Progress

 

 

I can't hardly believe that this first photo is of the Van that we know and love. Van is a very happy little guy, it must have been really hard for him at the orphanage.

We met with the evaluator today and Van qualifies for some therapy to help him catch up on things that he is a little slow at picking up on. I will find out soon when the therapy will begin.

There's a song we sing at church that has hand motions and Van has started trying to copy the motions and attempts the first word of the song.

We didn't really have a party for Van on his birthday, just some cake after supper. Van screamed with delight when he saw the cake. Keith went to get the video camera, this will be fun to look back on one day. Van gets so overjoyed with food! He liked his gifts, too.

I have been rearranging lately, I think I have spring fever. I am so ready to buy some flowers, but I always buy them too soon and the cold gets them. I made a wreath for the door and cleaned off my porch, so I made a little bit of a start.

First

 

This is the first photo we saw of Van on February 7, 2007. We were so excited to see that photo. We had waited for so long to see this little guy's face. This photo gave us hope that there was a real little boy waiting on us to go and get him. Van has come such a long way. I can't tell you how much he has changed over the last 5 months. He is jabbering away, but not a lot of understandable words yet, which leads to frustration on his and our part. We have an evaluator coming out on Tuesday to see if he is eligible for speech therapy. He wants to speak so bad it seems, he will watch your lips and try to repeat words, but they don't always come out just right.

Today is his 2nd birthday and he's active as can be this morning. I found some scribble marks on the closet door the other day, I wonder who could have done that. Van loves to write and color on himself, the wall and even on paper at times.

We thank God for this little boy and for the joy he has brought to our family. We still can't thank everyone enough who was part of this whole process.

Race is really excited, one of his best friends, Isaiah, will be coming in June to stay with us for a little over two weeks. Isaiah moved back to Colorado last summer and they haven't seen each other since. These guys would stay in the back yard and wrestle all night if we'd allow them. They are two of a kind and can't wait to be reunited.

I think I am on the upside on the stomach virus hopefully. Feeling a little better today, but not 100%.

When will it end?????

 

We have been sick for a while now, from the flu to the stomach virus. I am the last one to get the stomach virus, so let's hope that this will end our sickness for a good long time.

This is a photo on Van while in Vietnam. I am amazed at how much he has grown since this picture. We met with First Steps on Monday, it's an early intervention program that helps kids who are behind. Van will have an evaluation soon to see what types of therapy he is eligible for.

My camera is still giving me problems, so I will post older photos until I can get my camera to download to the computer.

Van will be 2 years old tomorrow. We received his first photo right before he turned 1. We had a birthday party without him last year, so it will be nice that he can attend his party this year. Since we've all been sick we're not having a party, just some cake here at the house. Van seems to like Elmo, so Race and I are going to attempt to make an Elmo Cake-Just a lot of red icing and some eyes and a nose and a mouth, huh?

Can't Wait

 

I can't wait for Spring. My front porch is so bare without flowers. This photo was taken in Vietnam on our walk to the Saigon River.

Van always wants to play with Race's toy men, and Race isn't too fond of letting Van play with them, so we decided to let Van pick out his own man. We went to Target and let Van look around and he seemed to like this little Elmo (Melmo, as Van calls him) that giggled and talked. Once we got home he threw Elmo down and of course, grabbed some green creature man of Race's off of the table. I think he knows that it belongs to Race and that's why he likes it so much.

I have a cold, but the boys are doing fine. We had a safe and quick trip to Georgia. I have new photos to post soon, but my camera isn't cooperating right now.