1) Rex is a good eater and doesn’t have the overeating or picky eating food issues that some kids do. He is now on a schedule to eat three meals and two to three snacks a day and it seems to be working fine. He does not drink with his meals, so we offer fluids about 30-60 minutes after he eats and at other times, too. The only food he has rejected is hummus.
2) For three weeks Rex refused all liquids except apple juice mixed with water. In a small nutritional victory, he started taking an apple carrot juice blend mixed with water yesterday. He still drinks from a bottle with a big hole cut into the nipple. It’s basically like he milks the nipple with his teeth since he cannot suck well.
3) Rex will not ride in shopping carts, but he loves to be carried in the Ergo. He has also taken well to the car seat and enjoys walks in the stroller.
4) Rex turns everything that is not a toy into one. He has fun playing with cooking spoons, pots, lids, chairs, the phone, the fireplace, doors, drawers… I could go on. You should see our house right now, it’s a mess of proper and make-shift barriers to keep him safe and some of our stuff intact. Any guesses what we’ll be doing this weekend?
5) Eye contact from/with Rex has increased tremendously. He also now seeks out more cuddling, finally resting his head on our chests and shoulders, touching our skin, etc. He is also now reaching up his arms to us to be picked up. And when we let him, he falls asleep on us. This kind of intimacy can still get overwhelming for him at times, but the improvement is noticeable.
6) Rex does have trouble regulating intense emotions, whether they are good or bad. If he gets overstimulated, his response can be a rage or he has to lie on his back and turn his head from side to side to calm down. I feel like he is getting better in this area also because if I catch the warning signs, I can remove him from the situation and calm him down by distraction or by holding him.
7) When he first got home, Rex wanted nothing to do with the carpet. Then he walked on it in socks, then barefoot. Now he will sit and lie on it, but he still will not touch it with his fingertips.
8) Rex sleeps in a crib in our bedroom. After a few nights of adjusting, he now sleeps through the night 9-10 hours, very calmly and deeply. We are happy parents partially because we are not sleep deprived.
9) Rex is not fond of bathing. He was cleaned standing up in a shallow tub at the orphanage, so he still will not sit down for a bath. He used to scream his head off while I soaped and rinsed him, but how he just whimpers. It’s progress, I’d say. Oh and he looks the cutest in his froggy bath towel.
10) Craig wanted me to put for #10 that Rex is amazing. His resilience and determination and willingness to adjust despite everything have blown us away. Our hearts are bursting with love for this little guy.
And just for fun, here is a photo of the little mischief-maker who snuck his snacks out of the diaper bag and figured out how to open them, eating to his heart's content:
too precious.
ReplyDeleteSounds like he really is adjusting well. It is amazing how resilient our little ones are!!! Congratulations again. He's adorable.
ReplyDeleteLove the picture! SO much of that sounds similar to us, except today both our kids tried hummus for the first time and liked it! We've been trying to get them to drink milk for a week now (tried 2%, whole milk, strawberry flavored, etc) but they don't like any of them. Until today they haven't been too fond of fruit but if they see us eating something or even the crinkle a bag they cry for food. So today they had both banana and grapes at random times and like them. Thanks for the tip on the pudding/pediasure. We've been striving for balanced meals and they do well with yogurt, carbs (each ate 3 pancakes this morning), chicken, etc. So caloric intake seems ok but I'd like to see them drink something other than juice mixed with water (they are the same with Rex on that). For the first time today they both drank a cup of water at lunch (but wont drink it from a sippy cup, just juice from that). They are much too used to drinking from glasses. Naptimes and bedtimes are still tough but its all new to them so they need time. Overall our first day home has been awesome and the kids are adjusting much better here than they did in the apartment. So free and inquisitive its great to see. Seems as though our paths are similar! I'll have to look through your blog again for the timeline but I hope your daughter can join you soon!
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