Daniil's Progress Report

Last week we returned to the International Adoption Center at Tufts Floating Hospital for Children. We paid our first visit in late September, after Danya had been home one month. So this was a 3-month check-in. They redid some basic tests and here are the results. Note that Daniil is 3 years, 7 months old right now.

Gross motor: No concerns whatsoever about his gross motor skills. They only measure up to a 3-year-old level and he tops out here just fine.

Fine motor: Daniil's FM skills have advanced 10 months over the past 3. His little fingers are now working at a 4 year old level.

Cognition: Daniil's cognitive abilities have advanced 20 months over the past 3. He thinks at a 54 month old level, like a 4.5 year old

Receptive Language: Advanced by 6 months over the past 3. Danya understands English like that of a 3 year old (this places him 7 months behind)

Expressive Language: Advanced by 11 months over the past 3. He speaks like an average 3 year+3month year old (4 months behind)

The doctors told me that they have never seen cognitive and fine motor jumps like this. They also noted that Daniil's quick, agile mind, full of thoughts, coupled with his delay in language, is a potential set-up for major frustration. I do note this at times at home when Danya can’t tell me exactly what he needs/wants and resorts to pushing or hitting me. In response, I ask him to use his words, remind him that hands are not meant for hitting, and ask, “What do you need/want, Danya?”

4 months home. In a brand new country. A brand new culture. With a brand new Mama, the first in memory. Learning a brand new language from square one. Living in a big house. Sleeping in a room with only one other person, not 15. Testing Mama's limits. Trusting Mama's love. Discovering chocolate-chip ice cream, and cats as living creatures with claws, and the joys of riding on a tall man's shoulders, and going to school for the first time, and what it means to have your very own Pop and Baba and Papa (my dad)...

Bravo, Daniil! Roaring applause, standing ovation