It's been way too long since I've had the time to sit down and upload some pictures and write a journal entry.
Life with Alex continues to be a joy and a delight. He's such a happy baby and we're so grateful to have him in our family.
Alex is now walking full tilt about 95% of the time. He often looks like a drunken sailor, but he's actually pretty darned good at getting around on two feet now. We bought him the cutest pair of sandals for our trip to Walt Disney World, and once he got used to wearing them, he's been doing great walking around outside as well.
Chris and I had been busy for the past few weeks working on plans for Alex's upcoming Tol (first birthday party) as well as our trip to Disney with Kathy, Steve and the girls.
We just got back last night after spending 5 days at Walt Disney World (WDW) and we had a great time.
We had gone down to Buffalo the night before our flight because of the potential delays at the border. Our crossing went pretty smoothly as we had all of Alex's paperwork with us. He was great in the hotel and slept through most of the night and was ready to get going to Disney early the next morning.
The flight down was a dream, with Alex falling asleep about 5 minutes after take-off on the first leg of the trip and he slept right through the flight and stop-over in Baltimore and only woke up about 30 minutes into the flight to Orlando. He was great on the flight and kept the people around us entertained by flirting with them and giggling lots.
We arrived in WDW after a long day of travel and checked into our hotel and quickly met up with Kathy, Steve, Jennifer and Sarah for a light dinner at our hotel. After a short walk around the grounds, we headed off to our room around 8:30 to get settled as it was to be an early morning at the Magic Kingdom the next day.
With Kathy's expert planning and knowledge of the parks, we headed straight to ride Dumbo with Alex and the girls (pictures in the latest photo album), and then also got to go on Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh's Big Adventure and It's a Small World. Alex LOVED them all and spent the time clapping to the music or gazing around at all of the sights in the rides. From there, we were also able to have Chris ride Space Mountain with Jennifer twice, and also we got to go on Splash Mountain with Jennifer (Alex was asleep in his stroller and being watched by Kathy at the time), and then we went to have lunch at the Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and his friends.
The lunch was lots of fun, if a bit chaotic at times, and we then headed out to see Mickey's PhilharMagic (3D movie) and then went to get Alex's hair cut at the barbershop in Disney before doing a bit of shopping on Main Street. We'd read about the barbershop online and learned that they would do a baby's first haircut and also give us a keepsake certificate and give him special "first haircut" Mickey ears, so that was one thing on our major "must do" list.
After that, we headed over to Kathy & Steve's hotel for an afternoon of relaxing in the room and swimming in the hotel's amazing pool. From there, it was out to celebrate Jennifer's 10th birthday at a nice dinner before taking a boat across the water to MGM Studios to ride the Tower of Terror with Jennifer.
After that busy day, we got back to our hotel room and pretty much collapsed.
The next day was much quieter as we spent it at Epcot doing only a few of the new or big rides. We got to ride Mission Space with Jennifer (Kathy and Steve were off with Sarah in another area of the park and Chris and I used Disney's amazing 'baby-swap' process to be able to both get a chance to ride, while one of us stayed with Alex in a play area). We all LOVED that ride and it's a shame that it tends to make so many people sick as it's a lot of fun. From there, Jennifer and Chris went onto Test Track and then we headed over to the new "Soaring" ride they just opened up at Epcot. The ride simulates a hangliding trip through different areas of California and it was lots of fun for everyone.
From there, we went back to check into our hotel (both families had switched hotels for the last two nights so we could all stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge) and went for a swim and had a nap before having dinner at a wonderful restaurant in the hotel. Unfortunately, before we could even really start our meal, Alex got a bit sick so we took him back to the room and had a quiet night in. Alex had a fever on and off that night and wasn't hungry at all, but overall he was doing pretty well. We stayed in all of the next morning to be sure Alex was okay and then headed over to the Animal Kingdom Park for an hour to do two rides (the Safari and River Rapid ride). From there, it was back to the hotel for a nap or swim for everyone, and then we headed over to the Polynesian Resort for our last Disney dinner.
After dinner we walked around the hotel's grounds and Alex got to play in a fountain/splash pad and he had a great time getting soaked. After that, it was another pretty quiet night with lots of packing and organizing for both families.
We had time the next morning for a breakfast with the nieces and a final swim together before they had to head out for their flight home. Chris and I relaxed a bit more around the hotel before heading out for our own flight home that afternoon.
It was a wonderful trip, but it was certainly nice to get home and to be able to sleep in our own beds again.
We now have a few weeks before Alex's first birthday... the time seems to have just flown by and our little baby already seems like he's more little boy than infant. We're having such fun with him and enjoying all he's learning to do, but it's also a bit overwhelming to think how fast he's growing up and changing. I'm sure all parents feel that sense of time speeding by, but perhaps it's more acute when you've already missed so much of their first year before they were home with you.
I'll try to be better about posting pictures more regularly and writing more frequent updates. Bye for now.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
He's Growing Up So Fast
We've now reached a few crucial milestones with our sweet Alex. He turned 10 months old and also reached the three-month mark since he's been home with us. On April 15 (3 months exactly since our "Gotcha" Day), Alex took his first "real" steps. While we're thrilled beyond words at how exciting this step is, I can't help but feel that the time is passing so quickly.
When Alex arrived here, he was really only drinking bottled formula and a bit of rice cereal and was sitting up, but would still topple over from time to time. Soon after he came home, he was doing the soldier crawl, and it feels like we've just whizzed through the stage of him crawling, then crab walking, then cruising along furniture, to taking his own steps now. I'm sure it's the same for all parents, and we all wish there was a *pause* button we could use for different stages, but it's still bittersweet to have Alex turning into a little boy so quickly.
For the past few weeks, Alex had been letting go of furniture and toppling forward, but I didn't count it as real steps because it was more forward momentum, or falling forward while you take a step or two, and not an actual attempt at getting from one place to the next on somewhat steady feet.
In the newest album, I have pictures of his first steps (with him grinning and squealing in delight the entire time lol), and at that time, he could do 2-3 steps before resorting to a crawl or losing his balance. Now, only a couple of days later, he's able to walk across the family room, and can even correct himself if he starts to lose his balance. Granted, our family room isn't huge and he falls an awful lot still, but it's still so amazing to us to watch his progression and learning from day to day (The second set of walking pictures were from tonight where he was walking across the room to me - not sure what the interest in the sock is, but he seemed to have fun putting it from his hand to his mouth as he walked *chuckles*).
We've also been having fun with Alex learning to point out things like our nose, eyes, mouth, etc. He's picking up new things everyday, and he seems to understand so much now. He understands if I ask for a kiss or a hug, and it almost makes me cry each time he cuddles up for a hug from either of us.
We've been out and about with Alex a bit over the past couple of weeks. We attended another Seoul-Mates gathering (playgroup for families adopting from/who have adopted from Korea), and that was lots of fun, although we didn't get as much time to visit with people as we'd have liked to as we had plans in Toronto that day as well.
We've seen Grandma Rice a couple of times in Toronto since she's been in town for the past week, and we also got a chance to see Chris' sister, her daughters and her boyfriend. Our niece, Sarah (on Chris' side of the family - so you're not confused), has decided to do a speech for her school project on how she got a cousin from South Korea, so she's been busy gathering information on the adoption, and pictures of Alex.
We also had a delightful dinner with friends of ours, Willem and Christine who also adopted a baby from Korea. They are one of the first couples we met in this process, and we've kept in touch ever since. Their son (also named Alex) is now 19 months old and he's an absolute doll. We met up in Cambridge and went out for a Korean dinner at a new local restaurant. The staff were all so nice to us and the boys, and the food was wonderful. I included a couple of pictures from that dinner in the newest album.
Our only other big news at this time is that we'll be going to Walt Disney World in 3 weeks. Kathy, Steve and the girls will be down there for 9 days, so we're flying down and spending 4 days with them at the parks. It'll be Jennifer's 10th birthday there, so we've promised to take her onto the Tower of Terror!
When Alex arrived here, he was really only drinking bottled formula and a bit of rice cereal and was sitting up, but would still topple over from time to time. Soon after he came home, he was doing the soldier crawl, and it feels like we've just whizzed through the stage of him crawling, then crab walking, then cruising along furniture, to taking his own steps now. I'm sure it's the same for all parents, and we all wish there was a *pause* button we could use for different stages, but it's still bittersweet to have Alex turning into a little boy so quickly.
For the past few weeks, Alex had been letting go of furniture and toppling forward, but I didn't count it as real steps because it was more forward momentum, or falling forward while you take a step or two, and not an actual attempt at getting from one place to the next on somewhat steady feet.
In the newest album, I have pictures of his first steps (with him grinning and squealing in delight the entire time lol), and at that time, he could do 2-3 steps before resorting to a crawl or losing his balance. Now, only a couple of days later, he's able to walk across the family room, and can even correct himself if he starts to lose his balance. Granted, our family room isn't huge and he falls an awful lot still, but it's still so amazing to us to watch his progression and learning from day to day (The second set of walking pictures were from tonight where he was walking across the room to me - not sure what the interest in the sock is, but he seemed to have fun putting it from his hand to his mouth as he walked *chuckles*).
We've also been having fun with Alex learning to point out things like our nose, eyes, mouth, etc. He's picking up new things everyday, and he seems to understand so much now. He understands if I ask for a kiss or a hug, and it almost makes me cry each time he cuddles up for a hug from either of us.
We've been out and about with Alex a bit over the past couple of weeks. We attended another Seoul-Mates gathering (playgroup for families adopting from/who have adopted from Korea), and that was lots of fun, although we didn't get as much time to visit with people as we'd have liked to as we had plans in Toronto that day as well.
We've seen Grandma Rice a couple of times in Toronto since she's been in town for the past week, and we also got a chance to see Chris' sister, her daughters and her boyfriend. Our niece, Sarah (on Chris' side of the family - so you're not confused), has decided to do a speech for her school project on how she got a cousin from South Korea, so she's been busy gathering information on the adoption, and pictures of Alex.
We also had a delightful dinner with friends of ours, Willem and Christine who also adopted a baby from Korea. They are one of the first couples we met in this process, and we've kept in touch ever since. Their son (also named Alex) is now 19 months old and he's an absolute doll. We met up in Cambridge and went out for a Korean dinner at a new local restaurant. The staff were all so nice to us and the boys, and the food was wonderful. I included a couple of pictures from that dinner in the newest album.
Our only other big news at this time is that we'll be going to Walt Disney World in 3 weeks. Kathy, Steve and the girls will be down there for 9 days, so we're flying down and spending 4 days with them at the parks. It'll be Jennifer's 10th birthday there, so we've promised to take her onto the Tower of Terror!
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Early April Updates
Well it's been eons since I've been able to get the time to sit down and upload some pictures and write a journal entry. I'll try to capture some of the exciting times in our household over the past few weeks. I've also uploaded a bunch of pictures in a new folder.
Alex is still doing amazingly well. Sleeping through the night is still not something he does very often, but given how easily he goes to sleep and down for 90% of his naps, the one or two times he wakes during the night aren't a big deal at all.
One of our biggest things we did was to take Alex to Kingston again for Easter. We had the whole schedule worked out perfectly so we'd be leaving around 9:30/10:00 a.m., just as Alex would be ready for his nap. Well, he woke up earlier than normal, and after breakfast while we were rushing around loading up the dishwasher and tidying up a few things, he fell asleep in his high chair having some cheerios. He'd never done that before, and it was quite a shock to have him drop off to sleep while still in the chair.
Needless to say, that changed our time schedule for the drive, but overall it was a great trip with Alex sleeping for much of it, and playing happily with toys or one parent while he was in the car seat.
The weekend in Kingston was a blast. Both of Alex's cousins were wonderful with him, and they all really had lots of fun. Alex kept everyone entertained with how mobile he is now, and how much he'd changed in only a few short weeks.
We were able to go swimming one of the afternoons with the two nieces, and we also had some fun on various easter hunts, including a big neighbourhood hunt down at the beach/dock for all of the kids who were around, followed by a brunch at a neighbours.
Alex is eating more 'regular' food now, but it's still mostly a mix of baby food and adult food and formula. He's not a picky eater at all, but I would have to say that chicken seems to be his favourite 'real' food so far.
Alex is also just mere moments (or so it seems) from walking. He's standing more easily with only one hand lightly on us or a toy or furniture to steady himself, and he's also been letting go of things and standing independently for longer periods of time (still only 5-10 seconds, but it's been quite exciting to watch him get better with each try).
We also took out some of the more "grown up" toys we've received as gifts, and we were shocked when Alex figured out on his own that his sports toy had a basketball hoop where you could put balls and they'd drop down and come out the bottom. He's done it many times over, and seems to enjoy figuring things like this out.
We also were able to get to London for a dinner at Chris' sister's place with her boyfriend and the two nieces. There were tons of laughs and a wonderful meal, and Alex enjoyed the visit a lot.
Well, that's probably it for our big news. We have another Seoul-Mates gathering this weekend we're planning on attending in Kitchener, so we're looking forward to that.
Alex is still doing amazingly well. Sleeping through the night is still not something he does very often, but given how easily he goes to sleep and down for 90% of his naps, the one or two times he wakes during the night aren't a big deal at all.
One of our biggest things we did was to take Alex to Kingston again for Easter. We had the whole schedule worked out perfectly so we'd be leaving around 9:30/10:00 a.m., just as Alex would be ready for his nap. Well, he woke up earlier than normal, and after breakfast while we were rushing around loading up the dishwasher and tidying up a few things, he fell asleep in his high chair having some cheerios. He'd never done that before, and it was quite a shock to have him drop off to sleep while still in the chair.
Needless to say, that changed our time schedule for the drive, but overall it was a great trip with Alex sleeping for much of it, and playing happily with toys or one parent while he was in the car seat.
The weekend in Kingston was a blast. Both of Alex's cousins were wonderful with him, and they all really had lots of fun. Alex kept everyone entertained with how mobile he is now, and how much he'd changed in only a few short weeks.
We were able to go swimming one of the afternoons with the two nieces, and we also had some fun on various easter hunts, including a big neighbourhood hunt down at the beach/dock for all of the kids who were around, followed by a brunch at a neighbours.
Alex is eating more 'regular' food now, but it's still mostly a mix of baby food and adult food and formula. He's not a picky eater at all, but I would have to say that chicken seems to be his favourite 'real' food so far.
Alex is also just mere moments (or so it seems) from walking. He's standing more easily with only one hand lightly on us or a toy or furniture to steady himself, and he's also been letting go of things and standing independently for longer periods of time (still only 5-10 seconds, but it's been quite exciting to watch him get better with each try).
We also took out some of the more "grown up" toys we've received as gifts, and we were shocked when Alex figured out on his own that his sports toy had a basketball hoop where you could put balls and they'd drop down and come out the bottom. He's done it many times over, and seems to enjoy figuring things like this out.
We also were able to get to London for a dinner at Chris' sister's place with her boyfriend and the two nieces. There were tons of laughs and a wonderful meal, and Alex enjoyed the visit a lot.
Well, that's probably it for our big news. We have another Seoul-Mates gathering this weekend we're planning on attending in Kitchener, so we're looking forward to that.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Catching Up On Things
It's been a couple of weeks since I've had time to sit down and upload some new pictures and write a quick update.
Alex continues to keep us busy, and we're really settling happily into life with our son. Alex is still a very happy, healthy and active baby and we sometimes can't get over how well he's fit into our lives. His personality is starting to show through more now, and he's also refining a lot of his motor skills.
Since my last entry, Alex has really started to get around the place. Not only can he crawl at a very fast pace, but he's also now started to crab walk (bum in air, walking on hands and feet) from time to time, and he's pulling himself up on EVERYTHING and cruising around the room from one piece of furniture to the next.
Alex is also getting much better about using his hands and fingers with smaller things like cheerios or pieces of fruit or other food. He now gets almost everything into his mouth instead of having it somehow drop out of his fingers enroute to his mouth.
Alex is also starting to express his opinions a bit more by pushing our hands aside if we cover a toy he wants, or by getting frustrated if something he wants is taken from him or is out of reach. He still doesn't seem to have much of a temper, but it is interesting to see how his personality is evolving as he becomes a bit more independent.
We've been sticking close to home a bit this week as all three of us ended up with the sniffles again, but we have been taking him out for walks when the weather cooperates, and Chris took Alex on a shopping trip to Chapters and Zehrs, and Alex spent the whole time flirting with people in the stores, or making his dad laugh.
Today (Sunday), we're taking Alex to a short meeting that Children's Bridge (our amazing adoption agency) is holding for couples who are considering adoption. They hold these information sessions in different cities, and they ask local parents and their babies/kids to come by at the end to answer questions and meet people.
Our big plans coming up are to take Alex to Kingston for Easter, and the whole family will be there, except Mary who could not get the time off work (she'll be missed lots!) I'm sure it'll be tons of fun with Alex being able to spend some time with his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We'll be sure to take tons of pictures and post them upon our return.
I've put up a new picture album that includes a few recent pictures of Alex, but also has some older ones I received from my cousin's wife, Denise and my sister, Jenny. The pictures include the shower that took place back in January (the day before we heard that Alex was coming home!), as well as a picture of Alex with friends of ours (who are expecting their first child almost any day now), some airport homecoming pictures and also some pictures from the time we took Alex swimming with Jennifer and Sarah when they were in town.
Alex continues to keep us busy, and we're really settling happily into life with our son. Alex is still a very happy, healthy and active baby and we sometimes can't get over how well he's fit into our lives. His personality is starting to show through more now, and he's also refining a lot of his motor skills.
Since my last entry, Alex has really started to get around the place. Not only can he crawl at a very fast pace, but he's also now started to crab walk (bum in air, walking on hands and feet) from time to time, and he's pulling himself up on EVERYTHING and cruising around the room from one piece of furniture to the next.
Alex is also getting much better about using his hands and fingers with smaller things like cheerios or pieces of fruit or other food. He now gets almost everything into his mouth instead of having it somehow drop out of his fingers enroute to his mouth.
Alex is also starting to express his opinions a bit more by pushing our hands aside if we cover a toy he wants, or by getting frustrated if something he wants is taken from him or is out of reach. He still doesn't seem to have much of a temper, but it is interesting to see how his personality is evolving as he becomes a bit more independent.
We've been sticking close to home a bit this week as all three of us ended up with the sniffles again, but we have been taking him out for walks when the weather cooperates, and Chris took Alex on a shopping trip to Chapters and Zehrs, and Alex spent the whole time flirting with people in the stores, or making his dad laugh.
Today (Sunday), we're taking Alex to a short meeting that Children's Bridge (our amazing adoption agency) is holding for couples who are considering adoption. They hold these information sessions in different cities, and they ask local parents and their babies/kids to come by at the end to answer questions and meet people.
Our big plans coming up are to take Alex to Kingston for Easter, and the whole family will be there, except Mary who could not get the time off work (she'll be missed lots!) I'm sure it'll be tons of fun with Alex being able to spend some time with his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We'll be sure to take tons of pictures and post them upon our return.
I've put up a new picture album that includes a few recent pictures of Alex, but also has some older ones I received from my cousin's wife, Denise and my sister, Jenny. The pictures include the shower that took place back in January (the day before we heard that Alex was coming home!), as well as a picture of Alex with friends of ours (who are expecting their first child almost any day now), some airport homecoming pictures and also some pictures from the time we took Alex swimming with Jennifer and Sarah when they were in town.
Monday, March 7, 2005
Adventures in Babyland
Well, it's been another fun week in the Reeves household. We've been doing lots of different things, and Alex has been having fun with visits to different people and trying new things.
Our week started with a visit to a new doctor who has agreed to take all three of us on as patients. Since moving to this area, we haven't yet been able to find a doctor that is taking on new patients and is also not creepy or a bit frustrating.
A pediatrician that we saw soon after Alex came home was kind enough to get us in with a doctor he knew who was also an adoptive mom. She normally wouldn't take on new patients, but she's agreed to in our case and we were totally thrilled with our appointment with her!
Chris has been referred to an ENT for his hearing troubles and perforated eardrum and Alex got two shots that are part of the new vaccine program the Ontario government has launched. Alex didn't like that part, but the rest of the checkup went really well.
One of the biggest bits of excitement in our household was finally introducing Alex to some finger foods. I'd hesitated doing so out of fear he'd choke, but everyone assured me he was ready for this step (still not sure if I was ready for this step myself), so we tried him on some cheerios that were broken in half, and then also gave him a teething biscuit the next day.
Alex took to it all really well, and he concentrates so much on getting his new foods into his mouth (I put some pictures in the newest album). He's great at picking things up with his thumb and finger... but that doesn't necessarily mean it actually makes it into his mouth, but I'd say he's got about a 75% success rate for actually getting the food where he intended it to go. Failing that, I think he's realized that cheerios will stick to his hand if it's wet, so he just puts his hand down on a few of them and sucks them off his palm. We'll continue to introduce more finger foods, plus we're now focusing more on foods that have more texture and taste... once he got over the initial surprise of food that wasn't pureed, he stopped spitting it out and now is quite comfortable with the new tastes and textures.
We had a pretty busy Sunday with him, with a visit with our social worker for our two-month report (which is required by Korea). We had a lovely visit with her, and then she surprised us with having another couple drop by whose son, Nathan, came home only 3 weeks ago. We adore this couple, but haven't had any chance to see them in months, so it was a wonderful treat for us to see them and their adorable son (more pics in the same new album).
We then went over to my see my cousin Nick, Denise and their daughter Maddy and had a great visit with them and our Aunt Julie (who was there for a bit as well). The kids got along very well, and Madison was great about sharing some of her toys and keeping us all entertained (again, more pics in the album, including one that Nick and Chris thought would be funny with Alex and a bottle of beer *grins*).
After that, it was home for a couple of hours and then we were treated to a dinner out with Chris' sister, her boyfriend and her two daughters, Amanda and Sarah. We had a great time and the kids were all really well behaved.
Today starts another work week for Chris, and I'm hoping to get out a bit more with Alex now that I'm confident he'll be okay in new situations and with new people.
I'll be sure to post another update as soon as I can.
Our week started with a visit to a new doctor who has agreed to take all three of us on as patients. Since moving to this area, we haven't yet been able to find a doctor that is taking on new patients and is also not creepy or a bit frustrating.
A pediatrician that we saw soon after Alex came home was kind enough to get us in with a doctor he knew who was also an adoptive mom. She normally wouldn't take on new patients, but she's agreed to in our case and we were totally thrilled with our appointment with her!
Chris has been referred to an ENT for his hearing troubles and perforated eardrum and Alex got two shots that are part of the new vaccine program the Ontario government has launched. Alex didn't like that part, but the rest of the checkup went really well.
One of the biggest bits of excitement in our household was finally introducing Alex to some finger foods. I'd hesitated doing so out of fear he'd choke, but everyone assured me he was ready for this step (still not sure if I was ready for this step myself), so we tried him on some cheerios that were broken in half, and then also gave him a teething biscuit the next day.
Alex took to it all really well, and he concentrates so much on getting his new foods into his mouth (I put some pictures in the newest album). He's great at picking things up with his thumb and finger... but that doesn't necessarily mean it actually makes it into his mouth, but I'd say he's got about a 75% success rate for actually getting the food where he intended it to go. Failing that, I think he's realized that cheerios will stick to his hand if it's wet, so he just puts his hand down on a few of them and sucks them off his palm. We'll continue to introduce more finger foods, plus we're now focusing more on foods that have more texture and taste... once he got over the initial surprise of food that wasn't pureed, he stopped spitting it out and now is quite comfortable with the new tastes and textures.
We had a pretty busy Sunday with him, with a visit with our social worker for our two-month report (which is required by Korea). We had a lovely visit with her, and then she surprised us with having another couple drop by whose son, Nathan, came home only 3 weeks ago. We adore this couple, but haven't had any chance to see them in months, so it was a wonderful treat for us to see them and their adorable son (more pics in the same new album).
We then went over to my see my cousin Nick, Denise and their daughter Maddy and had a great visit with them and our Aunt Julie (who was there for a bit as well). The kids got along very well, and Madison was great about sharing some of her toys and keeping us all entertained (again, more pics in the album, including one that Nick and Chris thought would be funny with Alex and a bottle of beer *grins*).
After that, it was home for a couple of hours and then we were treated to a dinner out with Chris' sister, her boyfriend and her two daughters, Amanda and Sarah. We had a great time and the kids were all really well behaved.
Today starts another work week for Chris, and I'm hoping to get out a bit more with Alex now that I'm confident he'll be okay in new situations and with new people.
I'll be sure to post another update as soon as I can.
Monday, February 28, 2005
February Comes to an End
Another week has simply flown by. We've been incredibly busy yet again, and Alex continues to bring us so much joy and happiness.
Both Alex and Chris showed signs of having ear infections, so we were off to the doctor earlier in the week. Alex's ears did look pink, so the doctor gave us a prescription for antibiotics but we all agreed we'd try to wait a day or two to see if it would resolve itself without the meds, and thankfully it did.
Chris' ear troubles seem to be harder to get rid of, and antibiotics don't seem to be working for him, so I think he'll be back at the doctor again this week if it doesn't fix itself soon.
After losing Gulliver on Monday, we decided to take Thursday and Friday off and make a trip to Kingston to see the grandparents. We left after breakfast on Thursday morning, and Alex was wonderful for the entire trip.
He slept for most of the drive into Toronto and when he woke up we stopped for lunch for the three of us in Whitby, and then went by to visit Christine and her son Alex (another adorable baby boy adopted from Korea in 2004). The two Alex's got on quite well, and it was amazing to see how grown up the other Alex has become now that he's almost 18 months old.
After that quick visit, we went over to Chris' head office (also located in Whitby) to visit with his co-workers there. Alex didn't play strange at all, and flirted shamelessly with everyone there (he must get it from Chris). We were there for about an hour and then got back on the road again, and Alex soon drifted back off to sleep and woke up as we were on the outskirts of Kingston.
Over the whole weekend, Alex was a total delight. He warmed up to his Grandma and Grandpa and smiled and giggled with them a lot, and loved playing with them. He slept very well, which was a relief considering it was a strange setting for him, plus he was in a travel playpen/crib instead of his own crib at home.
We loved having some time to visit with the family in Kingston, and for Alex to get some time to bond with his loving grandparents.
The drive home on Sunday went very well, with Alex either sleeping or chatting away in his car seat.
As much as the trip was wonderful, it was nice to get home, although coming into a house without our little dog continues to be hard on both of us.
I've posted a few pictures of Alex standing up in his crib as well as a couple of pictures from Kingston as well.
Both Alex and Chris showed signs of having ear infections, so we were off to the doctor earlier in the week. Alex's ears did look pink, so the doctor gave us a prescription for antibiotics but we all agreed we'd try to wait a day or two to see if it would resolve itself without the meds, and thankfully it did.
Chris' ear troubles seem to be harder to get rid of, and antibiotics don't seem to be working for him, so I think he'll be back at the doctor again this week if it doesn't fix itself soon.
After losing Gulliver on Monday, we decided to take Thursday and Friday off and make a trip to Kingston to see the grandparents. We left after breakfast on Thursday morning, and Alex was wonderful for the entire trip.
He slept for most of the drive into Toronto and when he woke up we stopped for lunch for the three of us in Whitby, and then went by to visit Christine and her son Alex (another adorable baby boy adopted from Korea in 2004). The two Alex's got on quite well, and it was amazing to see how grown up the other Alex has become now that he's almost 18 months old.
After that quick visit, we went over to Chris' head office (also located in Whitby) to visit with his co-workers there. Alex didn't play strange at all, and flirted shamelessly with everyone there (he must get it from Chris). We were there for about an hour and then got back on the road again, and Alex soon drifted back off to sleep and woke up as we were on the outskirts of Kingston.
Over the whole weekend, Alex was a total delight. He warmed up to his Grandma and Grandpa and smiled and giggled with them a lot, and loved playing with them. He slept very well, which was a relief considering it was a strange setting for him, plus he was in a travel playpen/crib instead of his own crib at home.
We loved having some time to visit with the family in Kingston, and for Alex to get some time to bond with his loving grandparents.
The drive home on Sunday went very well, with Alex either sleeping or chatting away in his car seat.
As much as the trip was wonderful, it was nice to get home, although coming into a house without our little dog continues to be hard on both of us.
I've posted a few pictures of Alex standing up in his crib as well as a couple of pictures from Kingston as well.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Lots of Exciting Firsts
Well, this past week and weekend has been chock full of lots of fun and exciting firsts for Alexander.
Alex's cousin, Jennifer (Kathy's eldest daughter) was playing in a basketball tournament in Cambridge this past weekend, so Alex got to go to his first basketball game, and also got to see his cousins, aunts and grandma at the games and at some other times over the weekend.
On Saturday night, following the last basketball game (Jennifer's team played really well and it was an exciting game, to say the least), we all went out for dinner at the Keg. Alex was wonderful for the whole dinner and didn't fuss at all.
Then, on Sunday morning, Chris and I took Alex over to the hotel where the family was staying and we took Alex for his first swim. Even though the water was a wee bit on the cold side (nice once you were in), Alex loved it. He took to it very well, and was soon splashing up a storm and grinning for his cousins who were swimming with us.
On Sunday night, Alex didn't sleep as well as he normally does, so we started the day off pretty exhausted and had also decided that today was the day we were taking Gulliver to the vet to be put down. His cancer was more aggressive than we were expecting it to be, and he was starting to show some signs of being very uncomfortable and unhappy and we hated to see him suffering. He had a rough night last night and had finally lost his appetite, so we knew it was the right time. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but our sorrow is balanced by our joy of having our son home with us and doing so well.
Alex must have sensed that we needed some cheering up today as he pulled out all of the stops to delight and amaze us. Not only did he show signs that he's learning to wave (although not necessarily at anyone in particular), he also pulled himself up into a standing position for the first time today (and repeated it over and over again throughout the day), but he also figured out how to get from crawling and being on his tummy to getting back to a sitting position.
He's such a joy to have around, and it's amazing how much he learns and figures out with each passing day. It's almost as if you can see the little baby brain working overtime as he learns each new thing and puts it into practice.
We've decided to go away this weekend for our first trip with Alex. We'll be going to Kingston to visit the grandparents, and also bring Alex into Chris' head office in Whitby so his co-workers can meet him. We'd been hoping to make a trip sometime soon, and with losing Gulliver so soon, we decided we needed to get away so we're able to distract ourselves a bit.
We'll be sure to post some more pictures and let you know how the trip goes.
I've posted a few new pictures in a new album. We had gone to a photographer in Burlington a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to post some scans but wanted to wait until I had given a couple of copies to family before posting them here. For anyone looking for a fun and talented photographer, you might want to check out Kim at Kreative Edge (www.kreativeedge.net). We had our portraits taken there for the adoption dossier and knew we wanted to have Alex's first professional pictures done with her as well.
Alex's cousin, Jennifer (Kathy's eldest daughter) was playing in a basketball tournament in Cambridge this past weekend, so Alex got to go to his first basketball game, and also got to see his cousins, aunts and grandma at the games and at some other times over the weekend.
On Saturday night, following the last basketball game (Jennifer's team played really well and it was an exciting game, to say the least), we all went out for dinner at the Keg. Alex was wonderful for the whole dinner and didn't fuss at all.
Then, on Sunday morning, Chris and I took Alex over to the hotel where the family was staying and we took Alex for his first swim. Even though the water was a wee bit on the cold side (nice once you were in), Alex loved it. He took to it very well, and was soon splashing up a storm and grinning for his cousins who were swimming with us.
On Sunday night, Alex didn't sleep as well as he normally does, so we started the day off pretty exhausted and had also decided that today was the day we were taking Gulliver to the vet to be put down. His cancer was more aggressive than we were expecting it to be, and he was starting to show some signs of being very uncomfortable and unhappy and we hated to see him suffering. He had a rough night last night and had finally lost his appetite, so we knew it was the right time. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but our sorrow is balanced by our joy of having our son home with us and doing so well.
Alex must have sensed that we needed some cheering up today as he pulled out all of the stops to delight and amaze us. Not only did he show signs that he's learning to wave (although not necessarily at anyone in particular), he also pulled himself up into a standing position for the first time today (and repeated it over and over again throughout the day), but he also figured out how to get from crawling and being on his tummy to getting back to a sitting position.
He's such a joy to have around, and it's amazing how much he learns and figures out with each passing day. It's almost as if you can see the little baby brain working overtime as he learns each new thing and puts it into practice.
We've decided to go away this weekend for our first trip with Alex. We'll be going to Kingston to visit the grandparents, and also bring Alex into Chris' head office in Whitby so his co-workers can meet him. We'd been hoping to make a trip sometime soon, and with losing Gulliver so soon, we decided we needed to get away so we're able to distract ourselves a bit.
We'll be sure to post some more pictures and let you know how the trip goes.
I've posted a few new pictures in a new album. We had gone to a photographer in Burlington a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to post some scans but wanted to wait until I had given a couple of copies to family before posting them here. For anyone looking for a fun and talented photographer, you might want to check out Kim at Kreative Edge (www.kreativeedge.net). We had our portraits taken there for the adoption dossier and knew we wanted to have Alex's first professional pictures done with her as well.
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