Five weeks

We’re really settling into a routine around here.  Those that know me know that’s definitely how I function.  I had wondered if God was going to throw me for a loop with this new child but he seems to thrive on routine as well so we’re all doing pretty good :)  He knows the morning routine of up, dressed, straight to the table for breakfast and then mommy disappears for the rest of the morning taking care of Laila until it’s time to get in the car.  Sometimes he uses that to his advantage to take 45 minutes to finish his breakfast but that doesn’t bother me.  At least he’s behaving while I’m tied up with cleaning Laila’s morning mess in her bed and bathing and pottying and dressing her for school.  The two of them don’t really have any envy problems with each other at home which is so nice.  They just understand that they each need my sole attention at different points of the day and again have learned to be part of our routine and wait their turn.  Oh how different that could be.  Thankful for those answered prayers for sure.  He also knows the bedtime routine well.  Right now our routine is a little different because we’re doing our Christmas prayer chains and a longer together devotion time for Christmas then our separate devotion times in their beds.  He’s the first to shout out that it’s time to brush teeth after family devotions are done though.  We’ve had no bedtime crying or trouble at all for a few weeks now.  Again, I’m just shocked and thankful that he never ended up in our room and has taken well to being with Jackson.  Shocked as well that the night time crying only lasted about a month.  Specific answers to specific prayer.

His speech is coming along and I’ve been surprised lately to hear more and more half sentences coming from him instead of single words commands or questions.  I’ve been asking him more and more to go tell Emma and Jackson things for me and we’ll practice what he is going to say in a full sentence and he usually gets it right (or close) when he goes to them.  I’m not sure if this is why he’s starting more speaking on his own or if it’s just about that time when he would normally be picking up on more.  Either way we’re very excited at how his language has been coming along.

He’s been asking more and more about India and I realized he is confused as to where we actually are right now.  I guess I assumed he knew we were in America after the LONG plane ride and I figured the orphanage had told him and he would just understand.  I never said to him “we’re in America”, I just said “we’re home.”  He talks to me more about it at bedtime.  When asked if he wants to be in America or India he says India.  That’s fine with me, especially at this point.  Then he’ll ask if mommy is in India and I say no and then he looks confused.  (just to be clear he’s clearly talking about me as mommy.)  Then he’ll point to his room and say “this India” and I’ll tell him no.  It’s going to take a little longer and a smaller language barrier for us to discuss this.  I know at one point I told him when he gets big he and mommy would visit India together and then come back home and I guess maybe that confused him.  It’s really hard to know what’s right to say and what’s not.  I haven’t showed him any of the pictures from the orphanage or anything like that because we’ve been told not to until we see that he has really attached and bonded in his new life and would be more ready to understand those memories.  I’ve said a few of the names from there to explain that’s India and where he used to be but when I ask him if he remembers them he says no.  Just wish I could get inside that little brain and figure out what he’s thinking!

He’s still been such a good boy.  He’s testing his limits in some ways and has learned to annoy his brother and sisters but nothing that is even close to bad behavior.  He has still never thrown a fit and the only screaming I’ve ever heard him do is if there is a dog or cat around, and that’s fear.

He LOVES doing school type activities with me.  To clear up the confusion from my last post, he will be going to school with Emma and Jackson after the Christmas break.  I know the whole situation was confusing and it’s hard to explain in person let alone over a blog post!  He’s very, very excited about it and the school is excited to have him as well.  Jack and I had a meeting with his teacher and principal last week and it went really well.  I find God being so loving toward me as I struggle through this.  This same teacher has had Emma and Jackson both as well for the year I struggled sending them to school.  She has already had a talk with the other students in his class about him joining them in January and he is going to go to class this Friday for a bit to see his room and meet the other students.  Another great thing is that he already knows a few of the students because we’re friends with their parents.  He even has another Asian adopted student in his class!  If you know our town you know that’s a miracle in itself!  I know this is the right decision, even if I may or may not have cried in our meeting with the teacher……

I had all these big plans before he came home.  We were just going to be home and have no visitors and spend time as just our family and bond.  I was going to homeschool him and get my one on one time with him for the next six months or so.  It just goes to show you that just as in any other area of our lives I can be prepared and plan and think I know everything but until you actually get in the middle of it, you have no idea what your child is going to need or how God is going to reveal to you His plan for your situation.  Coming home at the holidays really made a difference with visitors and hiding out but Ranjit has really enjoyed all the Christmas parties and playing with his new cousins and meeting his family.  I think it has to do with him being older and only ever being in an atmosphere where he had lots of kids around all the time.  He’s had fun being with kids at church and playing with his friend Nolan.  He has seen Santa several times already in various places and always tells him he wants a doggie.  Funny because he screams every time one is near him!  He even got to go the Museum of Science and Industry this past week and we found the India Christmas tree :)

RJ had his physical therapy evaluation last week at the same therapy center Laila attends on Mondays and Thursdays.  They are going to help with his legs, spacial awareness and social behavior.  There also happened to be an Orthotist there that day so they have already fitted and are ordering him some inserts for his shoes.  He has basically no arch in his feet and very poor strength in his legs which makes his legs turn outward.  His feet can bend all the way back and almost touch his shin.  This is from a lack of stimulation and exercise.  I really have a hard time with that.  When I think of the orphanage that he was in I really feel like it was more of a day care feel than orphanage.  They took such good care of the kids and there was a play ground and a lot of activities.    It just shows you how important it is for a child to have a family.  An orphanage or hospital does the best they can but when it comes down to it, God made our bodies a certain way and it only works best when they have the interaction and stimulation of people who can care for them directly.  It’s hard to understand that a child’s body wouldn’t develop correctly just because they don’t have a family but it’s true.  The therapist will also help him with things like stair and running and walking which not only the muscle issue gives him trouble with but also only having one eye.  She pointed out to me that when he goes down stairs he doesn’t necessarily see the stairs but instead feels them with the back of his foot.  I never noticed but she was absolutely right.  It’s interesting the things we notice as the days go on.

I actually started working on some of our re-adoption paperwork and looking into the age change.  I found out that if we do the age change with his re-adoption he will have tons of problems later in life because his Certificate of Citizenship from immigration won’t match his birth certificate issued by the state of Indiana.  So, we wait.  Once we get his Certificate of Citizenship we can then file (and of course pay more money!) to submit the medical evidence to see if they would review it and change his birthdate and issue a new one.  That’s the route we will have to take to change his birthdate for it not to make huge hassles for him later.  I’m trying to find out the status of his COC but they haven’t answered my emails yet and it usually takes 60 days for them to issue it.  I’m waiting on this as well because RJ also has an appointment with a dentist at the beginning of January and I’m going to get his opinion on his age as well and try to get it in writing to submit with the bone age test if he agrees.  All of this could end up for nothing because immigration could just say thanks for the extra money, but no.  I really feel it will be worth it for RJ though.  I do believe he is the age the tests are showing and it will help him as he gets older to be the correct age to match his peers.  In the meantime…… how do we know when to celebrate his birthday when this may drag out for several more months…… always an adventure over here ;)

So that was a lot to get you caught up on.  We’re love love loving this boy to death and are so blessed.  He just absolutely fits.  It feels like he has always been here.  He gives us tons of hugs and kisses randomly and says “I Love You.”  The best part is that he saves most of that only for mommy and daddy and I love that he knows who we are and that we belong to him and he belongs to us.  Our puzzle is complete :)