Oliver is such an amazing little boy and just the right little boy for our family. Around this time I often wonder if his biological mother thinks about him, about her pregnancy and delivery. Was it smooth and easy? Or more difficult? Does she think about the time that she got to parent? Does she go through his baby pictures and wonder what he looks like now? Does she know he's not at the orphanage, or in Kemerovo, or even in Russia? She's older now, Oliver is 5, does she have another kid or kids? Is she able to parent them? Are they waiting for me at the orphanage? Adoption is hard. Technically, our adoption has been completed we did everything required, even the post placement reports, but questions still swirl around in my head...especially about other siblings.
It's truly amazing to me, that he wasn't always ours, but he wasn't. He's 5 now, but it's just his third birthday with us. He fits so perfectly here and him and Lydia are such a great set that you'd think he'd been here forever. I've heard some people say that "it was God's plan." I haven't addressed this comment yet, it's a tricky one. I don't think it's actually God's plan for there to be orphanages upon orphanages of children waiting for families. Instead I think we live in a broken world and orphans are a bi product of the broken world we live in. God surely guided our path to get to Oliver, because how else does a couple in Lincoln Nebraska end up with the perfect kid from the middle of Siberia, but I'm not sure it was his plan for Oliver to have to spend 17 months as an orphan. In any case, he's right where he needs to be now, and he's doing awesome. Like really really awesome.
A few highlights, also known as brag on Oliver time....
Oliver is a kind boy. He loves his family, and friends, and people from church. We are so lucky to have such great people around us to help shape our children in to wonderful little humans. Oliver loves church and always has stories to tell us about what he learned in Sunday school. There is a little group of teenagers from church that think he's the best and it makes him feel so special.
He's about 85% (not scientifically calculated) potty trained. Halleluiah! He occasionally has an accident at night and maybe 1-2 a week during the day. Potty training him was the hardest thing I've tried to teach him.
Oliver graduated preschool and is headed to 1/2 day kindergarten in August. Since English was not Oliver's first language he will have to be evaluated for speech issues for the third time, no big deal.
-knows all letters and sounds
-can write letters, numbers, his name, and a few basic site words
-reads a few sight words
-counts to 40 or 50
-sits and listens to stories and has great comprehension skills
-can clap syllables
-can rhyme
-is generally kind and cooperative at school
Oliver did have a few issues with a bully at school. Some kid kept calling him fat. Yeah, not so much. We don't really talk about "being fat" at home, but he seems to know there is a negative connotation to it. We keep telling him that he is healthy because he eats healthy foods and gets TONS of exercise.
The official 5 year check up is sometime in June, but our scale says Oliver just broke 40 pounds and all his 4T pants tell me he's grown a few inches since last year.
Doctor's appointment 6-27-14
Oliver and Lydia's birthdays are 6 months and 1 week apart so occasionally we get lucky and can have their check ups done at the same time (since Lydia still goes every 6 months), one easy trip, miracles do happen. Oliver was excited about going to the doctor today. He seems to like our doctor, she also has an adopted child and sometimes tells him stories about her daughter. Today she told us that she just got home from a trip to St. Petersburg and Moscow. He says, "that's my Russia"
He answers all her questions.
Can you ride a bike with training wheels? -no, I ride a bike with only two wheels
Can you count to 10? -I count to 50
Can you skip? -I think so, I can gally-up (gallop)
Do you know your address and phone number? -Yes, I got lost at touch-a-truck and I told them my number just right. (thanks for sharing buddy, thanks)
Can you spell your name? -Yes
Oliver weighed in at 40lbs (42%) and 45 inches (85%), long and lean.
Next week Oliver moves on to a boys only advanced level gymnastics class. Nothing competitive, just the next level of recreational gymnastics. He's so strong it amazes me. He climbs trees, and poles, and ropes, and really anything that seems climbable. I was putting sunscreen on his bruised up legs yesterday and was struck by how firm they are, he's solid muscle and bone and that's it. I feel bad for the kid in his class that called him fat, he wears glasses, and I feel he might need a new prescription.
When Oliver woke up this morning he was greeted by a big 5 balloon and a little bunch of 5 balloons, some that were still floated, and others that didn't make he through the night. He also discovered a new 5 shirt. Oliver doesn't really believe in Santa, and he basically told me I was the one responsible for collecting and paying for his lost tooth yet he believes something magical changed his 4 shirt to a 5 shirt....ummm, I just shelled out $30 for a new one on etsy. "Oh look my 4 shirt changed to 5. How did it happen? I bet Jesus did it." Sure, we'll roll with that.
After a quick breakfast we headed out to collect a dozen donuts to share with our friends and help Pastor Chris's family pack their moving truck. The term "help" should be loosely interpreted. Oliver played with his friends and I attempted to be somewhat useful. I did vacuum so much that I overheated the vacuum cleaner, so that's something. Moving sucks. Sending people off that you wish were not going sucks. Loosing someone that your kid adores sucks the most. "Pastor Chirs has to play his red guitar in Omaha now?" Yeah.
Oliver has requested shrimp scampi and chocolate cake for dinner, he's got good taste. After Lydia wakes up we'll hit the grocery and continue making birthday dreams come true.
His birthday celebration was last week and I'll get to writing about that soon. The party was super fun!
“A child born to another woman calls me mommy. The magnitude of that tragedy and the depth of that privilege are not lost on me.” –Jody Landers.
We are so thankful for Oliver's birth mother. She chose life, she did what she could, then knew when she couldn't do it any longer. From her we received one of the most precious gifts.
Cheers to our most favorite boy and to the years ahead.
It's truly amazing to me, that he wasn't always ours, but he wasn't. He's 5 now, but it's just his third birthday with us. He fits so perfectly here and him and Lydia are such a great set that you'd think he'd been here forever. I've heard some people say that "it was God's plan." I haven't addressed this comment yet, it's a tricky one. I don't think it's actually God's plan for there to be orphanages upon orphanages of children waiting for families. Instead I think we live in a broken world and orphans are a bi product of the broken world we live in. God surely guided our path to get to Oliver, because how else does a couple in Lincoln Nebraska end up with the perfect kid from the middle of Siberia, but I'm not sure it was his plan for Oliver to have to spend 17 months as an orphan. In any case, he's right where he needs to be now, and he's doing awesome. Like really really awesome.
A few highlights, also known as brag on Oliver time....
Oliver is a kind boy. He loves his family, and friends, and people from church. We are so lucky to have such great people around us to help shape our children in to wonderful little humans. Oliver loves church and always has stories to tell us about what he learned in Sunday school. There is a little group of teenagers from church that think he's the best and it makes him feel so special.
He's about 85% (not scientifically calculated) potty trained. Halleluiah! He occasionally has an accident at night and maybe 1-2 a week during the day. Potty training him was the hardest thing I've tried to teach him.
Oliver graduated preschool and is headed to 1/2 day kindergarten in August. Since English was not Oliver's first language he will have to be evaluated for speech issues for the third time, no big deal.
-knows all letters and sounds
-can write letters, numbers, his name, and a few basic site words
-reads a few sight words
-counts to 40 or 50
-sits and listens to stories and has great comprehension skills
-can clap syllables
-can rhyme
-is generally kind and cooperative at school
Oliver did have a few issues with a bully at school. Some kid kept calling him fat. Yeah, not so much. We don't really talk about "being fat" at home, but he seems to know there is a negative connotation to it. We keep telling him that he is healthy because he eats healthy foods and gets TONS of exercise.
The official 5 year check up is sometime in June, but our scale says Oliver just broke 40 pounds and all his 4T pants tell me he's grown a few inches since last year.
Doctor's appointment 6-27-14
Oliver and Lydia's birthdays are 6 months and 1 week apart so occasionally we get lucky and can have their check ups done at the same time (since Lydia still goes every 6 months), one easy trip, miracles do happen. Oliver was excited about going to the doctor today. He seems to like our doctor, she also has an adopted child and sometimes tells him stories about her daughter. Today she told us that she just got home from a trip to St. Petersburg and Moscow. He says, "that's my Russia"
He answers all her questions.
Can you ride a bike with training wheels? -no, I ride a bike with only two wheels
Can you count to 10? -I count to 50
Can you skip? -I think so, I can gally-up (gallop)
Do you know your address and phone number? -Yes, I got lost at touch-a-truck and I told them my number just right. (thanks for sharing buddy, thanks)
Can you spell your name? -Yes
Oliver weighed in at 40lbs (42%) and 45 inches (85%), long and lean.
Next week Oliver moves on to a boys only advanced level gymnastics class. Nothing competitive, just the next level of recreational gymnastics. He's so strong it amazes me. He climbs trees, and poles, and ropes, and really anything that seems climbable. I was putting sunscreen on his bruised up legs yesterday and was struck by how firm they are, he's solid muscle and bone and that's it. I feel bad for the kid in his class that called him fat, he wears glasses, and I feel he might need a new prescription.
When Oliver woke up this morning he was greeted by a big 5 balloon and a little bunch of 5 balloons, some that were still floated, and others that didn't make he through the night. He also discovered a new 5 shirt. Oliver doesn't really believe in Santa, and he basically told me I was the one responsible for collecting and paying for his lost tooth yet he believes something magical changed his 4 shirt to a 5 shirt....ummm, I just shelled out $30 for a new one on etsy. "Oh look my 4 shirt changed to 5. How did it happen? I bet Jesus did it." Sure, we'll roll with that.
After a quick breakfast we headed out to collect a dozen donuts to share with our friends and help Pastor Chris's family pack their moving truck. The term "help" should be loosely interpreted. Oliver played with his friends and I attempted to be somewhat useful. I did vacuum so much that I overheated the vacuum cleaner, so that's something. Moving sucks. Sending people off that you wish were not going sucks. Loosing someone that your kid adores sucks the most. "Pastor Chirs has to play his red guitar in Omaha now?" Yeah.
Oliver has requested shrimp scampi and chocolate cake for dinner, he's got good taste. After Lydia wakes up we'll hit the grocery and continue making birthday dreams come true.
His birthday celebration was last week and I'll get to writing about that soon. The party was super fun!
“A child born to another woman calls me mommy. The magnitude of that tragedy and the depth of that privilege are not lost on me.” –Jody Landers.
We are so thankful for Oliver's birth mother. She chose life, she did what she could, then knew when she couldn't do it any longer. From her we received one of the most precious gifts.
Cheers to our most favorite boy and to the years ahead.
