Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Harvest!

We have ALL benefited from the rich blessing
He brought to us blessing upon blessing heaped upon us."
John 1:16 TLB
 
Happy Harvest!! 
Fall 2012
 
 
A few "candid" (code for: I can't get my kid to look at the camera without a string in his mouth) shots from the church Harvest Party:
My little panda!
(If it wasn't for the string, I don't know if he would have tolerated my insistence on the panda suit!)

Playing in the big toys
 
Part of Momma's costume that didn't happen...
 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Ten Weeks (plus one day) Together

     It's been a good week...an exciting week, really.  We survived our first two 8-hour days at Kollege/work. Isaac seems to play well there and he is certainly well liked. All the talking toddlers in his room welcome him with a chorus of "Hi Isaac!!" when we arrive; the others run/crawl to tackle him.  :)  The eight hour days are certainly less stressful for me at work as I don't feel rushed into squeezing all my responsibilities into 3 or 4 hour chunks.  And the Lord has blessed our short time together in the evenings with QUALITY time of laughter and wrestling on the floor and reading our Bible stories together. 

     We also had our first Physical Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, & Speech Therapy appointments this week. All three therapists were SUPER impressed with how far Isaac has come even since his initial evaluation 3 weeks ago.  His Speech Therapist crossed off three of Isaac's communication goals in the first 5minutes she was here! Because he is doing so well, I anticipate that the physical & occupational therapy will most likely be extended to just once or twice per month so we can focus on speech therapy. Isaac's Cognitive Therapist (special ed teacher) will be joining him at Kollege once per week to assess how he is interacting with other kids and other social skills.  I'm thankful that his Kollege teachers are eager to host Isaac's therapy friends.
     On the communication front, Isaac continues to amaze with his ability to pick up new signs. His current favorite is 'monkey'. I'm not sure if it is because it is a good excuse to scratch his armpit in public or because his mother "oooo-ah-ah-ah"'s like a monkey when he does it...really not sure who has trained who on that one!  Here is what is in his arsenal thus far:
  • Eat
  • Milk
  • More
  • Please
  • All Done
  • Applesauce (trademark pending)
  • Banana
  • Bath
  • Sleep
  • Bye-Bye
  • Book
  • Music
  • Go
  • Pig
  • Dog
  • Monkey
What's exciting is that he is starting to form little sentences: "More banana please",  "Music all done", "More monkey"  It just thrills my heart to know that his hands are able to tell me what's going on in that little noggin of his. My nightly prayer for the Lord to open up the lines of communication is being faithfully answered. I'll be particularly excited when I see his hands say "Oh Mother dearest, why don't you put your feet up while I empty the dishwasher".  (Am I setting my expectations too high? Do sons ever say that?!)


Des & Ange, 10 & 6 weeks old.
(How cute are we?!)
 The SUPER exciting event of the week was the arrival of Auntie Ange & Cousin Xander from Minnesota. This was the first visit for them both and Xander's first plane flight. What a treat to have them both!  Because Ange & I have been BFFs since the womb (fetal friends!) and our mothers grew up
together, I've always wanted our children (daughters really) to grow up loving another too. When I was matched with Isaac just 29 days before Xander was born I was THRILLED.  We would raise our sons together!  "Together" was loosely abided by this weekend as it took all 5 days to get the boys on the same nap schedule; Ange & I spent a lot of time passing each other in the hallway---one putting a boy down, the other getting a boy up.  :)  That, and Isaac hasn't quite mastered the skill of "gentle touching". *sigh*  I want him to keep his ninja skills just not his cousins' faces.  We'll get there...until then there was quite the dance to keep the boys apart. One up, one down, legs & pillows & pumpkins strategically placed between them and quick belly slides across the toy-laden floor to grab a set of hands (ahem, Isaac's) before they grabbed a handful of hair (Xander's).  While there is 375 days between them, Xander (the younger of the two) already has nearly 5 pounds on Isaac...he'll have his payback someday!
Storey time with Auntie Ange

Auntie Ange & Isaac!

Isaac wins again...
 
The big one in the little seat; the little one in the big seat.



57 pictures later we get one with both boys facing forward.

PUMPKINS!!!!

One of these boys was more excited to be on a giant pile of cold gourds than the other one was.


A panda & a dragon...an ode to China
(They will thank/hate us for this later)

Again...they will thank/hate us later

Ahh, geez...Isaac!

Twins!
Best friends & sons!!!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Nine Weeks Together


     Nine weeks of being a family under our Heavenly Father's banner of Love. I know it keep saying it...but I still just can't believe it happened!  I am this precious child's forever mommy! EVERYDAY I get to see him, and love him, and hold him, and whisper how precious he is. How did this all happen?! The miracle of adoption is just so awesome. The pain of The Wait has been wiped away by the absolute joy that Isaac is to me and the future that Hope will bring. 
How can you not get goosebumps just looking at this little one?
 
     THE super exciting event of the week was the "reveal" of photos that our dear friend Cassandra of Cassandra Hamilton Photography took of Isaac & I last week. She had messaged me that she would post them sometime on Thursday. I have to admit, I refreshed her web page every 37seconds all morning just hoping that I would be able to see them before I went to work at noon. God bless 11:32am!  Cassandra captured every emotion I have for my son. He is my joy and fulfilled promise; he is our family laughter and reminder of God's perfect plan of redemption and adoption. Oh how I love this child! (And how much more our Father loves us!!) Cassandra also wrote a lovely blog to help tell our story.  You can link HERE  or go to http://www.cassandrahamiltonphotography.com/blog/adoption-love/ to see the full post.  Cassandra did all the work, so I'm not posting any other photos this week.  :)  Enjoy!!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Two Month Update--An Interview With Isaac

Happy Family Day, Isaac! 
We've been a family for TWO WHOLE months.

What have you been up to in the last month?
     Well, I've gotten to go see a lot of doctors and therapists. Some of the waiting rooms are better than others. I like the ones with the fun toys. The ones with the hardwood floors and old books aren't very much fun at all. Some of my therapy friends come to my house now, so I can play with my own toys while they are talking with Momma. They watch me eat and help me play with special toys in their bags. Momma already helps me with my muscles, but apparently there is a special therapy friend that is coming to help me exercise better and make me strong like my cousins.
 
How's your walking & crawling coming along?
    I am SO close to walking down the hallway by myself!  So close. I can walk in the family room and around the couch without touching. And I'm a super fast crawler now too! When Momma needs to play on her computer for work she puts me in the room down the hallway and then runs to her office. She thinks she smart but I can get to her now in less than 45seconds! The joke is on her, cuz no one can get anything done in 45seconds. Sometimes if I'm feeling spicy, I crawl super quiet and sneak up under her legs under her desk. Ah-ha! Gotchya, Mom! 
 
Any new foods you've become fond of?  How about foods you don't like?
     Applesauce!!  That stuff is AWESOME. (But only the chunky stuff from Trader Joe's, NOT the cheap thin stuff from the other stores.) I can even sign for it when I want it. Although Momma says putting the back of my hand to my cheek and waving my fingers not a real sign. I say, hey...every time I do it, you give me applesauce, so it's a sign; everybody wins!  I have yet to figure out why you people insist on putting cheese in or on noodles. This makes no sense to me. Cheese. Yes.  Noodles. Yes.  Cheese & noodles. No thanks. And this obsession with eating beans...? One of these days Momma is going to figure out, I'm just going to spit it out again. Why do you keep giving them to me?! Come to think of it, I'm not a big fan of chocolate chip cookies either.  Momma says if I turn down apple pie she is going to have to make sure we got the right paperwork when I became an American citizen, but I'm not sure what that means.

Have you found any new favorite toys or games?
     I'm totally in love with the musical panda my cousin Magdalene gave me. I play with that everyday. My fun new game right now is putting my panda under Momma's chin, pushing the button two times to make it sing "London Bridges" and then making Momma sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with her hands. She says it makes her brain think in Danish, but I think it's a genious system that frees up her hands AND there is extra musical accompaniment to my favorite song. I'm going to have the process patented. Shoving all the toys under the couch is super fun, so is playing in Momma's purse and putting her keys in with the ketchup. (Don't tell, but it was me that hid her keys the day she had to go back to work!)

Your mom hasn't done well with you going to daycare. How do you feel about it?
      Daycare? Oh, you mean Knowledge Kollege? It's pretty cool. I'm still getting used to it, but I get to play with other kids and we chase each other around the little tables. The bigger kids say they are slowing down for me to get them, but we ALL know I could catch them if I wanted to. There is a big mirror to play with and we sings songs about the days of the week and how much Jesus loves us. Sometimes if I'm getting too tired or overwhelmed my teachers let me hang out with the little kids and take a little snooze. Some afternoons it feels like a long time before Momma gets there, but she ALWAYS comes back for me and she says she always will! (Boy she hugs hard when she gets there!)

When you are not at daycare...I mean Kollege...what are some favorite parts of your day with Momma?
   I like snuggle time in the morning, especially if I wake up before the sunshine does. Going on trips in the car is always fun. Bathtime at night is super relaxing. I know the sign for bathtime now and I latch on to the doorjam when we pass my bathroom to make sure Momma doesn't forget or go to the wrong room!  My favorite part though is after bathtime and before bedtime. Momma and I snuggle on the couch, drink some milk and watch a few minutes of Praise Baby. It's all our favorite songs from church being sung while animals and kids are playing on the TV. Momma says it is good for us both to stop & remember how good God is to us...and to drink our milk.

Do you have any plans for the next month?
     Between Kollege twice a week, and therapy appointments four times a week I'm pretty busy. I've been working really hard at timing my clapping solos at church  JUST as the music quiets down. I hope to get that perfected in the next month.  I'm really hoping I can walking down the hallway without help soon too. If I can get that down, Momma will have to put me at the neighbor's house in order to get 45seconds of computer work done! Mostly I want to figure out how to get inside the cabinets in the kitchen that Momma has locked. There has GOT to be a way!
 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Eight Weeks Together

     It was a bit of a bi-polar week.  Seems I bearly survived the first half as Isaac went to daycare alone for the first time and I returned to work. I won't lie...I cried for three days and risked a speeding ticket racing to pick him up. I wouldn't have cared and probably asked the officer to hurry it up so I could get to my kid!  All my mommy-friends have called/texted to check to see how I am doing (let's be honest, Isaac was doing just fine), which is a wonderful show of support. They all say being away from your child never stops sucking, but somehow the hurt lessens. *Big sigh*  I've decided to re-invest in my efforts to marry a gazillionaire, hot glue Isaac to my side and never leave the house!
What Isaac does while I'm working from home.
Cracks me up!

Mom, quit bugging me. The Asian markets are about to close!
 


     The second half of the week (the half when we were home together) was heavenly. Lots of snuggles and loves and giggles and walks.  With a GORGEOUS, sunny Seattle fall, it truly couldn't have been any better. 
His FAVORITE place to be...in the exo-womb with the hoodie string in his mouth on a walk with mom.


If there is any wind, he THROWS his arms in the air and his head back and squeals wildly!!

65 degrees in Seattle in October!

I'd like to think he was contemplating the ocean between his two worlds, but honestly...I think he had just put a rock in his mouth.
 
     Isaac is growing so much that he is now able to pull himself up on just about anything and take off walking without a destination.  He looks a little bit like a semi trying to turn corners, but HUGE points for effort.  That he has gained the core strength to control his body is really a big deal. We are looking forward to showing off to the Occupational Therapist this week!  The downside is now changing & dressing Isaac is like wrestling a 22 pound bag of snakes. This kid wants to MOVE and GO and doesn't really matter where.  :)
Strong enough to sit on the horsey alone.
He couldn't do this 4 weeks ago!
Guess it's time to start putting the side rail up.
 
     This week we were also blessed with a photo session with Cassandra Hamilton Photography. Cassandra has been a HUGE supporter of our adoption process and I nearly fell over when I saw the sneak peak she sent us.  That she captured how much I love this boy is a treasure we will ALWAYS hold dear. (More photos to come in the coming weeks)
 

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Seven Weeks Together

Good gravy, it's been a busy week!  There is a lot to report, so get your reading glasses on...

  • Morning routine.  I think we've got it figured out...including me getting a shower while Isaac is awake.  It involves pulling him in the highchair into the bathroom and me singing The Itsy-bitsy Spider for 10-12 minutes, but everyone ends up clean & happy! (Thankfully, through the week we've upgraded to the ipod and the Frank Sinatra Pandora channel, which Isaac LOVES...and I think that is funny!)
  •  
  • First Packer Game. Not sure I want to talk about this one...thankfully, Isaac was already asleep by the time "the incident" happened so he will forever be spared that ugly piece of our history. On a brighter note...look how stinking cute he is with his jersey & cheesehead!
Ready for his first Packer game.

Sorry kiddo.
When China gets a professional football team, we'll talk about options.
 
  • Eye exam. We got the A-OK from the pediatric opthamologist this week. Isaac does not have 20/20 vision but he is not crossing his eyes to accommodate like many kids with Ds do, so no glasses for us right now. (Hallelujah!) We'll check back in quarterly for a while just to keep ahead of the game in case he does need some super cute specs in the future.
  •  
  • Hearing test. Isaac isn't especially fond of anyone messing with his ears so this test was a little more complicated. The pediatric audiologist was giving me the initial report of probable hearing loss while Isaac was on the floor dancing to his musical panda so I'm not too worried. :) Some degree of hearing loss is common in Ds so we'll get a more accurate test in a few months and then get tested twice a year for quite a while.
  •  
  • Developmental report.  We met with Isaac's early intervention case manager, speech therapist, and occupational therapist for a couple hours this week to review last week's evaluation. They were uber-impressed with Isaac's domination of the learning curve and couldn't stress enough how quickly he is picking up new skills. He officially only has minor delays in his speech and motor skills, but we are going to take full advantage of the resources available to us in the coming months.  I'm excited to see how much he learns & grows! 
  • Heart evaluation. We confirmed this week that Isaac does indeed have a little hole in his heart, called a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). Of all the holes in the heart that a child can be born with, this is actually the 'best' one to have and the easiest to fix, so I am happy about that (I've put some information below). There are two other holes that are more common in Ds that are more complicated to repair (open heart surgery is needed) but Isaac doesn't show any signs of those, which is AWESOME.  We'll have an appointment with a pediatric cardiac surgeon soon to develop a treatment plan, which will most likely include patching the hole by going through a vein instead of major surgery.  Isaac was super through the two hour appointment, although he wasn't fond of the ultrasound gel in his armpit!
  •  
     
    Baby's first EKG. One for the baby book.
    Getting his echocardiogram.
    He was fascinated by the colors on the screen
     
  • Preparing for daycare.  That's right...the day has come. Starting tomorrow I return to work part time (16hours per week) and Isaac will start at the Knowledge Kollege. I love my profession and am blessed to have a job that is flexible, close to home, & provides for us as a family...but I have dreaded this day. I just don't want to be away from my sweet boy! To prepare, we did a dry run to daycare; getting up and going just like we will this next week. We spent an hour together in Isaac's classroom with some of his future friends.  He was cautious and didn't stray far from me for quite a while, but warmed up to his teachers...and their snacks (Let's be honest. This boy's heart is in his stomach!). When he found the big mirror and the soft blocks he was a happy boy.  Please pray for both he & I as we go through this major transition. He'll do well there, I know that...but I'm still praying for Jesus to return on sometime before 7:30 tomorrow morning!
We were so busy this week the camera didn't come out much. But here are a few photos of our week:
Checking out one of the MANY waiting rooms we toured this week


Seriously, how many toys can he sneak into the car seat?!
This boy is a BIG fan of bath time!
 
Lounging in the tub

Loving him some bubbles!
 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Six Weeks Together

     Six weeks old as a family. That seems like it should be a milestone of some kind.  At this point in traditional new families is right about when parents look at their little bundle adoringly and think "yep..I think we'll keep'm" (as if sending them back is an option!) I think he is a definate keeper!!
One of a gazillion smooches he gets every day
 
     In six weeks Isaac has gained two pounds, grown an inch & a half, and added five new teeth (what a little protein will do!). Just this week he has added three more signs to his communication arsenal and blew his developmental assessment out of the water!  We met with a speech & occupational therapist and for nearly two hours they tested Isaac's communication, feeding, motor skills and cognitive development.  They were quite impressed with his signing and walking, but were floored by his cognitive skills. The OT kept giving Isaac advanced tests to find a ceiling by which to judge his skills.  "Don't by concerned, he's not supposed to be able to do this skill...Oh my!  He knows how to do that!  OK...um...let's try something different.  Well look at that!  He can do that too.  Huh, we'll just have to get creative, won't we?"  I wish I could have translated the look in Isaac's eyes because they clearly were stating "Come on ladies, shape sorters & puzzles are for sissies!".  I took the opportunity to shock the therapists a little when I pulled out my phone and Isaac opened up a couple of apps..some with horizontal swipes, others with vertical swipes.  The therapists just looked at each other. "Well now. We don't have a box to check for that!"  Needless to say, we rocked that assessment!!  We'll go back in a week for the full report, but I am joyful in knowing that Isaac will have so many resources to help him succeed...and that he'll be the smartest kid in the class!! (I didn't say that. I'm sure the other kids are delightful).
     In China we discovered that Isaac didn't know how to play. He would sit & watch us and interact well, but when it came to toys or creative exploration he just didn' t know what do to. He'd take things out of a drawer and put them back, but that was the extent of 'fun time'.  I've been spending a lot of time with him on the floor (we desperately need new carpet padding!) and slowing introducing new toys in hopes he'd find one Isaac likes.  His cousin Magdalene came to the rescue this week with a musical panda...he loves it!!  He drags it around the house, pushing the buttons and dancing to the music. It's super cute! One day this week I found both Isaac AND the panda IN the Tupperware drawer after a few minutes alone. What a duo!  In fact, I've 'caught' Isaac playing with his toys several times this week.  He'll go up to 20minutes with books and stackers on the floor. It is intentional play and creative problem solving. From across the room I can see him trying to figure things out. Well done, sweet boy!  You are figuring life out!
His favorite little friend

Catching up on some reading

A book of Chinese nursery rhymes...apparently he knew these already.
This next week will be a busy one with medical appointments every day of the week, including the cardiologist. I'm praying for wisdom for each of his medical team to know how to best care for the little body God gave Isaac. I'm sure there will be more than enough to report on next Sunday.  :)  Until then, a few photos from our week.
Playing peek-a-boo in the back yard
Blurry, but you can see how fast he is getting around on his own now.
I can't get the camera away fast enough!
An afternoon field trip to the beach with our friends the Hagmans
I assume this is his first experience with sand, but he knew what to do...it went straight into his mouth!
It's hard to tell, but he was jumping & splashing in the COLD Puget Sound.
This boy LOVES water.
Just look at my happy boy!