Making Progress & Lots of appointments

Big step forward made this week, on Monday, I was able to get Corban to eat some vanilla yogurt off a spoon for the first time!!!  He accepted it more than once - I was so very thrilled.  Tuesday, we didn't have much luck. Yesterday and today he has eaten from a spoon. I have also given him little bits of freeze dried yogurt melts.  He wasn't a fan when I first did it but I have been able to increase the number of bits he'll tolerate during each seating which is great progress for his oral progress!!!  We are praising the Lord for answered prayers. 

Our calendar has just become fuller as well.  We have four appointments/evaluations coming with Corban over the next 3 weeks. Next week we have a consult over his "doesn't really matter" issue, on Monday.  On Tuesday, he goes for a physical therapy evaluation. Then on the 13th he has a hearting/ENT appointment.  Then finally, for now anyway, he has a feeding evaluation on the 20th.  They also want to get him set up for a speech evaluation but they don't have an opening till middle of January and that won't work for us because he and Tegan are having tissue expanders placed (and Angel is having the final bit of her nevus excised) around that time so we will have to push that off for now.

The boys are learning more and more each day.  Tegan seems to understand the majority of what we say and is attempting to repeat many words.  Corban has learned what "no" and "uh-uh" mean as he is constantly on the go and exploring everything he can get his hands on. He wears me out just watching him run from one place to the next. The kid does not sit/stand still. I do love his smile and giggle though, they light up my heart.

Both boys are now OK with co-habitating with the dog.  We are teaching Tegan to tell her "uh-uh" when he doesn't want her near him. Tegan is still terrified of the cats.  The cats, for the most part, hang out in our laundry room which is our entryway into the house and where we keep our shoe and coat rack.  What amuses me is that even though he cries when he goes near them, he will still go get his shoes when we ask him to.  I praise him each time he does it.  I'm sure eventually he'll figure out that they really don't have any interest in him.

Corban and Tegan still don't interact much with each other.  Tegan is sweet and will at times attempt to give Corban a toy.  I do my best to praise him when he shares, even if Corban doesn't take the item. What a precious boy he is. 

Tegan's "I didn't get my way" fits have lessened and become shorter, so very pleased about that. He is a big "ham" when it comes to taking his picture, he says "cheese".  Cracks me up.

I am still in awe that the boys are finally a part of our family. It seems so surreal at times yet it is very real. Our world has been turned upside down in so many ways. Not in bad ways, just in ways that require a new mind set and new routines which all seem to be falling into place, I think. It is taking some adjusting on my part as my day has to be better planned out now. 

I am pleased with each of our children and how they take time to play around with each of the boys. I wasn't sure how Michiael or Logan, our 12 and 10 year old boys, would interact with them but they really handle them well. Sometimes, they will even take the boys to the downstairs play area when they are down there.

With Angel, it didn't take long to feel that "it seems like she's always been a part of our family".  I can't say I've felt that yet.  I still struggle with "missing" the "freedom" I had and that I feel more "tied" to the house right now. I know these are all normal, post adoption or even after birthing a child, feeling.  I'm sure as time goes it will get a little easier. My heavenly Father will see me through, I lay my struggles at His feet.