Our Christmas 2011

I was singing several days in a row this year over the weekend and even on Christmas morning. Thankfully Scott had the next day off so we did "Christmas morning" traditions together on Monday morning, day after Christmas. So on Christmas night (our "Christmas Eve") my amazing husband got in the garage, sanded down and painted the old mantle he had taken down the year before (to put tile on our fireplace instead of brick sticking up and being a hazard to our babies) and he put it up! While he was doing that I was setting other stuff up and cleaning and watching our late-nighter baby Evie. I set down a soft blanket and had brought out some extra Christmas decor not already out including a stuffed reindeer that Scott's little sister made us YEARS ago. Evie LOVED it! It was like giving catnip to a cat! She rolled around with it and practically "purred" over it!


Stockings all hung up on the newly painted, made-over mantle.

The whole fireplace set up (below). - Finally finished!!!

The next morning our two oldest woke up excited. Evie... didn't want to wake up yet. We brought her out but she still didn't want to wake up so we let her take a short nap on the blanket while the other kids started in on stockings.



There was an apple and snack bar in each stocking. This was Zephaniah's favorite part (and almost Nathanael's favorite - okay and the girls liked it too!).
Did I mention that my grandmother hand-knitt each stocking as each member of the family has joined? Yep. She just gave us Zeph's a little after he came home.
Evie and Arielle both got ride-on/bike toys from Craigslist (used). Evie's was in perfect condition and Arielle's was spray-painted by her daddy... the night before (yes, last minute!). It looked almost new after the new paint (special paint just for plastics).

Eventually Evie woke up and realized all the fun was going on and she was very happy to have "pre-breakfast" immediately.
What Evie did with this present at first.....

My Auntie got Zeph this little "punny" pj set.
That evening my parents came over. Here's my daddy:
Arielle in her new pjs and headband.

Standing up

Today we tried Zeph's prosthesis on him at home. He hated it. I set him first up by the couch and he was okay for a moment (and I snapped this picture of him) then he had a bit of a melt down over it. It will be a matter of him getting used to it and then beginning to realize what he can do with it. We're so excited about him getting started!

A new foot for Zeph

Today we took Zeph to get his foot fitted and they sent it home with us! It was a longer appointment and the kids did their best to entertain themselves. Poor little Zeph was so tired from missing his nap. He was not cooperative so when I'd stand him up to see if his foot was level with the prosthesis he would try to throw himself back and cry. Thankfully they were still able to determine (with his stomping) that it was a good fit and they sent it home with us to try out on him! Yay! I was able to get a couple pictures of him (not throwing a fit) but he was mostly just "all done" by the time they were able to fit it on him. He wanted it off, wanted his "baba" and wanted to go home and eat. So we did :) The other kids did great - all four kids in one room. And the staff there at the orthopedics center - they are awesome. We are so blessed!

Re-do!!

Since most of our decorations were ruined/broken I caved and got some cheap plastic ones and let the little ones hang them. So what does Arielle do? As soon as I got the ribbons on them she takes off putting them all on, and off again, and on again....
I've been thinking of all the ways I can expose Zeph to different textures in his hands, specifically and so I've been making yummy meals I know he likes and letting him use his hands to eat for at least one meal a day. The mashed potatoes were a total hit!!

The "babies"...

Zeph going at his big carrot. Only a few bites but hey, at least it's something! There is something neat about eating a carrot with the top still on it! All the kids were walking around chomping on their carrots! At first Zeph didn't want anything to do with his carrot until he saw the other kids munching happily on them. So he tried it and even ate about 1/3 of it!
Zeph "praising" his carrot

That morning I let him use his hands as well to eat his scrambled eggs with sour creme (I think sour creme was big in his homeland), hashed potatoes and avocado mixed in. It's one of his favorite breakfasts and so nothing, not even him having to put his hands in "icky" stuff - would keep him from his beloved breakfast!


The "drama" over here. The Zeph bug bites...again. He's pretty sneaky, this little guy. He knows better, not to bite. I've watched from where he can't see me - he will stop and look around to see if my eyes are on him often times before he decides to bite another child - then he goes in for it and I usually catch him before he sinks his teeth in. Yesterday morning, however, I was too late. he bit E's ear and it was bleeding all over. Doesn't look too bad in this picture, all cleaned up but it got red and swollen and I kept an eye on it for awhile. It seems to be healing well now. Then I found another bite on her shoulder this morning (um, how did I miss that last night when putting her to bed????). I just thought I'd post this because it is something to consider when you are adopting if you have other little ones at home. I'm not fully bonded to Zeph yet so in my carnal naturality I feel like "some kid" (my own son now) just bit my sweet baby girl and I have to put my feelings aside ("what a stinker! Where's his mother so I can have words with her?") and use my brain to sort out how I will deal with the situation. I have to remember where Zeph is coming from, what life is like for him then and now. I have to comfort my hurt little one and clean her up. I have to set boundaries and teach Zeph that it is not okay to bite, in a gentle way that will have the least affect on our bonding - ya - tough, huh? Well, Zeph went to naptime a little early. I grabbed his baba, told him "no bite" in a firm deep voice and gently tapped (no, not hit, tapped to show him where the problem was) his lips and then told him "night-night", gave him his baba and put him to bed. He was very tired when it happened. But even after nap time I had to deal with him trying to bite a few more times. He would look to see if I was watching and then when he realized I was he'd stop his "about to bite" behavior and pat the future victim on the head and say "nie" (nice) and then smile the cutest smile and I would praise him, "Yes! Nice, Zeph, nice!" and he'd be so proud of himself for checking in with mama and being "nice". Now if only we could keep him doing that every time and if only I had eyes in the back of my head!!!

Sand, Oats and Trees, Oh My!

The above shot is from my phone camera the other day at the park. We tried the park swing. No-go for Zeph. I didn't even rock it at all. He was just terrified of not being in my arms, being off the ground and he knew it moved (Evie was happily swinging next to him). To instead I held him and slowly rocked. Nope - he wasn't having that either. He hates motion. So we switched to a nice little sand area at the park. It even had a short wall around that the babies *could* get out of but it would slow them down enough that I didn't feel afraid to let all the kids loose. I set Zeph just inside and he wanted to climb out. So I set him in the middle, hoping he'd join in with the other children there (friend's kids and ours). He put his hands on his lap. He wanted nothing to do with the sand. He didn't move from that spot. A little boy let him play with a car, which he put in his mouth. Once the little boy left (taking the car along) Zeph pulled his shirt up over his head (stretched it out to 'play' with it) and chewed on it too. Did not interact with anyone. Did not move or touch the sand. We figured it was the sensation of not only the sand gritty on his hands but also the MOTION - the sinking feeling if he was to try to move on the sand. He would not even budge when we called him to come out so we could go (he knows what we mean when we say we are going "bye-bye" but he did not care at all - he was not moving). I put some sand on his hands and he flipped out. Poor baby.

Then last night Evie tipped our little tree over twice. Meh. Most of our ornaments broke, even some keepsakes. I figured we were "safe" since the bottom of our tree is mostly bare, babies can't reach the breakable stuff. Nope. Apparently we just have to anchor the tree somehow and/or just make some ornaments that are not breakable. I took off the few remaining fragile things and put our little tree back up.
In light of Zeph's growing resistance to certain textures and senses I thought some sensory play might be good. So tonight I placed some oatmeal, steel cut oatmeal, corn meal and salt in 4 bowls and let the kids play in it on the (easy to sweep) kitchen floor. It was a HIT!

Nathanael came to see what all the fuss was about and ended up playing for awhile - he loved it but wants his own bowls so the babies won't take "his" and mix it all up. What a big boy he is now!
Evie and Arielle went to town with it pouring, mixing, smearing all over the place and laughing and smiling all along!
Zeph was thirsty at an opportune time. I let him have his bottle and it relaxed him enough so he wasn't so tense about feeling the grains and "sands" (salt, oatmeals and gritty cornmeal). First he just allowed me to put some in his hand to put back in the bowl. Then he began to get some out of one bowl and put it in another! This was so great to see!
Zeph dabbled in it just enough to be "okay" with it (as in he no longer HATES it). He even smiled and laughed a few times!

I'm actually supposed to be doing this activity with Zeph (his teacher's idea) but he was way too tired to do it tonight (he would just put stuff "ON", "on" being the concept, plus picking up stuff/fine motor skills and feeling the different textures is wonderful for him). His teacher helped him make one on Thursday and the other children have been begging to make one too so I helped them do it once the littles went to bed.

Our Christmas card!

Photo Card

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Recent "fun" activities - he, he!

I thought I'd just share some photos of some recent "fun" activities our children have enjoyed the past week or so. Above you see Zeph using a crayon to make dots. I tried to help him scribble but I am going to switch him to washable markers soon because he can't press hard enough on the crayon yet (does not know how) - and using the marker will encourage him to learn so eventually he can use a crayon.
Nathanael and Arielle painted while Zeph colored. I think Evie was sleeping.
A few days before that was our shaving creme activity, which I was told by many moms that this is so good for sensory play therapy for all kids, but so important for children like Zeph who haven't had much sensory experience. Arielle had fun for awhile then wanted her hands clean.
Zeph... not so much. He wanted so badly to EAT the shaving creme but it tastes terrible - REALLY terrible and he HATED that it was not yummy creme. I did not use whipped creme or pudding on purpose. See - he would not play in yummy creme - he would only want to eat it, though I guess, now I'm thinking even if he's eating it he's still getting his hands all in it, huh? Maybe we will try that sometime! I've also since been given the WONDERFUL advice to let the kids play with this in the TUB!!! And since that's where they all ended up anyways - why not?
Evie, whom I had not strapped in, kept trying to stand up and have me get her down - she wanted the stuff off her once she was done playing in it.

Poor little Zeph.
I got to go out with all 4 the other day - the two littles fit in the shopping cart harnesses and Arielle ended up in the front cart (regular) seat. I used to get the "boy, your hands are full!" comments to which I gladly reply, "Yes, they are!" (better full than empty, I feel) Now I'm also getting, "Wow. Are they ALL 'yours'?", to which I reply, "Yes, they are all mine! :)" - I know what people usually "mean" (are they are your birth children, are you babysitting one or two?) but it's just easier not to explain anything to complete strangers unless they are in an actual conversation with me and God puts it on my heart to share our story with them. Zeph is "ours". We went there, we went to court, we signed a gazillion papers, paid fees, got passports and our names on his birth certificate. He's our kid! So yes, they are all mine! Did they all come from my body? No. Am I responsible for all of them as their mother to love, nurture and care for? Yep! They're mine :) Smiles, laughs, tantrums, diapers, tears, hugs... all mine :)
Below is a "game" Zeph kept playing a couple weeks ago. No - he's not playing "astronaut" or "lego guy". He just thought this toy container with bottom removed was really fun to put on his head.... til he was "done" and couldn't get it off. At first it was cute and we'd help him get it off but after awhile it got annoying because he'd keep getting stuck and we'd keep getting it off him and he just isn't at a point yet where he can figure it out (it wasn't hard - just lift, a little harder and back a little - but he's never had to do anything like that before so we don't expect him to know this yet). So the container went bye-bye. Bye, Lego Zeph!