A Day Together

Ben and Henry started out the day by taking a bath together. Then they took a short nap. It was great to see them seem to remember who the other one was. Henry hasn't played well with other children his age, and neither has Ben from what I understand. But they seem very much at ease with each other. We drove into Dallas for photos at the Olan Mill studio in Valley View mall. The boys really seemed to enjoy each other's company while we waited. They seemed excited and were interacting with each other in a very friendly way. By the time we got to the photographer taking their picture they were a little tired and it took a LOT of coaxing to get a few good shots.

We had dinner at the Green Papaya, a Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Dallas. The owner was very friendly and interested in our story. He gave us a free dish of kalamari. Then as we were leaving we met a young Vietnamese man who is a dentist.

It was a great day and the boys were exhausted by the time we finally made it home. Tomorrow not much is planned--an interview with the local paper and collecting DNA for the twin zygosity test.

Together again

I picked up Joe, Katie, and Ben t.oday. We meandered our way home, going by the library where I work. The boys seem to play well together, certainly they do not seem to be ill at ease with one another. Henry seems stand offish with other children.
It is very interesting to see the boys together. Ben tried to feed Henry cereal several times. Ben is a little fuller than Henry, he weighs around three pounds more. He is also walking, whereas Henry still crawls.

First night away from home

Last night we stayed at Chase and Jennifer's house. It was Henry's first night away from home since we got back from Vietnam. He woke up several times in the night and seemed confused about where he was. It took some time but he did warm up to both Chase and Jennifer.

Yesterday we went to the ENT doctor, Henry has fluid behind both ear drums. If it isn't cleared up by next month he will have tubes put in his ears.

Today we go to the airport to pick up Joe and Katie and Ben. It should be an exciting day!

Back to Solid Food

Gradually Henry has moved back to eating solid food. For the past week since he was in the ER in Dallas he has relied on the bottle for his nutrition--with the approval of the new pediatrician. A few days ago he showed an interest in eating dry cereal. He really liked the white gravy that my mother made, it was kind of bland and didn't upset his stomach. Now I am introducing vegetables back into his diet. He likes dressing and potatoes, he does not like carrots and broccoli though he will eat a few bites before he realizes what it is. I even managed to get him to eat some applesauce at the end of his meal.
Henry shows little interest in the sippy cup. He will take one sip and that is all. He gets his major liquids from the bottle.

Merry Christmas

I didn't feel like putting up the big tree, and my little tree is at the library. So I went out and bought a little fiber optic tree. In later years I will put up the big tree with all the ornaments I have collected over the years, but right now there just isn't room with high chairs and playpens and other baby stuff all over the place.
Last Saturday we went to my aunt's house and had an early Christmas with her family. Henry met my cousins' children and seemed to enjoy playing with the adults. My aunt's friend Becky from Oklahoma worked with Henry and got his confidence, My cousin Sean's wife Terri who met Henry at Thanksgiving also made friends with Henry.
We got up on Christmas morning and I showed Henry his new toys. He seems to enjoy going from one toy to another. I got a plastic storage box from IKEA but I"m going to have to get two or three more. I've got to come up with a way to keep things straightened out.
In the afternoon we drove over to friends Vicki a.nd Don's house. Henry took some time to warm up to everybody. He still prefers to stay with me and will not happily let somebody else hold him. But he does enjoy playing with other people as long as they don't try to pick him up.

Christmas Eve

I am thankful that Henry is doing better now and we will have an enjoyable holiday for our first Christmas together. The weather is also warming up--it has been in the 70s on some afternoons. Maybe it will be warm enough for us to go to the park in Windom soon.
My mother's cousin Dan makes rocking chairs that lock together in a kind of puzzle. Henry has really enjoyed sitting in it and rocking himself back and forth.
Henry seems to enjoy beating out rhythms on chairs and stools so I found this drum for him. I showed him one time what to do with the sticks and he immediately caught on. He has really enjoyed playing with this early Christmas present.
Today Henry again found the large mirror behind the bathroom door. He has been too sick to venture from my side until today, and he explored around the house. One of the questions ECI asked me was if he recognized his reflection in the mirror.
I'm not sure if he sees himself in the mirror, or if he sees Ben. But he does enjoy sitting in front of that mirror and watching himself.

New Doctor

Two days ago Henry had his first appointment with Dr. Susan Sickler, a local doctor who specializes in internationally adopted children--http://willowbendpediatrics.com/. She is starting at square one--redoing even the tests that were supposed to have been done in Vietnam. I feel really good to be in her hands. She seems very positive and competent.

We went yesterday to see Dr. An, a gastro-enterologist--http://www.dhat.com/physicians/An/an.asp. He does not seem to think Henry has any problems absorbing food, but they are doing tests to check for parasites and other problems anyway.

Next week we visit Dr. Mehendale--http://entfrisco.com/. Henry has bad ear infections now, and we need to just have a general examination to make sure everything is okay.

We return today to Dr. Sickler's office and again on Monday. It is a long way to drive, at least two hours and sometimes in heavy traffic. But it is worth it to feel that we are finally in the hands of someone who knows about the issues Henry faces.

Last night we went to the pharmacy to get Henry's fourth prescription for anti-biotics. This one is for the upper respirtory

Last night we went to a pharmacy to get Henry's fourth prescription for an anti-biotic. This is to clear up the ear infections and upper respirtory infection that no doubt causes Henry to have headaches and trouble catching his breath.