How About An Update?

It's been awhile since I posted on our adoption blog about my struggles to attach and bond with Andrik, but when I go back and read that post, it seems so long ago and thankfully I haven't seen that side to Andrik, or myself for that matter, since October 25th; yes I literally know the date that Andrik flipped a switch and started to become the child we know today. 

He is such a happy child now, no more days spent crying from the time he wakes until he goes to bed.  Truly I think he was in mourning.  I think he was grieving the loss of his caregivers that he had spent so much time with since he was a baby.  He's still not a morning person like his brother who wakes up happy and chatty, but I'm not a morning person either so I get Andrik and his slow-to-wake morning persona.  At least now he's only crabby for a couple minutes after waking rather than all day long.

He's an okay eater, not great, but definitely not the worst I've seen either.  He's still pretty messy when he eats.  I refer to his breakfast as "wearable art" since he ends up with food all over his face, hair, ears, eyelids, forehead, etc and that's with me sitting next to him supervising.  He's only put on two pounds since August and grew just under two inches but at 26 pounds and 33 1/4 inches tall he's only in the 18th % for weight and the 9th % for height. 

All of his blood work came back great when his pediatrician ran all the tests last month.  He didn't show any signs of malnutrition but he had 11 vaccinations to catch up on.  I decided to have them spaced out rather than get them all at once and the doctor wants to see him one more time before we leave for UAE to see how his growth chart is progressing but otherwise, he is the picture of good health.  The only health issue we are dealing with is the bald spot on top of his head.  Since he's been home his hair has become very soft and shiny but he has absolutely no hair growth on his bald spot which is about an inch long.  My hair dresser and his doctor have both said it looks like alopecia and Andrik has an appointment with a dermatologist to get to the root of the problem.  (hardy har har)  January 31st is the soonest we can get in to see the dermatologist so it looks like he'll be working that comb-over hair style for a little while longer. 

A few other updates:

* Andrik is now a super napper!  The boy who used to nap for 10 minutes now regularly takes 2-3 hour naps and no longer has his full scale atomic meltdowns in the afternoons. 

* Bella LOVES Andrik and seeks him out throughout the day versus hiding from Artem.  Artem is really good with Bella so I don't know why Bella tries to avoid him but she constantly comes to Andrik and puts her head in his lap for him to pet her.  Andrik scratches her behind her ears and Bella makes this moaning-snorting sound of pleasure while Andrik scratches her.  It's hilarious.

* Andrik is really funny and likes making us laugh.  Right now his favorite thing to do is hide behind the shower curtain and yell "boo".  But what the boy hasn't figured out yet, is he's supposed to jump out and yell "boo" not just stand behind it yelling "boo".  His timing might be off but he keeps us in stitches all the time and I can't help but wonder if his caregivers in the orphanage ever got to see that side of him.

* Andrik's speech is coming along great!  He's literally adding a new word every day or two.  And he constantly puts two and three word sentences together.  Last night we were reading a story with a spider that you put your finger inside and wiggle around through the middle of the book.  At the very end, I tucked the spider inside the book and Andrik put his hands in the air and asked, "air it go?" (Where it go?)  He chatters up a storm and has so much to say, and half of the time I don't know what he's saying, but his articulation is getting better and better each week. 

* Andrik is super ticklish especially his feet and every night in the bathtub he squeals with laughter just from me washing his feet.  And just pretending like you are going to tickle him without even touching him puts him in screaming fits on the floor. 

But right now I think my favorite thing about Andrik is he's a cuddler, a big time cuddler and he will sit for time on end in my lap on the rocking chair letting me rub his back or scratch the back of his head.  He strokes my arm or leg while we are rocking and will turn and give me unsolicited kisses while we rock together.  He really is a very sweet and loving child.  And back in October I truly had no idea I would see this side of Andrik and grow to love him as much as I do now.