Six Months

It has been six months that the boys have officially been Braxtons.  In some ways it feels like they have always been here and in other ways it doesn't seem long at all.  We have mostly good days now with a few hard days thrown in there.

On May 13 the boys whole world changed.  People say they are so lucky to be here.  That isn't true at all.  Our boys have experienced more loss in 3 years than we will probably experience in our whole lives.  My heart aches for all that they have lost.  To have accomplished all they have in the last 6 months is beyond amazing.  They are my little "rock stars."

That being said the boys still don't like change or new situations.  In most cases Jacob is more uptight than Caleb.  We have come to accept it is going to take the boys a long time to fully trust us. We don't know what they went through those first 3 years.  We, also, don't know if their anxiety is caused from the partial absence/complete absence of the corpus callosum.  It has improved greatly but they still can get very agitated rather quickly.  If you want to witness it yourself just put a blanket on them.

Today the boys had their first eye appointment.  Surprisingly they both did great.  A sign that the trust is building.  Fortunately both of their eyes look great at this point.  We had to get this appointment done in order to proceed with our county's early intervention services.

No matter how hard some days can be with two 3 years and a 4 year old there is no doubt in our minds that these boys were meant to be in our family.   We are so thankful that God chose us to be their parents.  Even when the road is difficult we know we are not alone.  God is with us every step of the way.

Welcome to My New Blog and Jacob's Surgery

Hi! Welcome to my new blog.  Zachary is still working on the design but I wanted to start posting here.   I really wanted to make it more of a family blog but also have each child's blog here too. 

Today Jacob had dental surgery under general anesthesia.  Half of his teeth needed work. When all was said and done he had three crowns and 7 fillings.  He did great!  Once home he was a little whiny and clingy but didn't seem to be in any pain.  

Lots of appointments coming up for both boys.  I am really going to try and post more now that this will be a family blog.

Wednesday, September 25

I am so behind on posts.  The boys saw the same neurologist Nicholas sees for seizures.  Love him!

He looked at the MRIs before meeting the boys.  He was amazed when he met them and saw them in action. From their MRIs he didn't expect them to be walking, talking, etc.  He thought they were doing great especially since only being home 4 months at the time.  He said the must had been worked with at the orphanage and had some type of therapy.  Thank you Show Hope!  We left with referrals to OT, PT, ST, and a developmental  pediatrician. 

Looks like our mornings will be busy once I make all these appointments.  Been putting it off a little because of so many other appointments.

Below is a photo of my three 3 year olds on the last day of me having three 3 year olds.  

                                          

My Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to my baby girl!  She turned 4 years old today.  What a big girl she has become.  The last 5 months have been so difficult for her with the addition of her 2 brothers that are 4 months younger. So in love with this little girl!

Tuesday, September 24

Last Tuesday Alyssa and the boys were screened by Project Enlightment. This organization is linked with our county school system and determines whether a child needs more testing.

Alyssa tested right on target for her age. We thought she would but our pediatrician wanted us to test her.

The boys both tested about the same and will be referred for more testing. They should qualify in every area. One of the testers had the same thoughts as us...the boys are developmentally young 2 year olds. They have made so much progress but need more help to reach their full potential.

Posting from my phone. Here are a few cute photos I took a couple of weeks ago.

ENT

All at ENT well today. It appears both boys' hearing is fine. Don't know how they came to that conclusion the boys weren't very cooperative.

Four Months

Four months ago we were still in China biding our time until we could come home. It was our last day in Zhengzhou.

After 4 months I finally feel like life is getting back to normal. The house is still a mess and I am still struggling with planning meals but I can see the light. We still have some rough days but they are far less often.

The boys will now go to sleep by themselves at night. This makes life so much easier. Still love listening to their Chinese CD or a kids' praise CD while falling asleep. They go to bed at 8:00 and wake up between 6:30 and 7:00.

We have many appointments in the next few weeks for the boys. First up is a trip to the ENT. It is common with their special need to have hearing issues. We don't think they do but don't want to miss anything. We do know their tonsils are huge. Next week they will be evaluated by the county school system. They will determine if they qualify for any services. Also next week is a visit to a neurologist. Excited about this because it is the doctor Nicholas sees for seizures. He has no idea we were adopting. We love him and know he will be a great source of information. In a couple weeks they have a dentist appointment. Dreading this one. Fairly certain they need major dental work. Still need to make eye appointments.

A few tidbits about the boys:

Caleb:
1) Can count to 4.
2) Tries to sing the ABCs.
3) Weighs 36.4 lbs.
4) Smiles a lot.

Jacob:
1) Can count to 10.
2) Sings his ABCs.
3) Weighs 34.4 lbs.
4) Starting to say lots of phrases... What you doing? , What's that? , Alyssa's school, and more.

 This photo was sent to us from Show Hope.  It was taken right before the boys left the orphanage to    come meet us on May 13, 2013.

                  These two photos were taken this week.  Look at those high waters.