Six Months - Hard to Believe

Yesterday earmarked the six month point of Akins coming home. It sure has flown by. It is amazing to think of the journey from the beginning to now and what all has been accomplished and then to ponder what might be to come. To summarize things would be impossible as the list is simply too long but to make it fun here are some of the highlights from my perspective (not necessarily all fun parts of the journey and not necessarily in any particular order):

- The relief to learn that Akins had told the other kids that he would be sitting on his American mother's lap and that they were to stay away from me, thus putting many of my fears of what if he doesn't like me to rest.
- A very dark August 8th night taking a scared little boy into the night and into my arms away from everything he knew.
- The feeling of being a scared new mother.
- The fear of leaving Africa without the small boy that had called me Mommy for a week and the absolute relief when the Consular said "I have thought about this all day and I am going to grant this visa because I do not know what will happen to this boy if I don't".
- A thirty hour trip on three different airplanes.
- The sound of hearing me say "this is my son".
- Numerous doctors’ visits including two umbilical and one circumcision surgery.
- Two day care and one pre-school change.
- The first "Mommy I love you".
- A truckload of chicken consumed.
- Lights and flushing still a challenge to stop obsessing at times.
- Screaming at the introduction to the dogs.
- Relief the first time he touched one of the dogs.
- Frustration and confusion when we could not understand each other.
- Finally settling on the proper way to say his new name and the sadness I realize when I know how much he associates with the name Junior.
- The first hint of discrimination when an older man gave us a very disapproving look and the feeling of fear for what may come down the road.
- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the first snow and fires in the fireplace.
- Bikes, trikes, cars, jeeps, toys and clothes.
- Shopping for the first time.
- Seatbelts and the relief when the fear ended.
- Swimming lessons and the pool.
- Lots of singing, playing lots of tricks on each other and a lot of laughing.
- Pouting and defiance like no American kid has ever displayed.
- Compliments on the beauty of Akins nearly every time we go out.
- Attempting to find a church that makes sense.
- The day he said "Mommy, my new school no say dude"!
- Lots of children's stories I had forgotten all about and he never knew.
- Sweet kisses and the way he looks when he is peacefully sleeping.
- The way he smells right after a bath.
- Two whole weeks of sleeping in my own bed all the way through the night without a meltdown.
- American slang and a very literal African boy.

Today, Lorea said "What do you want to do today"? I asked "Hang around the house and kick it"? Akins says "Yeah" and proceeds to kick his feet wildly.

One other highlight that must not go unmentioned is the bond and deep friendships I have built with the mother's who have also taken this journey. I could not have made it through some of these times without the support of my MUAA sisters that includes all of them no matter how long they have been part of the group or how long they remain.