The Sad Reality of Adoption

I have been following a blog of a fabulous family for years. I watched them receive their first referral for an amazing baby girl from Ethiopia a couple years ago, and now their second referral for a 2 month old beautiful baby girl last week. The second baby that was referred to them has now passed away. I can't imagine the overwhelming sadness that lives in their house right now. These children are so precious, so innocent, so fragile. A common reason why these birth mothers want so desperately for their child to go to a family that can afford to feed them. Something as simple as food and water. Something we, as Americans, take for granted. The most basic need of the human body is water. When a child gets ill because of dehydration, it seems so simple to fix. Not the case in Ethiopia. Pray for these children and families facing this situation.

All the things I love about my boys...

Flippity:

He is a tenderhearted child who genuinely cares how others are feeling.
He is generally a good listener and helper.
He can stick with a task and see it through.
He loves me and seeks me as comfort.
I usually don't have to worry about what he is doing.
He has a great sense of humor.
He has an amazing memory.
He is very well behaved (compared to most children).
He is a good friend to others.
He is an interesting child.

Baby M:

He has a fun sense of humor.
He can do it himself and will.
He is very independent.
He is not afraid to try new physical things.
He has a fabulous laugh and smile.
He is always busy.
He is loves his mama.
Others are drawn to him.
He is a perfect child (usually) in the presence of new people.
He knows what he wants and is not afraid to ask for it.

We are learning to take the good with the bad, a lesson that needs constant refreshing, and learning to look past the muck and enjoy what we have. Babies are hard, thats all there is to it. But if you let the 'hard' be dominant, you'll never enjoy the stuff you should.

Angry Baby

Just what do you do with an angry baby? Anybody? Baby M (disregard his angelic, happy little face) is mad. If anyone takes something from him he throws a tantrum. Turning off the water in the bath, picking him up when he is in the wrong place, taking something from him that he should not have... all these things cause him to beat on me. He will throw things at me (very hard), and pound on me in anger. Once again, this is like being a first time mom. I do not know how to deal with a child like this. It seems like a 1 year old child should not have this much rage. What do I do, and how do I change this behavior in him? Is it even possible? Baby M will even throw food at the table out of spite. He will look me in the eye, after I have told him it is naughty, and throw the food anyway. I am very certain that he understands 'No' and 'Naughty'. He is a smart child and I think this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as us butting heads will go. Somebody HELP!