We bought the kids a big pool this summer. Well big for us...it is an above ground pool that is 4 foot deep....my kids think it is huge ;-) It has kept them so busy, and has been so nice to have something fun to do outside in the 100 degree temps that we have been having this summer. Everyone loves it...even Cora.
Speaking of Cora....she is doing amazing. She's sleeping well, she's been walking for about 3 weeks and getting better every day (I'm sure she'll be running to keep up with her siblings soon), she's adjusting to our family amazingly. Her siblings have also adjusted amazingly to having a little sister. I thought for sure that Owen would go through some jealousy, but he has done so well. They all continue to love her to pieces, and I swear they think she hung the moon. I know they wouldn't use these words, but I think they feel as blessed as TJ and I do that she is part of our family. We are so lucky to have her! Adoption rocks!
Cora has really adjusted easily to being part of our family. Our only real struggle with her...is with eating. While we were in China, she refused to eat anything but a bottle for us. The orphanage indicated that she was eating soft foods so while in China, I honestly thought it would all be better once we got home. We gave her a few weeks at home to adjust before we pushed the issue with food. When I decided to push the issue with her....it did NOT go well. It was like we were torturing her by simply putting a bite of baby food in her mouth. She was literally covered in sweat because she was screaming so much. Even giving her a sippy cup instead of her bottle would send her into hysterics....I decided that maybe we were in over our head and we could use a little help.
We were lucky to be in China with a couple that lives about 10 miles from us....and lucky again that 1/2 of that lovely couple happened to be a speech pathologist. She has given us many helpful hints for helping Cora and her eating, and she also helped us find a wonderful speech pathologist that specializes in eating issues in children. We are learning it is not necessarily a control issue for Cora like we thought, but a sensory issue. For example, she hates having food on her hands, and is very hesitant and fearful of new textures. (You should see her barefoot in the grass....not pretty) I noticed right away in China that she wouldn't put toys in her mouth when she was playing. This is one thing we have really encourage her to do here at home while she's playing. As she is exploring her world more by putting toys and other things in her mouth...her willingness to eat is also improving.
About a month and a half ago Cora was finally starting to let us put very small tastes of food in her mouth, but then she would refuse to swallow anything. She has made amazing progress in the last few weeks....she is now eating stage 2 baby food off a spoon and she is actually swallowing it! We have to make a few modifications for her like reclining her highchair....but SHE IS EATING! We have a long way to go before she is eating like a normal 20 month old, but we are making progress....praise the lord! Please pray that we continue to make steady progress in the eating department.
Cora had tubes put in both ears last month. She can very obviously hear much better now. She interacts with everyone so much better now that she is hearing us better. She is babbling much more now also. She has another appointment with the cleft team in IA city in mid August. We will be scheduling her palate surgery after that. We are thinking sooner than later for the surgery since she will only eat pureed foods at this point anyway. We are working to get rid of the bottles since she can't have them after surgery. I am hoping to have her down to maybe just one a day by the time we do surgery. (She gets 3 bottles a day right now.) I'm a little nervous that we are going to majorly regress with everything after the surgery.
I am sure that I have left out tons of our goings ons in the last couple months, but I know all of you would rather look at pictures that read my ramblings.....so here you go
This is one of Cora's favorite spots to play.
(Please ignore the dirty bib that she is wearing)
This is Grace on the fourth of July...not looking so happy in the heat....but I love how you can see her cute freckles in this photo.
She is so stinkin cute!
This guy had a birthday and is now my big 7 year old (Please be kind and ignore the filthy smeared patio door behind him...I find it impossible to keep it clean for longer than 5 minutes) ;-)
Owen and Cora are only 20 months apart in age.....I find their size difference hysterical.
He's near the top of his growth chart (yes folks, he is only 3), and she is barely on the growth chart.
Happy Friday everyone!
-katie
