We have clothes and we are out of the house!

Finally, a week and a day later we are out of the house. Akins is still very aware and sensitive but finally we can get him completely dressed and got out a little yesterday (lunch with Grandma) and today for breakfast and off to the pumpkin patch. We had never been to this pumpkin patch and it was not quite what I expected but we had fun, complete with a short hay ride, a petting zoo, story telling and small games.

Watch your fingers those little chicks bite!

The orphan lamb - The hay ride driver tells a sweet story. A ewe gave birth to triplets too much for her to feed leaving one of them an orphan. He was taken in and bottle fed and he thinks he is a person. He came running right up to the wagon to greet the kids and baaa'd at Akins. I told him the baby lamb was an orphan just like him and had gotten a new family too. Akins seemed pleased!

The pumpkin toss.

Mommy - What's this?

Hidin' from Lorea

Yep - these are the best ones.

Story time.


Grandma and Lorea greet us at the end of the hay ride.

Akins gets mail!

Today Akins got to experience the first time ever getting mail. Abegail, Eman and Annie sent him a fun care package and his cousins Paula, Chip, Lexi and Corey sent him a fun get well card. He was thrilled to see that he actually finally got something from the mailbox. Each day I stop and get the mail out of the mailbox at the end of the drive and he will say "Junior's mail"? Never before has there been anything in there for him. Today unfortunately he was no there to watch me pull it out but he was none the less excited when I brought it in and showed him he had two envelopes.

After opening his mail he had the following comments:

1) I want to see E-man (he thought the pictures I took would be of E-man)
2) I want to go to their house (Paula's family)
3) He pointed to the picture of Paula's family and asked their names over and over - then began calling them all chicken.

Naked Karoake

Let's just say there are a lot of things you CAN do even if you don't wear any pants. Watch...

Recovery very much like adoption

For those still waiting for their kids and for those of us that braved the whole adoption process through to the end, I can say that recovery is much the same process. Yesterday, I thought we were on the mend. Last night I was terrified that something was very wrong. The anology - one step forward - one step back. Sound familiar to anyone?

Akins had not needed any medication all day yesterday so we thought we were headin' for home, even though clothes are still not happening. Then around midnight things took a terrible turn for the worst. Finally, at 3:45 am I was able to get him to tell me that he was in pain again and forced fed him (literally) some pain medication and then he finally rested. At least he got a little, I can't say that I did. I overslept when I finally did dose off. The fact that the pain was on the rise had me concerned that there might be some infection brewing especially since we are unable to put the antibiotics on him like we were told to.

Today Lorea survived the day with him alone while I went to work, even the sponge bath and going potty which until now he has not allowed anyone to help him but me. I cancelled my trip to TX as there is no way he will be back in school in the next couple of days. But we are now one step forward again...I think. Sound familiar?

So here is my payback for all of the pain I have put him through. He has cut up every piece of paper in my desk drawer! Small sacrifice I suppose. At least he is up and sort of playing even if it is partially clad!

Making progress...

Last night Akins finally was starting to show signs of wanting to get up and move around a bit. He was/is still somewhat terrified that things will hurt especially his pee pee, but he is very much his own man and so he wants to do it himself. "I do" he says. He uses me for leverage to lift himself and has finally realized that it hurts less to get up and go to the bathroom then pee everywhere and have it get on all parts that are sore.

Today, as he was walking to the bathroom like a little old man, he was doing a little bit of a dance, his spirit is coming back and that will get him through this sooner rather than later. This morning he came out to the kitchen to have breakfast and then came out again to rescue me from the social worker who I had to forewarn that she was going to see a bit more of Akins that she probably bargained for as he is still not wearing clothes. He was nicely sprawled in the bean bag chair for the introduction to her. We were just about wrapping up out in the kitchen when here he came again and I was getting ready to pay her for her services and he heard me and he says " I want to get my money and give it to the lady". Keep in mind when she first arrived he thought she was yet another doctor and thought about crying until she explained who she was and that she was only coming to talk to me. Now he wants to pay her for me.

Akins panda bear is healing nicely too. :) The doctor had the nurses place a sticker on the bears belly too. Akins noticed a flaw though and pointed out that the bears pee pee did not get surgery. Oops we messed up I forgot to tell her that part too!

Tomorrow I go back to work and am a little concerned as so far I am the only one he will allow to take him to the bathroom or lift him up and down. Lorea may have her hands full. The most amazing part about this whole thing...he has yet to really cry. The closest he has come is when he has gotten scared that it will hurt and this morning when I lightly rinsed him down with a cloth allowing the water to run down his body while standing in the tub. We are so lucky as he could have laid there and cried the whole time. That is what I want to do. Lorea told me I am way more sensitive about all of this stuff.