Making Progress

Sunday will be one month since we've been home with Alex. Everyone was right...it does get a little easier each day. We are starting to get into more of a routine which is helpful. Alex has recently become interested in toys. His favorites right now are a monkey jack in the box and any toy that has beads on it he can push around with his hands. We have a big cube that has activities on each side. The top has wires on it with beads that slide along the wires. He loves to push those beads back and forth. He also loves his jack in the box. He works so hard to turn the knob on the side. He doesn't have the coordination to turn it yet...but he sure is contect on trying! I've also learned that he can really get around a room when he wants something. I left my sunglasses laying on the floor yesterday...and he crawled all the way across the floor to get them. He doesn't get up on all four when he crawls..it is more of a belly crawl...but he can certainly move when he wants to.

Doug had President's Day off on Monday so we had a nice 3 day weekend as a family. Saturday it was still nice enough to get outside a little so we spent alot of the morning playing on our swingset in the backyard. We couldn't believe how much more coordinated Sam is. He can now climb right up the rockwall to the fort with no trouble and no help. He also got to show his big brother how to go down a slide and how he likes to swing in the big boy swing now. Alex swung on the swing with me and seemed to like it. I couldn't help but think how much easier my life would have been if we adopted in the summer! The morning flew by just being able to go outside with the boys! We all get cabin fever stuck in the house all day. Monday we took the boys to the Naperville Children's Museum. Sam just loved it. Most of the activites were too advanced for Alex, but he got to enjoy some things. They had a station where you could put colored stickers on a window and peel them back off again. This was his favorite station. He loves to work with his hands....exactly like his big brother!

I'm expecting a call from the doctor today regarding the results of Alex's bloodwork and ultrasounds. From what the nurse told me yesterday, everything looks good...however, the doctor will need to interpret them completely and call me back today. The doctors wanted to rule out any "mixed" gender issues due to the severity of Alex's genital deformity. It looks like that has all been ruled out - and we will be able to proceed with the surgeries like we had expected. Thanks for the prayers