he is saying. (Disgusted look on someones face) "Where did you learn to speak Amharic"? Nataga- "Oh! My mom taught me!" Woah!
If only there was a tutor in the area! However the people in Ethipia COULD understand me so I guess it is give and take!

The joy of our sweet boy!

How cool is this kid? We think he is pretty awesome!

 

 

 

 

Sweet Sweet Sound!

Nataga has been teething and has been highly irritable recently. Tonight when I got home from chruch he was a GROUCH! I decided to put him in his crib for a few moments and he was quickly O U T! He looks so peaceful! All I could hear was him snoring! I am glad that he was able to sleep!

 

A bit dissappointed

We got our CD from Gladney in the mail the other day. It is a very important CD b/c usually Gladney takes pictures of your baby while they are in the orphanage. During the adoption process you typically get one picture a month and an update on how they are doing. Then when your adoption is complete they send the CD and it usually has pictures of your child that were taken at various ages that weren't sent as a monthly update- so you have some new pictures of your baby that you have never seen and usually they have pictues of your child when they first came into care. I was so exctied to get the CD b/c Nataga came into the orphange when he was days/weeks old and I couldn't wait to see what he looked like. So I quickly put the CD in and found that there were no pictures of him when he was small. Only the same monthy pictures we recieved by email starting from when he was 4 months old. I was really downhearted as I will never get to have those and see what he looked like at that time.

On a much different note I have to say how much Nataga loves his daddy. It is SO cute. David just stared back on his long work schedule and when he came home from work it was dark. He was coming into the house quietly as I was carrying Nataga around the corner. Before we even made it around the corner I heard this squeal of delight. Neither David or I relized that Nataga had seen him but he did and started squealing and jumping out of my arms to reach his daddy! He was SO excited and was bouncing to get to his daddy. He has started saying dadda constantly. It is so cute the way he adores him!

Words Nataga can say now:
Nana (why he says this I am not sure)
Momma
Dada
Hi
Kitty (he isn't the greatest at this one it comes out sometimes when he sees one but otherwise he doesn't say it)
ba ba ba
baby
I love you

Todays update

 

 

 

Window washing at its finest!

 

Did I mention that Nataga is teething again?

 

 

 

Just too cute!

 

 

 

Zoo

David has been off (of work) this week so we also went to the zoo. We didn't stay long as it was 100+ degrees and VERY humid. Nataga was so hot and miserable after a few exhibits. He gets hot REALLY quickly, I feel so bad for him. He enjoyed seeing some of the animals though. I can't wait to take him when it is cooler and he is older!

 

 

 

 

The beach

This weekend our friends came down to visit. They are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia! We all went to the beach. I found a little tiny crab and David did a great job taking a picture of Nataga holding it! David also celebrated his first Fathers Day w/Nataga! Here are some pictures from the beach!

 

 

 

 

Caught wet handed

Today there was a knock at the door. Nataga and I had been playing in the living room and he was very caught up in his toy so I left him playing there and went to the door. Someone had the wrong house and realized it when they saw me, apologized and left. As I was walking back to the living room I knew something was wrong b/c it was too quiet... I could hear splashing and giggling from the kitchen! I knew it could only mean one thing so I grabbed the camera (I try to always keep it handy) and found this! Yikes! We have a gate that seperates the two so, I guess I will be using it from now on! He has never been interested in the kitchen up until today!

 

Water works

So yesterday I was officially inducted into the "mommy of a boy" club. Yes, you guessed it- I was sprayed, and sprayed well might I add. Nataga has always been so good and we have never had any problems changing him (as far as worrying about getting sprayed). Well yesterday I got quite the surprise. I was changing him and had the second diaper ready. As I reached down for the butt paste Nataga lifts up the front of his diaper and there were liquids flying everywhere. I am frantically trying to take his hand off the diaper and cover him back up- meanwhile the wall, myself, Nataga, and the sweet bystander dog all got a sprayed down! It was funnier than anything! I was not expecting it at all and it serves me right because moments before I changed him I was thinking how lucky I was that I had never got sprayed before. Everyone was cleaned up and the dog got her second bath of the day!

 

This picture is from today. Nataga had quite the smelly diaper and what was so funny is that he covered HIS nose! Luckily I had a camera near by so I could capture the moment! Yikes!

 

We also went and bought a new lawn mower today. Self propelled! Sadly our other one bit the dust a few weeks back and so this time we splurged. Self propelled here I come! As you can tell I am quite excited about this and have HATED the other lawn mower since we moved into this house. A quarter of an acre in Texas heat is not a good combination. Our lawn looks like the amazon b/c we have been waiting until our gift cards came in the mail. They came today! I love good deals! As for the picture: I put Nataga in his crib so that I could unload the lawn mover. He was his usual ball of energy: climbing, standing, bouncing in the crib, etc. It took all of 5 minutes to unload the lawn mower...

 

This is what I found when I came back. I love the way he fell asleep, it is so cute. He usually lays on his side b/c that is how they put him to sleep when he was in the orphanage. Scroll down for some other pictures that I posted today!

Just some recent pictures!

 

 

 

I guess someone has been swimming in their pool too much lately! He loves making this fish face. Its really cute!

 

This one was taken Monday around 3AM that is why he still looks tired. HE decided he wanted to play at that time!

2 Months

This weekend marked two months since we officially met Nataga! Every day I find myself amazed by him and by how much more I fall in love this boy! He is always finding something new to do that steals my heart! We love him to death and can't imagine life w/out him. He started babbling sentences this Sunday. His very first word to us was "hi". I don't think I'll ever forget being in ET and Abby handing him to me. He was SO small. I remember wondering where the rest of him was! He was SO little. I also being amazed by how cute he was (everyone agrees that you can't capture how cute he is in a picture b/c of his personality) and how his referral and update pictures did NOT do him justice! His cuteness just shines through when you are with him (and some of the pictures we were sent during our wait were pretty stinkin cute)! Okay back to the story... As we were holding him and he smiles at us and said "hi". Talk about one smart baby! Since then he has been saying "momma", "hi", "dadda", "ba ba ba", "I love you" (sounding more like one word than 3) but never anything besides that. This Sunday as I was holding him and he started talking to me. I about fell over. Of course it was "baby language" and it didn't make a lick of since but it was neat that he had this whole sentence to tell me. I guess his big mile markers are going to come on Sundays!

What else? He has started climbing on EVERYTHING. He never stops moving (even in his sleep). He will probably walk independently soon, but so far he just holds on to furniture and walks around it. Well my sweet son just woke up and is hungry so I leave it to this.

Have a great day and if you're reading this leave a comment. I love reading them!

Take a test drive!

 

 

 

 

What else did we do today? We busted out Nataga's pool to try it out tonight- wore it out, rather! Anyway, he loved it and we about didn't get him out of it!

Pick me!

 

 

 

Nataga was proud of the blackberry he found and held it in his hand most of the time we picked. At one point we had to say goodbye to the blackberry b/c his whole hand was purple.

 

We all took a trip to go blackberry picking today. I had got to go w/Nataga a few days ago and today David got to go with us. It was lots of fun! We can't wait until next year when Nataga will be able to pick some of them himself!