Thursday, June 14, 2012

Raiding the Pantry

Lydia and Henry are already teaming up. Henry loves to eat all the time. Lydia would love to eat all the time. Henry doesn't yet know how to get into the boxes of food. Lydia does. Need I say more?
Yesterday Jenn took Henry for his first doctor's visit and it went pretty well. He had to ride in his car seat (induced screaming/crying), to donate lots of blood (induced screaming/crying), and then he had to ride home in his car seat (induced screaming/crying), but this is how Henry will learn what it means to live in the Gates Family. We learned that after 6 months of age they pretty much stopped preventive medicine with him, but what was most valuable was Jenn's conversation with the doctor. Much of what we've been experiencing over the past couple of weeks is entirely normal, and that under the circumstances, Henry is making pretty good progress.

This was confirmed later in the day with our first visit with our social worker since the adoption. She, too, was very, very helpful in sharing information that she'd gathered from other adoptive families over the years. Last evening he began initiating some play and some tickling, which is welcome to see.
Lydia is now putting two words together: "more please," "my turn," "mommy's turn."

Lincoln missed the whole day because he was at Leesville Lake with Grandpa Doug. They left on Tuesday evening after 8:00pm, later than Lincoln's bedtime, and he didn't actually get to bed until after 10:00pm. Then he woke up with the sun on Wednesday morning and had a *full* day of fishing, splashing, working, shooting, blueberry pancake-eating fun. Guess who came home tired?
Friends have been bringing dinners over for the past two weeks and they've been fabulous. Not only have the dinners tasted wonderful, but the time that this frees up for Jenn is truly valuable. Thanks to the McGlones, Kiels, Ducharmes and Fetters!
Last evening also started the official Vacation 2013 Planning Season! That's right, we just keep bouncing from one thing to another, and 2013 will likely bring the Gates-Gates-Hopwood family back to the Outer Banks! We were last there in '09, and things have changed a bit in the meantime. Ella will be similar in age and life stage to where Lincoln was on that trip, and we'll have a pair of 2.5 year olds running around the sand, too.

1 comment:

jenny said...

Sounds like you are all getting into your new normal. Henry looks like a sweet little guy! And it sounds like he is doing well and adjusting beautifully! Our daughter wanted food available a lot in her first few weeks too, but this has greatly diminished naturally, as we have provided her access to food and she has in turn, learned to trust that food will not be withheld or used a means of punishing. Are you all working with an international doc or international adoption clinic? The one we have used is great and they had some wonderful insight on how to help kids learn to trust regarding the area of food. Karyn Purvis workshops (can be found online....or she has conferences) also have a ton of great insight regarding similar areas of adjustments. It amazes us to see how God has worked to redeem areas in our adoptive kids lives where there was healing that needed to take place from their rough starts in life. Best regards and blessings!
Jenny C.
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