The Past 6 Months

I can’t believe it has been almost six month since we returned from Russia, and 3 months since I last posted an update here. Like they say, no news is good news. And when it comes to Alex, it truly is all good. His change these past six months has been truly amazing!!! I don’t even know where to start here. Let’s see…I’ll start with his health, which has been our major concern since we got back. He was circumcised in July and that turned out perfect (literally!); I don’t think he had a clue of what had just happenned other than noticing when the band aid fell off. In August he visited a Geneticist who did intensive testing and found no signs of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The Othorrinolaringologist found his nose, ear, throat all very healthy, as did the eye doctor.

His blood tests in August did show that he still had minor anemia so he got treated with iron drops for about three months. He just got tested again a week or so ago and there are no signs of anemia. However, his iron storage (whatever that means) continues to reaqd low so more iron for the next three months. In August he was also seen by a Neurologist who also gave her blessing. His head, motor function, problem solving skills and overall behavior are at, if not above, a child his age. She recommended an MRI only to make me feel better I think. He still rocks a bit just before he falls asleep and that has had me concerned, ever since that first night with me at the Perm hotel in Russia. The MRI did show some fluid concentrated in a corner of his brain, however after her assessment, and a second opinion from Chris’s brother-in-law who is a brain surgeon, and Chris’s dad who is also a doctor, we are now confident that he is just fine – the fluid is not abnormal on children of his age and eventually it “dries-out” as someone put it.

In the past few months Alex’s vocabulary has surprised us, the doctors, and pretty much everyone that hears his non-stoppable chatter. These are all the words he can say besides mama, papa and Dudley:
No ( it is usually No No)
Oh Oh and Oh No
Time out (sounds like tamout)
Water (sounds more like wa-wa)
Come (will usually grab my hand and direct me where he wants me to go)
Up above (learned this one from the twinkle-twinkle little star song)
All Done ( says this one every time we are done with dinner)
Airplane, Open, Lyon, Cat , Light, Egg, Bye Bye , Hello, Cup, Moon ,Night Night, Apple , Apple tree,Banana ( sounds like nana), Window, Pear, Ball, Touchdown, Ball game ( learned these last two from daddy), Turtle (says this one perfect), Car, Truck, Elmo, Ernie, Big Bird, Baby ( points at himself when he says this one ), Grandma is called Gaga, Grandpa, Hi, Pipi – caca – pupu, hanger, chu chu is train and too-too is the word for tooth brush and tooth paste.

I am sure am forgetting quite a few. The cutest part is listening to him put three words together now like Night-Night Papa, Bye -Bye Moon, school bus mama, and many more.
He now recognizes the letters Y, O and U from his ABC’s computerized toy; he grabs the toys I ask him to go get, knows the button to turn the tv on and off, and the best part of all is to hear him answer correctly when asked how old he is; Point to all his body parts, how many feet do you have? How many hands and ears do you have? He throws his own diaper in the garbage when I tell him to and when I tell him his clothes are dirty he takes them right to the hamper…Absolutely amazing when only 6 months ago he understood NADA.

At the end of the month we get to go meet grandma and spend a week at her home in Florida. After that is off to Colombia to meet and spent some time with Grandpa, who by the way hasn’t been doing well at all. After Colombia, and depending how my dad is doing, we will go to Aruba so Alex can meet the rest of the aunts, uncles and cousins. I can’t wait to spend this bonding time with Alex!!!