Today marks nine weeks home and eleven weeks out of the orphanage for Rex. The last two weeks have been challenging due to Rex’s recuperation from his surgery. We had our follow-up with the plastic surgeon yesterday and he is pleased with the complete closure and healing of the palate. Rex is cleared for crunchy food and toothbrushing. And he won’t need another surgery for at least one year.
On the whole, Rex had an easy recovery. Once we got home, he seemed to experience very little pain and we were able to take him off the Tylenol within five days of the surgery. He was incredibly frustrated with the arm restraints that he was supposed to wear for eight days and only wore for five. He absolutely could not sleep with them on either. Upon regaining his freedom (early) via parental consensus, he was so much happier during the day and went back to sleeping through the night in a few night’s time. Drinking was a struggle for ten days, too. We mostly used a syringe or a spoon to get some liquid into Rex’s mouth. I had already decided that Rex was not going back to drinking from a bottle after this period and was planning to transition him to a sippy cup. However, Rex was watching Craig drink from a glass one evening and insisted on trying it himself which led to his now drinking from a cup. It’s still very messy, but we are excited about the progress.
Unfortunately after our stint at the hospital, Rex has been rejecting me more strongly again. I guess the people who probed and prodded him to his memory were all women, so maybe he transferred whatever he felt about them onto me. Auto-aggression and some raging also reared their ugly heads again as part of a post-surgery regression we had been told to expect. We’re working on it every day, bringing holding time back to the forefront, and slowly but surely I know we can overcome these issues.
One of the most thrilling moments in the last half month has been Rex’s learning to put oversized plastic coins into an oversized piggy bank. His OT had been working on this skill with him in three sessions and from the first I could tell that he understood what was asked of him, but he simply couldn’t do it. Ten days ago I found a piggy bank toy just like what they have at OT at a thrift store and brought it home. I started working with Rex on this task and one day, suddenly, he was able to drop the coins into the slot. We were both so excited and I could tell that Rex was proud as a peach.
In other developmental news, Rex now sits in shopping carts and is happy as long as we are moving even if just a little bit. He seems to say his own versions of hi, bye and no when he feels like it. He’s also able to imitate the intonation of the words that come out of our mouths, so whenever he wants us to open a door for him now, he is required to repeat the intonation of our saying open before we help him. We have discovered that he likes to bounce on the trampoline with us and loves being outside now that it is cooler. Rex has started showing interest in his sand and water table on the deck and many a scoop of sand has been swallowed. Earlier this week I saw him rub the sand on his face like he was doing a spa scrub… gotta love that sensory play! Unfortunately bath time is still the bane of his existence and he knows when it’s coming now and starts screaming preemptively. Rex also enjoys playing in the pantry, exploring what’s on the shelves and fashioning himself toys such as thai noodle bowl rattles and brown rice bag dumbbells.
In the possibly TMI department, a topic that no one has ever mentioned is trying to cut an adoptive toddler’s nails which is a struggle for us. We tried to do it while Rex was aware and it was a total no go. He was like a wild animal being de-clawed. So, we now cut his nails while he sleeps. Fingernails are usually pretty fast, but toe nails are still hard because he must be ticklish and jerks his feet away when I touch them even in his sleep. Haircuts have been a comparative breeze. Rex just lets Craig use a shaver to trim around the back and the sides while he hums along with the noise of the shaver. But now it’s time for the bangs to be cut… hmmm, still trying to figure out how that can be accomplished.
I have to keep reminding myself that Rex has not been out of the orphanage for three months yet. It is a very short time that he has been in our family, a very short time to transition and adjust for a healthy toddler, let alone one with an array of special needs. Rex is doing so well and even though it sometimes feels like we’re going two steps forward and one step back, I know the general trajectory is forward and I am glad and thankful for it.
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.
