It is hard to believe but we have been home for one month tomorrow. Matthew seems like he has been here forever. I will not lie adjusting to having a very active almost three year hold at times has had it's challenges but now I finally feel like we have a new normal. the first week Steve went back to work was very hard for me Matthew and I are finding our way and learning about each other. I have learned that boys are sooo different from girls. He has energy to burn and adaption to him in the winter is hard because it is difficult to find space for him to run off his energy. We have fond play places at the local malls and we visit them regularly. It is also good for him to be around other children. In the beginning he was very apprehensive around other children but it gets better each time.
One of our biggest challenge areas is eating. When it comes to eating Matthew has no off switch he would eat until it made him sick. He shovels the food in quickly and he is done when the table is cleared. We have adjusted our eating while we are teaching him to slow down and pace himself. The other issue we have is when I am in the kitchen he screams because he wants food right there and then. Because of the language barrier he doesn't understand that the food has to be cooked. It is challenging to prepare a meal with your son grabbing at your pant leg screaming. Th emotional end is heartbreaking because he is afraid he won't get enough to eat which breaks my heart. It is a work in progress and we are trying.
I am off work until early April we are in the process of looking at daycare centers and have Matthew evaluated by early intervention they have found him to be speech delayed(no surprise there) so he will qualify for services. Once we have all that narrowed down it will be easier to make that decision. Matthew also has to have a minor surgical procedure I will not elaborate here but it is of a delicate nature. We will have that done before I return to work
We feel blessed and happy to have our beautiful boy with us and despite all the challenges I have a new feeling of contentment knowing that our family is complete. I am not missing paperwork waiting for travel dates and all the ups and downs that come with adoption. Happy Valentine's Day and HAppy New Year I have a feeling the year for the tiger will be our families best yet. All the Best Kate.
