One Month (and a Few Days) Later...

I meant to post this three days ago, but life, as always, is busy.  So, it's a few days late.  However, January 13th marked one month that Asher has been with us!  It honestly seems like it's been way longer than that.  We have been through a lot in that one month, and come a long way too!  So, here's the official Asher update:

SLEEP!  He has been doing much better at night, PRAISE GOD!!!  He typically does sleep through the night now.  He may wake up and fuss a little, but he usually stops himself before we can even get to him.  He is not sleeping in our room anymore either!  He's been up in the room with Benjamin for a handful of nights, and they're doing even better than I had expected!  I was envisioning Asher up crying all night, and Benjamin awake for it too, as he has never had to share a room.  However, I am thrilled to report that even when Asher does wake up, Benjamin seems to sleep through it.  In fact, if anything, Asher has been in more danger of being awakened by Benjamin lately because Benjamin is on his third round of strep throat, and isn't sleeping well.  Thankfully though, Asher's probably used to crying roommates, and even snoozed right through the noise of Benjamin's nebulizer treatments.  So, all that to say, we are all handling life a lot better, despite the craziness, because of the increased amount of sleep.

I like to eat!

Food-wise, Asher is doing well.  He is bulking up a little because he eats anything and everything you give him.  He loves cooked carrots and any kind of fruit.  He insists on feeding himself, and is getting pretty skilled with a spoon.  He also is really talented when it comes to using mashed potatoes as a hair product!  Unfortunately, he also tried to put everything else on the planet that he can get his hands on in his mouth.  It's a habit we are working hard to break, as we seem to breed germs around here nowadays and someone is ALWAYS sick!

Speaking of doctors, Asher's eczema seems to be doing a little better.  It cleared up really well, then got worse again, and now is getting better again.  I'm trying to figure out what exactly triggers it.  I'm new to this whole thing (and by saying that, I've probably now triggered a dozen of you to feel inspired to send me feedback on the matter...). He still scratches himself constantly if any skin anywhere is exposed.  So, I try to keep him all covered all the time.  Wearing a onesie, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants works out OK when the weather is this cool, but I don't know how we'll manage when it's typical hot FL weather.  Maybe the heat and humidity will actually help it?  I don't know. He has had a gallon of blood drawn for all sorts of tests, and we will get the results of all than in about a week, then we get to enter another round of blood-work to check for accuracy of immunizations.  He handled all the needles like a pro and has thankfully managed to avoid all the sickies that have plagued Benjamin and Annie thus far.  I guess spending your first almost two years in various Chinese care facilities has helped his body build up some powerful resistance to germs.  He is also scheduled for a complete assessment by the craniofacial team at Miami Children's Hospital next month.  That will give us a better picture of what we need to do and where we need to go.

He enjoys his siblings and all the toys around the house.  He tends to fall asleep if he's ever in the car around 11 a.m., which really messes up actual naptime.  He still refuses to keep on shoes and socks, and has now taught Benjamin to take his off each time we're in the car as well.  So, I just keep their shoes in the car and don't bother putting them on until it's time to disembark.

He still says "mama" for everything on the planet, unless it's "llama," but he has also done well with the signing. He can sign "please," "thank you," "more," and "food," and he also says something that sounds like "hello" out loud.  He can identify his nose and ears when asked.  We're working on other body parts.  He definitely knows how to get his point across when necessary, but thankfully seems to be understanding that yelling and fit-throwing isn't going to get him there.  So, he doesn't do it as much, just mainly if he's really tired or hungry, and we can try to prevent that by planning ahead.

He enjoys being outside.  He enjoys flooding the bathroom during bathtime.  He enjoys being loud.  He loves playing with all the trains the boys got for Christmas, but he also enjoys playing with a piece of string or cardboard just as much (don't all kids?).  

All in all, I would say that things are drastically improved from our first week home!  I think that having a more predictable daily routine has helped, now that school & work have resumed.  I think that also he is more settled in and knows that, at the very least, he is going to see the same faces every day for a while.  I don't know exactly how long it will take him to learn that this is home and home is permanent and different from the other care situations he was in previously.  He still doesn't know that things can be permanent.  I don't know that the idea will even have a lightbulb moment where it will just click, or if it will just be after he's been here for a year or two.  He was, after all, at Maria's Big House for around nine months, and at New Hope for almost the same amount of time before that.  Add to that the month or so at the state-run orphanage on either end of those two places, and he's been moved around a lot.  So, I wonder how much he wonders or thinks at all about whether he will be relocated again.  He does tend to get nervous if he thinks I am going to drop him off somewhere.  I stay with him in the nursery at church for now, but he still grabs my leg really tightly when we go in there.  Still, even though I also don't think he knows yet that "mommy" is a different thing than "ayi," he knows that Josh and I are the primary caregivers, and he is more attached to us.  

All in all, he is still happy, friendly, cheerful Asher.  He loves when people pay attention to him.  He flirts with everyone we pass in the store or school or church or wherever.  He likes to wave and give Hi-fives, but I can tell when he's hit his limit for new faces and places for any given day.  I am thankful for the progress we've made, and once again, for the prayers and help of all our friends and family!

Hanging out with Annie's class