Rex - Forty-One Weeks Home

Today marks forty-one weeks home and forty-three weeks out of the orphanage for Rex.  I really can’t believe how quickly that one year mark since his adoption is approaching.  It seems so long ago.

Developmentally, Rex just keeps going forward.  He is learning so fast.  His newest sign is cracker which we use for any salty, crunchy snack like tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn, or cheese puffs.  Since he likes these things, he learned the sign quite quickly.  We have been working on the sign for finished since Rex came home and just in the last week, he is suddenly using it.  He actually signed a clear finished in the car for me one day when I was giving him some Pirate’s Booty (possibly his favorite snack) which surprised me because I would not have imagined that he would be finished with Pirate’s Booty ever if allowed.  Rex has also learned to sign light for flashlights and the room lights and then he blew us away when, on a recent camping trip, he observed the campfire and suddenly, spontaneously signed light.  What a connection.  Rex’s therapists have started working with a shape sorter again and he seems more ready for it this time around.  He’s getting it.  He’s also now following the command “let’s go” and learning to catch and kick balls.  Rex can also bring me his shoes and is beginning to understand the concept of clean-up and helps a little.

 See their feet touching?  Love it!

We had an ophthalmology follow up last week and the doctor thinks, accurately so in my opinion, that Rex favors his right eye and may have better vision in it.  His left eye tends to wander toward his nose, so the doctor would like to see if we can strengthen and straighten it, getting it to be more active.  Since patching, the most effective method, is not an option for Rex (he rips, cries or fights it off), we are using drops twice a week to blur the vision in Rex’s right eye in hopes that the left will pick up the slack.  We shall see.  So far I am not noticing a difference, but keep your fingers crossed, everyone.

I don't know why

he always sits for a head shot

when he wears his Christmas pajamas. 

Auto-aggression at the moment seems to be waning… whew!  We have been trying a new method of block, but ignore for about a week.  When Rex was first home, this approach had been suggested to us, but we did not feel it was the right thing then because we wanted him to bond.  Now that Rex is fully attached to both of us, we are giving it a go.  If a tantrum involves any hitting or head banging, we block it with our hands, but we do not give Rex any other attention.  We don’t touch/hold him, we don’t speak outside of “calm down,” we reduce eye contact, and most importantly we try to stay completely detached with neutral faces and low voices.  Since starting this method, in the last week, we have only had four tantrums, the last of which only went on for a few minutes.  What’s interesting, too, is that after these outbreaks are over, Rex wants to be very close (lots of sitting and cuddling with us) and he behaves very well.

I have scheduled a developmental re-assessment for Rex for mid-July using the same two tests that were administered when he had his first visit to the International Adoption Clinic in mid-August of last year.  I am really excited and anxious to see how much progress Rex has made in the 11 months since then.  I am also getting ready to order some things for preschool: a lunchbox, a backpack, special blanket and pillow.  I can’t believe I am not going to have my baby here with me all day anymore.  Nap time is going to be the pits without having my little guy curled up to me when I fall asleep.  I have a feeling I’ll be a weepy mess for a while.

My little thinker.

I guess this is all the news on Rex.  He’s a superstar in our book, the hardest working kid on the block, and we love him so.