Has it really been 8 months? Where does the time go? Life seems to continue to move at a warp speed. Max continues to fit like a glove in our family. He has found his place rather quickly and every one is pretty smitten with each other. I wondered if the "honeymoon" of the new brother would wear off but instead the bonds seem to grow deeper. There are days that there are squeals and fights especially between the two boys but more often than not the 3 older ones are fighting over who gets to play with their brother. We often pull out the timer so everyone gets a chance to be front and center with their brother.
Max finished the summer with a bang and went down the big water slide with his daddy! He wasn't sure what to think about this new adventure but when all was said and done there were lots of smiles.
He also loved the days daddy came along because that usually meant there were treats.
Max is a true boy at heart and loves his cars. It just seems to be something that is part of a little boys nature. He loves to line them up, zoom them down the ramp, make car noises and say "beep, beep, beep" when his cars go backwards.
Max came home functioning more like a 10 - 12 month old. He couldn't walk or feed himself. He was in the 5th percentile for weight and 10th for height. He was a little peanut with very little muscle tone. We just had his 2 year check up and his Dr said he has definitely made some ground since coming home. When he was home if he would have been evaluated he would have qualified for a variety of therapies. This little boy has some fight, drive, determination and a whole lot of life. He is now caught up and falls in normal range in all developmental areas. We are so thankful for the growth that we have seen. He loves his food and that shows as he jumped to the 60th percentile in weight and 50th in height.
He continues to love play dates with his friend Samantha. We are so blessed with amazing friends who have walked the adoption road with us. We swap date nights once a month which we all love. All the kids get to play and the moms and dads benefit from a free date night once a month.
This month brought some tears from this little boy and his mom. His three older siblings went off to school and this little boy was pretty lost for a couple days. He is happy to have is brother home two days yet until Christmas. The first couple days he would cry his eyes out when the kids got out of the van for school. He wasn't used to being left behind. He would also walk around calling their names. We settled in to a routine and I think he is liking this mommy one on one time now.
Shane and Max soak up their Tuesday and Thursday's home together. They often can be found building train tracks and playing trains.
Max experienced dancing at his first Christian concert at Life Light. The loves music and his head starting bopping the minute it started.
He has become quite the little copy cat. He is watching and taking everything in. He is often found copying his siblings. I love this picture of him and Emma lounging!
Max met his Grammy Sue for the first time in June. She is a missionary in Africa for 8 months of year and then resides in Sioux Falls the other four. We feel so blessed that she can be part of our lives for those months and is literally right down the street. There seem to be a mutual love between these two and Grammy Sue has been able to witness first hand Max grow and blossom these past few months.
At the beginning of September we had our first big transition since coming home with Max. We moved. It didn't seem to phase Max. It was good to see his sleep patterns and behavior stay consistent through this transition. It helped us to see the security he feels in our family. He is loving all the new room to run and play in the new house but what is even better is the new world that opened up to him in the front circle.
At our old house the kids spent most of the time in the backyard because we lived on a busy road with a very steep driveway. The kids rarely were out front riding bikes unless we were riding around the block or down the street. Max loves the new found freedom that that cul-de-sac offers. Him and his siblings spend hours in the driveway and on the sidewalks. His little feet seem to just go as fast as they can as he scoots around the cul-de-sac. His brother continues to rig up this little ride for him. They are quite the pair.
This little boy has no fear and seems to have the opinion, the rougher the better. He chooses to go off the curb with a big bang than use the driveways. He seems to love the thrill of new things and living a bit on the edge lately. We could be in store for a wild ride.
He is soaking up life .... and we are soaking up him!
