When I think back to the first couple weeks with
Elizabeth, Max and Zoe
I am amazed with the work God has already
done in them.
When Zoe first got here she was a timid little thing that
would barely let me put her down. She would never fully
relax in my lap and she wasn't crawling. Now she is a little
giggle box. She still loves to be held but it doesn't have to be
all the time. She is now crawling all over the place and trying
to stand. The best change in her is that in the last couple
weeks she has finally totally relaxed her self in
my arms and laid her sweet little head on my chest.
It melts me every time.
She is finally starting to trust me.
We still have goals with her she still gets extremely upset in a
matter of seconds she will go from giggling to screaming and
crying. Like if she is playing happily and she sees me walk by
she will be in immediate hysteria as if someone slapped her
just because she wants to be held. We are really praying that
this phase will also pass soon because she seems extra fussy
at dinner time. I always feed her first and change her but
the second I put her down if it is anytime after 5 she will be
screaming. This makes it hard when my husband is still
working and I am trying to cook dinner for the other kids. It
is to dangerous for her to be in the sling when I am cooking
over a hot stove. I need to master wearing her on my back
but still haven't gotten that down.
I think Max has gone through the most changes. The first
couple weeks he was here he spent most of his time on the
time out step. Poor guy. Any chance he would get he would
hit, bite, scratch and spit. He barely mumbled a word. The
only time he would say anything is if he was mimicking his
siblings. Whenever it was meal time he would run to the
table and shove his food in his mouth with two hands and
guzzle his drink down like it was the first meal he had seen in
months. I was so excited when last week he only took a bite
of his toast at breakfast and went to play before he finished
it. Most parents want there kids to sit and finish there food
but I was so excited inside when he did that because it means
he is trusting us and knows that there will be more food.
He has started to initiate communication with me by saying
"Mommy" to me and pointing and asking for things. I heard
him say "I want that" while he was watching a
commercial after he heard Ayla say it. It wasn't perfectly
clear but even a month ago he wasn't saying two words
together and barely even one. His communication is still no
where near where it should be but to see all this progress in
only a couple months amazes me. He is barely ever in time
out any more. All the aggressive behavior is almost
completely gone. He actually comes and tells on people now
instead of hitting back right away. And instead of spitting at
people we taught him to blow kisses. It is precious.
I am so proud of him.
The first couple weeks Elizabeth was here she would only
stay in the same room as me. She talked non-stop and would
get upset if anyone else got attention. She also wanted to be
held all day. Now she goes off and plays and then finds me
for a cuddle but then is quickly back playing. She also goes to
preschool two days a week now and she loves it. We are still
working on her hatred of vegetables. She eats fruit and corn
on the cob but any other vegetable she refuses to eat. We are
working on this.
I think Eli and I expected it to be so much harder than it has
been. Maybe it is because we were foster parents and the
challenges we had with that don't even compare with what
we are going through. These kids were never in foster care. I
am so so thankful for that. They came from a loving mother
that knew she wanted better for her kids. Elizabeth, Max and
Zoe just fit right in with us. God created them just for our
family. They couldn't be a more perfect fit. This is where
they are meant to be. They are so
affectionate, happy and sweet.
We couldn't love them anymore.
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