The last 5 days at home in Sioux Falls has had some ups and some downs. On a positive note, Malachi is doing WONDERFUL! We can already tell he is exploring, taking more in, reaching, looking, etc. Has is eating well–not with a spoon yet–although he has been watching us more and more closely as we eat with a spoon, and we are over exaggerating the joys of eating with utensils! He is having regular bowel movements (they have been much softer as we’ve incorporated a steady intake of prune juice to his diet), and he seems to be sleeping much better. In Serbia, he slept like a fish out of water–literally flopping and kicking all night. He also wouldn’t sleep until he did his night time routine of rocking, sucking, etc. Now, he sleeps like a log, and hasn’t been doing any sleep routines. He LOVES the bath–it’s his and our favorite time of the day.
The harder parts have been with us! The first few days back, our main emotion was concern and worry. Every little face he made or whimper was “is he okay? What was that? What do we do?” On Saturday, he was really fussy, he wasn’t eating, he felt hot, and we were freaking. We took him to the weekend clinic, and it was there that we realized, we need to chill out a little! The doctor was so unmoved, and found nothing other than a boy that might be fighting off a tiny bug. When we got home, Malachi ate and slept most of the day. Needless to say, we are learning lots, and learning to relax a little too!
Other than that, we are rejoicing, and having a blast. It is so fun to introduce Malachi to new toys, and new rooms in our home. He seems to be enjoying freedom to play and explore and learn. His little mind seems to be absorbing so much. It is a joy to see.
We feel he is starting to know there is something about us–we’re still here–these same people aren’t leaving! However, it’s hard to tell what his concept of attachment and “parents” are yet. Everyday seems to be getting better and better though.