Timmy Birthday and Easter

Timmy and his Thomas cake!

Joshua, Jake and Timmy in their Easter suits

A Family of Four

We enjoyed a busy Easter weekend. It started with Timmy's 3rd birthday on Saturday. We celebrated with Uncle Mike and Aunt Bernadette and Joshua. They brought over cupcakes and pizza. Timmy learned to open gifts with the help of his brother and cousin. Joshua gave him a Thomas train set and Jake gave him a hockey stick. All of the boys had fun playing together.

The next day was Easter and we hosted my family. I wanted a photo shoot before church and Mike helped out. The boys looked so cute in their matching suits. They seemed to like being dressed up and getting so much attention. Then, we all went to church together.

After the service, we had a few hours until my family arrived. I had prepared potatoes and ham and purchased a Thomas cake. Everyone helped out with the rest of the meal. Our house filled up with laughter and love. Timmy enjoyed another birthday celebration.

We will miss our family when we move. We also missed sharing the day with any of Jim's family. This holiday hosting may be the last one for some time. That put a slight sadness into the otherwise wonderful weekend.

A Busy, Busy Spring

Here is an update on some things going on lately. Last weekend I flew up to MA to spend the day at Hildreth Elementary School. The staff held a welcome reception which was really touching. The day went quickly. That evening I read letters written to me by the students. They wanted me to know all types of special things about Harvard. I smiled as I read their thoughts and opinions.

The next day I looked at real estate in the area. Since Jim had stayed home with the boys, I took pictures and videos to show him the possibilities. We will need to go back up soon to make some decisions.

Meanwhile, Timmy has settled in more each week. He is speaking more English words all the time. Some of his early sayings are:  careful mommy, flower, apple juice, how are you?, one, two, three, Go!, uh oh, oh no!, and Joshua. He hasn't said Jake's name but calls him Jia, Jia.

This weekend, Timmy will turn 3. I am trying to talk with Jake ahead of time to help him to know that this will be Timmy's special day and he can help. I am going to take him shopping to buy a present for his brother. So far, he has commented about how much Timmy would like monster trucks, an Iron Man suit, and other toys that clearly appeal to Jake. :)  He is a smartie.

Tough Medical News

This past Wednesday, Jim and I took Timmy to the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia for a full review of his Spina Bifida. He was a real trooper and barely cried at all. He seemed to like having Baba and me to himself all day (Jake was with Uncle Mike and then in school). The tough news came from the urologist that did a study of Timmy's bladder. The nerve damage shows that Timmy does not have great control over his bladder and bowels. We will have to soon start a regiment of helping through catheterizing and high fiber. There is no surgery to correct this at this time. Surgeries to reroute nerves are still under review.

tired out on the way home

     The good news is that Timmy's lower leg and foot muscles seem barely affected or normal. He is able to run and jump and climb like other two year olds. While I am grateful for the good news, I am sad for how his life will be affected by the nerve damage. We have a lot to learn in the next months and years of his life. We want to give him every advantage possible.

Meeting Grammy and Grandpa

 Timmy met my parents and my sister and her family for the first time today. The meeting was special. My brother Mike and I took the three boys down to their house, and then we all went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant. Later, we spent time visiting and keeping track of the boys. They were a bit wild and wound up, but everyone had a nice visit. Timmy agreed to take pictures with them before we headed home. The next time we get together will be for Easter at our house in Lancaster. We will celebrate Timmy's 3rd birthday at the same time.

A Full, Fun Saturday

The change in Timmy has been amazing. He is more and more outgoing. Today we visited market for the first time and despite the crowd, he seemed to have fun. Both boys enjoyed lollipops with whistles attached (what was I thinking?!).

Later in the afternoon, a Chinese friend, Penny,  and her son, Devin, visited us at home. It was wonderful to listen to Timmy converse with them. She exclaimed at how smart he is as he read numbers to 20 in Mandarin and identified animals. He seemed to want to show them all that he knows. He wrote numbers on the art board paper and drew a duck for them. We all enjoyed their visit. The only time Timmy started to get upset was when Penny held him. He may have been afraid that they would take him with them.

Then, Joshua visited in the evening. The children all enjoyed Chinese food for dinner which was a gift from Penny and her son. They all played together and had fun. What a wonderful Saturday!!

Going Back to Work

This week I started back to school. Timmy would begin crying when he saw me starting to get ready in the morning. Each day he and his Baba bonded more and more. Today, Timmy waved goodbye and did not cry! I am so grateful for my family and the close bonds that are forming.

One Week Milestone

Timmy has been home for one week. We are doing a little better each day. Timmy is showing signs of being more comfortable with us. He is sleeping easier, and has transitioned into his own bed to start the night, at least. We really kept things quiet and did not go out to many places with him. About midweek I went out for an hour giving Timmy time to get used to Jim watching him. Then, yesterday I went out for about 3 hours. The guys did pretty well; with Timmy only crying for parts of the time. This weekend, I will go out again to keep repeating the idea that I will go and return. Monday starts my first day back to work, so the bonding will fast tracked then. Jim has been finding ways to interact with Timmy through little games and taking care of some of his needs.

On a funny note... we took the boys to the kid's haircutting place. I was concerned that the experience might be frightening for Timmy, so he watched his brother get his hair cut first. Then, it was Timmy's turn and he began to fall asleep. I ended up holding his head so it wasn't bobbing all over. Obviously, he wasn't afraid. Here is a picture of Timmy and Jake sporting their new haircuts.

Timmy's First Medical Appt.

I took Timmy to his first appt. and he did very well. He looked scared and whimpered some, but he cooperated with every task the doctor asked of him. It helped that she was very gentle with him. We have a great doctor (thanks, Sheri for the recommendation). Once the doctor finished her exam and I was able to dress him, he started laughing and fooling around. He said, "Bye bye" to her before she left.

This will be the first of many upcoming appts. Timmy was born with Spina Bifida; which explains why he became an orphan in a country that keeps healthy, male infants. We are thankful that despite his special needs he is able to run, play around with his brother, and participate like other children. So, how does his condition affect him? He has some nerve damage which affects his control of bowel and bladder muscles. He also has some coordination issues that make him topple over more quickly.

We have a referral to take him to either the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia or Dupont in Delaware. We will call and see which place will see him the soonest. We want to make sure we give him every medical advantage available.

Adjustment Home

This is Jake's 1st picture of our family. The initial meeting and getting along has taken a temporary nosedive. I am surprised that he doesn't have tears in Timmy's eyes or Timmy pushing him away from me or slapping at him. Instead of great jealousy on Jake's part, it is Timmy who does NOT want to share his mama. Whenever Jake jumps into my lap or gets close, Timmy starts to cry and push him. This has been tough on Jake who sadly noted that he thinks Timmy cries because Timmy doesn't like him. We have spent time cuddling Jake, complimenting his gentle reactions, and explaining how scared Timmy is right now.

Today, Jake jumped at the chance to travel to his Grammy and Grampa's house with Uncle Mike and Joshua. This gave Jim and I more time to bond with Timmy who is adjusting to soooo many changes. I am confident that our family will eventually find harmony and peace (and more sleep!).

Home Sweet Home

We are home after a long, tiring travel experience that went pretty well. It was a great joy to watch Timmy meet his Baba and brother, Jake. Jake has been really sweet; telling his brother that he loves him and repeating some words in Mandarin. It was Jake's idea to dress like his brother (thanks, Barb). They played together throughout the day, sometimes chasing each other, play fighting, laughing and getting used to each other. There were also some tears.

Timmy's time schedule has him awake and sleepy at opposite times. Along with time changes, the home and all of the people are new. He wanted me nearby at all times. He took to his Baba and they went  for a walk around the block (without me!). They also played with a ball and played hide and seek around some corners.

Timmy met his Uncle Mike, Aunt Bernadette and cousin Joshua in the afternoon. They had gone to a Chinese market in town and picked up some foods that Timmy liked. They also brought him a stuffed koala bear and a book. He seemed to recognize them from the skype sessions and the photo album that I sent over. Thanks, Mike for keeping everyone updated with the postings. :)

We will be taking the week very slowly to allow Timmy time to get comfortable with his new home and new family. He is sure to open up as he becomes familiar with his surroundings. Thank you all for your prayers and support.