Our Panda is growing quickly! Physically, mentally, emotionally...we are making all sorts of adjustments around here.
Physical Growth:
Panda is beyond proud of his physical growth. He is an older child in a younger child's body, which can create quite a bit of frustration. He isn't able to go to preschool yet as he wouldn't be able to reach door knobs, the restroom stall, the toilet itself...there would be a lot of hurdles physically. He has grown almost eight inches since he came home over two years ago though! If you're wanting a precise measurement, he's exactly six candy canes long. He's responding well to the growth hormone treatments and his specialists are pleased with his progress.
He is not only growing in height and strength but he has begun to age as well. (He was not only not growing prior to treatment, but his body wasn't aging either.) If you remember two years ago his face did not look like that of a three or four year old boy. Check out the picture from January of 2018...
Today despite his small stature, you can tell he is older.
Intellectual Growth:
Panda is ready and roaring for a challenge these days! He's a sponge that needs to soak up some knowledge. He began violin lessons a couple of months ago which temporarily satisfied his need to a challenge, but now he's ready for more. He loves practicing the violin, but now we've added quite a bit more learning time with Mom. We've always done a bit of informal "preschool" with him at home, but I could tell he was ready for the next step. Over Christmas break I created a plan to better suit his hungry intellect. We are beginning handwriting, reading, and math in earnest along with the regular learning he's been doing with Ladybug during her school time. It has only been a few weeks of his new "regiment" and he loves it. He constantly asks for more! And more we shall give.
Emotional Growth:
Panda has been sleeping in his own room now for months, which has been a giant change in both his life and ours. It was 100% his choice, and we have made it clear that he is always welcome back should he need it. (Based on our past mistakes, we realized he seems to respond better when he doesn't feel banished.) His self-confidence after making the move has skyrocketed, which has resulted in more independence. He now wakes up, gets himself dressed, makes his bed, puts on his glasses and turns off the lights (we've rigged them to be easily reached), heading downstairs for breakfast. Talk about a 180 from what our mornings looked like even just six months ago! I used to sit with him for the first fifteen minutes making eye contact, holding him, and talking him through his wake-up panic attack, reassuring him that we were all still here and he was safe. But now he no longer wakes up fearful. I mean, he has his mornings, don't get me wrong, but then again, don't we all?
I wouldn't exactly call Panda a morning person either...he lies in bed groggily while Ladybug brings him things to "help cheer him up." But once he gets moving, he rocks life. Here's a picture of the morning of his birthday when she had brought him a birthday card. In his drowsy excitement, he chose to snuggle it and go back to sleep.
His nightmares have decreased considerably assuming we stay consistent during the day with eye-contact and attention. He also seems to have trouble at night when he's overtired or stressed. His hunger freak-outs (described in a previous post) have also improved quite a bit. He's learning to recognize his hunger better, and The Duke and I have definitely become more vigilant as well.
Panda has been doing so well mentally and emotionally that we have decided he is ready to attempt a part-time preschool program next school year. To clarify, school next year was actually his idea, even though it was something The Duke and I had been kicking around for a while. He expresses a mixture of excitement and nerves each time it is brought up, which is awesome! All completely normal, healthy feelings for a child about to enter school for the first time. We expect it to be an emotional challenge for our little guy, but he has healed so much over the past two years that we feel it to be a wise push for him.
Panda spent the first three or four years of his life doing nothing but "socializing" with other children in the orphanage, so we have been in no rush to "socialize" him. What he has needed these past couple of years was the time he missed with his family: forming healthy bonds, playing, and exploring life in a safe environment. Now that we've gone backward to fill in those essential gaps, we may finally begin the move forward. Panda has begun to show signs that he has received the love and security he has needed in order to take the next big step. We will administer it in small doses, and we are under no illusions that it will be easy! But we are so thankful that God has blessed us to this point. Plus it was huge that the decision came from Mr. Panda Bear himself!
All in all, he has grown and healed exponentially in the past few months. We are elated he has been flourishing and thank you all for your continued support and prayers!
