Repeat

It’s hard to believe we have just wrapped up our second summer as a family of three. As we entered into longer, warmer days, I often found myself comparing the two summers. As I’d watch Turo climb at the playground, run around outside or scamper up the stairs for bathtime with Jose, I’d think back to those early months together. Turo was trying to figure out his new world. I was navigating the unfamiliar realm of motherhood. We were finding our rhythm as a trio.

I spent a lot of last summer delighting in our little boy. I think I was on the verge of happy tears at least once a day. Everything seemed so incredible. I couldn’t wait to tell Jose the latest thing Turo did or make Turo repeat the newest word he had learned. The camera was always within reach, and I found myself snapping dozens of photos at a time. He was just so cute! But last summer also felt very long. There were the early mornings, drawn out bedtimes and numerous middle of the night wake-ups. Days I wasn’t sure how to fill. Dinners that should have taken 30 minutes to prepare were taking an hour and a half. There were the new dynamics of our marriage to figure out. I had a house to manage and attempt to keep clean while keeping a curious toddler out of trouble. There were some hard parts in those sunny days.

With a year behind us, we entered this summer secure with each other, as a family. The days generally flew by. There were many nights when the sun tricked us into thinking it was earlier than it was. We had figured out a flow, a routine. We ventured into the world, took trips, had adventures. It seemed natural.

It wasn’t until we left last summer behind that I realized all the challenges that were woven into those initial months. I guess being in the midst of it, I didn’t give it much thought. It was our reality. But a year later, I can see the progress we’ve made. Granted, there are still tough days, but now I know how to manage them a little better too.



Of course, some things haven’t changed in the past year. I continue to document every sweet/funny/adorable thing the kid does. Now instead of telling Jose about the word Turo learned, I relate entire conversations. I am repeatedly amazed by Turo’s ability to soak in information. The happy tears remain a frequent threat. And when I peek in on Turo before I go to bed, I still feel that same sense of awe as I did that first night in Ethiopia. Not quite understanding why the universe entrusted me with this child, but humbled that it did.