This Thanksgiving, Nicholas and I spent at home together, it was nice and quiet. Hubby took the girls to the family Thanksgiving so they could spend time with extended family. I ended up cooking our Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday so we could enjoy it together before the girls and their dad left on Thursday. The kids ate all their food without a single complaint...a major accomplishment in our house!
While the rest of the family was gone, Nicholas and I played outside with a neighbor, went to the park and played at home. I was also able to get some laundry and cleaning done around the house. Some firsts for Nicholas, we played Candyland together...Nicholas won fair and square. He also drew pictures of bats and spiders on our driveway with our Neighbor's 3rd grade son. This is so amazing in that this summer, he could barely even make a scribble with a crayon.
Yesterday, I managed what I thought was an impossible feat...I was able to get Nicholas to take a nap! Both Nicholas and I have minor colds and he got up at 5:30 in the morning yesterday. So after a big lunch, we settled down on the twin bed in his room for a book, then we laid down with the blanket over us and after about 30 minutes, he fell asleep. I feel like Super Mom after this. He napped for about 2 hours, but then it took him a long time to go to sleep at bedtime. We aren't completely sure if this was due to the nap or the vaporizer we put in his room. I think he was worried about the vaporizer because of the noise and steam coming from it.
As I reflect on Thanksgiving, I can't help but be thankful for my family. My husband, who works so hard to provide us all the extras we enjoy, our kids who give us such joy and all of our friends for their support over the last year.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
First Dentist visit
Nicholas did very well at the dentist and he received an 'A' for taking such good care of his teeth. The dentist saw one spot that he will check again in 6 months. He did great throughout the entire visit and only had difficulty with 2 of the xray for his back teeth.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
What a difference 2 months makes!
Wow, it's 2 months already?! It's amazing how much things change with some love, nutrition and time. To the girls, he is their little brother. To us, his parents, he is our son.
Nicholas is starting to call himself Nicholas sometimes or Nicholas Roma. We are getting used to his new name, too. His English is coming along and I even hear him spouting off some of our letters and sounds (thank you Leap Frog Letter Factory!!). He is really into counting things, constantly pointing things out to me and showing me how he can count. He is very much a boy, but has been playing in the play kitchen and occasionally with dolls (gasp!...lol!). I think it's great he has a variety of things to play with, from trains, to building blocks, to Dora figures. He loves play doh and can play with it for at least 30 minutes at a time. Same thing with some of the building blocks we have. His brain is like a sponge and he is just so eager to learn everything that he has missed out on.
We are seeing more and more of his personality come out. He is a sweet, loving boy with occasional stubborn streaks. Just today he was giving me hugs while he was riding in the shopping cart at the store and saying 'I love you'...an amazingly sweet moment! We have been trying different things for discipline and are finally able to use timeouts at the moment. Most of the time he likes to please us and he is compliant and even says 'okay dokey' when asked to do things, sometimes, he shouts out 'No!' and is stubborn. It is all a learning process as we get to know each other and figure out what will work.
Some of his favorite things:
Being tickled, riding his tricycle, drawing outside with chalk, going to the park, playing soccer, playing with Trio blocks, playing with toy airplanes and helicopters, watching tv (mostly Disney and Dora), riding in the car, going to the gym (Kids Zone while I work out), shopping at Costco (eating their samples).
He says he wants to go to school but he's not quite ready. I'm hoping to get him in after the holidays. He has come so far from when we first met him. I remember him trying to play in the visiting room and he would pound on the electronic toys trying to figure them out. Now he knows how to play with toys and he just built a robot by himself for the first time with the Trio blocks! I am so proud of him. He has also learned to use scissors. He is learning to color and the other day, he traced a ball and colored it in...amazing!
We are so blessed to have him in our family, we are teaching him a lot, but I think he has a lot to teach us, too, about love, acceptance and trust.
Nicholas is starting to call himself Nicholas sometimes or Nicholas Roma. We are getting used to his new name, too. His English is coming along and I even hear him spouting off some of our letters and sounds (thank you Leap Frog Letter Factory!!). He is really into counting things, constantly pointing things out to me and showing me how he can count. He is very much a boy, but has been playing in the play kitchen and occasionally with dolls (gasp!...lol!). I think it's great he has a variety of things to play with, from trains, to building blocks, to Dora figures. He loves play doh and can play with it for at least 30 minutes at a time. Same thing with some of the building blocks we have. His brain is like a sponge and he is just so eager to learn everything that he has missed out on.
We are seeing more and more of his personality come out. He is a sweet, loving boy with occasional stubborn streaks. Just today he was giving me hugs while he was riding in the shopping cart at the store and saying 'I love you'...an amazingly sweet moment! We have been trying different things for discipline and are finally able to use timeouts at the moment. Most of the time he likes to please us and he is compliant and even says 'okay dokey' when asked to do things, sometimes, he shouts out 'No!' and is stubborn. It is all a learning process as we get to know each other and figure out what will work.
Some of his favorite things:
Being tickled, riding his tricycle, drawing outside with chalk, going to the park, playing soccer, playing with Trio blocks, playing with toy airplanes and helicopters, watching tv (mostly Disney and Dora), riding in the car, going to the gym (Kids Zone while I work out), shopping at Costco (eating their samples).
He says he wants to go to school but he's not quite ready. I'm hoping to get him in after the holidays. He has come so far from when we first met him. I remember him trying to play in the visiting room and he would pound on the electronic toys trying to figure them out. Now he knows how to play with toys and he just built a robot by himself for the first time with the Trio blocks! I am so proud of him. He has also learned to use scissors. He is learning to color and the other day, he traced a ball and colored it in...amazing!
We are so blessed to have him in our family, we are teaching him a lot, but I think he has a lot to teach us, too, about love, acceptance and trust.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Holiday Dilemma
So normally we travel by car several hours away to stay with extended family a few days for the Thanksgiving holiday. The girls love seeing their teenage girl cousins and we enjoy spending time with relatives and doing fun things with the girls. But the girls are used to this and they enjoy all our travels. Now, Nicholas is acclimating very well to our immediate family and to short outings, but we just don't know how he would do on a trip where everything will be different and his routine will be disrupted.
Dad wants to stay at relative's house for 1-2 nights and maybe another relative's house. I've thought about just the girls going with their dad (they are his family) but they don't want to go without me or Nicholas. So here are our options:
A. Forget about it, stay home
B. Go for one day, stay one night at relatives house and come back
C. Go for it, it will be good practice, just high tail it out of there if it is too stressful
Now, I don't know if this is an option, but I think staying in a hotel would be better as there are less things for Nicholas to 'get into'. And if things are stressful, we can take him back to the hotel, and do calming things, like swimming, watching favorite dvds, etc.
Oh and I should add he sleeps pretty well at home in his bed in his own room and we have his night time routine down well. We do still give him an herbal supplement to help him relax for bedtime though and I think he is a light sleeper. I can't even think how we would do sleeping arrangements...
So, I would love to hear some feedback from some other adoptive parents of older children. Please tell me what your experience is or what you think about this.
Dad wants to stay at relative's house for 1-2 nights and maybe another relative's house. I've thought about just the girls going with their dad (they are his family) but they don't want to go without me or Nicholas. So here are our options:
A. Forget about it, stay home
B. Go for one day, stay one night at relatives house and come back
C. Go for it, it will be good practice, just high tail it out of there if it is too stressful
Now, I don't know if this is an option, but I think staying in a hotel would be better as there are less things for Nicholas to 'get into'. And if things are stressful, we can take him back to the hotel, and do calming things, like swimming, watching favorite dvds, etc.
Oh and I should add he sleeps pretty well at home in his bed in his own room and we have his night time routine down well. We do still give him an herbal supplement to help him relax for bedtime though and I think he is a light sleeper. I can't even think how we would do sleeping arrangements...
So, I would love to hear some feedback from some other adoptive parents of older children. Please tell me what your experience is or what you think about this.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
A field trip with a friend
We've been having playdates with my friend and her son, L, a couple of times a month. Last week, we took a trip to watch trains come through an area which has been named as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Unfortunately, no trains came through. At least the boys had some snacks in the car while we waited the 20-30 minutes.
After this we headed to the town with the apple orchards and headed to an orchard for a picnic and apple picking. We found one that still had apples, unfortunately, this orchard didn't do 'u-pick'. I guess the worker told the owner and the owner let the boys pick a couple of apples from a tree near their shed. They also had lots of samples of the different apples and different ciders. They had some small apples, I think they were Pink Lady. Although they were green and red, they reminded me a bit of the apples growing in the courtyard of the babyhouse. Nicholas loved grabbing these and eating these, they are a great size for snacks.
On the way back to town, we ended up at a popular farm that has a farmstand and small petting zoo. We never made it to the petting zoo as the boys just loved playing in the bucket of corn (kind of like a sandbox, only with corn).
Halloween pictures
We ended up taking Nicholas just to our neighbors in our cul-de-sac. At first we thought he would be Tigger as he put on the Tigger costume I found and bounced around like Tigger. I put out 3 costumes, Buzz Lightyear, Tigger and the train hat and he chose to be a train engineer. The funny thing is, then next couple of nights before bed, he asked 'trick or treating?' and was so sad when I told him 'no' and that Halloween was only once a year. He really got the hang of trick or treating and loved getting the candy. We dropped him off with Daddy, and I took the girls with friends for trick or treating.
He really enjoyed seeing all the decorations. At the gym where I work out, they had some fantastic Halloween display. He would always point out in wonder at all the spiders and bats. I think he was surprised when all the decorations disappeared.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Happy 5th Birthday Claire Bear!
We had a big bash for Claire's 5th birthday. It was a lot of fun and I didn't have to do too much work for it. Everyone seemed to have a great time at the place we had her party. She is growing up so fast!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Some firsts for Nicholas
In the past couple of weeks I have been taking Nicholas 'out' more since I was stir crazy when the girls were sick. We have been to Costco (he LOVED all the samples), the gym childcare (with Claire), big grocery stores, our new Target and he does really great. We did take him to church where he did okay, but Sunday School was hard he didn't want to leave the classroom when it was time to go out and play. I was with him the entire time during Sunday School.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Claire
We didn't have to worry much about Claire over the summer, but I think she just wasn't old enough to understand what was going on in our family. More recently we have had more challenges, although I do have to confess I have found Claire to be more of a challenge to parent in general.
Nicholas and Claire are 12 months apart in age but will be 2 years apart in school as long as we are able to 'hold back' Nicholas 1 year from Kindergarten. Many times, they get along well, usually it is to 'gang' up on us! Many times, they do not get along well and fight over wanting to play with the same toys (like building toys). It's actually been helpful though in facilitating lessons in sharing and taking turns with toys. She has been helpful in helping me to teach Nicholas how to play a game. So far those games include Elefun and Dora Bingo.
Claire started Kindergarten this year and will be turning 5 on October 24th. We are planning a big party for her at a place with animals, pony rides, a bounce house and a mini train. I felt it would be better for Nicholas not to have a party at our house so soon. She still loves singing and she continues to take a ballet class after school like her sister. She talks a lot and asks tons of questions...I think it's payback, I remember asking lots of questions when I was young.
She loves Kindergarten and is doing well. She is a good reader and learning more math. She is doing well socially, I was so amazed the first week of school when she came home talking about all her new friends. She had a much harder time in preschool socially.
About a week after we were home, Claire flat out told me she didn't want Nicholas in our family because he was too crazy and didn't speak English. I have seen, however, how her love has grown for Nicholas and she loves to give him hugs and kisses at night. We definitely have some sibling rivalry to contend with, but we had that anyway. I suppose that now she is the 'middle child', she is trying to find her place in the family.
In November, Claire will be having surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids. I didn't realize how HUGE they were until I looked in her mouth this summer. She snores horribly and I think it affects her sleep. It's a little scary, but I'm looking forward to a more restful Claire. We are proud of Claire and what a good big sister she has been, we are proud of Olivia, too, of course.
Olivia
I've realized I've focused a lot recently on Nicholas...of course, he is the newest member of our family. I feel like I should tell you more about our other 2 and how they are adjusting. While we did have some challenges with Olivia this summer during our trips to Kazakhstan, she is adjusting very well, she is a wonderful big sister! She is patient and loving with her brother. I was reminded this the other night when she hugged him goodnight and told him 'I love you so much!'
She is 7 years old and in 2nd grade. She was actually chosen to be in a 1st/2nd combo class this year...don't ask, it's a California thing! So far, it seems to be a wonderful class for her this year in the midst of all the changes in our family. Her teacher is wonderful and seems to be very nurturing towards all the students. Academically she is making mostly A's on her tests and she has been reading a ton of books. She proudly told me the other day that she read the most AR books of anyone in her class!
Although most of her friends are in different classes, she continues to be a social butterfly. I just wish she could have more play dates with her friends, but like everyone else, we attempt to juggle schoolwork for 2 kids, after school activities, church activities, housework, etc.
An exciting event in her life is the holiday Nutcracker performed with the local symphony. She auditioned and was chosen again to be one of the coveted bonbons, there are only 4 per cast. She will perform in the Saturday evening show and Sunday afternoon show in mid-December. The Nutcracker is the whole reason behind her taking ballet classes. She was 4 1/2 the first time I took her and she decided she wanted to be in the Nutcracker. I told her she would have to take ballet classes and practice. As of yet, she doesn't have the flexibility of a ballet dancer, but she has the heart of one and will do her best.
Most of the time Olivia and Nicholas get along very well, in fact, Olivia will give in to him more often than not and she does enjoy trying to teach him new words.
Monday, October 12, 2009
One Month Ago
We arrived in Los Angeles with Nicholas Roman. It is so unbelievable that was only a month ago. As you know, the beginning was a bit rocky, but mostly everything is going well. When everything is going smoothly and everyone's needs are met, it is the BEST!
Nicholas continues to amaze me. He has grown 1 1/2 inches since arriving here, isn't that incredible?! I wondered why his new long sleeved 3T shirts appeared too short for his arms! He talks a lot, but it's a mix of Russian, Kazak and English. I sure wish I knew some of the things he was saying and what he is thinking in his little head. He is a wonderful boy, he is affectionate with us, sometimes goofy, sometimes mischievous and sometimes hard-headed. And he is just so cute!
He likes to watch some television and is starting to learn he is not the only one who wants to watch television. He likes to build with blocks (or have someone build an airplane for him), play with Little People, pretend tool set, train set, Dora castle (he just likes opening up all the secret spots), play with cars, read before bed, play in the bath (he spends almost an hour in the bath!), he loves to swim...if only he could do it all year :p, play at the park, dig in the backyard, go to the store, look at the fish in the aquariums at the radiologist and we are still learning things he likes. He loves airplanes, helicopters and cars. Anytime he hears what sounds like an airplane, he dashes to the window to look for it.
Sometimes it is simply exhausting, especially last week when the girls were sick and all 3 were at home...gasp! It really is a lot of work to help Nicholas to learn to play. He can't just play a game with the girls, he has to be taught there are rules to follow and he has to take turns. So far, the only successful games he has played were Elefun and Dora Bingo. Otherwise, if the kids are pretending together they get along pretty well. If they are playing with toys, like the trains or blocks, they inevitably get into arguments. He can be very demanding of myself and my time and this can also be exhausting. Maybe this is jealousy or fear that is playing out. Jealous of the time I spend with the girls or fear that I will leave him, I'm not sure. I hope this gets better with time.
He eats really well, all healthy foods except for occasional chocolate and ice cream. He eats meat, chicken, cucumber, tomato, potato, corn on the cob, rice, seaweed/nori, hot dog, carrot, pizza, yogurt, grapes, apple, banana, strawberry, but does not care too much for bread, crackers, goldfish, cookies (except oreos). The specialist we met did however mention he ate fast and stuffed his mouth so we have also been working on encouraging him to slow down and take small bites. This is going really well, in fact, he sometimes now gets distracted. I also think his body is starting to realize when he has eaten enough food. In the beginning I was feeding him about every 2 hours...3 main meals with snacks in between. I always made sure I had a snack for him. Lately he has shown less interest in the snacks so I haven't offered snacks as much, but there is always something in a cup on the table...cereal, or nuts or some of his leftover breakfast. He even turned down apple today and he used to always ask for an apple...every day!
He sleeps really well at night but we continue to give him a supplement to help him calm down and get ready for bed. Another adoptive mom recommended it, Sleep Tranquil, which has melatonin in it. We tried one night without it and had a hard time getting him to settle down so now we only give him half a tablet. He wakes up happy every morning. He seems to get tired in the afternoons but it was too stressful in the beginning to get him to nap. The only down side is that it's hard to get him to have a quiet time.
He is learning English all the time and even tries to sing a few songs that we sing to him, like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or Hush Little Baby. He is really into counting and is always showing me what he is counting. Sometimes he seems so eager to learn that he mixes up words, but he definitely knows what an airplane and a helicopter are!
Our love for him continues to grow every day!
Nicholas continues to amaze me. He has grown 1 1/2 inches since arriving here, isn't that incredible?! I wondered why his new long sleeved 3T shirts appeared too short for his arms! He talks a lot, but it's a mix of Russian, Kazak and English. I sure wish I knew some of the things he was saying and what he is thinking in his little head. He is a wonderful boy, he is affectionate with us, sometimes goofy, sometimes mischievous and sometimes hard-headed. And he is just so cute!
He likes to watch some television and is starting to learn he is not the only one who wants to watch television. He likes to build with blocks (or have someone build an airplane for him), play with Little People, pretend tool set, train set, Dora castle (he just likes opening up all the secret spots), play with cars, read before bed, play in the bath (he spends almost an hour in the bath!), he loves to swim...if only he could do it all year :p, play at the park, dig in the backyard, go to the store, look at the fish in the aquariums at the radiologist and we are still learning things he likes. He loves airplanes, helicopters and cars. Anytime he hears what sounds like an airplane, he dashes to the window to look for it.
Sometimes it is simply exhausting, especially last week when the girls were sick and all 3 were at home...gasp! It really is a lot of work to help Nicholas to learn to play. He can't just play a game with the girls, he has to be taught there are rules to follow and he has to take turns. So far, the only successful games he has played were Elefun and Dora Bingo. Otherwise, if the kids are pretending together they get along pretty well. If they are playing with toys, like the trains or blocks, they inevitably get into arguments. He can be very demanding of myself and my time and this can also be exhausting. Maybe this is jealousy or fear that is playing out. Jealous of the time I spend with the girls or fear that I will leave him, I'm not sure. I hope this gets better with time.
He eats really well, all healthy foods except for occasional chocolate and ice cream. He eats meat, chicken, cucumber, tomato, potato, corn on the cob, rice, seaweed/nori, hot dog, carrot, pizza, yogurt, grapes, apple, banana, strawberry, but does not care too much for bread, crackers, goldfish, cookies (except oreos). The specialist we met did however mention he ate fast and stuffed his mouth so we have also been working on encouraging him to slow down and take small bites. This is going really well, in fact, he sometimes now gets distracted. I also think his body is starting to realize when he has eaten enough food. In the beginning I was feeding him about every 2 hours...3 main meals with snacks in between. I always made sure I had a snack for him. Lately he has shown less interest in the snacks so I haven't offered snacks as much, but there is always something in a cup on the table...cereal, or nuts or some of his leftover breakfast. He even turned down apple today and he used to always ask for an apple...every day!
He sleeps really well at night but we continue to give him a supplement to help him calm down and get ready for bed. Another adoptive mom recommended it, Sleep Tranquil, which has melatonin in it. We tried one night without it and had a hard time getting him to settle down so now we only give him half a tablet. He wakes up happy every morning. He seems to get tired in the afternoons but it was too stressful in the beginning to get him to nap. The only down side is that it's hard to get him to have a quiet time.
He is learning English all the time and even tries to sing a few songs that we sing to him, like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or Hush Little Baby. He is really into counting and is always showing me what he is counting. Sometimes he seems so eager to learn that he mixes up words, but he definitely knows what an airplane and a helicopter are!
Our love for him continues to grow every day!
Happy 4th Birthday Nicholas!
Although Nicholas' birthday is on October 5th, we celebrated it on Saturday the 3rd. We wanted to keep it small and low key since he didn't even know what a birthday is. I scheduled a tour at our neighborhood fire station for 10 in the morning. The captain on duty let the kids climb into the rig and we watched the firefighters cleaning the station, the truck, etc. He then took out his gear and put everything on while explaining what it was for, the boots, suit, etc. It's nice for the kids to see the firemen in gear so they won't be afraid. He also showed us around the inside of the station. Nicholas Roma was excited to see the trucks and really enjoyed sitting inside of the truck.
For lunch, the kids made pizzas. Nicholas kept eyeing the chocolate cake I made for his birthday. For decoration, I wrote Happy Birthday and put a Playmobil helicopter on top. He was SO excited about the helicopter that he could care less about the cake or that we were singing 'Happy Birthday' to him! He loves that helicopter!
There was a stack of presents on the edge of the table that he didn't notice. Actually they were gifts for him from a shower friends threw me before our last trip. We've been consciously trying not to overwhelm him with things as he can get over stimulated easily. The girls kept trying to get him to open the presents but he was so excited about the helicopter he didn't care. Several hours later, Olivia literally shoved some presents at him and showed him how to open them. Finally he figured out what to do.
He loved everything he got and exclaimed "Wow" every time he opened something new. He got a train set including a Thomas the Train and Harold the Helicopter, a fire truck puzzle, train cap and whistle. He enjoys playing with the trains and even has shown a little interest in the Thomas the Train dvd series.
For lunch, the kids made pizzas. Nicholas kept eyeing the chocolate cake I made for his birthday. For decoration, I wrote Happy Birthday and put a Playmobil helicopter on top. He was SO excited about the helicopter that he could care less about the cake or that we were singing 'Happy Birthday' to him! He loves that helicopter!
There was a stack of presents on the edge of the table that he didn't notice. Actually they were gifts for him from a shower friends threw me before our last trip. We've been consciously trying not to overwhelm him with things as he can get over stimulated easily. The girls kept trying to get him to open the presents but he was so excited about the helicopter he didn't care. Several hours later, Olivia literally shoved some presents at him and showed him how to open them. Finally he figured out what to do.
He loved everything he got and exclaimed "Wow" every time he opened something new. He got a train set including a Thomas the Train and Harold the Helicopter, a fire truck puzzle, train cap and whistle. He enjoys playing with the trains and even has shown a little interest in the Thomas the Train dvd series.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
In survival mode
I have so much I want to post including pictures from Nicholas' birthday celebration. Unfortunately, the girls have been sick. Olivia missed 5 days of school, went back to school for one day and one hour and threw up. Now Claire is back at school and Olivia is at home. Nicholas has not been sick yet. I sure would like to get out of the house someday...
Friday, October 02, 2009
Not much time
I haven't had much time to myself this week. Poor Olivia has been sick with some virus, she has missed 3 days of school and it's been hard to be cooped up with an active boy. We've been stuck at home watching too much television. There have been hard times and good times. It's hard attending to everyone's needs as I have to make sure Olivia is getting well, Nicholas is vying for my attention all the time and Claire gets jealous. This afternoon was a really bright moment as Claire and Nicholas were getting along well. Claire was drawing rockets and coloring them for Nicholas. She cut out one so Nicholas wanted to cut out the other one and he did pretty well. I'm not sure if he ever had experience with scissors.
Earlier this week, I took Nicholas down south to see an international adoption doctor. We spent almost 3 hours with the doctor. His report was overall positive and in fact, he was very impressed with how well Nicholas was doing after only being here for 2 weeks. Some things we have to work on are teaching him how to play with other children (sharing and taking turns), eating and drinking slower, reducing undesirable behaviors (whining, demanding, tantrums). Wow, the teaching is hard work, I was consciously trying to show him how to wait his turn for a toy and how to share toys. I've also been making a more concerted effort to sit with him during meals and encourage him to eat slower and also make eye contact while eating as I've read that can help with bonding. He is attaching well to us and I think it has been extremely beneficial to keep him away from overstimulating situations.
Earlier this week, I took Nicholas down south to see an international adoption doctor. We spent almost 3 hours with the doctor. His report was overall positive and in fact, he was very impressed with how well Nicholas was doing after only being here for 2 weeks. Some things we have to work on are teaching him how to play with other children (sharing and taking turns), eating and drinking slower, reducing undesirable behaviors (whining, demanding, tantrums). Wow, the teaching is hard work, I was consciously trying to show him how to wait his turn for a toy and how to share toys. I've also been making a more concerted effort to sit with him during meals and encourage him to eat slower and also make eye contact while eating as I've read that can help with bonding. He is attaching well to us and I think it has been extremely beneficial to keep him away from overstimulating situations.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Some September photos
Playing nicely until the argument.
Playing at the park.
Happy boy!
Not really asleep, just playing nicely together.
He *loves* to swim!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
It's been over a week here in America
And I think he is adjusting fairly well. This morning when I had to hold him for hitting his sister, he only mildly had a fit and I was able to get him to say 'sorry' to Claire all within just a matter of minutes. This is a HUGE improvement, I think he is learning the rules in our house. I'm still not sure if he is really hyperactive or just an active boy. Some days he can be calmer and sit and focus on an activity, other days he is more hyper.
Yesterday, I took him to a park to play for a while and it was a nice time. He was very interested in the 2 commercial mowers mowing the grass nearby. It was getting hot early so we didn't get to stay too long.
As for our typical weekday, the kids get up around 6/6:30, I feed them a big breakfast, the girls get ready. Fortunately boys are easy to get ready...no braiding hair, no attending to accessories, etc.! We try to be out the door around 7:30-7:40 to get Olivia to school on time, lately we have been arriving as the first bell rings. I park in the parking lot and walk the kids to the side gate. We say goodbye to 'Sissy' (Olivia), then we walk Claire into the daycare building. Nicholas and I go home so he can play or watch tv. Sometimes I actually get to clean, do laundry, take a shower or blog...
I'll then give him a big lunch around 12, then I let him watch some Baby Einstein dvds and he will usually chill in front of the tv for a while. The girls get home between 2 and 2:40 when I have friends helping or we go to the school to get them. This is where I run into trouble, the time between 3 and 8pm. The girls want to watch the Disney shows like Hannah Montana and Nicholas runs a little wild getting into things. They have played outside together a couple of times and yesterday we went swimming. We have dinner between 5 and 5:30, then I make sure Nicholas is in the bath shortly after 6pm because he can spend hours in there, but of course, we get him out by 6:45pm.
So far, we have actually gotten him interested in a few books. Mainly a board book about planes and a Cars look and find book. He is starting to branch out. We look at books for a while, then I turn out the light and rock and sing to him for a while. He just doesn't seem to settle down easily so the last couple of nights, I sit on the edge of his bed and wait for him to fall asleep. Last night he kept trying to sit up and it took at least 40 minutes for him to fall asleep this way. I can't figure out what is comforting to him, if stroking his face helps, patting his back, rocking him, him chewing on his fingers, etc. About an hour later, I found him crying sitting up so I lowered him down while comforting him.
When we first got home I was sleeping in a twin in his room, but since he was sleeping well, I was back sleeping in our room the last few nights. Last night he woke up at 3am to go 'CM'(potty) and seemed pretty awake, so when I took him back to his bed, I tried to get in the twin, but he kept getting up, so I ended up laying by his bed while it took about 2 hours for him to go back to sleep (all the while yawning). I can't figure out if we are doing it wrong or if he is just fighting the sleep or maybe he is even overtired from not having a nap? Feel free to offer suggestions if you have had a similar experience.
Oh and yesterday, I was talking to a local friend who is Kazak about some words I needed translated and she ended up having a short conversation with him. We found out his favorite foods are apples and bananas (which we already knew) and she asked how he liked his family and he replied that Papa was sleeping (he was actually at work at the time) and Mama is cleaning (we were just cleaning up the toys he was playing with). When she asked if he had lots of toys, he asked that she bring his plane. I think he is talking about the matchbox plane we brought to him in July, it was left (or lost) at the Babyhouse. Guess we'll have to replace that one! She said he sounded good. I wonder if his sleep issue last night had to do with talking to someone in his language, maybe it reminded him of the Babyhouse.
This morning was a big morning as we went for an ultrasound on his kidneys to follow up on a kidney infection he had back in December. The place we went to had 2 aquariums and he could look at those fish all day, it may have been the first time he saw live fish. And get this, I actually took him to the grocery store. It was his first trip here to the store and he did very well while helping me. I made sure to tell him that we were just going for apples and strawberries and he did well helping me to hold the hand basket. I think it was successful because I let him help me and we went in to just get a few things and there weren't many people in the store.
Yesterday, I took him to a park to play for a while and it was a nice time. He was very interested in the 2 commercial mowers mowing the grass nearby. It was getting hot early so we didn't get to stay too long.
As for our typical weekday, the kids get up around 6/6:30, I feed them a big breakfast, the girls get ready. Fortunately boys are easy to get ready...no braiding hair, no attending to accessories, etc.! We try to be out the door around 7:30-7:40 to get Olivia to school on time, lately we have been arriving as the first bell rings. I park in the parking lot and walk the kids to the side gate. We say goodbye to 'Sissy' (Olivia), then we walk Claire into the daycare building. Nicholas and I go home so he can play or watch tv. Sometimes I actually get to clean, do laundry, take a shower or blog...
I'll then give him a big lunch around 12, then I let him watch some Baby Einstein dvds and he will usually chill in front of the tv for a while. The girls get home between 2 and 2:40 when I have friends helping or we go to the school to get them. This is where I run into trouble, the time between 3 and 8pm. The girls want to watch the Disney shows like Hannah Montana and Nicholas runs a little wild getting into things. They have played outside together a couple of times and yesterday we went swimming. We have dinner between 5 and 5:30, then I make sure Nicholas is in the bath shortly after 6pm because he can spend hours in there, but of course, we get him out by 6:45pm.
So far, we have actually gotten him interested in a few books. Mainly a board book about planes and a Cars look and find book. He is starting to branch out. We look at books for a while, then I turn out the light and rock and sing to him for a while. He just doesn't seem to settle down easily so the last couple of nights, I sit on the edge of his bed and wait for him to fall asleep. Last night he kept trying to sit up and it took at least 40 minutes for him to fall asleep this way. I can't figure out what is comforting to him, if stroking his face helps, patting his back, rocking him, him chewing on his fingers, etc. About an hour later, I found him crying sitting up so I lowered him down while comforting him.
When we first got home I was sleeping in a twin in his room, but since he was sleeping well, I was back sleeping in our room the last few nights. Last night he woke up at 3am to go 'CM'(potty) and seemed pretty awake, so when I took him back to his bed, I tried to get in the twin, but he kept getting up, so I ended up laying by his bed while it took about 2 hours for him to go back to sleep (all the while yawning). I can't figure out if we are doing it wrong or if he is just fighting the sleep or maybe he is even overtired from not having a nap? Feel free to offer suggestions if you have had a similar experience.
Oh and yesterday, I was talking to a local friend who is Kazak about some words I needed translated and she ended up having a short conversation with him. We found out his favorite foods are apples and bananas (which we already knew) and she asked how he liked his family and he replied that Papa was sleeping (he was actually at work at the time) and Mama is cleaning (we were just cleaning up the toys he was playing with). When she asked if he had lots of toys, he asked that she bring his plane. I think he is talking about the matchbox plane we brought to him in July, it was left (or lost) at the Babyhouse. Guess we'll have to replace that one! She said he sounded good. I wonder if his sleep issue last night had to do with talking to someone in his language, maybe it reminded him of the Babyhouse.
This morning was a big morning as we went for an ultrasound on his kidneys to follow up on a kidney infection he had back in December. The place we went to had 2 aquariums and he could look at those fish all day, it may have been the first time he saw live fish. And get this, I actually took him to the grocery store. It was his first trip here to the store and he did very well while helping me. I made sure to tell him that we were just going for apples and strawberries and he did well helping me to hold the hand basket. I think it was successful because I let him help me and we went in to just get a few things and there weren't many people in the store.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Some good...some bad...just keep swimming...
So yesterday I took Nicholas to get some bloodwork done and overall he did well despite some bad behavior while waiting. I felt so bad about him having bloodwork that I took him to a local feed store where they have a small petting zoo in back. He was excited about the animals and we had fun till he started playing with the dirt, then we left. He was so tired after lunch, just one yawn after another that I decided to try to get him to take a nap. After only 15 minutes of rocking and minimal crying, I was astounded he fell asleep. I thought this was a great thing.
I tried to wake him after an hour and a half but had real difficulty and he became a real bear, throwing tantrums when he didn't get his way. Bed time was difficult and it took an hour of rocking while holding till he finally gave in and went to sleep. This was a real battle, it's like he was fighting the sleep. The previous night I only had to rock him about 15 minutes.
Today has been hard as he has been extremely hyper, I think because we are not in our usual weekday routine and everyone is home. We've had several tantrums and we can't get him to calm down unless we put something on tv that he will watch. I'm praying for patience for all of us. When he is having fun and everything is going smoothly he is a joy. I hate having to say 'no' because I know he'll get mad but he has to learn to accept 'no' and to learn the rules in our family.
This afternoon, I had some one on one time with Olivia and it was nice. I learned that she didn't want to eat her fruit in her lunch from home at school because she was embarrassed by the 'kiddy' container. We had a nice time eating lunch, shopping for books for her and we spent time together while she enjoyed an ice cream cone. I plan to spend one on one time with Claire next Saturday.
I had a little bug earlier in the week, probably from all the travel and the stress. Hubby is still getting over his. We have been so blessed by all the help we have received with meals and errands and help with picking up the girls from school. We are so thankful to everyone's support and especially to my friends Heidi and Tracie whose families helped take care of the girls while we were on our last trip to Kazakhstan.
I tried to wake him after an hour and a half but had real difficulty and he became a real bear, throwing tantrums when he didn't get his way. Bed time was difficult and it took an hour of rocking while holding till he finally gave in and went to sleep. This was a real battle, it's like he was fighting the sleep. The previous night I only had to rock him about 15 minutes.
Today has been hard as he has been extremely hyper, I think because we are not in our usual weekday routine and everyone is home. We've had several tantrums and we can't get him to calm down unless we put something on tv that he will watch. I'm praying for patience for all of us. When he is having fun and everything is going smoothly he is a joy. I hate having to say 'no' because I know he'll get mad but he has to learn to accept 'no' and to learn the rules in our family.
This afternoon, I had some one on one time with Olivia and it was nice. I learned that she didn't want to eat her fruit in her lunch from home at school because she was embarrassed by the 'kiddy' container. We had a nice time eating lunch, shopping for books for her and we spent time together while she enjoyed an ice cream cone. I plan to spend one on one time with Claire next Saturday.
I had a little bug earlier in the week, probably from all the travel and the stress. Hubby is still getting over his. We have been so blessed by all the help we have received with meals and errands and help with picking up the girls from school. We are so thankful to everyone's support and especially to my friends Heidi and Tracie whose families helped take care of the girls while we were on our last trip to Kazakhstan.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A Better Day
Today went alot better than yesterday and ended in a giggling fit with the 3 kids. And we even spent 2 hours at the pediatrician today. Nicholas and I waited for an hour for his appointment, it was just a bad time for an appointment right before their lunch. It took a while for our pediatrician to decide what kind of tests to order as Nicholas' vaccinations are incomplete. He also ordered an ultrasound for his kidneys as there was an indication he had a problem last year. In a week and a half we will be visiting an international adoption specialist down south where he will get a more comprehensive exam.
I do have to say that Nicholas behaved so well at the doctor's office considering how long we had to wait, even the doctor commented about how compliant he was during the exam. We made it home late for lunch but fortunately I brought a snack for the doctor visit. I've been feeding Nicholas alot, at least 5 times a day. It was recommended food be offered about every 2 hours in one of the books I read and it seems to work pretty well for us. We have a big breakfast, 2 snacks, hot lunch, 2 snacks, big dinner. So far, we have not had any issues with hoarding.
I finally discovered that he will actually sit and watch some of the Baby Einsten dvds, usually the ones with animals. We've tried Thomas the Train, Bob the Builder and some others but I think since he doesn't understand the English, he is just not interested. The nice thing about Baby Einstein is there isn't much talking, but just enough so he will start to learn English. We also watched Leap Frog Let's Go to School and he actually sat and watched the whole dvd! I was so surprised. We have some other Leap Frog dvds we will get around to watching, too.
This evening after dinner, Claire and Nicholas had a tiff over some books but we worked it out and it was a learning experience for both of them. Claire was in a bad mood today, I think she had a bad day at school...maybe it started with the bad dream she had last night. I was able to get her laugh when I started tickling her, then Nicholas got jealous, so I started tickling him, then I included Olivia. It was such a joy to have all the kids laughing together and having such fun together. Olivia even said it was a nice family moment. Bedtime was tough trying to meet all the kids needs as Claire wanted a book read to her, Nicholas wanted to show me books and Olivia wanted me to read to her, too. Nicholas wanted to sleep in Olivia's bed, I think he is just so used to sleeping in another room with other kids. Anyway, I sang to Nicholas and rocked him and it was the sweetest thing to have him fall asleep in my arms and he looks so sweet when he is asleep. I can really see a change in his face, he seems more rested and even the rash he had around his face from putting his fingers/hands in his mouth went away. I think he was nervous when we first got him and he really hasn't been putting his fingers in his mouth as much. His face seems to have more color, too.
Hoping for another good day tomorrow!
I do have to say that Nicholas behaved so well at the doctor's office considering how long we had to wait, even the doctor commented about how compliant he was during the exam. We made it home late for lunch but fortunately I brought a snack for the doctor visit. I've been feeding Nicholas alot, at least 5 times a day. It was recommended food be offered about every 2 hours in one of the books I read and it seems to work pretty well for us. We have a big breakfast, 2 snacks, hot lunch, 2 snacks, big dinner. So far, we have not had any issues with hoarding.
I finally discovered that he will actually sit and watch some of the Baby Einsten dvds, usually the ones with animals. We've tried Thomas the Train, Bob the Builder and some others but I think since he doesn't understand the English, he is just not interested. The nice thing about Baby Einstein is there isn't much talking, but just enough so he will start to learn English. We also watched Leap Frog Let's Go to School and he actually sat and watched the whole dvd! I was so surprised. We have some other Leap Frog dvds we will get around to watching, too.
This evening after dinner, Claire and Nicholas had a tiff over some books but we worked it out and it was a learning experience for both of them. Claire was in a bad mood today, I think she had a bad day at school...maybe it started with the bad dream she had last night. I was able to get her laugh when I started tickling her, then Nicholas got jealous, so I started tickling him, then I included Olivia. It was such a joy to have all the kids laughing together and having such fun together. Olivia even said it was a nice family moment. Bedtime was tough trying to meet all the kids needs as Claire wanted a book read to her, Nicholas wanted to show me books and Olivia wanted me to read to her, too. Nicholas wanted to sleep in Olivia's bed, I think he is just so used to sleeping in another room with other kids. Anyway, I sang to Nicholas and rocked him and it was the sweetest thing to have him fall asleep in my arms and he looks so sweet when he is asleep. I can really see a change in his face, he seems more rested and even the rash he had around his face from putting his fingers/hands in his mouth went away. I think he was nervous when we first got him and he really hasn't been putting his fingers in his mouth as much. His face seems to have more color, too.
Hoping for another good day tomorrow!
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