CWA's Spotlight Children: Athan and Tseraphine Young

We are closing in on two months now of having little Athan and Tseri. We still find ourselves thinking someone is going to come and pick the kids up, and babysitting time will be over, but each day we grow more and more convinced that they are ours for keeps.

As many of you parents can attest, the transition to parenthood is not usually without its bumps and bruises.  We however, were clobbered by it.  The first month was, let me see, how shall I sum up? ROUGH.  Our nosedive into the land of sleepless nights, munchkin days, and constant colds knocked the wind right out of us, despite all we did to try to prepare for it.  That said, a month is only a month, and we have also been surprised by how quickly and comparatively smoothly we are beginning to find our groove and bond as a family. We have no doubt this is due in large part to the prayers that have been offered on our behalf.    

We are happy to report that Athan and Tseri are doing really, really well! We are getting to know our adoption doctor and pediatrician quite well, and as a result, we are making good progress on their medical issues.  We are also ecstatic to report that so far, nothing has come up on either of them that can't be resolved with the right medicine and some time.

While becoming parents put the kibosh our carefree, we-can-do-whatever-we-want-whenever-we-want lifestyle, it gave us treasures in return.  For all the sleep and full health in the world, we wouldn't trade Athan or Tseraphine. Each day we fall more in love with our kids.  Tseri is a sweet, beautiful, happy little six month old that ADORES her brother, eats more formula that we can keep in the house, wakes up smiling and cooing, and rarely quits until we lay her back down for sleep, and is extremely concerned about working on her ability to get mobile so she can be more involved in everything.  She loves people and gets outrageously excited whenever she finds a new source of light. She is also very fond of giving "speeches," and is lately very proud of herself for learning how to blow raspberries.    

Athan is the busiest and most inquisitive little dude you'll ever meet. He's always got his eyes peeled and arms extended for anything new that he hasn't yet gotten his hands on, and gets particularly excited if it is a new box or bag he hasn't yet investigated.  He has also appointed himself as our little helper. He seems to make associations very quickly and as a result, has figured out most of the routines, and busies himself "helping".  Best of all though, he LOVES to mimic. Momma coughed…Athan needs to cough now. Poppa put something in the trash…Athan needs to put something in the trash now…Oops, then play a bit in the trash cause it's just too fascinating!  To this day, he still "grunts" when putting clothes into the dryer, because he heard Aunt Francie do it once while she was here.

As you might imagine, this particular trait keeps us on our toes, and praying hard.  He often acts in reflection of our own attitude at the moment, so it is a quick and often humbling check on our mental state. Athan came to us ready to conquer the world, beginning with his new home and parents, and it has taken time and no small amount of energy for us catch up with him.  Though he's a world champion sleeper, he has tested our resolve from the get-go during the day. It will come as no surprise to anyone that has ever lived with a Dennis-the-Menace toddler, but we have been fairly close to tearing out our hair on more than a few occasions as we endure the quintessential "toddler moments".  However, he is also more fun than a barrel of monkeys. We do love his spirit and curiosity and he regularly has us all in a fit of laughter with his antics. 
 
Both seem to be happiest when they are either sitting on our lap or have our rapt attention. They both love affection (which we are only too willing to give!) and Athan is particularly fond of returning hugs, kisses and "winks". They also enjoy engaging friends that visit the house, but never wander far from us, and keep an eye on what we think of the situation. These things are particular blessings as they point positively toward healthy bonding and attachment, which we could not be more thankful for.

In closing, we find ourselves regularly amazed at how well the children seem to be adjusting and attaching to us, and now us to them.  It was (and continues to be!) a jarring transition for all of us, but God has been so very gracious, and our friends and family have supported, encouraged, and prayed for us so much so that we have been overwhelmed with gratitude.  On the practical side, we had a group of friends that cooked for us for five weeks straight, which proved invaluable during those early days of transition and sleep deprivation.  We highly recommend this!  
 
We look forward to the days, months and years ahead with our children and are so thankful that things are off to a good, albeit bumpy, start.
 
Greg, Ahdra, Athan & Tseraphine Young

Would you like to allow your child to be featured as CWA's monthly Spotlight Child? Please let us know by emailing Tana Alfrey, Communications Assistant.