We’re alive :)

I’m so much better a blogging when I’m not at home.  Home comes with laundry and homework and cell phones and well…..life!  I’ve been trying to live life during the day and be there for the kids and think I’ll blog after they go to bed but I’ve been laying with RJ till he goes to sleep….. which means I fall asleep too…… at 730….

Things are going great!  He’s still not shown us many signs of grieving except crying at bedtime and occasionally in the middle of the night.  He gets really quiet when we have to correct him about anything but bounces back quicker.  He’s very social and introduces himself to every one.  He’ll give you a hug or shake your hand if asked.  I worry some about his attachment because he is so comfortable with strangers but again he has met A LOT of people in the last few weeks so I’m not sure how to make that better just yet.  He did well with the big kids and Jack going back to work and school.  He asks where they are a few times a day but doesn’t seem overly concerned.  He’s also fine if I leave for something .  Again, if I let me over-educated Karen Purvis video watching mind go I get pretty concerned that he’s not too attached to us yet but it is what it is and we’ll roll with the punches.

He’s loving school work.  At this point we’re just doing kindergarten worksheets and he knows all of it.  I enrolled him in the online public schooling and they had us do an assessment test.  I’m a total rule follower so when it said I could only read it to him but not help teach the answer, I followed that.  So they graded him at a kindergarten level.  I agree with that at this point but wonder if he’ll catch up to a higher grade once the language kicks in and he gets one on one attention.  Also worry  that he won’t.  Honestly the only thing I worry about with it is that he’s supposedly turning nine this spring and is in kindergarten.  I also don’t know if he really is eight.  Lots of stuff still up in the air with all of it.  Have some praying and testing to do.  If some of the tests come back the way we think they may then we’ll possibly start the process of figuring out how to change his birth date.  We think he’s maybe 6 or 7 instead of 8.  This I believe would be done in his re-adoption paperwork here in Indiana.

He had his first doctor appointment last week.  He has to see some specialists for a few things but overall looks good.  She is having a bunch of blood work done this week.  We brought in the dreaded stool sample (that was not fun!) with us and those labs already came back all negative.  That was a shock because usually kids have some sort of parasite or bacteria from the water but nope!  That was great because insurance hasn’t kicked in yet and meds could’ve been expensive.  We’re just racking up the doctor and lab bills because supposedly the insurance will back date.  I hope so!

He had fun at the family Thanksgiving parties when he wasn’t screaming and terrified  of the dogs that were there.  I really wonder if they teach the kids at the orphanage to be afraid of dogs.  I know others who have kids from there and their kids are terrified for months as well.  I’m wondering if we’ll ever get over this because we don’t have a dog and his exposure to them is really limited to family gatherings.  I’m already kind of dreading Christmas and having another holiday of keeping him from screaming all day :(  On a good note, he loved meeting all of his extended cousins and having more kids to play with.  At my parents they always get out the go-cart and all the kids love it.  He did too!!  Also at my parents they do some gun shooting (yep, it’s Indiana!) and I wondered how he would do with all that loud noise but my cousin took him out there by them and he actually asked if he could have a turn!!  We didn’t think he was quite ready for that but it was encouraging to his papa that he may like to do that with him someday :)

We have had such an amazing support system since we’ve been home.  I haven’t cooked AT ALL!  We’ve had people bringing dinners and there’s always someone calling to check on us or stopping by to visit.  It’s been so nice and honestly opposite of most adoption situations.  A lot of the time people don’t really know how to handle it so they just do nothing.  The love and support over this whole process has just been overwhelming and amazing!  Thank you to each person whether you brought dinner or called or sent a message or said a prayer.  We truly appreciate each and every one of you.  And that being said…… forgive me if it takes me 2 years to get around to thank you notes!!