Getting To Know...

Health update: I am sorry to report that I don't feel much better. I am now hacking up a lung, but have medicine that is helping with that so hopefully I will be feeling better soon. Troy is still being a real trooper, but poor guy went to bed with a severe tension headache tonight. Continue to pray for healing and good health. I have no idea what kind of medicine I am taking or if it is FDA approved. Also, please pray for sleep...lots of it for all of us.

Integration: I will let Troy fill you in on this in a separate post since it was blur for me due to my medicine head and the fact that I was playing referee, nose-wiper, comforter, toy-returner, sleuth, etc...while the meeting was going on.

What I would like to do though, is really introduce you to our boys since the legal process is now underway and we know them a little bit better. They are each unique in their joys and their challenges. Oh, and I have no intention of sugar-coating this so be prepared! My boss, Sherry, will laugh out loud because she knows I love to tell it like it is when it comes to people - Sherry, my kids are no exception!


Samuel (pronounced Sam-U-ell)

I am not really sure where to begin with Samuel. He is a complex little guy who can be very devious. On one hand is very affectionate, cuddly, always seeking our approval. He is very much a first born! Then the next thing you know, when he thinks we aren't looking, he is taunting his brothers or giving us these weird looks (when he catches our gaze, he breaks out into this broad, beautiful grin). I am sure there is so much more to this and we are only scratching the surface. A lot more will come out when we are back in Charlotte. He is also constantly mimicking his brothers. If they do something that gets them a "bueno", then he jumps up and does the same thing to get the same praise. I am not sure of why this is, but it is continuous. He is also very sensitive. He is very aware of what makes us unhappy. He does not like to get into trouble, but has no problem doing the things that get him put into the "boring" chair (if that makes sense). Once he is being punished, he is extremely remorseful. Also, he has started to repeat words to us in English and we are trying to be more aware of saying things in both languages.

Before I make it sound all bad with Samuel, let me also say that he is a genuinely happy boy. He needs a lot of attention and affection. In his foster home, Luis received the majority of attention and therefore, the other two learned to cope. Samuel did this by copying Luis and acting out in other ways. He sings to himself a lot which is really cute. He loves to color and play with cars, megablocks and the soccer ball. He is also a fish! He can't swim yet, but we think he will be a good candidate for swim lessons (Troy has his instructor at the Y already picked out!) I think the thing that gets me the most with Samuel is that he isn't quite at the maturity level of a six year old and has never been "challenged" (not quite the right word I am looking for but I am battling medicine head) to be the older brother and be an example for his brothers. Maybe I am setting my sights too high for him, I don't know, but I think for what he has been through in life, he is probably right on track.


Daniel (pronounced Don-EE-yell; we will totally Americanize it when we get home, but for now, it is pronounced the Spanish way)

This kid is a total mess! Literally when we eat, he gets food all over himself. He really is as happy as his smile would lead you to believe. He is happy almost all the time, even when we are attempting to punish him, he is smiling and giggling and totally not listening (which is usually what he is in trouble for). He is going to be our "problem child" - for good or for bad. He hits, he kicks, he throws EVERYTHING. He screams if you try to touch him and he doesn't want to be touched (this isn't all the time). He is content to play in the corner by himself, which may have been his response to Luis getting all of the attention at the foster home. You know he is an Eisenberger because he goes straight for the TV when he enters the room. With Daniel, it is actually pretty simple, you know that he is a handful, so you plan accordingly. He will always do the opposite of what you ask. Nearly everything with him is a game, so when he says "No" he does it with a big grin on his face. The key to Daniel's heart is to play with him - ball, tickle him, pick at him, anything to get him laughing. That is how you get him to let you hold him or pick him up or even put his shoes on him. We worry that he is developmentally behind (this is what the paperwork says), but when he watches cartoons, he is the first to answer the questions and is almost always right. He is just a loner and likes it that way. He also loves cars and loves to catch the ball (we have our goalie!) He takes a TON and a half of patience. The word "No" resonates in our ears all day in Daniel's voice. Oh and he does cry when he is trying to do something and he gets frustrated. They all do. We are still trying to figure out that one thing that will really click in his head to make him listen to us and help with the punishing because the "boring" chair only feeds his love of being alone. He will most likely be our challenge for the rest of our lives, but he also seems to be most like a four year old (using Ethan, our nephew, as my measuring stick).


Luis Angel (pronounced Lou-EES ON-hell; will be just Luis when we get home)

Luis had a slew of health problems as a baby. He had respiratory and cardiac problems as well as some skin issues that have left him pretty scarred up therefore he was pampered a lot. So...He is a big, big baby. He is affectionate, cuddly, acts younger than his age, gets extremely frustrated at EVERYTHING, and is pretty demanding. "Sensitive" seems to describe him since he cries and whines at the drop of a hat, and there is a new crisis about every 15 to 20 minutes. Truth be told though, he is the easiest of the three. He is hilarious. He makes these faces and does these little walks (one is a penguin and one is like godzilla). He gets really excited about stuff and it is contagious. He is also terrified of EVERYTHING - the bath, the park, the wind blowing in his face in the car. We have really had to just walk away a lot and let him cry a lot of stuff out because sometimes certain things fall over when you try to stack them or some megablocks just don't pop together (it's a tough world kid!) Oh and he loves to be carried around. One thing that drives us up the wall, he is Samuel's side kick and they often team up on Daniel. That is just plain frustrating. We still aren't sure if he is the hyper twin. They both seem to have the same amount of energy at different times. And I have to mention that he, by far, has the best soccer kick of the three. This is important because with three kids, they all need scholarships to college - I am thinking ahead!

I hope this helps you all to feel like you know them just a little bit better. Sorry it was a little more "warts" than I intended. I blame the meds and lack of sleep!!

One last picture...On some nights, Papa winds them down with a movie. Which movie is this? Cars of course!!!