Sunday, May 31, 2009

Photo Update!


Here are some of our latest photos! Also, check out our channel on youtube (23 new videos!!!)- just click on the link below!







Rory bowling with Papa.








Rory and Owen at the Indians game... first one ever!





Happy birthday (May 14th) to Rory!















Rory and Grandma at the Bday party!




















Mary and Don with Rory on his 5th Bday!



1st swimming EVER at the Reeves:)










Friday, May 22, 2009

No, we haven't fallen from the face of the earth....

But our lack of posts might make you think so! May has been so super busy - I went back to school on April 27th and school gets out next Thursday! Whoopee!

We've had so much happen in the last month and it's been so much fun! Rory got really adjusted to me going back to school. I can completely understand the emotional hell that some people go though who leave their babies to return to work. Our situation was a bit different. It was nice to be able to explain to Rory what my job is, that the "boys and girls" need me to teach them, and that every day when they get on the yellow bus, I will get in the black car and come home to see Rory at 4:00. He can tell basic time (on the hour and half past) so that really helps, but requires me to be right on schedule!!!

We also had Rory's bday party. It was a nice, small cake and ice-cream party- nothing crazy. But he's had lots of new experiences with Papa. He went to his first baseball game with Stacey and Owen. He LOVES his bike (papa and him go riding EVERYDAY). He's been bowling and to more restaurants. He had his first sleepover (Hudson and Rory slept in Rory's bed :)).

Everyone, without exception, inevitably ask two questions:

1) How's he sleeping? Well, that's complicated. He usually sleeps 10 hours a night, which is about right and is on a pretty strict schedule - down at 8:30, up around 6:30. However, he WITHOUT FAIL wakes up around 11:30 (our best guess) and comes down to our room. The real problem is that he sneaks into our bed and neither of us know he's there or how long he's been there. He's only been home less than three months, and from what I read and hear from others, the sleep thing will come, but right now, he's just really scared. AND, we can see real progress when we look back at where he's been.

2) Is he speaking in English? YES! Actually, there are very few Creole words that he still uses. He is really starting to use a larger vocabulary. Some of the things he's been saying recently are:
"I know what to do."
"Mama come at 4:00?"
"Papa fix the bike."
"I'm hungry... I'm not full"
"I love Ballons/Basketball/Money"
"You wait Mama/Papa.. I'll be right back"
"Exactly" or "Excellent" or "Perfect"
"Rory wins really good"
"I need a fork/spoon/drink/water/blanket"

We went to some garage sales last week and he took some of the money from his piggy bank. He bought some little toys, but what was funny was the things he wanted to buy, but for obvious reasons couldn't: a motorcycle, a treadmill, a chandelier, a pair of men's boots (for the snow), and a rake "to pick up grass". Most of the people at the garage sales got a real hoot out of it. The thing that really amazed them was how much he loves clothes and gets excited about someone's old shirt. He will usually hold up something and say "YES MAMA YES... really good". We found a shirt with a fire truck on it and you'd think from his reaction we had unearthed the Holy Grail. He just held it up and danced with it in circles and sang gibberish with a few things I could understand here and there like "good" "shirt" "Rory" "Mama" "Papa" "fire truck" and "red". I'm pretty sure the homeowner thought we were nuts and probably thought I kept this kid locked in my basement or something.

Tomorrow we are attempting our FIRST EVER swimming experience... we'll see how it goes. My instinct tells me he'll love it... but so far my predictions have been off on what he'll like/not like.

I promise to post again soon... Thanks for checking in regularly, only to be disappointed when I had failed to post hardly at all in the last month! With being at work, AND the month of MAY (my busiest by FAR), and being a new mama, I've been pooped. But, summer is in reach, and I know I will be better about it:)