Progress

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.