Reflections on a month gone by...

Jay-R continues to adjust well. Looking back, I can see so many things like...

The meltdowns are now simply age related temper tantrums because he didn't get his way. He hates timeouts but that is where he goes....a little alone moment in his room. He sits and cries and waits for his 2 minutes to be up. These really don't happen too often. He listens really well. He is so polite, too, and says, "please," "thank you," "you're welcome," "sorry." He is just so sweet, he really is, and it melts my heart.

The English...wow, has he picked that up! It is amazing...he says new words every day and is putting together phrases and short sentences. He didn't score very high on his literacy tests at kindergarten registeration but that is to be expected with the communication barrier.

He is learning to play by himself and to keep himself occupied. When we first came home, he was overwhelmed by all there was to do and he could not stay focused on one thing for more than a few minutes. Yesterday, the local newspaper visited to interview me about a story for the local newspaper about our adoption. Jay-R watched Dora and played with toys for almost the entire hour. I can also go upstairs now and grab a load of laundry when he is downstairs and he is okay with this. I can tell that he is so comfortable in his home.

He is very used to routine. At bedtime, we get pjs on, brush teeth, read stories in the comfy rocking chair, do a Bible story, say prayers, sing a few Bible songs, and then go upstairs. We turn on his night light, music, and I stay in his room with my computer until he falls asleep. Yesterday, Kory didn't have the lighting exactly like I have it in the living room when we read stories and Jay-R was quick to correct him. Tonight, he had the lighting ready for me before I even was in the living room.

He is just doing so well. Our very rough days have passed. Sleep can still be an issue as it was last night, but somehow we manage. He stayed later at preschool and ate lunch on Tuesday. When I arrived to pick him up, the room was dark because the other children in all day daycare were napping. Jay-R was looking at a book. He seemed a little sad and ran right into my arms when he saw me. He talked about school a mile a minute once we left but he doesn't seem to like the nap thing. He told me today, "Jay-R no sleep at school." That will be another bridge to cross when I return to work and he is there all day for daycare.

Speaking of work, I have about one month before I return to work full-time. That will be another adjustment. We are beginning to feel very comfortable in our life at home. It is hard to imagine life before Jay-R except I had more free time! He keeps things interesting and unpredictable at our home. We have pretty much returned to our routine before Jay-R except we haven't had a chance to really socialize with family and friends and we miss everyone but we finally have some free time coming up. Our camper came home last night and that gives us something more to look forward to and something new to share with Jay-R.

Oh, we found blue sand! Despite the cold, he had fun playing in the sand last night at his sand table. I'll have to post pics soon but I am too tired now to load pics. I need to catch up on lost sleep from last night!

Roadtrip

Jay-R took his first of many roadtrips to come this past weekend. We ventured to the St. Louis area to visit with Kory's family for a birthday party and a baby baptism. Jay-R met the last of his cousins. He had a blast jumping in the inflatable jump house they rented. With the weather being in the 80s, he was a sweaty mess! With all the jumping and swimming at the hotel, he was absolutely wore out and slept through the entire baby baptism. He never even knew he went to church! He did really well on both ends of the trip except for around the last 30-45 minutes. The way there, it was way late and he was just plain tired. On the way home, he was plain tired of being in his carseat. Unfortunately, on Friday he learned how to unbuckle it all by himself. He is usually good about staying in his seat but he has his moments!

Today, we visited the pediatric dentist. The poor little guy is going to have to have surgery to take care of his excessive dental issues. He has a mouth full of cavities which we were expecting could be the case with having been told this is common with older child adoption from the Philippines. We are just thankful they are all his baby teeth. We are hoping we can get this addressed and when his adult teeth come it, his dental problems will be behind him. Hopefully, this might increase his eating after the dental work is complete.

Tomorrow marks another day of preschool and the end to our unseasonably warm weather. It's back to the 60s. Oh well, it will still be warm enough for him to play with his new sand and water table he got today. He is so excited to get that thing out of the box tomorrow! I'll have to post pictures. My sister in law found colored sand so hopefully we can, too....how fun!

He did it! She did it!

This picture cracks me up! The other night Kory and I were cleaning up in the kitchen while Ashleigh and Jay-R finished their dinner. When I looked into the dining room, they were both laughing. They had made "cereal" from chips, milk, and water. When I asked who did it, this was the reply I received! Ashleigh has been waiting a long time for someone to blame for things...it's amazing how they feed ideas off each other and get themselves into so many things. They are bonding really well and it is a joy to see Ashleigh acting in the big sister role. She is an awesome, patient big sister who has a heart of gold and loves her brother so much!

Dedication Pictures and Random Thoughts

The dedication service was very nice. We didn't really explain it to Jay-R ahead of time because we weren't sure quite how to explain it but he went with the flow of things and did great. Our families came over after church and we enjoyed a nice lunch before a cold soccer game but Ashleigh's team won 3-1. Their record is 3 wins, no losses...they are pretty excited about this.

Random thoughts....As a mother of an only child for 11 years with now an instant preschool age child, I am finding myself feeling torn between dividing time between both children. Tonight, Ash needed math help and Jay-R needed to go to bed and will only let me put him to bed. I felt so stressed at the moment. Overall, things have settled down a lot and we are falling into a comfortable routine. Jay-R is feeling soo comfortable and at home in his surroundings. Preschool is going well and he had a great day today. He told me they did colors, music, letters, ate apples and milk, and he went down the slide. I have some special things planned for just Ashleigh and me...in June we are going to see Mary Poppins live in Chicago and then in July we are seeing a local production of High School Musical 2 so she has things to look forward to. It's the day to day that can be hard. A good friend who adopted a daughter from China told me to be mindful of my daughter's feelings because she experienced similar things with her oldest daughter when they adopted. Ash loves her brother sooo much, she just misses all her mommy and daddy time....she's had it to herself for 11 years so this is a huge adjustment for her, too.

A Quick Thought on Sleep...

It strikes me as funny (and frustrating) that children fight sleep and adults fight for sleep! I love when I can finally go to sleep and Mr. Jay-R fights sleep...one more drink of water, bathroom trip, one more kiss.... Our daughter was the same way. Now at 11, she finally goes to bed easily...with school and soccer, she is tired at the end of the day!

Last night, Jay-R fell asleep in the car. I had taken his pjs and toothbrush to our friend's house in hopes that he would fall asleep on the 30 minute drive home. He slept the whole night in his bed without waking....yeah! I was so happy to have a whole night of uninterrupted sleep and he woke up with a smile on his face and very rested!

I will post pictures of his dedication at church this morning soon.

Sleep, Sun, Soccer, and School

That pretty much sums up my life these past few days. Jay-R started preschool Thursday and loved it. He told me they did letters, colors, music, juice...he had a great time. They played outside on the playground. I love the fact that I can see the playground of the preschool from my backyard. Jay-R had fun watching the kids playing today. The only issue we had at school was he had an accident. I think it was the language difference and being in a new setting. I had told his teacher the Filipino words he uses but he apparently did not tell her. Hopefully, this doesn't happen again. He is looking forward to preschool on Tuesday.

Sleep continues to be an issue. He is okay with me being on my computer (as I am right now) in his room while he falls asleep but the issue is he keeps waking up in the middle of the night. Honestly, he was awake every hour last night. I eventually put him in bed with us but he still kept waking up kicking and screaming...we're not sure what that was all about. He may of had a bad dream, not sure. He is also coming down with a cold so that doesn't help. I got him some medicine today so hopefully that helps. We are thinking a bedtime snack might help, too, because he usually won't eat much dinner. We'll see. I am hoping he falls asleep soon because Ashleigh has an early morning soccer game and then we have a birthday party.

Sun...what more can I say. The past two days have been beautiful and we have been able to go outside...that is good medicine for everyone's soul! Spring is finally here! The two pictures are from Easter at my parents house. My family feels complete...I have both my kids now and I love them both so much! Children are such a blessing even with the ups and the downs. Enjoy your weekend. We have a busy one. Jay-R is being dedicated at church this Sunday...I'll post some pictures. He is wearing his barong, the national Filipino shirt for men for special occasions. I am using the song by Stephen Curtis Chapman-"When Love Takes You In." Then we are having a small family gathering...he is so excited we are having a party for him. He keeps saying "Jay-R's party!" He thinks it's for his birthday....I'm not quite sure how to explain the dedication to him. It's fun to see him so excited, though.

New Experiences

Jay-R experienced his first American Easter complete with Easter egg hunts, coloring eggs, and his Easter basket. He loved hunting for the Easter eggs. We spent time with both sides of the family and he enjoyed interacting with his family. He looked so handsome in his Easter get up and Ashleigh is looking so old! She is growing up so fast! We had family pictures taken on Good Friday and I am excited to see the proofs.

Today, we visited his preschool. He has been talking about school since he has been home. He did really well at the school today during the visit and will start Thursday. He will attend twice a week for two and a half hours each day. He is excited about school and making friends. I worked with him on colors, shapes, numbers and he does really well. He doesn't show much interest in writing his name so we need to work on that.

Overall, things are going well. He is adjusting and bonding well. He is a Mommy's boy but loves his Daddy, too. And he absolutley adores his Ate Ashleigh. They get along really well. He found Ashleigh's old doctor kit in the basement so he has had fun playing doctor with us as his patients. Bedtime is getting a little better, too. Last night, I sat on his bean bag chair on my laptop when he was in his bed. He knew I was in the room and that seemed to be all he needed to know was that I close by. Hopefully, that works tonight. Each day is different! Keeps life interesting...