Three Weeks Home

Wow, what a roller coaster ride we're on, otherwise known as parenthood!  Ray is doing amazingly well for a little boy who has just been plunked down into a whole new world.  He likes sleeping with his multiple Mickey Mouses under his rainbow-colored bedspread in his own room.  And he's picking up on Mommy and Daddy's habits of sleeping in...until 9am!  Guess we'll have to change that once he starts summer school in a week and a half.

It's hard to put into words what it's been like adjusting to being parents for the first time and for him adjusting to a family.  It is taking a while to find a "normal" routine of sorts...but it is summer so there's no real set structure each day.  So far we've been to three birthday parties (in the first week home), a volunteer of the year awards banquet (Mommy got a Golden Heart award), went to the Wildlife Sanctuary with Nana Jeanne's Kindergarten class and visited the classroom a few days later for playtime, went to the NEW Zoo with new friends, went to THE Farm with new friends, gone swimming frequently at various locations, went to the Mayfest parade and played baseball with cousins, had a full medical wellness check in Milwaukee (3 hour drive), did lots of shopping for new clothes, toys, a bike and outdoor activities, went on a picnic and hiking with new friends, and joined a soccer team and played in his first of three games this week!  Whew!!!  He is soaking it all in and learning more than we know.  He has already spoken 4-5 full sentences without any prompting.  It is truly amazing how much young minds can absorb in a short amount of time!

Don't get us wrong, it has not been all peaches and roses.  Ray's favorite word is No and it is usually his first response to everything...even if we know he likes it.  Eating has been a struggle as well...not necessarily an aversion to the foods but more defiance in sitting down to eat with us in the first place.  It is getting better though.  We started a sticker chart for helping Mommy and Daddy and one of those marks is for eating meals with us.  I know this will not work for long but it's getting us through for now.  Ray is also into everything...a big time explorer...which is good and bad sometimes depending on the location and situation.  And, unfortunately, he learned to defend himself in the orphanage by pinching and hitting...which he still does when he doesn't get his way or is frustrated.  We are trying to be gentle with him even when we're disciplining so that he understands that he is safe and no longer needs to act out physically.

All-in-all we are a happy threesome and we are all learning from one another day by day.  There is lots of laughter in our home which fills our hearts with gladness and love.