Settling In

This week has been so great in so many ways. We are getting to know Milo more and more each day, and he is beginning to trust us more and more each day. He has started to really cry when he is tired, hungry, or has a messy diaper. He engages a little more with each interaction. He is SO much more aware of what's going on around him than he was when we first got him. He really enjoys playing with toys now! He is snuggly as can be and has started to babble a ton! My very favorite thing he does is pat me on the arm while I'm rocking him and patting his back. Sweetest! He's doing a little better at night, too. He still cries out (in grief, I believe) every few nights, but the episodes are getting further apart. He still wakes up at around 5:00 to eat, then goes back to bed. He's such an angel!

This week has been the week of appointments. Milo's first appointment was a haircut! He looks so dang cute! Sometimes this boy rocks the photo shoot. His facial expressions kill me! I don't know how we got so lucky to get the cutest boy in the entire world as our son, but we sure did! 

The next appointment was with the cardiologist. Milo was supposed to have a sedated echo cardiogram, but they felt his breathing was too labored and raspy to safely do one. They did an EKG and chest ex rays as well as reviewed his file from China. The cardiologist was pleasantly surprised at his heart surgery! He said it was "cutting edge" and that everything looked great! WAHOO!! The cardiologist wants to do an echo cardiogram on Milo when he's fully under on anesthesia so his breathing can be more controlled.

Milo and I snuggling at the cardiologist appointment

The next stop was to the ENT. Within minutes of observing Milo, the ENT said he had a sinus infection as well as fluid in his ears. He prescribed amoxicillin and said that Milo needs to have his adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. Not shocking news, but of course a bit scary! The ENT and cardiologist are going to team up and do both procedures while Milo's out. 

Later in the day (the same day as the ENT), we had Milo's first pediatrician's visit. Mr. Milo is almost 14 pounds and is 27 inches long. He's growing!! Everything went well, though it's a bit overwhelming how much we need to do to play catch up on the life Milo missed! He needed a lot of immunizations. He also needs to have blood work done to test for parasites (standard procedure with kids adopted internationally), see several specialists, and arrange for Early Intervention. There's a lot to be done, but the relief we feel to have Milo safe at home with the ability to get him the care he needs is indescribable. We're so, so grateful!

We decided we didn't have enough going on Thursday, so we gave Milo his first baby food (pears) between the ENT and pediatrician appointments ;) He really enjoyed it, but didn't quite get the concept of swallowing the food. He would eagerly open his mouth, then spit it all out again. Cute boy! When Milo gets excited, he starts blowing raspberries. He was really enjoying the pears and started blowing raspberries; pears were flying all over me and the kitchen! It was so funny!

Today was the fourth day with pears, and he's doing a little better! He started swallowing a lot more this afternoon. Yay!

The antibiotics have really helped Milo!! His eyes are no longer runny and he's WAY less congested! He seems to feel much better and has been so happy and fun! He's also been eating a lot more and just seems so much more content!

We bought Milo an exersaucer yesterday and he is so darling in it! He loves it! I know if he'd have been put in this two weeks ago, he would have had no idea what to do. Now he plays with all the toys like a champ! His core is getting so much stronger as well!

Every single day my love grows for this little guy. He has such a grip on my heart! I honestly don't know how we functioned before we had him! He is such a joy. Being his mom is the most fulfilling thing I can imagine. Every time I rock him, feed him, bathe him, change him, sing to him, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the chance I have to take care of him. It has, of course, been an adjustment for sure. Adding a child to the family has always caused me a measure of anxiety and stress. Being a mom of FOUR can often be crazy, hectic, and loud! Overall we're doing so great, though! Milo has the most beautiful spirit. He is full of life and love, and he's blessed us more already than I ever thought possible.

Quin's paternity leave has come to an end (BOO!!), so he heads back to work tomorrow. The kids also are out of school for spring break. Yikes! I'm a little nervous! Hopefully all goes well and the kids don't give me a run for my money ;) It'll be my first full time day parenting four kids by myself!

I can't wait to see what changes Milo makes this next week! I know he's going to love having the kids around to play with him all day!

There's No Place Like Home!

Our flights home were very long, but Milo was a champ! We were traveling 22 hours and while Milo didn't sleep a whole lot, he was at least very quiet and easy going! We flew from Hong Kong to Japan, then from Japan to Seattle, then from Seattle to Salt Lake. On the 4 hour flight from Hong Kong to Japan, we had a whole row (4 seats) in economy comfort to ourselves! That was an awesome flight!! Milo was able to lay on the seat and stretch!

On the long flight from Japan to Seattle we were able to secure two bulkhead seats with the hope we could get a bassinet. We were unfortunately in the two middle seats, which was very difficult because you can't have any bags near you in the bulkhead seats; they all have to be in the overhead compartment. We felt bad constantly climbing over the guys on the end! Finally they came to put up the bassinet and it wasn't going to work. The bassinet goes by the end seat, which we didn't have. The flight attendants were really nice, though, as was the man sitting next to Quin. He offered to move and the flight attendants found him a seat. This worked SO much better! We could at least get Milo's bottles out when we needed them! The bassinet was not as wonderful as I'd hoped, though, simply because anytime the fasten seatbelt light was on, Milo could not be in the bassinet. He'd get settled and start to fall asleep, then the light would ding and we'd have to pull him out. Oh well! At least it gave us a place to let him play and change his diapers!

Once in Seattle, I have to admit that immigration was a nightmare. We had to wait in the line for foreigners (which was forever long). Once we finally got through that, we had to wait at the immigration desk for them to process Milo's paperwork. It really shouldn't have been so difficult! We were there FOREVER! They were honestly kind of awful!! They didn't even start working on it for at least 40 minutes. I was nervous we were going to miss our flight home! Luckily there were only two of us there that had adopted. If there were more, I honestly don't think we'd have made it home on our flight!

The last leg home from Seattle was only 1 1/2 hours, so not too bad. We were all DONE, though! I was shaking I was so excited to see my kids!! Milo finally fell sleep in the Seattle airport waiting to board our flight. We let him sleep until about 20 minutes before we landed so we could get him ready to go meet everybody!! Walking down and seeing everyone waiting for us was like living in a dream! It was wonderful, surreal, and magical! I will never forget it! I could not keep the tears from flowing! We did it! We made it home with our boy!! Our crazy journey was over!! It was so emotional to think that just a week and a half previous, Milo had nobody to care for him. Now he had family and friends galore all praying for him and loving him! It is such a blessing to be a part of this! We hired a photographer to come take pictures at the airport, because I knew I'd rather be in the moment than behind the camera! It was so special to see so many people that had come to support us and meet Milo!

 

We had friends and family coming to visit all Thursday afternoon and evening. We are so blessed!

 

We were also stupid tired! We knew we couldn't take long naps, though, or we wouldn't sleep well at night. I took about an hour nap and Milo slept for a few hours. Then we forced ourselves awake and were miserable until bedtime! We slept great that night, though, and have successfully turned our nights and days back around! We all still get really sleepy in the afternoon, though! Hopefully the jet lag won't last too much longer! I hate feeling tired all the time!

Being home has been amazing. We have all felt such peace and love! Our three older kids cannot get enough of Milo! They are constantly wanting to hold and play with him and I'm telling you, it's changing him! He is becoming more engaged! Yesterday morning, my two oldest kids took Milo into his room and were playing. After a little while, my oldest told me she taught Milo to hold his toy. I came in, and sure enough, he was grabbing his rattle and shaking it!! I am just blown away! All I can say is that it's proven to me more than I ever even knew before that we as human beings belong in families. We cannot reach our potential without each other.

My oldest has the sweetest heart of anyone I know! I am convinced she was born to be the big sister of a child with special needs! To have a baby that needs her unconditional love, protection, and teaching nature is her dream come true! They just belong together!!

Milo really loves any toy that makes noise and has lights! He's mesmerized!

This big brother has wanted a little brother for years now! He's ecstatic that his dreams have come true! He has big plans for the future and what he and Milo are going to do together! What handsome boys I have!!

To see Milo sleeping in the room we so carefully prepared for him is surreal and wonderful! He absolutely loves his bed! He loves how soft the bumper pad his grandma made him is! He rolls all around and just touches everything! It warms my heart that he feels so comfortable here!

The solution for jet lag and missing each other: snuggle naps on the couch!

Our youngest becomes a big sister! She's loving her new role!!

Playtime! They play forever together! It's so tender to me how much they love each other already!

We are lucky that our pediatrician is also our best friend! He came over to check Milo out on Friday, as Milo had a horrible rash all over! Luckily it turned out just to be eczema from a major change in climate! He also consulted with Milo's pediatric cardiologist on what Milo should be eating, and Milo's been switched to PediaSure for the time being. He really loves the stuff, too! Yay! We're going to start him on solids this week as we would an infant. This week is the week of doctor's appointments! Mr. Milo has a sedated echocardiogram scheduled as well as an appointment with the pediatric cardiologist and the pediatrician. He's also getting his first haircut ;) Big week, folks! I can't wait to see how Milo changes and grows!