1st post placement visit

This morning I took Bates to the doctor for a weight check. He's a bit of a shrimp, so she wanted to monitor his weight and I needed his current measurements for our first post placement visit. Well, bad news... little B has lost weight! He lost the 10 oz he gained the first week home and is back to the weight he weighed when he first got home - 19 lbs 15 oz. He's back to his "fighting" weight. I told the doctor he is a good eater- I have NO idea where it's going! So we are putting him on a high calorie diet and trying to bulk him up. We have to go back for another weight check in a month and if he hasn't gained enough weight, he'll be in big trouble with Dr. Butler!

By the way, he doesn't get the weight loss from me!

Kim, our social worker, came over this afternoon for our first post placement visit (1 month). Don't even get me started about I can't believe he's been home a month and we are already having post placement visits.

Bates was on good behavior. He showed Kim all his tricks. He really wanted to help Kim write her notes! Kim was so glad we were doing so well. His transition really has been so smooth and we are SO thankful. We have to send some pictures to Holt and Kim writes up a report (on how great we are doing) and then we see her again at 3 mths home. I know it will fly by and I'll be saying "how can he have been home for 3 mths already!?!".

The sleeping gig is improving. For the past two nights we can lay him in his bed awake and lay beside the crib and reach our hand through the bars and hold his hand and he will go to sleep. It really is the cutest thing. He holds my hands and rubs them. He will take my hand and hold it to his face. He is such a sweet and cuddly little boy.

As I'm laying there, with my hand through his crib bars, holding his hands, I try to memorize what his soft little innocent hand feels like in mine. I try to remember the way it feels when he places my hand on his warm cheek. It's a surreal moment, one I want to remember for the rest of my life.

Tonight, he kept sitting up and I would say "Bates, lay down" and he would. I'm not sure if he understood me or not, but he did it like 10 times. He would just sit up and look over the side at me. Seriously, melt my heart. I think bedtime is my favorite time with him. He isn't fussy, he is so quiet and just a cuddly little guy.

Every night when I am up with him in the middle of the night, I pick something specific to pray for about Bates. I've prayed for lots of things: his future friends, his wife, his education, his faith, everything. It's a special time. Just me, holding my boy, in the darkness of the moonlight and spending time with the Lord. I make sure to spend part of that time thanking God for my son and the journey that brought us together. I will sure miss our midnight prayer sessions, but I sure am looking forward to sleeping through the night again!

And what's a post without a picture or two. Bates enjoyed an Oreo after dinner last night! I think he liked it!