He is picking up English words and comprehension so fast which is a huge help in lessening bad behavior and tantrums. We feel very fortunate in this department. Between his fine motor skills and his language, he is definitely a little smarty pants and amazes us every day. Each day brings new words to his vocabulary. Some of his words thus far are: Hi, bye-bye, Auden, ball, go, up, down, chicken, yogurt, poopy, pee-pee, banana, apple, balloon, pool, bus, car, block, eyes, belly button, purple, baba (bottle), Nana and the phrase "I don't know" when he hides things and asks us where they are:-). Since he loves singing, he already has picked up the tune to ABCs and other songs I keep singing for him. He is such a little sponge, it is so fun teaching him new things every day!
He still never sits still when in the hotel room. Besides watching the Fresh Beat Band show for 10 mins a day, he is always walking around usually touching things he shouldn't be, ha. Believe me, we are not TV people and limit Auden's iPad and TV usage a lot but we would love if Grant could just sit down for a 30 min. show at night on the television but he has absolutely no interest. He LOVES music though so anything we play for him gets him dancing. Putting classical music on is actually part of his bedtime routine per his foster mom's instructions. We've never listened to classical music so much in our lives but Cody and I are enjoying it, haha. Now that he loves the water, he will put on his bathing suit and says "pool!" even if it's 7pm at night after dinner. Or he will get undressed and try to take a shower, it's pretty hilarious until you have to pull him from the shower crying because he likes playing in there so much now. What a transition this kid has made with water!
When Auden was Grant's age we moved into our new house and we didn't need anymore baby proofing things, stair gates, etc. Auden never got into stuff and all we had to do was tell him not to touch something once and he wouldn't do it again, like picture frames, etc. Auden didn't even leave his bed without calling for us until recently. All Cody and I keep doing is thinking of things we need to proof the house for Grant's arrival because this kid is into everything he is not suppose to be! We need to put child safety locks on kitchen cabinets and drawers, put stair gates up to keep him contained to one floor, take down our leaning shelf of picture frames because I know he will try to climb it, get everything in the garage like paint, chemicals, etc. out of his reach and the list goes on. Auden was never a kid into things like this so this is new territory for us for sure. We need to keep an eye on this one!
The only book he is into right now is the picture book that teaches all the "first words." I'm glad for this but I hope that as his comprehension improves he will enjoying sitting with Auden and I to read a bedtime story because right now his attention span is too short for it. Auden loves books and loves being read to so much I naturally want the same for Grant.
He is still a Daddy's boy but his meanness toward me is lessening each week, thankfully. He mostly gives me hugs and kisses only when Cody is not around though, almost as if he can't break his allegiance to him. They say that an adopted toddler has to bond with one parent before they can bond with the other. In most cases it is the mother but Grant, due to all the adult males (16 and 18 yr old brothers) in his foster home, definitely chose Cody over me. This is still hard, and his attachment to me is likely not going to turn a huge corner until Cody goes back to work once we get home and we spend a lot more one-on-one time together. Thankfully, he does let me rub his back to go to sleep at night, change his diaper, tickle him, blow raspberries and when it's just the two of us he does act more clingy to me. So, hopefully we are getting there, little by little.
We are definitely homesick and can't wait to come home. We are expected to get his visa and leave the country 7/15-7/17, so we have 3 more weeks here. We are trying to make the best of it and know that it's an experience of a lifetime to be able to spend so much time together as a family and learning about Grant's birth country. Especially since our case was the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak, and the big Korea agency we are with just announced last week that they are no longer allowing families to take custody after preliminary approval and do one trip. Since more judges are doing the public posting, this causes such delays like in our case, that they don't want to have to deal with anymore families being in Korea for two months like we will have to be. So me and my two friends in our hotel are the last families allowed to get custody and do one trip.
Here are pictures in their cheesy "little brother" and "big brother" t-shirts:-)
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