Andrew update- home 5 months

Some reflections about Andrew..... someone asked how his cognitive developement is coming along. I thought I would share about him and some of my thoughts about how he is progressing. When he came home he was developementally like a 6 month old. He was just learning to sit, exploring his environment with his tongue and very frustrated with how his body was feeling from the withdrawl of the medicine he had been given while in the orphanage to sedate him. He ate 4 bottles if we were lucky and he feel asleep not very peacefully- sometimes up until 1 or 2 am.. He would hit himself with his fist or slap his cheek hard in frustration... He would constantly grind his teeth like nails on a chalkboard. He would throw his head back or onto the person holding him. There was little times when he was peaceful or happy. He decided how he wanted to be fed- which was lying down and sometimes only 2 bottles a day..... It was a difficult time to watch him go thru this.....often thoughts of anger went thru my mind about how could anyone do this to a child ? We had adopted other children who had suffered in their orphanage but none as severely delayed as Andrew . I have shared that we even saw some of the abuse and neglect that he suffered while we visited with him on our first trip... we can only imagine what it was like when we were not there for him.

The top picture was taken in Sofia - our first nite with him as we were getting ready to give him a bath... He is emaciated and not even able to sit much. He would lie down on his r side all the time.... he weighed under 20 lbs at 5 yrs and 2 months old. He know weighs 31 lbs. and eats from 7 to 9 or more bottles a day of food just like we eat that is run thru the blender mixed with whole milk for its fat content.

We have seen him change so much in so little time... he prefers to sit and stand now . He will try to explore his world with his hands, feet and whole body... he is trusting his world and us more each day. We do hear him repeat some basic sounds like a consonant with some vowels. He will often repeat a simple sound we make after us. He will tap a beat to the beat we make and he will try to make us laugh by doing something silly.... He enjoys trying new experiences like a pool or the grass or riding on a toy . He loves being around the "noise" level we have constantly going on here :) When the kids are away he is not as happy. He loves listening to music and will crawl or move towards any music he hears. He will walk holding our hands and often will try it one handed. He cruises furniture and moves in walkers or will make a walker with a chair or object.... He eats all of his bottles now sitting in a high chair... he enjoys slurping the food from his hands or tray.

He loves being played with or included along side of others as they are doing something. He will cuddle and let you hold him when he wants and it is always on your l side and sometimes in awkward positions... almost like he is exploring what it feels like to ride your shoulder or rock up and down over it. He loves to swing and the jolly jumper has been his favorite toy but now he often will throw himself over to the side and hang upside down and then flop out - all on his own and he will laugh and laugh when he does this. He will do it over and over again- especially if he has an audience :)

He loves Cate, Joseph and Leah the best but knows that I am the authority and will soothe with me the easiest... like when he had his surgery. He trusts us the most but does enjoy all the family. He spends the least amount of time with Paul and so that knowledge is coming along but more slowly that Paul is daddy. He does not seem to know what momma and daddy really are yet. He can be very loud and expressive but that has calmed down significantly in the past 6 weeks or so. We can go out with him now and he cooperates. I do think he has some major sensory issues but has handled all the new experiences well with time....

To be honest, he has surprised us at how quickly he has come . I would like him to be eating not from a bottle but that will take lots more time I am sure. I believe he will this summer be walking on his own and enjoying even more the ability to play... with toys and his brothers and sisters in more appropriate ways but still a significant delay in his developement.

For now we are thrilled he is such a happy little guy and that he has gained so much weight in such a little amount of time. He goes to sleep peacefully and will sleep thru the nite . He has been a joy to watch as he developed a trust and continues to trust us... We can do things like (wipe his nose in a calm manner) now as we talk with him while we are doing something like that... he knows we are helping and we are gentle and he allows us to do what we need to because he trusts us... he still hates to have his teeth brushed though... but even that is getting easier for him. For a blind child all sensations are extremes... and when you have not be allowed to experience much for 5 yrs of your life sensory overload is huge and then add the affects of abuse and neglect and hunger and being drugged- He is doing fantastic and we are very proud and happy about his progress.

Keith our son in law observed this about Gracie and Andrew," You can't deny that they are happy now." Being happy and full of a peace and joy about their life has been a gift to us to watch develope in these children.