(Will - age 2.5, taken within the first 10 days we were home).
"We can see clearly with our hearts.
What matters is invisible to the eye."
~ Le Petite Prince
Antoine de Saint - Exupery
He was such a little guy then,
you can really see it from these first pictures in my post.
Will has grown in all ways,
physically, emotionally and socially.
I'm not going to pretend everything was sunshine and rainbows that first year.
We had a rough start.
It was hard. And when I remember some of those hard times I still cry.
I cry for him and all that he lost,
and I keep in mind what he had gone through.
His entire world was turned upside down.
And maybe I cry for us (some) too with the transitions and chaos our family went through.
Through it all we loved him.
Fiercely and stubbornly. We would never give up.
Eventually we got help with therapy and had him evaluated for a few things.
Beyond that wall of anger was a sweet and loving little boy with a caring heart.
We also found out that attachment wise he was doing extremely well,
but he had something called a Sensory Processing Disorder(SPD).
Will has the medical special need of a repaired cleft lip and palate (Grade 3 bilateral).
His cleft issues have been virtually non existent, other than he gets speech therapy.
After 18 mos. of speech therapy, his speech and language have progressed to where he's easily understood by most people.
He's followed by the cleft team here in Madison
and will require another surgery on his palate probably around the age of 6-7.
What has been more of an issue is his SPD and figuring out how to help him the best we can.
Will is what's called a 'sensory seeker.'
He's a jumper, a mover and a crasher and needs the heavy work of lifting, pushing, pulling, playing and moving to calm and organize his nervous system.
I have to talk about the most incredible people who've been placed into our lives for Will.
His teachers at his first school.
And now Karen, the head teacher of his class. She is truly an angel on earth who 'gets' him.
Karen also happens to be an adoptive mom to 2 young sons.
With Karen's guidance, his Speech therapist, Occupational therapist and several others who love and and care about our son dearly,
William is a shining star in school.
He's a happy, joyful little boy now.
Who loves life to it's fullest and all that it offers.
Will is funny, loving, caring, empathetic and delightful.
He's an interesting little boy in that emotionally he's a bit immature,
but intellectually is gifted. Scary smart, he gets subtleties in humor,
and understands abstract ideas.
He asks complex questions about life and death, science and God. He loves to learn.
When you meet him in person it's his larger than life personality that stands out. :)
We love this little guy to pieces.
I can't believe how far he's come in the almost 2 and a half years he's been with us.
This experience has made Dan and I stronger in our marriage and our commitment to our children.
We're the kind of people that can always see the big picture.
Not perfect parents, we are problem solvers and ones who ask for help.
We're also hands on parents and have a lot of fun with our kids.
William's full name is William Michael (Michael is his foster dad's name) Yousheng.
You Sheng means 'gift from above.'
William was born on Christmas Day.
And he surely is a gift to us!
(Taken last week of my handsome little man).
I have another adoption month post coming(next week for sure)...just some thoughts.
