Mateo and Kaia made their 1st visit to see their pediatrician, Dr. Alice M. Rothman at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital International Adoption Clinic. She sees several ENers and really digs how well the kids are cared for and doing developmentally by the time they get to their new home. Things are going really well. The main adjustments are still by me and Pearlie.
The other adjustments for the kids seem to focus mainly around food. Mateo LOVES bottles!!! He is a bottle ADDICT!!! Now that is something Daddy can relate to, just not the bottle part. Kaia digs her bottles too, don’t get me wrong, but Mateo is physically, emotionally, and most likely spiritually attached to the plastic container with a artificial nipple on the end. Lets just say it comforts the boy…immediately! Our focus has not been on changing his whole bottle routine in just 2 weeks, but since he likes solid foods too, the need for a 14m old to have 4 bottles of formula is less physiological and more psychological for the kid…for now. So over the next couple months we have our assignment, and that will fit right into Kaia’s schedule for coming off of formula by 1 year. Kaia is less food oriented, but enjoys it none the less than her brother when all is said and done.
Sleeping, knock on wood, is better than expected. They both sleep in the same room in cribs on either side of room. Some of our reasoning to do this was because they were use to having other kids close to them in their cribs at EN, and we didn’t want to stick them off into their own room, ALONE, especially right away. The other reason was really about space in our house, and mainly the lack of it. So we are taking advantage of the coziness and living intimately…for now. We lay them in their cribs at 7:30-7:45 and they usually quiet down and fall asleep by 8:00. It is a trip. They just knock out and are “dead to the world.” They are not easily awakened, and that is just too cool to me. They cried pretty hard the first night, but as we adjusted a little with feeding them their bottles instead of them feeding themselves, it gave us a little more bonding/attachment time and that has appeared to lessen their initial crying, before they doze off. Mateo is the sleeper…usually 9-10hrs., with Kaia a little less and more inconsistent. She sleeps 7-9hrs., and sometimes that works out real good, because she finishes her bottle before bed about 30 minutes after him, with other times, not so good, like waking up ready to play at 4am.
The main adjustment for me is sleep. I’m was not a light sleeper, until now. I use to take OB call through the night and could jump up fully awake and put in an epidural for a laboring women, or run to the OR for an emergency Appendectomy or whatever. That “skill” or ability came in handy, after all, that is what you want your Anesthetist to be able to do. Well, fatherhood feels a lot like call…24/7 call. So my adjustment is to relax, rest, sleep, and know that Pearlie is here and my little ones are safe and that I don’t have to be immediately awake, always. Good thing the kids don’t know how to page me yet.
Pearlie’s main adjustment is being home and changing up her routine, TOTALLY. She is such a cool Mom. I am so proud of her. She loves these kids, I can see it, I can hear it, but most of all I can feel it as she just oozes love for these two little ones. She is as committed as I am to loading these kids with love and acceptance, while at the same time teaching and guiding them via loving boundries and spiritual principles.
We are both learning, after 40 years of life and 16 years of marriage, that adding 2 kids to your life really gives self-centeredness a real “smack in the jaw.” It is an adjustment and boy are we digging it. I was sooo happy to hear all the congratulations as I returned to work today and to end my day with Dr. Rothman saying, “your kids are beautiful, you are so blessed, and they are doing great,” was like nothing else. My brain has nothing to compare that to. A whole new area of my life is forming and growing every second with these 2 and it so much mirrors all the areas of my life, as my opened heart experiences living life fully.
Here is their latest data and their percentiles:
Mateo – Ht:31″ (63%), Wt:24lbs. 6oz. (57%), HC: 46.7cm (43%)
Kaia – Ht:28″ (51%), Wt:18lbs. 4oz. (30%), HC: 44cm (42%)
All their data is right in perfect rage for their age. We really didn’t have any concern or indication that they weren’t, but it was cool to hear. In 2 weeks are labs and immunity titer checks.
That is all for now. Life continues to be busy with these 2 but sharing continues to be my way of staying connected and honestly, it just feels good to write. Here is a short video for you too. Check out their sweet faces and funny clinic gowns. Rock On friends!!!
…and there is a difference. More on this topic via another post…but it is sooo true, as I’m finding out more each day. Mateo and Kaia are doing great. I know that’s not very specific but it is none the less true. Happy New Year to EVERYONE! I can’t imagine 2009 being any better…OK, I can, but you get my point.
