8 months home!

I can't believe how time has flown. This week marks eight months home. Cole is a totally different kid today than August 9th when we stepped off the plane from Russia. While I can't recap it all in one post, here are the highlights:

• He talks NONSTOP in english. We are sad that he will not respond to Russian anymore, but he absolutely does not want to hear it. He closes his eyes and pretends he's asleep if anyone tries. He still uses a few Russian words, but he doesn't realize it. Peesit, kakat and bolna are the major ones. He talks in sentences - 5-8 words and is beginning to use pronouns appropriately.


• He sleeps through the night! We gave up naps, and that was the saving grace. He actually asks to go to bed now! He will regress some after a big day - it took a week to settle down after SeaWorld, but he did get back into his routine.


• He has grown FIVE inches. We brought him home in an 18-24 month and he is now in 3T and 4T. It is amazing the difference. We have a door we mark all the kids on, and it blows me away to mark his height. He and his 14 year old brother are both having growth spurts!


• He introduces himself as an animal. After SeaWorld, he has been either a dolphin or sealion. We aren't sure why he does this, but it is comforting for him to be an animal vs. a little boy. I am mama sealion, we have papa sealion and he is baby sealion. I guess I'll worry about it if he still does it at Kindergarten.


• He attends Mothers Day out one day a week and Gymnastics one day a week. He does well in both and looks forward to them.


• He is a water boy. As soon as he gets a new toy (usually an animal) he wants to take a bath. He is fearless at the pool and we are starting swimming lessons next week. He already holds his breath and goes under water. He loves water slides! He is actually too short to go down the one at our gym, but they let him anyway because he loves it. When we drive by Six Flags or the water park, he asks to go and ride the rides.!


• He is the ultimate little brother. He emulates his 14 year old brother and loves to annoy his 13 year old sister. He knows what buttons to push with her, and does it very well!


• He is still a mama's boy, but he and papa are bonding more and more all the time. I still carry him A LOT and he gets frantic at home when he can't find me. But if we are in a large area with lots of people, he doesn't mind wandering off. Drives us crazy. We are seriously considering getting a Toddler tracker for him. He never looks back. We know this is an issue to watch and are starting to work with him on stranger danger and having consequences if he doesn't stay close to us.


• One curious thing, he has never dropped his Russian nickname, even though we have (more than 4 months ago). He responds to Cole, but he calls himself Tima or Tima-Cole. Everything we read says they transition so easily, but not our kid! He doesn't get upset that we call him Cole, never even mentions it, but just continues to refer to himself as his Russian nickname.


• More than anything, he is a happy, giggly, mischevious little boy/sealion/zebra/giraffe/ .....who we can't believe we are blessed to call our son. I have never felt more lucky in my life than with him. For all the little issues we deal with, we have (knock on wood) avoided many of the big ones we prepared for. I know we will always be ready if they arise, but right now we just are thankful for are well adjusted little boy!

I'm as bad at taking pictures as I am at blogging, but the slideshow has pictures from various times this year