So much progress

As I promised I am updating on Dane's progress... I don't even know where to Begin, he is a totally different boy (almost) than the one we brought home from Korea almost 9 mo. ago...

Dane has changed us all so much for the better. He is the most loving little boy I have ever met. He has gone form being TERRIFIED of taking his eyes off of me/closing his eyes at bedtime to sleeping 12 hrs. a night and taking an almost 2hr. nap without a stitch of anxiety. He used to wake every 10 minutes to check to make sure we were there. He even refused to nap for months when we were first home.
 He is exploring the house and will finally play in a different room than the one I am in for about 10 minutes at a time. Whenever he leaves the room he will wave bye to me, blow me a kiss and come back again in about 10 min. and do it again - it is so stinking cute!
He has a sparkle in his eyes that we never saw before until about 2 months ago. When we first brought him home you could see the sadness and pain in his eyes - he was lifeless inside.

4 days home. He was so sad.


Now he is opinionated and rambunctious. He is a lot more confident too. He is all boy for sure! He comes to us to kiss his ouchies, calls me mama and knows I will come. He loves his daddy too!! He gives hugs freely all the time and finally WANTS us to hold him and love on him. When we brought him home, he didin't want us. He wanted his umma, the mama he had in Korea. The memories of him crying for her still rings in my ears...it is heart wrenching.  The pain he felt leaving her and being placed in the arms of complete strangers is something I will never forget. It changed me and our family. It changed him too. I am sure he sill feels pain, we just don't see it or hear it like we did.

He smiles a lot now.

Daddy's boy!

He loves his brother too. They wrestle on the floor all the time! They share a bond those two. I have said it before, but God knew David needed a brother and blessed us with Dane. Their relationship is amazing. Right now, it is as perfect as it gets with those two. I think his sisters are growing on him, If they'd just learn to stop "mothering" him I think he would enjoy their company more.

Brothers

Doing what they do best...

trouble, trouble, trouble...

Brotherly Love

Dane and Livi having fun.

I want your help now Alaina!

Dane now waves at strangers instead of screaming and clinging to me. He doesn't like it if they get too close, but attachment wise that is great. Even his hand doctor commented on how much he has changed. He could see it in his personality too.
He hugged his grandma for the first time yesterday, he always turned his back to her before. Grandma was over the moon excited. She commented that she could not imagine life with out him. And we couldn't either.

Dane and Grandma

To be honest the first weeks home with him I wondered what we had done. Wondered if we had made a big mistake. Dane didn't want to be with us and I felt like we had kidnapped him or something. Those first weeks were hard, really hard. The grieving was necessary though for all of us. In away it brought us closer. Dane's anxiety is still here but not like it was. It is getting better everyday. He will probably always battle that, it may never go away.  But he is doing amazingly well. I am so very proud of him and everything he has overcome. He is a wonderful little boy and I am honored to have him as my son. He is such a blessing to our family.