Passport Time

We decided it was time to get Nikolas a US Passport. He's changed so much since July. The picture on the left (Bulgarian passport photo) was taken after a rough 7 hour car ride through the Balkan Mountains. The picture on the right (US passport photo) was taken last week. He truly is a different little boy.

Eight Month Update

Nikolas has been with us for almost eight months. He continues to grow and become more comfortable with his surroundings every day. He is learning to feed himself with a fork and spoon, starting to use the potty like a big boy, and becoming quite the problem solver.

.

We had him evaluated through the First Steps program, but unfortunately because of his age, he won't be able to take advantage of their services. The therapists who evaluated him said that while he does have global developmental delays, it is obvious that he is very smart. They were surprised that he has only been home for such a short period of time. They will help us transition him to the school system's program where he will have another evaluation to see what services he qualifies for. We're hoping that he qualifies for their special needs preschool and can start that program in the fall.

.

We met with his developmental pediatrician at the International Adoption Clinic at Riley this week and she was very pleased with his progress. His height and weight look great on the charts and he is developing nicely. His receptive language is great, but he still isn't speaking much. She gave us an "official" speech delay diagnosis so we can get started with some private speech therapy. We have a couple of options, so we're going to see which one works best with our insurance. Both the First Steps therapists and the developmental pediatrician think he'll really take off once he starts speaking.

.

I also started putting him in the Kids Club at the gym this week while I go to my aqua fit class. He'll be in there three times a week for 1.5 hours. I'm hoping that being around other kids his age will help with his speech. It's also good for him to be able to run and play with other kids. He did great when I left him earlier this week, but he cried a little this morning. I guess that's a good sign of attachment. One of the employees said he was fine as soon as I left the room. He was running around playing with another little guy when I went to pick him up and didn't even notice that I was waiting for him.

.

Last weekend he had his first night away from home since he's been in the US. Jason went to Iowa for the weekend, so Nikolas and I went to Dana to spend a couple of days with my family. We went out for lunch at the restaurant in town, went shopping, had dinner and played at my brother and sister-in-law's house, went to church and visited with my grandparents. He did well and only fussed a little at bedtime and naptime. It took him a couple of days to get back on track when we got home, but we expected that to happen. He does okay in the car for about 1.5-2 hours, but after that point he starts getting a little grumpy. Short trips are fine, but I don't think we'll be taking a long trip anytime soon.

.

We've been enjoying the beautiful weather by playing outside almost every evening. He loves playing on his swing set, throwing his ball and going for walks to the pond. He's doing great and continues to learn new things every week. I can't wait to see what happens once he starts working with the speech therapist.

.

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.