Update on the Kids

Things have just been really crazy and I cannot seem to catch up on alot of things!

Update on Ricky

Ricky has been with us for almost 16 months. That is a magic number as that is how long he was in China. In some ways it is hard to believe it has been 16 months, in other ways it seems like he has been with us forever.

He is still eating like a horse. He eats more than Emily. Sometimes Bill and I just sit back and wonder where the heck he puts it. He does turn away food when he isn't hungry anymore so we are still just feeding him. He is a whopping 28 lbs. He has grown taller (not sure how much). He is still in the same size diapers that we brought him home in. The kid has not butt. Mostly he is wearing 24 months clothes (32 months old).

As far as attachment to us I think we are now past any concerns that typically come with adopted institutionalized children. Not to say that I'm still not looking for signs. Ricky is a very friendly child - would go to anyone. I was a bit concerned about this. But now, he has definitely shown that is afraid of strangers. His parent of choice is usually me which for me is weird since I was the one who had the most difficult time attaching to him.

He absolutely adores his big sister, Emily. They have the mutual admiration society going on between the them. He mimics everything she does - the good and the bad. He is absolutely the best thing we did for Emily. To see them laugh and play together gives me so much joy - I can cry and sometimes do.

All the struggles were worth it. We still struggle adjusting to our new life. I won't lie - I miss our old life - it was much easier. But I don't regret it at all. In a few years, I suspect we will hopefully be back at easier life - although I suspect Ricky will be keeping us on our toes.

As far as developmentally - motor skill wise he is past his peers. Speech wise - well we are behind. Way behind. I was upset on how slow our progress has been. But we are trying to put this in perspective. Ricky came home not talking, not babbling, not saying anything in Chinese.

He has had 2 surgeries to repair his palate and ear tubes. If we say April 2008 (his first surgery) was ground zero for us. That would make him about 13 months old speech wise. Ricky is babbling ALOT more and trying to talk. It is what it is . We are giving him tools to help him but it is just very slow.

Ricky is going in for surgery on Thursday for another set of tubes in the ears (our 3rd set in year) plus a sedated hearing test. Hopefully we can find out if he has any hearing loss. He hasn't passed a hearing test since being home. He is just below normal.

Update on Emily
Emily is doing well. She is going through some adjustment struggles in having a sibling. Ricky likes to follow her around so I think this is starting to grow on her nerves a bit. She has locked herself in her room on more than one occassion.

Emily passed all her CRCT tests in school which allows her to pass 3rd grade. Passed is probably an understatement. Word has it on the street - she got one of the highest scores in 3rd grade.
She keeps forgetting her agenda at school so I cannot confirm that.

She is excelling at creative writing. Some of the stuff she writes, you would never know she is only 8.

We are finishing up our 1st year in Academy Soccer. We are deciding if we want her to move up with the current set of girls she plays with. They are a year older than she is. I think she gets overshadowed because of her age. She is good for her age but I'm not sure if she that good that she should play up.

Update of Me

At the end of April, I started volunteering for Love withoutBoundaries which is a volunteer organization to help orphans in China. I'm officially the child information coordinator for the medical program. I get to see a lot and it pulls at my heartstrings that there are so many SN children without families. I wish I could adopt them all. Bill would kill me even if I mentioned another one at this stage of our life. So my way of helping is out is helping LWB. If you are looking to support a charity, please look into Love without Boundaries. They are doing some amazing work. It is entirely a volunteer organization.