Progress

It is really hard to believe that Michael has been with us for 6 months this coming Wednesday. He is such a happy boy. He loves to do things to make us all laugh. He wants to call Gamma and Papa everyday whether we use the phone or the webcam. He enjoys playing with his cousin Joseph. For now, he likes to help pick up his toys and put away his dirty clothes. He can't wait to take his bath and brush his teeth in the evenings. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He is just the sweetest little boy.

Also, He has made so much progress and has really grown. He has gained 7 lbs and grown 5 inches since we brought him home. He has wowed us and all of the doctors/therapists with his progress. 6 months ago this little boy was living in an orphanage and had never heard a word of English. In no time, he bonded with the two of us which amazed everyone. Also, he understands almost everything that we tell him. He has adjusted to life with us and going to daycare during the week beautifully. He also is eating all table food now. He LOVES to eat.

Over the past two weeks Michael has started saying new words and phrases almost daily. The words are not all perfect or exact, but we can tell what he is saying. Here are the things that he can say right now..... Mama (first word), Baba, hi, hike, hey, bye bye, yea, yay, Papa, Gamma, moo, milk, Manny (he loves the cartoon Handy Manny), home (which is our favorite word), up, out, eat, help, Elmo, baby, ow, woah, hat, ball, hair, car, Erica (one of his teachers), uhoh, more, hi Mama, hi Baba, more milk, uhoh Mama (his first phrase), and come here (he wiggles his finger at you when he says this one). I may be missing some, but we are trying to keep up as much as we can.

He has been through so much and is so resilient. There are days that I look at him and think about how much he has been through in 2 1/2 years and how he has handled it. It is just amazing. He is one of my heroes.

Below are 3 pictures. The first was taken on July 14th. This was the day we got to hold Michael for the first time. The second is from one of his Christmas pictures. The third is from Christmas day.