My precious Liam today

Liam has been home 2 and 1/2 months. We have settled into a routine and life is going pretty well. I can't tell you how much this little boy has changed my life. He is not a typical 7 year old with Ds. He is more like a young toddler. He is non-verbal, does not eat solid food, is not potty trained, and does not play with toys, except for stuffed animals. But he loves music, cartoons and baths. And believe me, you better not skip his bath or he will be very upset! I did it once.....and never again since then. LOL!  Liam has made only a small amount of progress in communication. His receptive language is coming along but he not been signing spontaneously or saying any words. I've been working on just a few signs several times a day. One being "eat". He still will cry to let me know when he is hungry and will only do the sign for "eat" with me hand-over-hand. BUT, the last two days in a row, he has signed "Bath" after I signed it and cued him by modeling and  also placing his hands on his tummy. When I let go of his hands, he signed it.:) He also is babbling, and for that, I am hopeful.:)

As for eating, Liam still will not eat anything that isn't pureed. If he detects any kind of lump, no matter how small, he will spit it out and refuse to eat any more. So right now, I am focusing on him eating and not so much with trying out different textures. He has gained 2 lbs. so far since he came home. He now weighs 31.5 lbs. He is very small! He is 7 and wears a 3T. So getting him to eat is the number one priority. We will gradually add different textures. It can be frustrating and it makes me upset when I think about it sometimes, because there is no medical reason why he should not have been fed solid foods in the orphanage/institution. But it is what it is, and we will work on it and hopefully one day, he will eat a variety of foods.

Liam is very loving with me. When I hold him and talk to him, he puts his face against mine. He loves to be held and kissed and carried around. And I am doing that a lot. He has missed out on a Mommy holding him and kissing him and I am doing my best to make up for that. Really, to me, there is nothing better then holding a child close in my arms. I'm very blessed that Liam seeks out love and gives love. After everything he has been through, he still has the ability to love.

Liam is warming up to the boys. In the beginning, whenever the boys came near him, he would become irritated and push them away. Anytime they would come close or attempt to hug him, he would become upset. It became clear to me, that Liam had been hurt and/or picked on by other kids at the institution. Being so small and non-verbal, he was defenseless.  During my second trip to Russia, Liam has a smashed finger, a cut on his face and behind both of his ears there was dried blood. He had been hurt by someone at the institution.:(
But Liam lets the boys near him now. They are able to hug him and be near him, without him pushing them away.:) And they love him so much!

My little boy has a long way to go. But he has also come a long way. He has adjusted to our family beautifully. He takes most things in stride. He likes to be outside. At first he didn't like the swing, but now he enjoys it. He went for a wagon ride for the first time yesterday and he loved it.:) I can't wait to see him splashing in the kiddy pool. With as much as he loves the bath, I know he will love the pool!

We are taking baby steps. But that's okay. The most important thing is that Liam is home with our family and that he is safe and loved. He will never have to spend another day in an institution. Today, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw Liam sleeping in his car seat, his glasses resting on his little nose. My God, thank you for giving me this precious child. I am so thankful!