Monday, June 11, 2007

This and That

This might seem a bit jumbled but just a few thoughts floating through my head...

So I just looked at the calendar and realized that it has been 7 months since we sent our dossier to Russia. Now I realize that 7 months is not that long to wait for a referral, especially when requesting a young girl. However, in both of our previous adoptions, we had our boys home by the 7 month mark. I am not whining about the wait right now, just sad to realize how much the tide has changed in Russia since our last adoption. Hopefully we'll hear something in the next few months. In the meantime we're starting to update some paperwork. Sigh....

On the positive side, little M was discharged from his OT. His therapist feels (as do we) that he has made vast improvements with most of his sensory-seeking behaviors and no longer needs weekly management for them. We will continue to work with him at home with some of his bigger issues but we've really just integrated parts of his OT into our daily routine so it's not that big of a deal. While we will miss seeing Ms. Kristy on a weekly basis (and I'm a little afraid that he'll revert back to some old habits without her continual help) I am so proud of the little guy. With a lot of hard work on his part, he has made such amazing progress over the past year. His OT also said that we may see a lot of regression after we bring HotDog home from Russia, at which point we can bring him back in for a re-eval. Honestly though, I feel like we can handle most of it on our own, but it's nice to have that back-up.

Also, I only have a few weeks left of work before I join the ranks as a SAHM. It's funny because I've always dreamed of being able to stay at home with my children. But now that the time is rapidly approaching, I'm a little hesitant to actually make the big leap. It's not like it will be a big change since I only work 2 days per week right now. It's not as if I'm really dedicated to the work I do either. I think it has more to do with the fact that I am a person that loves routine; I like knowing what I'm going to be doing each day (and I definitely will no longer be able to do that when I'm at home with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old everyday). I like knowing that I'm going to have at least two days of interaction with other adults during the week. But of course, I am really looking forward to having some great time with the boys before school begins in August. I think I'm just going to have to push myself out of my little self-induced coccoon I tend to wrap myself in.

Have I bored you enough yet?? I am working on a post with a little more depth to it - about if/when to share with others that the boys were adopted. But right now I need to actually do some work in the few short days I have left at this job.

8 comments:

Troy and Rachel said...

Allison - I love reading your posts as I know we can stand to learn so much from you. I hope you get a referral soon for your little girl. I also hope to one day join the world as a SAHM. We'll see!!

jessy said...

It must seem like a long time to you. In a way, I guess we were "blessed" that our adoption took two years, because the second one is bound to be faster. Right?
I hate the way things are at a standstill over there.

Becky and Keith said...

I'm so glad to hear about the OT "graduation"! I just watched the 2nd disc of the Heart of the Matters series and it was about "age" vs. "developmental age". I'm learning a ton, of course, I'm sure that as soon as I am home with a child I'll forget everything! :-) I love your posts, btw! You have so much experience and I look forward to reading more.

Christen L said...

another idea for a post - talk about OT. What exactly is it? What age range is at risk and in need of it? You know, for us newbies.... :) Just a thought....

and no you are not boring....

Anonymous said...

How cool- my DH and I have 2 boys also (4 yrs and 2 yrs, too) and we're in the process of adopting a daughter from Russia- although we're still in the paper chase phase. I think the key to being a SAHM (at least for me anyway) is to find a group of other Mom's that you can have scheduled time with. Our Mom's group meets at least once every other week during the school year for a play date. This summer, we're meeting at least twice a week, to help the empty days- it's great for adult conversation, too!! It definitely helped me to find my groove. So excited for you!!

Ryan and Amy said...

Hi Allison - Thanks for the posting you made on our blog today (rileyadoption.blogspot.com). I found your blog earlier today and was wondering about when you adopted your boys. I can only imagine how impatient I'll be at 7 months...I am already feeling the anxiety! My email: amymaearnold@yahoo.com
Take care - Amy Riley

Allison said...

Hi Amy
Thanks for coming on over to my blog. I love sharing the journey with other people.
We adopted S in Jan. 2004 at the age of 14 months.
We adopted M in Nov. 2005 at the age of 16 months.
Both boys are from Astrakhan, as should our daughter. I can't wait to follow your blog.
I'll email you privately soon.
Allison

Allison said...

Thanks for the advice jennstar. I can't believe how many similarities we have! I can't wait to follow your journey too. People think we're crazy for going for #3 when our two boys are still so young, but I say the more the merrier.
I'm sure I'll be bothering you for my ideas at SAHM-stuff soon.
Allison