Then and Now

Nikolas has been home with us for six months now. He is weighing in at 26.5 pounds (up 6.5 pounds) and is 36 inches tall (up 5 inches). The photo on the left was taken before bed on July 25th at the Radisson in Sofia, Bulgaria. Nikolas had been with us for only a few hours. The picture on the right was taken last week in our living room before bed one evening.

He's come so far in the past six months and we're so proud of all that he's accomplished. Six months ago he couldn't focus on one activity for more than a couple of minutes (unless it involved food). He didn't know how to play with his toys and had no interest in television. All he wanted to do was eat. Now he has a much better attention span, loves playing with his toys and gets excited while watching his favorite television shows. He's a happy little boy who laughs often. He enjoys cuddling with us and with his cat. He gives lots of hugs and kisses every day. He continues to sleep well and enjoys a wide variety of foods. He has bonded to us very well and we're so thankful for that. He still struggles with his speech, but he will be evaluated for speech therapy as soon as our doctor finishes the paperwork. We love having Nikolas as part of our family and are so excited to see him become the little boy he was always meant to be.

One year ago today...

I checked my e-mail after work and saw this adorable little face along with his referral information. The MOJ had given us a referral for a sweet little boy.

One year later I'm lucky enough to be able to snuggle with my happy little guy every single day. He's such a blessing and we love him so much!!

Five Months Home

We had a wonderful holiday season this year. I'm pretty sure Nikolas enjoyed his first Christmas as part of our family. We had Christmas celebrations three weekends in a row, and by the last one, he had it all figured out. As of Friday (12/30), Nikolas has been home with his family for five months. What a blessing!!
Nikolas got his new braces in mid-December and he's doing so well with them. He's moving faster and better then he ever did before. We have a follow-up appointment at Riley tomorrow morning.

I was watching videos this morning that we took on our first trip last February and it was amazing how much he has changed. It's almost hard to believe that he's the same child. He struggled with his walking, didn't talk at all and showed little interest in toys. He would let us hold him, but it was only for a very short time.

Although he's still not saying many words, his constant babbling is starting to sound more like real syllables. With the help of our pediatrician, we are going to have him evaluated soon to see if he qualifies for speech therapy. His understanding of English impresses us daily. He follows commands very well. He knows most of his body parts and quite a few of his animals

He continues to be a good eater. This morning he weighed in at 26 pounds, which is up 1.5 pounds from his last visit to the doctor. He lost quite a bit of muscle while he was in his casts, and he's starting to build it back up again. He sleeps a lot, and we've never had to get up in the middle of the night with him. He sleeps 12-13 hours at night and naps for at least two hours every afternoon.

He's getting much better at playing on his own and is expressing more interest in a variety of toys. He looks at books more and will even let us read a few pages to him before he loses interest. He still likes cars, blocks and toys that make noise. He also enjoys playing with his little zoo and farm. He doesn't throw his toys as much as he did in the past.

Attachment is continuing to go very well. He is an affectionate little guy and loves to give us hugs and kisses. He makes wonderful eye contact and likes to snuggle. He takes time to warm up to new people and acts appropriately around them.

Overall things are going very well and we are excited to watch him continue to grow and learn. He is an amazing little boy and we're so lucky to be his parents.

Merry Christmas!!

Nikolas had his first encounter with Santa last night at the zoo. I loved the look on his face when Santa told him to be a good boy. My little guy understands exactly what that means. :)

Four Months Home

We've been home for a little over four months and Nikolas continues to thrive in his new environment. He acts a little more like a two-year-old every week. It's been almost two weeks since he had his casts removed. He can stand on his own and walk with assistance, but his muscles aren't quite strong enough for him to walk alone. He's very determined, so it's only a matter of time. He has such a fun personality and it's great to see him becoming the little boy he is supposed to be.

At his checkup with the pediatrician today we learned that he's grown another two inches, bringing him to 35 inches. That's a total of four inches in four months. Very impressive!! He's still weighing in at 24 pounds, but we know he had some muscle loss in his legs over the six weeks he was in casts. He's still eating and drinking very well. He likes most foods and definitely has his favorites.

He's starting to express more of an interest in television. He still has his two favorite shows (Jack's Big Music Show and Yo Gabba Gabba!). We usually watch an episode of one show before bed. He'll stop what he's doing when one of them comes on and turns his attention to the show. He really likes the TV screen with the swirls that comes on a couple of times during Jack's, and he squeals every time he sees it. It's wonderful to see him get excited about things.

He plays so much more than he did before. He likes cars, musical toys and blocks the most. He plays on his own now, but he always checks back to make sure I'm still in the room. His motor skills have improved so much since he's been home. It's so amazing to watch him learn.

His understanding of English is impressive. We're pretty sure he understands most of what we say to him. He follows basic commands with ease. He hasn't been speaking much since we started the casting for his feet, but the doctor says it's normal for kids to regress a little while going through something like that. We're working with our pediatrician to get him started in First Steps after the first of the year to work on some speech therapy.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my parents' house last month and we're looking forward to celebrating Nikolas' first "real" Christmas. He enjoyed putting up the tree and we're sure he'll have fun visiting with the family and opening gifts.