Sunday, September 21, 2008

Andrew & Audrey

Well I am home again after a fun-tastic trip to see family in Charlotte, NC.  While there I got to meet the most amazing little boy.  

Andrew Paul Sumwalt joined our family in July when my husband's sister Christa and her husband Vernon adopted him from Russia.  Andrew is such a god-send, he is a perfect addition to our family and I am already so in love.  It is very apparent that Audrey feels much the same about her new cousin.  We spent the week really getting to know him.  The loveliest part was watching the amazing bond between mother and son.  Despite the short time, he knows who his parents are and  trusts them explicitly.  I seriously doubt that most babies who have only known a hospital crib and an orphanage would develop so well, especially with an entirely different culture, language, surroundings, etc to adjust to.  This just goes to show how incredibly remarkable this little boy is.  

Andrew's biggest challenge at the moment is getting used to a little helmet.  He is going thru therapy to help reshape his head.  He spent his first nine months or so laying flat on his back in a hospital crib before finally getting moved on to a "baby house" (orphanage).  This resulted in the dreaded misshaped flat head that parents are warned about.  The good news is that he is responding really well and should only have to wear the helmet for a few months.  

Audrey enjoyed introducing Andrew to some of her favorite treats especially her newest fav Veggie Bootie (thanks Ayelet for sharing this treat, Audrey is completely addicted).  Andrew and Audrey are only ten days apart in age so they had lots in common and made a perfect little playmate match.  Audrey used her new polished walking skills to push Andrew around on his bike.  Andrew taught Audrey how to properly throw a ball and to play catch.  They were so cute together.  They finished the week off with some great baby races up the stairs.

Here are some precious moments from our trip...

"Sharing the Bootie"
   
"Teamwork"

"Channeling Jerry Lee Lewis"

"And the Winner Is..."

More later!

-Kristen

2 comments:

Sofia D. Hoiland said...

Oh my! They are both so darn cute! I wish Caribou had a helmet like that sometimes! I can't wait to see you both when you get back. Caribou has been walking and getting into everything, but it is much more fun I admit.

Ayelet said...

Glad to know that we have added another Veggie Booty addict to the world...we just call it baby crack!