Firsts

We are just amazed by how far Luke has come in two weeks. A friend recently described Luke's acclimation as miraculous and I don't think there's a better word! You would never guess Luke's history by looking at him today. He has his moments where he gets overwhelmed or scared or reverts inward but his good moments far outweigh these. Most of the time he acts just like a two-year-old should and it's easy to forget he has been an orphan since 3 months old, weighed 10 lbs at one-year-old and moved to a drastically different culture only two weeks ago. We know all of this is a direct result of your prayers and God's intervention on his behalf. I remember praying years ago for our Ethiopian child, not knowing who he was or if he was born yet, asking the Lord to please fill in the gaps for whatever is lacking in his life; please send an angel to take care of him if there are no humans to do so. Now that I know Luke and know some details of his difficult past, I am thoroughly convinced that God most definitely sent that angel to take care of him when we weren't able to be there for him. All the research you read says that the first year of life is the most critical in developing attachement and bonding capabilities. And this boy has learned to attach. There's no doubt when you see him with Dave especially! No doubt we will have our unique challenges with attachment and bonding but it's so encouraging to see how far Luke has come in such a short amount of time at home.

We've enjoyed many "firsts" together. First trip to Target (during which Luke jumped out of the shopping cart!), first wedding, first swimming pool, first hike up the Castle Rock, first fireworks (he's not a fan!), first trip to Costco, first sippy cup, first time playing the piano, first visit to the pediatrician. Dr. Healey was very impressed. He said in his opinion Luke looks great given that he has just come from an African orphanage. Skin is good. Teeth are good. We have an appointment for the eye doctor. Mobility is good. And even the doctor said it appears Luke was loved in his early years judging by how quickly he has connected with us. The only problem is his weight. Luke is 50th percentile in height for his age but off the charts (negatively) in weight. As you will see from the list below, we are trying desperately to fatten him up...

First Chick fil A french fry dipped in ketchup (he liked the ketchup way more than the fry!), first popsicle, first string cheese, first quesadilla, first chicken nugget, first yobaby yogurt, first bowl of ice cream, first fruit snacks. Each day he seems to get more courageous in trying new foods. He's learned to feed himself with fork and spoon and he's much neater than Ben! He loves to help himself to applesauce pouches and granola bars and fruit snacks from the pantry.

He's sleeping in a crib in Ben's room now. Occasionally they wake each other up but overall it's working ok. We leave his door open and we leave a night light on in our room so that he can see us from his crib in the middle of the night. This seems to give him comfort and allow him to fall back to sleep. He still sucks his forefinger and middle finger on the left hand for comfort. So cute!

His hair is growing in. He loves his baths! He likes to make his brother laugh with his crazy antics... jumping off the side of the tub into the water, playing hide and seek in a box, trying to catch bees etc.

He's too clever for his own good. When he can't reach something he finds an object to help his cause. For example, he uses the broom handle to knock of our keys from the hooks on the wall.

He does best with mama when dad isn't around. He's also warmed up to Papa and other family members who are around a lot.

Ben has struggled the last couple days with his attitude. He's had to be disciplined a lot for pushing Luke and stealing toys. Everyday is an experiment. Lots of prayers asking God for wisdom! The moments where the brothers are happily playing together bring us a lot of joy!