The Sugar...

Okay, so as I look back on my recent posts they seem more focused on the struggles we have gone through as opposed to the blessings we are experiencing. So, this post will be devoted to the sugar we have been blessed with from the entrance of Tsegereda and Rodas into our family. I won't lie and say that the past month has not been full of challenges, and that I'm pretty sure the challenges will continue for some time...but I want to make sure and also chronicle the wonderful things that we are discovering every day about our children:

Sweet Miss Tsegereda Rosalie Mortenson...we have delighted in seeing how shy beginnings turn into vibrant storytelling, singing and dancing with our sweet rose (Tsegereda means "rose"). She has come so far in the month since she has been home! She is now willing to try different foods and even eats oatmeal and rice milk with Mom some mornings! She still withdraws at times when an answer or action is not what she would like...but we are learning how to bring her out of it and she is beginning to trust in our love and safety, I think. She is mourning for her Ethiopia, but still willing to embrace America. She laughs at Mom's jokes---and actually seems to understand them! She loves the water and her first time in a tiny inflatable pool she was floating and doing strokes!!! She is more happy than sad and she says "thank you, Mom" for clothes, snacks or dinner...which is HUGE! I love knowing that she is comfortable enough at home now to often just be a goofy eight year old girl...just like she should be. I am sure that there is much pain in her past, but she is already opening up to me about her scars--inside and out--and I think that when language becomes easier she will allow us to help her heal the emotional wounds that still hurt. She LOVES little ones, and more than once I have seen her leave her beloved swing at the playground to help a little toddler uneasy with climbing up a ladder.

She is determined to master the bicycle, the monkey bars, roller blades, and reading and writing in English...and her frustration is lessening as she is learning the art of practice and perseverance. She is an incredibly bright young woman with a glowing spirit and as I look at her sleeping at night, with little sister safely tucked in next to her, I think...yes, I am blessed.

Miss Rodas Reyne Mortenson...with a smile, dimples and laugh that could melt the heart of the coldest soul. She knows how to use them too, much to our consternation! She has a stubbornness rivaling her brother Noah and Mom and she is tough as nails. The only time the girl cries is when she is angry...I can count on one hand the number of times she has cried from pain (five shots and blood drawn count as two of those, though I truly believe she was really just mad that we would have the audacity to make her go through such a thing!). She is often very warm and affectionate, especially to her family. She loves chasing her older brother Wyatt through the house, trying to plant kisses on his arms. I love hearing her at night say "Luv you Noah," after she and I tuck Noah into bed. She has a huge heart and though she and I often find ourselves in a battle of wills, she still loves to hug and plant kisses on Mom's cheek every night no matter how tough the struggle over teeth brushing or why she can't wear her Tiana pj's (in the wash) has been. She will do anything for her big sister, often at the expense of her own happiness...to the extent of handing over to her a cherished doll or eating Cheerios (yes!). Her language skills are excellent, and she is picking up English quickly although she still prefers to use Tigrinya. Many of her motor skills are impressive as well--the girl can fold blankets with a precision that rivals her PopPop's! She is a wonderful helper and can often be found helping Mom or Dad water plants outside, weed, or do laundry. When it is laundry time, she pulls the clothes out of the dryer and hands them to me, telling me who they belong to with amazing accuracy. She can tell the difference between Wyatt and Noah's underwear (and I would bet a large sum of money that even her Dad can't do that!), although she also consistently says that Colt's boxers are Wyatt's and that one truly boggles me! I hold them up and say "Wyatt's???" and she lets out a cute giggle and say's "nooooo, Daddy's!" with a sheepish grin.


One thing that I am in awe of is the girls' devotion to each other. They do everything together and go everywhere together. If one has to go to the bathroom at night, they wake the other and go together. If one wants to go swing, the other (usually Rodas) will put down their bane (bagel) or doll and go swing. If one is wearing a skirt, the other one will often demand to wear a skirt as well. It is endearing, sometimes frustrating, and a little heartbreaking as we are beginning to realize that it might not just be a habit of comfort, but an ingrained protective measure. I am hoping that I am wrong, and consistently tell them that they are safe here, that Mommy and Daddy are gentle and love them. I pray for the time when Tsegereda feels comfortable enough to go to the bathroom at night, alone, and when Rodas will feel comfortable enough to impart her affection fully out of true love for us, as she does with sister, not partially as a survival method to maintain our protection.

The day will come, we will make sure of it. And until then, Colt and I will work hard to let our Sugar and Spice, and their brothers as well, know that their Mom and Dad are truly blessed by all of them.