The Last Two Weeks

These last two weeks have been action-packed and fun-filled! Somehow it seems that a whole bunch of our summer activities ended up being scheduled during these two weeks, so we had a very full schedule. I taught summer school in the mornings, Rabbit had a week of theater, Tigger and Pooh started swimming lessons, Pooh had two weeks of tennis lessons, and Kellin had a couple therapy sessions and doctor appointments. Some days, it was nonstop - but lots of fun!

There is no doubt in my mind that it has been good to have Kellin home with us for the summer. We are seeing little steps of progress with him nearly every day. Some of his newest accomplishments are learning to suck from a straw or a pureed food pouch, scooping and eating his oatmeal without help (but still prompting), navigating the pool independently with the help of a floatie, and using more sounds and babbling throughout the day. So excited to see what else this summer brings for him!

A few pictures of our recent activities:

Rabbit in her costume (making a silly face). They performed "Beauty and the Beast" and she was the gardener. She did a fabulous job!

Pooh at his tennis class working hard!

Pool fun!!

When there's a tornado warning and you all end up sitting on the floor in the laundry room (or in a laundry basket):

Watching the construction just down the street. Fascinating!

Pizza time! And a great photobomb by Tigger in the background.

Daddy and Kellin nap!

When you're on your way back from Grandma and Grandpa's house, and you had so much fun, and now you're exhausted! Kellin is not actually sleeping but it's still a sweet picture.

One Who Still Waits

I felt like sharing a brief summary of Kellin’s background, for those readers who may be new to this blog.

On September 1^st, 2011, a baby boy was found abandoned in a field in China. He was estimated to be about three days old. He was taken to the hospital and determined to be healthy, with the exception of eyes that hadn’t formed properly. He was taken to the local orphanage.

He was given a name and spent the next nine months in this orphanage. In June of 2012, he was given the opportunity to go and live in a foster care program that specializes in caring for and teaching children who are blind or visually impaired. When he arrived there, he was described as “skinny and sad.” Over the next several months, he gained weight and became a happy baby. He learned to walk with help and started to babble and imitate sounds. In January of 2013, at age 17 months, due to tragic and unfair circumstances, he was forced to return to the orphanage.

Reports from the orphanage indicate that he spent most of his time in a crib, crying. He spent the next two years in that orphanage, in that crib. He lost the ability to walk and talk. He drank a few bottles of formula each day but was fed nothing else. He actually lost weight between the ages of 18 months and 3 ½ years.

In April 2014, his picture and description was posted on Reece’s Rainbow, and that’s where I first saw him. Somehow, I knew the first moment I saw him. We committed to him within a few days and began the adoption process.

Fast forward through several months of paperwork and fundraising, and on January 11^th, 2015, I met him in a hot, stuffy hotel room in Jinan, China. The next day, he officially became our son and his name was changed to the one we had chosen for him.

Kellin was extremely neglected in his orphanage in China. He was denied even basic things like nutrition, attention, and opportunities to explore his world. Unfortunately, this is true of many blind orphans. Blindness is a devastating disability in orphanages, and it is common for these young children to be left in cribs as Kellin was.

I recently saw a post on Facebook about another child who waits. Her story is strikingly similar to Kellin’s, and I want people to see her.

She is called Lola. She is three years old, blind, and spends most of her time in a crib. She is delayed in all areas of her development. Just like Kellin.

https://waitingchildinfo.com/2013/02/01/lola1/

Lola is young, and she is a girl, which are both factors that make her more attractive to potential adoptive families. However, she is also blind and has developmental delays, factors that work against her. Look how far Kellin has come in 16 months – he is walking, jumping, climbing, eating, cuddling, playing, and enjoying life. Lola could do the same – or more – with a loving family, education, and therapy. Somebody please see the potential and beauty in this precious child.

Vacation!

We had a fantastic weekend. We decided to take a few days and head north to one of our favorite vacation spots.

Our first stop was a state park – one we haven’t visited before. We have a “passport” and are trying to collect stamps from all the state parks in our state, and we are now up to 24! When we arrived at the park, it was starting to sprinkle, so we headed into the interpretive center and made it just before it started to pour. Tigger was so excited to see this display about wolves inside; wolves are currently his main interest and he talks about them ALL THE TIME. Anything you want to know about wolves – he can probably tell you. We were treated to a discussion of many facts about wolves on our trip!

After the rain stopped, we headed out to see the swinging bridge this park is known for. It was a solid bridge but had some bounce to it once you got into the middle, which was a little scary for a couple of the kids. Not this kid though – he used his cane and walked confidently across, with Daddy’s help.

We tried to get a picture of all four kids in different locations over the weekend. This is the best one from the state park. It is SO difficult to get them all cooperating in the same picture!

And a couple other pictures from the park:

After leaving the park, we checked into our hotel and then headed out to the beach. This is a rock beach on the shore of Lake Superior. It is SO BEAUTIFUL here. The kids loved collecting rocks and throwing them into the lake.

And look at this guy! Using his cane on a different surface – sand and rocks – and doing it like a champ!

As we walked around later, we checked out this amazing fountain, which has stepping stones for you to walk across. The kids had fun walking through.

And here’s Kellin again, with his cane. I’ll probably say it over and over – but he was AMAZING on this trip!

The next morning, Kellin decided to wake up at 5:30, so I took him outside so the rest of the family could sleep some more. We sat the sunshine by the lake and enjoyed the early morning. Kellin was pretty sure that if he just asked me enough times (by signing), we could find a swing for him (we couldn’t), but once he got over that fussy moment, he had fun.

Later we checked out a different area of the shore. The kids climbed and explored and even put their feet into the COLD water.

We stopped by the well-known rose garden with a fountain, but it didn’t have many flowers yet this early in the summer.

Second attempt at a picture of the four kids!

A few fun pictures from the restaurant at lunchtime!

And Kellin navigating the stairs as we left. Again, amazing!!

At the Coast Guard museum –

The next morning – another early morning walk for Mommy and Kellin –

And a drive up to a park with a tower that offers an amazing view of the lake on our way out of town – and our final attempt at a picture of all four kids.

Overall, this was an amazing trip. We all had a blast, and I was SO PROUD of Kellin! He walked almost everywhere – great exercise – and he used his cane on all kinds of surfaces – sidewalk, sand, rocks, grass, and steps. He’s awesome!!