Massive update on ... email updates.

03/17/2011

The adoption process. | center>Questions and Answers.
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Quick note from me!
Thanks everyone for being patient as I got my laptop back together again.
It felt like an eternity. I can't wait to see the pictures - seeing them on my phone didn't do justice, lol.

I will be doing seperate picture entries, as I have before; so I don't freeze up someone's computer.

34 week update - January 7
Hello!

I hope you both had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did... it was crazy as we did both sides in the same day (we usually don't) but with it being Niklas' first Christmas, we didn't feel it was fair to not do both sides. Of course he was good all day, only had one minor melt-down, but otherwise was his happy, smiley self!

Of course Christmas Eve, we managed to get his picture taken with Santa! He didn't even cry like we thought he might, we just wish we had brought our camera... we weren't planning on trying the Santa picture this year, but he was in a good mood and there wasn't a wait, so we just took the picture with [the adoptive father]'s cell phone.

That night as we were packing up everything and about to head to bed, I just lost it and broke into tears... I sometimes just can't believe how lucky we are to have met you and that because of your awesome gift, Niklas is our little angel. (okay, so I'm crying again... sorry) I just remembered how hard last Christmas was for me, sister-in-laws expecting on each side of the family... and now this Christmas we have Niklas and it just is absolutely amazing the joy he brings everyone!

Well, okay time to compose myself.....

He still army crawls everywhere, but seems so close to actually crawling. He just loves being around his cousins. On [the adoptive father]'s side, there is [name with-held] who is about 5 weeks older than Niklas. On my side, my brother has 2 daughters, [name with-held] (almost 5) and [name with-held] (4 weeks older than Niklas). I posted pictures of Niklas and [name with-held] together. My Uncle actually took pictures of the kids at my parents' house so I'll post one of those when I get one.

Niklas is really starting to enjoy baby food. He eats about 1.5 jars/containers 1 to 2 times a day right now (we don't always get the 2nd meal in). So far we have tried: peas, green beans, squash, carrots, sweet potato, applesauce, pears, and bananas. He really likes all of them except the bananas. We are going to start introducing some different foods this weekend... the next step is some blends. We aren't going to try meats quite yet. He tries hard to pick up food like Cheerios with his fingers but just can't seem to get them without using his whole hand and then he just kinda mushes them.

Well I have to go to work tomorrow :( so I better get off to bed.

Hope you have a wonderful New Years holiday!

36 weeks
Hello!

I hope this finds you both well. So I know that I keep saying it, but Niklas is so close to crawling! He army crawls like a pro~ doesn't take him long to follow me from the living room to the kitchen! We have tried some blends of food ~garden veggies, squash and applesauce, sweet potatoes and apricots, banana and mango, peas and brown rice...~ He seems to like most of the new flavors, but not all of them.

We bought him a new bathtub to put in our tub and he loves it! Our tub is an old cast-iron tub and it is cold... so we bought another infant/toddler tub that fits inside our tub to help with bath time... I am working on getting the bath time video off [the adoptive father]'s phone so I can upload it... cross your fingers that it will work! We tend to get a shower ourselves while bathing him!

We have been keeping busy by trying to go through "stuff" in our house and getting rid of "stuff". I find it easier to keep him out of stuff if it all has a place and so we are working on that! So far the only room that I am completely happy with is his playroom! We are working on the living room and dining room now and hope to have things dealt with after this weekend. Niklas really has opened my eyes as to what we really need around and what we might be able to get rid of.

Niklas is absolutely fascinated by our cat Baxter! I will have to try and get a video with his response when he sees Baxter... he gets so excited. However, Baxter does not share his enthusiasm. I think some days Baxter questions what we were thinking when we brought Niklas home! Baxter is a good sport though... he just gets up and moves to another room if he thinks Niklas might get him.

Well, it is getting late and I am just babbling now, so I better go.

Enjoy the pictures and the video (I think it is uploading correctly as I type this!)

39 weeks
Hello! Sorry I am a week later than I planned, but we have been trying to get back on our feet from the flu. I had it the worst the week of the 17th and Niklas had a milder form then too. [the adoptive father] had to take 2 days off from work to help me as I was too sick to care for Niklas (and myself really).

I haven't taken too many pictures lately, but have been taking videos as he just seems to do something new everyday. I'm hoping to get 3 new videos posted tonight. He has been pulling himself up on the furniture and even us any chance he can. On the video dated Jan. 13, he's complaining because we had put him back on the floor in order to get the video. He started crawling "the big boy way" on Friday, January 21 and I had to get it on video. We have been "baby proofing" the house as he shows us what he wants to get at. This weekend we had to go out and buy better baby gates, since he moves around so quickly. He's really cute when he's moving around as he grunts... he's one busy boy!

We think that he is working on some top teeth, but we don't see anything yet. He has been really enjoying eating baby food... he's up to eating 2 times a day now and he eats (1) 4oz jar and 1/3 cup of yogurt with baby cereal mixed in for lunch and 1-2 jars for dinner. He still drinks 4 bottles a day (ranging from about 28-32 oz). He lately has wanted to eat teething biscuits, but they are not cheep and messy. I found a website for recipes for making your own baby food and found a few for teething biscuits. I tried one of them today and he liked them so much he had to have a second biscuit! I'm not going to make all my baby food, but probably will make some of the more basic veggies.

Thursday we have his 9 month appointment with the doctor so I will send and update after that with his new stats. I am anxious to see how much he has grown. He has been in 12 month clothing for the last 2 months now!


9 month doctor's appointment
Hi there! Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day! February has just gone by so fast so far... I meant to send this email a while ago.

Niklas had his 9 month appointment on 2/3/2011 and he is doing really well. His measurements were:
at 6 months: length=27.25 inches ; weight=17pounds-9ounces ; head circumference=44.50cm
at 9 months: length=28.50 inches ; weight=20pounds-6ounces ; head circumference=46.50cm

I went online and found out where he measures up according to growth charts... at 9 months he is pretty much right at the average. (which seems a little off since I think he's on the big side).

So, February 2 we found ourselves snowed in. [the adoptive father] managed to get to work, but drove the 4x4 through some pretty high drifts on the way. Niklas and I stayed home and watched it snow and snow and snow. Finally in the afternoon, the snow lightened up and I took Niklas outside to see if he might like to be pulled around in a sled. He seemed to like it okay, but really liked it more once [the adoptive father] got home and pulled him around. We didn't get plowed out until just before we went outside. I posted a few pictures from our adventures.

February 4, [the adoptive father]'s sister, and her daughter, came over for a play date. I just love watching Niklas and [name with-held] play together. They also had fun playing together at their house on Sunday, while we celebrated February birthdays. I am so happy that they moved back to Michigan, so the kids can grow up together.

February 10 was my birthday and we had such an amazing day! Birthdays are always pretty special for me, but this one was truly unbelievable. Spending the day with my husband (who took the day off) and my son... was great! First we went to breakfast with [the adoptive father]'s good friend and his family. This might be an understatement, but Niklas likes pancakes! After shopping we went over to my parents' house to relax until my parents got home from work and then we went to dinner. After dinner we went back to my parents' house and had cake... but only after watching Niklas discover chocolate cake for the first time. From past experiences with my friends' kids, I stripped Niklas down and handed him a piece of cake. I posted 2 videos of the cake eating that [the adoptive father] took. He was pretty unsure about it at first, but then realized how good cake is! Needless to say, he ended up in the bathtub.

Niklas is getting around more and more. Everyday he seems to get faster and more daring. He pulls himself up on every piece of furniture. I have had to learn to make sure I wear a belt, as my pant legs are also a good means to pull himself up to standing. We have installed baby gates throughout the house since we live in a 2-story. We first installed them at the top of the 2 sets of stairs, thinking that we would have a few weeks before he might try to go up the stairs... well that was only a few days! He's pretty quick, but we've stopped him before he could get above the second step. So this past weekend, [the adoptive father] installed another gate at the base of the stairs going up to the bedrooms. As for getting more daring, he has been standing up at the couch and reaching over to the coffee table and then going beck to the couch. Sometimes he pulls himself up on things, lets go with one hand and laughs as he tries to let go with the other hand. He has yet to succeed standing on his own, but he keeps trying. He pretty much crawls the "normal" way now... I think he has finally realized that it is faster for him than the army crawl.

43 weeks (written by the adoptive father)
This email was written by the adoptive father.)

Niklas continues to suprise us daily with the little things he is learning. He seems to be picking up about one new noise per day. He had "da da da da" and "ma ma ma ma" down for quite a while. Recently he picked up "ba, ca, fa, sh, pa, ta" plus he figured out how to make a popping noise that sounds like clucking. He has not looked at something and said the name of it, but if you "talk" to him he will answer with a whole series of noises that sound like words. If he can mimic the same noise you make at him he gets very excited. Every time he figures out a new sound he will latch on to it and repeat it over and over and over. If you make the same sound back he gets ecstatic. He and I will occasionally sit together and he will get very close to my face with his. He will stare into my eyes and slowly lean forward until our noses touch. As soon as they touch I will make a buzzing sound and he will pull away and laugh. Most of the time I end up laughing so hard that we have to stop so I can catch my breath.
During the last 2 days he has learned to walk behind his rider toy. For a long time he has been able to pull him self up on things and then stand with only one hand on an edge. He some times forgets and then lets go with both hands and teeters for a second or two and then plops down on his butt. He can pull himself up on his cart now and then push it and walk behind it. He often spends more attention on the people watching him then he does to where he is going. He has gotten much better about actually walking behind and stopping when it hits a bump or wall verses falling over midway through.

He is a real joy. I cannot tell you the number of times I have come home from work in not a great mood, only to have his smile and scream of welcome wash away the"bad" parts of the day. He certainly recognizes me now and I must make time for him as soon as I get home. If he sees me and then I leave to go to the bathroom or take a shower he will let us know that's not acceptable. He will make loads of noise and then crawl after me, if I leave the room, hooting and calling.

He notices things alot more now as well. I got a hair cut the other day and when I came home he was not quite sure about me. He looked at me very carefully, smiled, stopped, smiled, stopped like he was not quite sure what was different. He crawled over, looked me up and down very seriously and touched my head. After a minute our two he decided the cut was ok, smiled and crawled away.
All and all he is very healthy and happy little boy. [the adoptive mother] uploaded a picture and two new vidoes as well. The one of him walking behind the cart is my favorite, that smile just gets me every time.

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