Update - 6 Weeks HOME!!

Can you believe it?

We've been home with Jonah and Rees for 6 Weeks!! And we've had them with us for 8!!

TWO MONTHS!!

Two months waiting for them, wondering about them, paper-chasing for them ... seems so long and painful ... BUT TWO MONTHS WITH THEM ... I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE HOW FAST THE LAST TWO MONTHS HAVE GONE!!

This week was Jonah and Rees' first week of school.  Some of you might think that is too quick for them to go to school.  A lot of factors shaped the decision to send them already but most importantly, THEY WANT TO BE THERE.  

That certainly doesn't mean that they won't go through a lot of adjustment as they acclimate to the daily routine of "school" ...

... In just the four days before today, Jonah has kissed a classmate and his teacher's aide, gone around smelling girls' hair, bit the inside of his mouth when following children going down the slide backwards, got a mysterious puffy/bruised eye ... counted, identified letters, learned to spell his name almost perfectly, willingly participates and engages in the activities ...

... Rees, well, our boy Rees really struggled the first few days ... he likes to do what he likes to do when he likes to do it so it was rough for him to have to follow order and structure with the other children.  Before he even joined our family, we sensed this about him ... that he sort of shys away from group activity and participation.  Hopefully, as time goes by, this will soften and he will be happy in a group.  He had several "throw-himself-on-the-floor" fits but by Thursday, he only had one 'upset' and kicked the table (but he did not throw himself on the floor) ... the teacher's aide assured me that this was a huge improvement!  One day he fell asleep and the teacher could not wake him for an hour.  First day, he refused to come in from recess and one of the aides had to chase him around the playground, which he thought was hilarious, I'm sure!  Second day, he was better and lined up cooperatively with the other children as he was supposed to.  By yesterday, Rees had improved a lot!  So thankful!

(the teacher's aide has gotten a lot of nice photos of the boys at school; I'm hoping she actually sends some to me like she said so that I can share them with you all)

Each morning, both boys have shown that they know the routine of putting their things in their lockers, pulling out the morning snack and putting it in the basket, selecting their lunch choice on the smart board (which includes finding their name to move it to the appropriate spot) and putting their take-home folder in the box.  I have watched these things and that has been good for me to see that they are acclimating.  I am documenting these things as much for me as to give an update to our interested readers.  

(learning to trace letters)

(the boys seem to really like art projects)

Hopefully, they will have a great day today!  The children have the next two weeks off for Christmas break.  I will be home with them (which has NEVER happened in ALL my years as a mother!) and I am super excited about that!!!

We will have a few medical appointments over the next two weeks; one will be a follow-up to Jonah's first appointment with the orthodontist who will be coordinating care with the cranio-facial surgeon.  The appointment went well; Jonah was very cooperative and friendly.  The first thing they had to do was take photographs of him, his face, and inside his mouth.  They took this awesome photo and were nice enough to email it to me!!

It turns out that we REALLY DO have our hands full with these two boys who will be having ongoing medical treatments and surgeries virtually at the same time.  Jonah needs to have braces put on with a palate expander as well as the 'jaw distraction' devices that will be surgically placed in his lower jaw.  He will need to be seen by the orthodontist twice a week for THREE MONTHS.  Depending on how his jaw and mouth progresses, subsequent devices may need to be utilized.  Besides that, Jonah will still, at some point, be having surgery to repair the defects in his skull.  The resonating phrase of the appointment was "None of this is going to be easy".  Yikes!!  I'm a little nervous about everything that needs to be done and the timing of everything, especially with me having to go back to work and then needing time off again, and the potential costs that we may incur as their is debate about what will fall under medical and what will be forced under dental.  There's a lot of logistical things that need to be worked out that we are not certain of yet.  We definitely have our hands full but I am doing my best to maintain that just as the LORD worked everything out to bring these boys into our family, He has already gone before us to work everything out with their care and all that it entails.  

My daily devotion yesterday had a "post-it" notation that said this:

"I will not let worry overrule today or this Christmas.  When the King rules my world, I cease to rule or to worry.  All worry dethrones God.  All worrying make me King and God incompetent.  I am going to trust that in the little places, through unexpected people, His perfect story is unfolding and unwrapping all around me and in me, the light overtaking the dark." (annvoskamp.com)

I will cling to that and the words of the LORD in Proverbs 3:5-6 (thank-you, Diane!):

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track. (this is from the Message version)