Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Six Months

Yes, that is how long it has been since I whisked our new little boy out of the orphanage. It is hard to believe that it has been that long already but as you look back and see all the changes that have happened, I am amazed it has not been longer. Here is a picture of M the day I picked him up:


And here he is today:


WOW! One of the most noticeable change is his speech. I mentioned in the last post he was getting evaluated by the school district for a special preschool to help with his speech delay. We thought he would get some type of assistance, BUT they said he was just below on qualifying so no assistance from them. At first I was a little frustrated because we has been waiting and doing testing to get him in this but as it sunk in, HE DOES NOT NEED IT!, I started to realize that it was a good thing. He has progressed so much that just putting him in a regular preschool will probably get him up to speed by Kindergarten. An example of how well he is doing... We were getting in Russ's SUV to go somewhere and as Russ was putting him in he said, "Papa's truck, Mama's van" point to each vehicle. Wow that just floors me when I think of how he has changed.

Other changes include not focused so much on food. I used to be able to use it to get him to do something - I know not a good idea - but now things like playing and going outside are more interesting. The one negative thing is that he is starting to have more temper tantrums - or more like crying fits. THe worst was a day he had to come in from playing outside for an hour. We needed to get dinner ready and he just kept crying about going outside. No matter what I did he kept crying. Finally after 30 minutes he calmed down. I told him after we eat, we would go outside. So after 2 bites at dinner, he was done and ready to go outside. 

The other big milestone since I last posted, was we went on out first family vacation.  It was one of those busy ones that you need a vacation when you get home but we did have fun. Our daughter had tried out for a National Youth Choir that was performing at a conference in Washington D.C. SO we decided to spend the week walking around the city. And walking we did! Little M was the luckiest because he got to ride in the stroller a lot.  He just took it all in and of course wanted to touch everything! The hardest thing was when we were in the basement at Mount Vernon on a tour. We were not suppose to touch the walls or anything - it was like trying to hold on to an octopus trying to keep him from touching anything. I know he did not appreciate where we were  ( But he sure LOVED riding the metro - a.k.a. train)but it was wonderful to know that he was visiting our National capital as an American citizen. Here are some pictures of our trip.






Before I leave, I need to ask for a prayer request.  As I mentioned earlier in the year, Russ's mom passed from cancer. His dad has also been battling cancer for awhile and unfortunately things are not looking good. So please pray for peace for his father and strength.
God bless you all

3 comments:

Angela Knight said...

I always love your updates! You are such a good example.
I couldn't see the pictures of your little guy on this post. Also, I cannot find a post where you mention his name. Is there a story behind the "M"?

Patti said...

6 months - one of many milestones! Congratulations! We are in a similar situation with our son's speech (he's 3 and a half, and we've been home for a year). He doesn't quite qualify for special services either. We are going to get him evaluated at our clinic, just to make sure the school didn't miss anything, specifically his articulation. It is amazing how they can learn so much English in 6 months. We had quite a few temper tantrums at first with Alex, but they have decreased. I guess he has mellowed a bit with his age, but he certainly still has his moments. He loves playing outside, and I have learned that he needs to know the plan and have a five minute warning before we have to switch gears and go inside. Last summer/early fall, there were times I had to carry him in the house kicking and screaming. Perhaps your son will calm down a bit once he realizes that the weather is getting warmer and he will have plenty of opportunities to play outside. It looks like you had a great vacation! I'm so sorry to hear about Russ' dad - I will lift him up in prayer.

Anonymous said...

He is so precious!!