We got another good 7 1/2 hour sleep last night. I just can't even tell you how incredibly it is to be with him finally. He is eating rice cereal mixed with formula very well. We have also mixed peas with rice cereal and he really likes this. Today we started some bannana both by itself and mixed in with cereal and he loves it. Of course he is still a big fan of the puffs when we are in a jam and the food isn't ready yet. We are trying to keep his food very simple for now. Basically we are feeding him like we would a 5 month old that is just starting out on foods. We are trying to only introduce a new food every couple days to see what he likes and tolerates. He is excellent at clearing his palate and knows that he has to tip his head back when he swallows. I tell you this kid is amazing. Frankly if it wasn't for Mark and I making such a mess he would never miss a drop. As of right now it takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes for each feeding. I think part of that though is that we are still trying to figure out how much he will take so sometimes there is a pause to get more (he will let you know about this too b/c he want's his food : ). We are getting better at figuring out his little things that tell us when he is hungry or done eating or tired. This morning we found ANOTHER TOOTH!!! Yes he now has one on top, one on the bottom and I think another working it's way up on the bottom. He still absolutely refuses a bottle. The only time he has taken one was the first night and the next morning (and he only took a couple oz) and I think that was just b/c he was so tired he couldn't fight it. We have tried every configuration of bottle we have, hot, cold, mixed with cereal, etc.... and he will not take it. I suspicion that he only ever took a bottle at the orphanage when they were to busy to stop and feed him. You can see on his lip where it looks like he used to bang the bottle up against his lip b/c there is a little indentation there on his cleft and it was very scabed over. Since he has gone a few days without a bottle this area has healed up beautifully. I also think that part of the no taking the bottle is that it probably hurt when he was taking it while it would hit his lip and now he knows that he doesn't have to do that anymore. We are making sure he gets alot of formula mixed with his cereal and counting his diapers (yes obsessive Nurse MaMa here!) to make sure he isn't getting dehydrated. Today we figured out that he will let you spoon feed him a little bit of water or formula. He doesn't take alot this way, but any extra fluids is a good thing at this point. I am going to try to call the Cleft team back home tonight and see if they have any other recommendations for taking a bottle.
We went to the police station today and took his picture for his passport. He did so good there. We also received our Adoption Decree while we were there. I tell you this is the most beautiful document I have ever seen b/c it means that he is legally ours now!!!!! Once he touches US soil he will officially become an American Citizen. I can't believe it. I just want to cry everytime I look at the document. There were several other families there with their guides as well. It was nice getting to talk to some of the people.
Also Richard told us that the guides were talking and they all agreed that Konnor is doing amazingly well. They all said that most children coming from the orphanage at his age don't have nearly the motor skills that he does. He will let either Mark or I hold him with no fuss. He has not reached for anyone else up to this point (I think maybe it helps that we have a male guide so he doesn't see him as much as a caretaker). Today he started actively looking for us when we leave the room. If one of us is holding him he is watching where the other one is going to make sure they don't get to far away. He has reached for us both a couple times. The reaches are still a little tenative like he still isn't sure if it is okay or not, but it is definitely a start. Biggest milestone of the day is we had our first POOP!!! And not just one, but 3 poops!!!!! I know those that are not in the adoption community are probably wondering why this is such a big deal, but it is Huge! The easy answer is this (and truthfully it applies to any child, not just adopted children): when children have major life changes that disrupt their normal routine and feeling of safety they often become constipated. This is largely b/c a small child has very little to no control over what is happening to them, but the one thing they do have control over is their bodily functions. So when an adopted child has their first poop with their new parents this is huge b/c it means that they are becoming comfortable with their new family and situation. The fact that this happened when he has been with us less than 48 hours is a very good indicator of how comfortable he is with us. At this point we are just celebrating every little milestone.
We did venture out for lunch today. We are trying to get him out a couple times a day for short periods to start letting him become accostomed to more people, noises and sounds. We went to a Chinese restaraunt down the street that has the most amazing barbequed pork fried rice. I took his lunch of peas and rice and he ate while we waited on our food. He did really well for about 20 minutes before he decided that he had had enough so we packed it up and headed back to the hotel where he a Mama got an awesome and much needed 1 1/2 hr nap : ) We also ventured to the hotel pool for a little bit last night. We only stayed about 15 minutes, just long enough for him to get the experience and then left. Oh my this boy loves water!!! Loves the pool and loves bathtime. He just splashes and splashes.
Ok so here is where I talk about how I am struggling with being here. We were forewarned more times than you can count about the fact that the people here would stare and possibly even try to touch Konnor. They see children with deformities as unlucky and often wonder why we would want "that baby." In all honesty we haven't had anyone come up to us and try to touch him, which is really good b/c I just don't think I would tolerate that well since I have my own personal space issues. I am completely fine with people who look and even the people who do a double take don't bother me. We just keep on walking and I ignore them. Thankfully Konnor is young enough that he doesn't understand why everyone is staring at him, but it breaks my heart that there are all these older children who do know and understand why people are staring. We actually had one lady crane her neck to try to get a peak at him while he slept in my arms and when she saw him she gasped, threw her hands over her face and started shaking her head. The Mama tiger in me just wants to say "he is beautiful, but you are just ugly and mean spirited and there is nothing you can do to change that you evil hag!" I really am not a mean person, but come on, seriously!!! If you had kept your busy body nose to yourself you would never have seen him. I had another guy in the lobby while I was waiting on Mark try to take a picture of him with his cell phone. I just kept turning every which direction until Mark finally showed up and we walked away (yep I can keep this up all day buddy so just go away b/c you are not taking a picture of my baby for any purpose other than b/c he is so stinkin cute). I understand that it is a cultural thing. I know the reasons behind the stares, but it still breaks my heart that these people can't look past his lip to see the amazing smile and beautiful little soul that makes up who he is. This is one of the times that I really wish that we didn't have our own personal guide and that we were here with a group. At least then there is a little bit of a buffer. Truthfully other than for our appointments and venturing out for lunch we haven't really left the hotel. This has been good for Konnor b/c he is really getting one on one time with MaMa and BaBa, but what it means is that when we do venture out MaMa gets very emotional b/c she wants to smack some of these people. I will give a huge thumbs up to the Garden Hotel staff. Noone here has given him any weird looks and truthfully most of them will smile at him and try to make him laugh. We have also noticed that it seems to be the middle to lower class that have the most problem. Alot of the people that we have run into in the hotel (keep in mind it is a 5 star hotel so alot of these people are the 3 piece suit type) do a double take, but then they start talking to him and smile at us. Sorry I just needed to vent a little bit and get it out. Keeping it all bottled up was making me a little emotional and poor Mark just doesn't know what to do when Konnor and I are both crying : )
Ok I am done with my vent now. I just can't wait to get Konnor home so that he will be surrounded by all the people that will love him for exactly who he is just like his Mama and Baba do. You are all going to be so amazed by him. I don't know what we ever did to deserve such an amazing little boy, but we are so thankful to have been blessed enough to be his parents.
Ashley
Here is today's dose of cuteness!!!!!
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| Love Love Love that smile!!! |
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| I'm tired MaMa |
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