Home two weeks...

Sam continues to delight, frustrate, scare and amaze us.

We've been home two weeks now and we are definitely getting into a groove. We usually spend the mornings working on home school activities and have Dr appointments or play time in the afternoons.

On Monday our washing machine was repaired. This single event greatly (GREATLY) improved my disposition.

Sam's bowel issues seem to, for the last few days at least, stabilized....apparently it just took a while to adjust to American sausages...

Unfortunately Sam has developed a fever that he can't seem to shake...That keeps me awake at night. (He sleeps much better than I do by the way.)

We go back to the pediatrician tomorrow and to the ortho Dr on WED. Dr visits are very scary for Sam. In his short life Sam has spent way too much time in hospitals. In addition to Spina Bifida, Sam had repeated pneumonia infections and repeated fractures to his legs...So you can imagine hospitals and DRs offices are not pleasant for the little guy.

I am, as Chip puts it, a Nervous Nelly and if left to my own devices would be in the UCC every day. Thankfully my MD neighbor and Nurse sister have instructed Chip to call them before we carry Sam to the UCC.

Sam is an interesting combination of mature and delayed..His cognitive and creative abilities continue to surprise us. In three weeks he has learned all of his colors and shapes and letters. He even knows 90 % of his letter sounds..amazing. He can count to thirteen and can add up to ten. He entertains himself for hours with elaborate and specific scenarios (Ex: The plastic snake bit our stuffed dog and an imaginary spider-both of which required an ambulance ride -in the back of a dump truck to the hospital and intense medical treatment. In the end the snake was repentant and forgiven...)

Yet his social skills are similar to that of a three year old. His favorite game is to pretend to hide and for others to pretend to look for him..and pretend to surprise him. For at least the last eight months that Sam was at the orphanage, he was the only child with verbal skills..so I guess he has spend much of his life in solitary, pretend play?

Behaviorally, we really keep pinching ourselves and wondering if this is still the "honeymoon period". He has an occasional fit (once every two or three days) . His fits last only two or three minutes and consist of a few tears and minimal resistance. Then he recovers and "rucks on". His dad tells him to ruck up", to "move out" and to "take the hill". I'm really not sure what all that means but Sam seems to understand..Must be a guy thing??

To be specific please continue to pray for Sam's fever and for our Drs appointments this week (Mon and WED).

Again thank you for your continued support and especially your prayers..
Love,
K