Change

The world is changing for the Meyers family. The past few weeks have been intense, with even more change coming in the next two and a half weeks. Here's a summary:

Preschool & Potty Training

Oliver will begin a two morning per week preschool class on September 2. He will be going to the school in our district that is close to his Oma's house so she can care for him the rest of the day. Tony and I will have our very first parent's orientation this Wednesday. Wow! Oliver attending this preschool program came with one (big) caveat. He must be potty trained! He has not been interested in making this change, though we've been trying to entice him and encourage him since late spring. A few weeks ago we stepped up our potty training efforts and moved to big boy undies. Needless to say, the past few weeks have been challenging for all of us. Oma has been a big help during the week and Oliver has rallied too, and in general he is doing excellent. We are hopeful that after a few classes he is a bit more independent with his ability to use the bathroom, but we've had very few accidents and he has stopped begging for diapers every day! We were very worried that we would not be able to send him to preschool, so we are relieved and excited for this new adventure.

Awana

We have a second parent's night coming up at our church. We signed Oliver up for Awana, a Wednesday night program at our church. They can begin the program after they turn three, and it goes from 6:30 to 8.  We are a little concerned about the later evening, but think he will benefit greatly from the additional time at church as well as with kids his own age. We are really looking forward to having him more involved as he seems to really like church.

OT and more

In July we had Oliver's six-month post placement evaluation at the international adoption clinic at the University of Minnesota. Overall he is doing wonderful, but there are a couple of areas they felt he could benefit from some additional help. Since some of those areas are ones we have also been concerned about or struggling with, we have agreed to give them a shot. Oliver is now meeting with an occupational therapist for some fun playtime, as well as getting some other general help. I am working to wrap my head around some of the issues regarding his sensory processing, so have been spending much of my free time -- as limited as it is -- reading up on what this means and how we can help him thrive. We have only had two sessions and are already seeing signs of improvement, either because of the work we're doing or because he is simply growing up. Either way we want to set him up for success as he grows up and begins full-time school, and we are confident that he is going to do great!

The Homefront

We are also making some changes at home, including new kitchen appliances. I am incredibly excited to be finally getting a gas stove and a dual oven! I have hated cooking on an electric stovetop my whole adult life, and finally get a brand-new gas stove. I cannot wait to use it! Oliver has had a little trouble with the first appliances switch out, a new fridge.  He kept begging for the old one to be put back in! But after the initial frustration he seems to be getting used to it. I hope the stove is even easier for him to get used to.

Anniversary & a Night Out

Recently Tony and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. We decided to also try having his parents put Oliver to bed for the first time. Since bringing him home we have never had anyone else put him to bed at night or do the nighttime routine. Anytime Tony and I have gone out just the two of us we have made sure to be home before bath time. Oliver did really well, but we were still home by nine because we were a little worried. First time parents! I cannot express how wonderful it was to come home and not have to launch into full on parenting. Instead we enjoy cocktails on the deck while Oliver slept soundly. And we welcomed the parenting break! Happy anniversary sweetheart.

Visitors

This next weekend my mom and Dan will be visiting. We have plans to take Dan out for his birthday dinner as well as hitting the state fair. I am really looking forward to them having some time with Oliver and he getting to know them better. He is pretty excited as well! And then eek, preschool!

Tonight we went to a summer jam festival at our church and snapped this picture of Oliver. The evening got rained out but we enjoy dinner with our neighbors afterward. It really is a blessing to have an opportunity to spend time with people who are in a similar spot as us. Thank you Jasper family!