October 27, 2002

Today is our one month anniversary of "Gotcha Day": the day we took custody of Evan!

We couldn't be happier with the way things have been going. Evan is a joy! He's a happy, happy baby. From the moment he wakes up until an hour or so before he goes to sleep (well, you can't have everything!) he is energetic, interested in everything, and very playful. He's got a healthy appetite, and he's bonded extremely well with us. He seems quite bright, and he's rapidly progressing through new developmental milestones. Best of all, he seems genuinely happy, and very much in love with his new life and his new parents. And of course we're very much in love with him too!

Our bond to Evan started immediately when we met him, and was already pretty strong by the time we got home. He arrived at his new home with the stranger anxiety typical of infants his age. This surprised us a little, since we'd only known him for two weeks! From the beginning, Evan wanted only to be held by one of us and no one else. He wouldn't let Grandma or Grandpa hold him without being very close to one of us, and even then he made clear that his preference was to be with us instead. He'd follow us closely as we walked around, and let out a shriek if we left the room for any reason, waving his arms in distress.

Evan is very social, however, and as long as Mom or Dad is around he loves to interact and play with other people. His giggles and outright laughs are contagious and infectious, and his huge smiles capture the hearts of everyone who meets him. Peek-a- boo was a delight at the orphanage, and continues to be a favorite game.

Bentley came home soon after we returned from Ukraine. When Evan saw him for the first time, he started making high-pitched cooing noises, clearly excited and interested in petting Bentley. Bentley was very tolerant of Evan's petting, batting, and attempts to hug him. Most of the time, Bentley would just let Evan do whatever he wanted, but sometimes he would run away if Evan started getting too aggressive. The two get along fine. Evan loves to follow Bentley around, and Bentley loves eating anything Evan throws down from his chair at the table.

Evan likes to move around: crawling, walking, or being carried. We worried about how he would react to the car seat, but as long as the car is moving, he's fine. He enjoyed the stroller from the first day and he loves being outside. For his first week at home Grandma and Grandpa Schultz would take him for walks twice a day. Evan's first outing was to the Botanical Gardens with Mom and Grandma and Grandpa (Dad was home with a bad cold), and it was lots of fun; he especially enjoyed looking at all the fountains and watching ducks in the pond. The only time he would let Grandma take him was to walk to the bridge near our house and watch the water run by.

Water is one of Evan's favorite things. His bath is his favorite part of the day; one day he led Lee into the bathroom and climbed into the bathtub fully clothed. He put in the stopper, and sat there as if waiting for the water to appear.  We visited the Garfield Conservatory this past weekend, and he was incensed that we wouldn't let him play in the fountains and pools in almost every room!

Kristin's maternity leave was scheduled through the first weekend in November, and Lee was on vacation for another week and a half, so we at least didn't have to worry about work. We really were fortunate in this respect! It made a big difference, being able to spend so much time with Evan as he adjusted to new surroundings and a new schedule.

It took Evan about a week to adjust to the new time zone (8 hours difference from Kiev, 7 from Warsaw). The night we arrived in Chicago, he went to sleep around 10pm and woke up again at 4:30am. Over the next few days, he woke up at 5, 6:30, one morning at 2:30, and then finally settled on 7am as a normal wake-up time. Fortunately, Grandma and Grandpa Schultz were with us from the moment we got off the plane through those first few days, so we had lots of help with the early mornings. Grandma Schultz, in particular, spent many early hours with Evan and one of us, making Evan's breakfast, or just playing with him while we tried to maintain focus through our own jetlag.

Even in those first days, Evan slept a lot, taking two naps most days. Bedtime was typically around 9pm. At first, Evan seemed very disoriented when he got tired before a nap or bedtime. He had a very hard time settling down, seeming over-stimulated and slightly panicked. We think those may have been the times when he really found it hard to cope with all of the new things in his life and the loss of all the old things: other children, his caregivers, the orphanage, and the orphanage routines. The food was all different than he was used to, and he'd never slept in a room by himself before! This lasted about two weeks, and then he gradually started acting more secure and comfortable with settling down on his own.

Food has been tricky starting out. We tried many, many types of food. His favorites are mashed regular and sweet potatoes, sliced bananas, rice cereal with a bit of syrup in it, and chicken-based baby foods. Each day we tried new things, and some he liked and some he didn't. He was quite clear about the things he liked and disliked: either grunting enthusiastically and nodding his head emphatically or turning his head and pushing away the offered spoon with an imperious arm wave. What most frustrated Kristin was that he'd like something one day and then refuse to eat it again--after she'd gone out to stock up on it!

The first visit to the pediatrician was pretty stressful for Evan. The initial parts (developmental screening of several types) were fun. It seemed mostly like playing to him. When the doctor arrived and started measuring, poking, and examining him, Evan began a tantrum that lasted pretty much the whole rest of the visit. The worst part (naturally) was when he had four or five vials of blood drawn for tests. He seemed much more annoyed by being held still than by the needles. We had the distinct impression that he felt betrayed by us. (Don't all parents feel this way at the doctor's, though?) The second visit, two weeks later, went much better. He even recovered quickly from the shots. And we found out he'd gained over a pound in two weeks. Not a bad start!

We could tell at the orphanage that Evan was very close to walking on his own. He liked being walked with someone holding his hands, but he couldn't go more than a few steps when we first met him. After a couple of weeks at home, he was holding himself up on the sides or edges of furniture while he walked all over, demanding lots of practice walking with Mom or Dad, and climbing easily up and down the stairs. He would also stand by himself, though steps were a bit longer coming. On October 22nd, Evan took his first three steps while Kristin watched. Later that evening, Lee saw Evan take even more steps on his own. By the end of the week, Evan was walking from one side of the room to the other: seven or eight feet at a time! We were thrilled that he was progressing so quickly, and thrilled that we could be a part of this major developmental step. His legs were getting stronger and thicker and his balance was coming along nicely. We wouldn't have minded a bit more time before he started walking, but it was certainly thrilling to watch him stand up and start walking without any support but his own legs. Click here for a movie of one of the first times Evan walked!

Over all, we've been so impressed with how well Evan has adjusted. He is such a smart, eager, confident little boy, who charms everyone who meets him with his bright smile. We knew we were ready to be parents, with so much love and care to give to a child in our family. What has been amazing to us is how Evan soaks up all the love and reflects it back to us in his joy and affection for us. Evan is such a blessing and a gift to this family!