Notes on Andrew: home one week

• Andrew loves bananas. I mean: loves. I mean: like a monkey loves bananas!
• He likes rice, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, Cheerios—though he’s been known to choke on them, grilled cheese, tomato soup, graham crackers, bread and tolerates carrots, peas, and string beans.
• He hates applesauce and cottage cheese.
• He will go to anyone. He walks up to strangers and holds his hands up to be picked up and seems content in their arms.
• He no longer needs to constantly swing his arms forward to walk. His legs are getting stronger from the illness that made him so weak.
• He started to cry when placed in bed, after about 2 weeks of silence. I found out that Cherish—who had been sleeping in his room—kept going to his bed at every sigh or cough, and would hold his hand and pet his back. He realized someone would come at any whim. Since Cherish moved back to her room two nights ago, he is beginning to go to bed once again without crying.
• He now rolls over in bed and gets comfortable before going to sleep. Before, he would simply lie still where he was placed, and that was the exact way I would find him in the morning.
• He loves soft blankets.
• He goes to sleep with his pointer finger in his mouth (sucking it like a thumb). Between his finger and a soft blanket on his cheek, he can be asleep in less than a minute.
• He can take over a three-hour nap!
• He does not care for stuffed animals.
• He is terrified of dogs, cats, and stuffed animals that have moving parts.
• He loves to be outside.
• He loves sunshine.
• He is quite independent and able to play by himself. He does not need to be entertained to be happy.
• He likes going into the playpen. I place him in the playpen when I need to take a shower—which worked well when we were all on different sleeping schedules. An additional benefit to being safe is that his concentration time is expanding, as I put intricate toys in the playpen with him; toys that need full attention to work.
• He is easy-going. He goes with the flow.
• At 20-months-old, he has 4 teeth on top and 2 teeth on the bottom.
• He takes warm water in a bottle! Amazing, huh? Well, it is given the fact that we were told: “He drinks boiled water with sugar, and if he fusses, give him candy.” Nope, not happenin’ with this momma.
• If he fusses, we walk away and give him space, and he is over the issue in seconds. (I need to learn from him!)
• Having never been in a car seat prior to entering the States, he surprisingly goes in without a whimper or cry. He rides in the car seat without complaint.
• The first book I read to Andrew was Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems, and he laughed when he saw I kept yawning. (That book makes me yawn! Constantly!)
• We were told he hates taking baths. Well, he enjoys them for us. Add Cherish and bubbles, and you have one happy kiddo!

That’s all for now. Thanks for hanging with us and praying us through the jetlag. As of last night, we slept through the night! Thank You, LORD!

(Now I might have the energy to actually pull out my camera and take pictures for ya.)