Happy First Halloween

Precious Pumpkin!

Friday Retrospective

8:30 am... the daily quest to get permission to bring the deck chair into the kitchen. Forty degree weather isn't slowing this little guy down a bit.

11:00 am... I think I have mentioned that Rex is very strong. He built this "hut" over the heating vent all by himself.

12:30 pm... a well-deserved impromptu nap on the vibrating pillow which he had turned on all alone. If you're wondering about the paper, we'd been working on fine motor skills earlier by ripping old documents.

3:00 pm... note how the bottom shelves have been nearly cleared of their load. Rex loves to play in the pantry. And yes, he pulled the kitchen chair into the pantry by himself, but I don't know why.

Never a dull moment around here with my little Rexplorer.

IAC 195 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 195 which was held on 10/04/11:

1) Greek dossier from August 2006 referred a male child aged 2 years and 5 months

2) Greek dossier from January 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 9 months

3) Italian dossier from January 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years 3 months

4) French dossier from February 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 7 months

5) U.S. dossier from September 2009 referred a waiting child (#1442) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) U.S. dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 5 months with data on family history

7) U.S. dossier from February 2010 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months with data on family history

8) Italian dossier from May 2010 referred a female child aged 4 years 4 months with data on family history

9) Spanish dossier from July 2010 referred a female child aged 10 years and 4 months

10) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 1 months

11) Italian dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 9 years and 8 months

12) U.S. dossier from June 2011 referred a waiting child (#1257) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) Swedish dossier from July 2011 referred a waiting child (#1240) with a profile on the MOJ site

14) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1136) with a profile on the MOJ site

15) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1297) with a profile on the MOJ site

16) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1398) with a profile on the MOJ site

17) Portugese dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1355) with a profile on the MOJ site

18) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#7) with a profile on the MOJ site

19) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1143) with a profile on the MOJ site

20) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred two waiting children (#1048 & #31) with profiles on the MOJ site

21) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#803) with a profile on the MOJ site

Rex - Thirteen Weeks Home

Today marks thirteen weeks home and fifteen weeks out of the orphanage for Rex. I can hardly believe it. Tomorrow it will be exactly three months to the day of when we first set foot into our house as a family. Time as flown by as these three months have been the most stressful, challenging, tiring, amazing, character-building time in my life since I graduated from college.

So what’s new with Rex? He has learned to blow raspberries and to operate flat buttons that you switch/push back and forth. He can now turn on and off his own vibrating pillow, so I don’t think other toys that use this same mechanism will be far behind. Rex is newly interested in small toy cars and finally a little bit in balls, too. I can tell he really wants to figure out how to toss with some precision and how to kick. Rex continues to enjoy a lot of sensory play, digging in and spilling out his pasta tin, bouncing on the exercise ball (now frequently solo with some stabilizing help from us), splashing at his sand and water table, swinging, and pushing heavy items such as chairs.

We love our occupational therapist and she has been a wonderful help for Rex. She also always gives us great ideas for things to do at home, so I ordered a few OT items to be set up in our basement. I think Rex will really like having a cuddle swing available to him throughout the winter months.

In more fantastic news I have seen a marked improvement in Rex’s attachment to me. He no longer shies away from my kisses and cuddles, but allows them to happen. Not saying he enjoys them yet, but he sticks it out. Rex has also begun snuggling more with me at bedtime and naptime and he sometimes even comes up to me during the day for closeness. Rex does not give hugs (yet), but just yesterday he simply stepped up next to me twice, pulled me to the floor, and then rested his head into my lap/chest. He allowed me to stroke his back and hair and remained with me for a few minutes. I know this is a great concession of trust on his part. Rex is also making better eye contact and beginning to look when we call his name.

Last week we were traveling domestically for a few days and Rex did well. He was quite good on the short airplane rides and did not mind the hotel room. I took him to the pool twice… the first time he loved it and splashed around like most toddlers do and the second time he hated it and screamed his head off like he does at bath time. He also behaved rather well when we were out visiting friends. He is not very interactive with any virtual strangers at this point, but he was able to sit with us at the dinner table and take part in a meal and to move around people’s homes like any self-respecting, curiously exploring toddler boy would.

We are preparing for the remainder of this year to be an incredibly busy, taxing time for our family. Once we return from Bulgaria with our daughter, I don’t expect a routine to form until the new year. There’s just too much going on with the holidays, a visiting Oma, medical and therapy appointments, etc. We are going to take it one day at a time and do our very best for our new family of four.

It's 7:00 PM...

…on a Tuesday night. Do you know what your kids are doing?

Mine is outside on the deck in 60 degree weather getting completely soaked at his sand and water table and having the time of his life. This is the kid that hates baths and screams bloody murder throughout them.

What comes to mind is Dr. Seuss, “You’ve never yet met a pet, I bet, as wet as they let this wet pet get.”

P.S. Just so you know, it’s now almost 8:30, Rex is inside, dried off, and snuggled into his jammies with a bowl of warm, homemade pumpkin tomato soup in his belly.

Rex's Hearing

When we accepted Rex's referral, we knew that he had been diagnosed with moderately-severe hearing loss in Armenia and were prepared for the possibility that he might be fully deaf. However, when we met him, it was obvious to us that he could hear, we just didn't know how much.

Today we finally had an audiology test for Rex (we had to wait until the tubes were in his ears and the fluid gone). The test setting wasn't really conducive to Rex's needs, so we were unable to complete the full test, but we did learn that at the most Rex has mild hearing loss. It's likely that his hearing is just fine. We could do another, very accurate hearing test under anesthesia, but we are not going to pursue this option until it is time for his next surgery. Rex just doesn't need any more probing at this time.

In any case, I am thankful to know that my little lovey bug can hear much better than we expected. It is a huge blessing amid all his other medical/developmental diagnoses and needs.

First Pumpkin Carving

Yesterday Rex's aunt and cousins stopped by to carve pumpkins. They picked out some nice ones, including one for Rex and one for us. Of course, Rex was a little skeptical about the goings-on and observed from the sidelines:

Colton inspecting the finished pumpkin for proper lighting:
These lovely pumpkins are now on our porch. Colton was very sweet, decorating the little one for Rex:
After the hard work of carving four pumpkins, we ordered pizza for dinner and spent some play time inside. Of course, we had ice-cream for dessert before it was time to call it a day.

Autumn Afternoon

Rex and Mama

She Is Ours

Today a judge in Sofia made it official: we are now the grateful and blessed parents of a 24 months old girl, a tiny treasure with special needs and a wonderful spirit.

We started our adoption journey on February 14, 2009 when we mailed our application to our agency. Little did we know at the time that both of our children would be born that same year, just months apart in different countries. We received news of our Bulgarian referral on February 14, 2011. Now, almost three years from the start of this process, our family will be together for Thanksgiving next month. There’s no better reason to be grateful and to celebrate than our two beautiful, amazing, and inherently perfect children coming into our lives.

Per our agency's advice, I will not post any photos or the name of our little girl until she is safely home with us, so stay tuned.

IAC 194 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 194 which was held on 09/16/11:

1) German dossier from July 2008 referred a male child aged 2 years and 6 months with peculiarities in health status

2) Greek dossier from October 2008 referred a male child aged 3 years and 8 months

3) French dossier from November 2008 referred a male child aged 2 years with peculiarities in health status

4) Italian dossier from December 2008 referred a male child aged 4 years and 3 months, lags behind in NDP and speech

5) Italian dossier from January 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years and 4 months

6) Dutch dossier from February 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 4 months with data on family history

7) U.S. dossier from April 2009 referred a male child aged 3 years and 5 months with data on family history

8) Italian dossier from April 2009 referred two brothers, aged 5 years 3 months & 3 years 3 months, with peculiarities in the health status of children under one (in infancy?)

9) German dossier from July 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 10 months with peculiarities in health status and data on family history

10) U.S. dossier from July 2009 referred a female child aged 1 years and 11 months with peculiarities in health status

11) French dossier from August 2009 referred a male child aged 6 years and 9 months

12) U.S. dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 1 years and 10 months with data on family history

13) U.S. dossier from December 2009 referred a brother and sister, aged 4 years and 6 months & 5 years and 7 months, with data on family history

14) Italian dossier from March 2010 referred a female child aged 3 years and 3 months with peculiarities in health status and data on family history

15) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 3 years and 8 months with data on family history

16) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 10 months

17) Italian dossier from September 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 3 months

18) Belgian dossier from December 2010 referred sisters aged 6 years and 4 months & 8 years and 5 months

19) German dossier from March 2011 referred a waiting child (#1582) with a profile on the MOJ site

20) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1162) with a profile on the MOJ site

21) German dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#542) with a profile on the MOJ site

Rex - Eleven Weeks Home

Today marks eleven weeks home and thirteen weeks out of the orphanage for Rex. Things have been relatively low key on the developmental front though we now have a climber of furniture. Yes, Rex can get up onto the couch and chairs without assistance these days, so no more leaving him on the deck by himself. After the palate surgery Rex’s babbling had reduced to just a few syllables, but now more speech is returning. We are hearing nice D, B, and G sounds and in a surprising turn of events, he says Oma (“Uma”) to my mom now when we are on the phone. The palate surgery seems like a distant memory at this point except when we realize that a sneeze didn’t fling any food or that Rex’s drooling has decreased tremendously. He wears bibs only during meals these days. We see drool now mostly when Rex is very focused and/or learning something which our OT tells us is quite common as the brain hones in on the main task at hand.

We have also continued to re-arrange rooms to serve our family’s current needs better. For example, we have a small trampoline in the living room now and Rex and Craig jump on it together every night while playing… uhmm, shall I admit this… 80s and 90s rap. We have also blacked out the window in the children’s room and put two twin beds in there side by side for Rex’s and my afternoon naps. There’s room for sister to join us, too.

The thing I miss the most about motherhood, something I expected and desired to be a part of it, is the cuddling. Rex is not a cuddler. Rex does not like to be held. In fact, from the moment that Rex set foot into his new home he has refused to be contained in any way. He will not stay in a play pen, he will not play in an exercise chair, he will not go into his crib during daylight. He just wants to be free to roam his territory and I understand that considering most of his hours at the orphanage were spent in indoor and outdoor play pens, rolling walker type chairs, and his crib. But I do miss the hugs and kisses that would come from spontaneous snuggling. Rex will come to me for comfort in moments of extreme distress like getting shots or having blood drawn and he cuddles with daddy when he is tired at night. Having said all this, I am happy to report that Rex now allows me to stroke his cheeks at random times during the day and does much better with hugs and kisses. He sometimes even cracks a little smile of enjoyment. And just this afternoon for our nap, he fell asleep with his little hands cupped around my chin and cheeks and our faces almost touching. My heart spilled over with love. I know we have a long way ahead in bonding yet, but we are going into the right direction and maybe cuddling is still in the cards down the road.

Some of you may wonder what Rex eats these days. He still rejects fresh fruits and vegetables unless they are pureed and he still loves his carbs. For breakfast he either has homemade oatmeal with applesauce or homemade pancakes with almond butter and applesauce. I spend some time every other weekend getting oatmeal and pancakes prepared and into the freezer, so they are always ready on busy weekday mornings. For lunch, Rex usually has a sandwich with cheese or with nutella mixed with banana (always trying to hide the good stuff) or with cream cheese mixed with peach puree. Sometimes he also has leftovers from dinner. Rex’s favorite afternoon snack is yogurt mixed with cereal, graham crackers, and/or fruit. Now that his palate is repaired, Rex can eat whatever we’re having for dinner on most nights. He likes beef and chicken, potatoes, pasta, soups and stews, etc. He opts out of salad night though. Rex isn’t big on dessert, but we are happy that he has developed a recent interest in ice cream and icy fresh fruit smoothies. He used to not be able to eat anything that was colder than room temperature, but now I can feed him stuff straight from the fridge and apparently a little frozen is starting to be okay, too. Upon doctor’s advice (I should have known better and followed my instincts) I had Rex drink milk for a few days and every time he did, he would spit up afterward repeatedly and his appetite was shot for the day. So, no milk for my little boy regardless of what the medical establishment thinks. His drink of choice is juice mixed with water. Apple is his favorite, but he goes for cranberry blends now, too.

Overall, things are going well, we are happy and tired and full of love, and each and every day we find ourselves saying that we were entrusted with the most amazing little boy in the world.

Baby Shower #3

A few weeks ago, Craig’s co-workers hosted a very nice adoption shower for us. As I mentioned before, Craig works for Pampers, so babies and toddlers are a big deal. They had snacks and favors and a huge cake and gave us a very generous gift, so we could purchase whatever we still needed for our children. More about that in another post to come. For now, here are some photos from the shower:

Opening presents:

Craig and Rex with Craig's wonderful boss who has been so supportive and understanding throughout this journey:

Yummm... cake:

And here I am on the right as you look at it with some of Craig's co-workers who came to the shower:

The shower was a great treat for us and we want to thank everyone who was a part of it in any way. We appreciate your kindness and support more than you might know.

Dear Elizabeth

Thank you for loving the wondrous Reks. I can't wait for Sofia and him to have this kind of magical fun together:

Do You Know The Muffin Men?

Early this morning I baked a dozen twoberry (blueberry and blackberry) muffins for lunch. When I came downstairs from my shower around 9:30, here's what I found:

What happened? Apparently my guys decided that these warm muffins smelled just too good to wait for lunch.
Look at this little face so excited about another bite of twoberry muffin with butter on top.

And just so you know, as of this posting at 6:00 pm, there's only one muffin left. Those things were a hit and have been disappearing all day long. Love it!

Cousins First Play Date

Yesterday Rex and I had a wonderful all day visit from cousin Colton. As I expected, the two boys did not really play interactively together because Rex is still in the parallel play stage and Colton does not want to share. Nonetheless, I loved the fact that Colton set an example with some activities and Rex watched and then tried to imitate him to the best of his abilities. With this method we got Rex to open and close a zipper, to stand on the trampoline on his own and “bounce” and to splash his hands into the kiddie pool at the neighbors’.

I enjoyed my conversations with Colton, too. Here are a few highlights:

Viviane: Am I Rex’s Mama?

Colton: No, you’re Biviane. And you’re a girl!

Colton jumping on the trampoline, pretending to be a frog: Ribbit, ribbit. You wanna see my jump high, Bivinan?

Viviane: I’d love to see you jump all the way up to the ceiling.

Colton: I can’t do that.

Viviane: How come?

Colton: I am too froggy.

Colton: Ohhhhh, my penis.

Viviane: What about it?

Colton: I want to squish it.

Viviane: Doesn’t that hurt?

Colton: Yeah, sometimes.

Colton: I am scared of Rex.

Viviane: How come? Is it something he does?

Colton: No, it’s because he is just a Rex.

Can’t wait for Rex to be more than just a Rex in his cousin’s eyes as the two get older, share more experiences, and grow up together.

IAC 193 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 193 which was held on 09/09/11:

1) Greek dossier from March 2006 referred a female child aged 2 years and 5 months

2) Italian dossier from August 2009 referred a waiting child (#1581) with a profile on the MOJ site

3) Italian dossier from September 2009 referred a female child aged 7 years and 6 months

4) U.S. dossier from March 2010 referred a male child aged 2 years 7 months with data on family history and with peculiarities in the health status

5) Italian dossier from November 2010 referred a waiting child (#1519) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) Italian dossier from January 2011 referred awaiting child (#1579) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) U.S. dossier from March 2011 referred a waiting child (#1431) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) U.S. dossier from August 2011 referred waiting children (#900 & #902) with profiles on the MOJ site

9) Italian dossier from August 2011 referred a waiting child (#1498) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred waiting children (#28 & #14) with profiles on the MOJ site

11) Canadian dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1188) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1478) with a profile on the MOJ site

What Rex Has Been Doing

Rex has been home with us for about ten weeks now and it feels like the things he has learned are piling up and are beginning to get away from me. So, I decided to make a list of everything just to be able to remember. In no special order, these are some of Rex’s major accomplishments since joining our family:

Balanced, steady walking

Walking well in shoes and walking on uneven surfaces

Climbing stairs on all fours

Climbing stairs holding on to spokes of the railing

Clapping

Waving hi/bye

Drinking from a cup with assistance

Signing more and finished

Understanding ASL for more, finished, yes, no, good, stop, music

Understanding short instructions in English (not that he always follows through)

Pushing with an isolated index finger or thumb

Putting things in

Sleeping through the night

Riding in shopping carts

Tolerating sensory input and changes in routine better

Regulating his emotions better

Coming to us for help

Court Postponed

Just wanted to let everyone know that the court hearing for our daughter's adoption that was supposed to take place today was postponed until October 18th because the documents required from the orphanage did not arrive in time. Obviously, we have THE WORST mojo for adoption timelines. I am frustrated and saddened by the fact that our child must continue to wait because for some reason this paperwork did not make it into the judge's hands. I am at a loss for more words.

Sunday Dinner 10/02

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day in our area which inspired me to make a spontaneous, big Sunday dinner.

Chicken wings off the grill:

Roasted potatoes and onions with herbs:

Peach cobbler:

My efforts were richly rewarded when Rex, after devouring his chicken, decided to use his spoon by himself for the first time. He couldn't quite load it yet, but he certainly got it from the plate into his mouth. Good thing I mashed his roasted potatoes otherwise this wouldn't have been possible. As always, we rejoiced over the beginnings of a new skill and we all thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday dinner.