Three Years Ago Today

Three years ago today (February 28th, 2017), we adopted Lucas. He, like his brother, has brought us tremendous joy. At the time we adopted him, our guide reported to us that he “was the star of the orphanage.” It didn’t take us long to figure out why. From the first day, it is evident that he is smart, independent, funny, full of life, and a little rambunctious.

In preparing his 36-month post-adoption family self-report for China recently, I came across the biography our adoption agency provided us about him. It is amazing how well it captures his personality today, three years later and seventy-five hundred miles away.

Wallaby is full of energy and ready to bounce from one activity to the next.    He is robust and curious and delights in running after his mates wanting to play games and join in their fun.  ”.  He is also enamored with cars and is especially keen on seeking out the slide during play time.  Wallaby had surgery to repair his heart and his current medical diagnosis is “post repair of ventricular septal defect without residual shunt at ventricular level”.

Wallaby’s reports further share, “Motor development: he can crawl, can stand stably by himself, can walk alone on the ground, can pick up tiny object with thumb and index finger, and the action is deft.

Adaptability: he can take out toy blocks from the cup and put them back, can bang toy blocks, can turn pages of a book, and can cover the bottle.

Language and social ability: he can imitate the teacher to pronouns, can understand what NO means, can cooperate to put on and off clothes, can respond to other’s asking for her objects, can point out facial features, can unbutton and button, and can know cold, warm and hungry.

Personality: he is active, restless and ready to smile, usually likes music, likes playing toys, has quick reaction, likes imitating the teacher’s action and language, likes playing games with his mates, likes reading books, the favorite one is car, full of energy.

Comprehensive evaluation: CHD.  Dated May 25, 2016.

My favorite memory from that first day came later in the evening back at our hotel. After a long day in which Will’s emotions ranged from excitement and joy at meeting his new little brother to frustration from the realization that he was going to have to share our attention and his toys with this new little brother, he looked at Jenny and told her that “she was not the boss in the family.” He proceeded to inform us that neither he nor I was the boss either. He, then, proclaimed that “Lucas is the boss baby.” He will never utter truer words.

Here are few pictures from that happy trip.