We Are Back!

Wow! What a journey this has been (and still is)! The older boys are back at school - I cannot believe that I have a middle schooler!! Aahh! Also one in 4th grade, and my baby is in Kindergarten. Time just goes by too fast! But I know everyone wants to know about the newest addition to our household - Sam! He is just wonderful. Things are going better than I ever dreamed they could. He is so sweet and obedient and so smart! He learns more and gets more comfortable every day!! The bonding has gone really well. In China, it was all about Daddy and now that we are at home, it is all about Mommy. Emma has adjusted well to being a big sister and of course Robbie, who is always full of joy, delights in having Sam for a little brother. Coleman and Jack continue to be amazing big brothers. The only issues we have relate to food, with the occasional potty/sanitary issue. It will all come in time. Sam wants to eat ALL THE TIME! Bless his heart, he eats (and poops) nonstop. It has become his security blanket. Instead of a lovey, he will carry around a sealed snack pack of Spiderman Cheez Its all day long. Just having it with him, knowing he could eat it at anytime, makes him feel comfortable. He calls me Mama already and when he dropped something the other day he said "Uh Oh!" He signs for more (when he wants more food) and has recently begun to say it too. He has a great sense of humor and laughs a lot. He is very loving and happy. He loves to go to the pantry and point out what he wants to eat. He gets so excited and will squeal and clap. He will say "Ni Hao" (very nasal sounding voice with the open palate) and wave, and then he will wave if someone says "Goodbye." He is potty trained, but we put him in Pull Ups because in China he had the freedom to relieve himself wherever he was. We decided with all of the flights and bus rides and the language barrier, not to mention some tummy issues, to go with Pull Ups. He still wears them here at home as we all try to get on a schedule. He will occasionally have an accident, usually during carpool when we don't have access to a potty and he is still not vocal enough to let us know. He doesn't seem to mind - I am hoping that he does not get used to it. He really is good about using the potty, but for the past 2 weeks, with the increased food intake, I feel like that we spend a good portion of the day pottying. And he does not have the potty etiquette issues (for lack of anything better to call it!) that we have so we are really working on that. Mommy will not compromise on sanitary issues. He is a really good listener, and he is not getting as upset anymore when I try to redirect him. He responds well to "No" and does not get upset (I wish the same were true for his sister). We had our first visit with the pediatrician who thinks he is great and really healthy. So far, we have gotten the results from one of his tests and everything looks great. We should receive results from the other tests soon. His motor skills were always good, but he did not have a lot of muscle strength. Now we can really see an improvement! I took Emma and Sam to the playground and they played on the swings, slides and stairs. They had a lot of fun, and it was great to see how far Sam has come in the past 2 weeks! We have our first appointment with the Cleft Team in November. At first, I was really upset that it was so far away, but I have realized that with our schedule, it is probably a blessing. This will allow us to get used to all of our activities and schedules before adding this very important aspect of our lives. He eats well and has learned how to adjust the way he eats and drinks to accommodate the unrepaired palate. Well, I am sure there are a thousand other things that I want to tell you, but there is plenty of time for that. Enjoy the pictures!