Why Yes, we are still here!!

I have sat down to write this post so many times over the last 6 months....that's right...6 MONTHS!  Every time I sit down to write it, I feel overwhelmed by how may things I want to write about and all of the things that have happened since I posted last.  So, I ultimately decide it is too much and just don't write anything!  I guess now you can see what really happens when you transition from 3 to 4 children.  OVERWHELMING!

Tonight,  I decided would be a good time to start blogging again.  I am not even going to attempt to catch you all up on everything that has transpired over the last six months.  I may try to post some of the pictures later, but for now I am just going to blog in there here and now and try not to fall so far behind again!

Let's start with Sam...He is precious, funny and sweet.  I can barely remember life without him as a part of our family.  Sam is a very different child than Lily is.  And, of course that is my only comparison with children who are adopted into one's family. The transition for Sam into family life has not been at all like it was with Lily. Let me clarify by saying that Sam and Lily have EXTREMELY different backgrounds...even though they were both the same age at adoption, and even though you would tend to believe that children at such a young age would tend to be similar...or at least I did.  I don't think I realized until Sam's adoption just how much effect a baby's background has on their development, personality, etc. 

So, over the last 6 months, we have introduced Sam to many things new to him, and in the process he has begun to let us know who he is.  And he is beautiful.  precious.  perfect.

Jackson, Riley and Lily love Sam in a way that I cannot even fathom.  (As of course do John and I).  They see no ethnicity difference, they see not a child with major delays, a 1 year old in a 2 year old's body, they just see their brother. 

Sam is working hard to catch up for the time he missed.  He is thinking of talking to us soon, babbles constantly, has grown leaps and bound physically and emotionally, and is just generally becoming a typical kid.  When you have a child with an unknown background, it tends to take quite a bit of evaluation, testing, and observation to rule out medical issues....and to determine what can be attributed to neglect and poor nutrition and what might be a true issue.  If you are adopting, please be prepared to hold tightly to your child as you hurdle the obstacles that may come your way.  Not everyone understands why your child is the way he is, or why he reacts the way he does.  Not everyone understands his background.

 The moment we met Sam 6 months ago...

With the orphanage director

 Sam is 2!!!

Sam and PawPaw

 Being Silly....

 Spinning his hair around!

 New Jacket

 My 4 silly bugs

 

 

I am SO happy to say that it appears that all of Sam's delays can be linked to just that.  A kid with delays.  This is such a huge blessing, and I cannot tell you how our prayers have been answered in this area.  Time is what Sam needs.  And love.  And, thankfully, we have plenty of those two things!

Blessings-

 

Meredith