It's All About Expressing Yourself

Thanks, Dave and Beata for the GREAT big sister/little brother shirts! We love them!

We've been home a month, and a totally different adjustment phase has begun. We have a 26-month old who was at the physical level of a 16-month old when we got him but is rapidly playing catch-up. He weighs 26 pounds and wants to be carried around daily, climbs on everything but falls easily, and wants to speak but physically and culturally can't yet. He knows the signs we've taught him, but doesn't use them when the pain of hunger consumes him.

He loves the variety of toys, but doesn't yet understand that wooden spoons aren't for hitting, and the cat and dog tails are off limits. Meanwhile, Emily's performing chemistry experiments at the table with her dinner, which she learned from her brother. Can you say, "regression"? :) Our entire family dynamic has changed, and some days it's completely bewildering. It's a daily physical and emotional struggle for everyone, dealing with this little guy. But we love him deeply, and we just keep moving along.

Good news in the attachment department, though...a month later, David's finally showing strong signs of attachment to me. I managed to put him down for one nap since we got home last month, and I put him to bed the other night while Kevin had a work conference call to Korea in the kitchen. So Emily, David and I went to bed, and David stood in his crib for hugs and kisses, resting his cheek against mine. Then he finally lied down, grasped my hand with his tiny fingers, and fell fast asleep.

Cleft Surgery

No surgery date yet, since the Cleft team discovered a heart murmur during David's checkup. So we visited a Pediatric Cardiologist outside of town. David has 4 separate birth defects in his heart--Patent Formane Ovale (ASD, a hole that's slowly closing), Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD, another hole), Superior Vena Cava (SVC, blood flows the wrong way in a vein but hits the right chamber), and a heart murmur. Sounds awful, but the good news is, none of the above defects are life threatening, they just need yearly monitoring. So now we wait for a surgery date. Meanwhile, the little man has a double ear infection, which we think began in China. But, survivor that he is, he's doing well in spite of it.

Happy Birthday, Summer Rose!

Girlfriend Summer turned 3 this week, and had a Princess dress up party. And what a party it was! Take a look. Emily was in heaven, and when it was time for the Snow White game, Pass the Apple (when the music stops whoever is holding the apple falls asleep), Emily fell asleep...on the floor, and took the other princesses down with her. Too funny.

The Grand Princess Arrival


A Preening Princess

Michael Revisits

Friend Michael came to visit with his mommy Barb (my high school friend) to meet David for the first time and the kids just loved him. After watching one American Ballet Theatre video with Mommy, Emily decided she needed a dance partner, so here are Michael and Emily performing a Pas de Deux.

A sincere thanks to Barb for all the toys, gifts, videos, books, and food she sent down. It was sooo appreciated. We tore into the food greedily--Barb makes a wonderful sauce, good Italian that she is.