5 Months and Holiday beginnings!

Our social worker came last week to do our 6 month post placement. By the time they do the report, get it notarized, apostilled and sent over to Moscow it should actually be there by the 6 month mark even though the 17th of this month marks our 5th month of “Gotcha”. We still see improvements, but they are slow to come. They still are truly happy kids 24/7. So many people comment on that.

We’re very excited to be going to DisneyWorld in late February. We have our flight reservations and hotel booked - we will be there 6 nights. Our adoption agency is holding their annual reunion there and we’re very excited to meet Lorien, who works at the adoption agency and who basically took care of everything for us and was so helpful in so many other ways. Also, we are looking forward to meeting Amy and her adopted Russian daughter Tatiana. It was through reading Amy’s blog that she got to know me and that we were still waiting, so she knew her agency had a couple of sibling groups to place and she immediately contacted me. So, we thank Amy for introducing us to Lorien and eventually us meeting Reese & Niko. My husband’s stepmother also lives near Orlando so we will be meeting her at the hotel for two days. She’s very excited to meet the kids. Reese’s 4th birthday will also be happening while we are in Disney. Although, I plan to celebrate their birthdays together this year, the first weekend in March, since their birthdays are only five days apart. So much to look forward to in February and March.

Since Thanksgiving we’ve been very busy preparing for their first Christmas in their new home. Basically what we’ve done is to get them to understand the whole concept of Santa and a tree, etc. We are having them watch the Christmas classics on TV and read them the holiday books. We also started the tradition of Elf on a Shelf. Many of you are aware of this tradition, but it basically goes like this; There’s a book along with an elf. After reading the story of how Santa needs to know if the kids are naughty or nice in order to receive presents, the elf is sent down from the North Pole to report back to Santa on a daily basis. Each morning we place the elf in a different part of the house. The kids have really gotten a kick out of him and Reese can’t wait to spot Kirby (the name we’ve given our elf) first thing in the morning. For the most part they’ve been behaving very nicely. So among all this commercialism (and actually meeting Santa yesterday), we believe they have somewhat of a clue as to what will happen Christmas morning. At least Reese does. Trying to also the true meaning of Christmas is a bit more challenging and confusing for them to understand at this age, but we do try.

I must say it will be a bittersweet Christmas celebration. Both of my parents passed away this time of year last year. My mom on the 20th and my dad on the 30th. I so wish they could see me as a mom and especially wish they could have gotten to meet both children. Love ya and miss ya both!

This Thursday we will be going on a train ride called the Polar Express. I’m not sure what it all entails yet, but the kids will wear their pajamas on the train and drink hot cocoa up to the North Pole. The train leaves around 6pm and we get back to the depot around 9pm. It’s a couple hours north from Phoenix and they’ve gotten a bunch of snow last week, so it will definitely be a “white” trip up to the Pole. I’m getting very excited! We’ll most likely go sledding up there the next morning. Glad we can still show R & N some snow!

Two days of preschool each week have been very good for them. I may up it to three days a week starting in September. Reese is really trying to speak in sentences and Niko is just trying to build his vocabulary. They’re beginning to make and play with friends, too.

I think that’s all to report for now. I’ll try to report after Christmas as to what they thought about the whole thing. Otherwise, I have to start thinking of what I’ll do for their birthday celebration coming up.

Will we have a winter?

It’s been 4 short months since we’ve been home so I decided to look at the weather in Moscow and they are already experiencing some snow flurries and temps in the 30’s. Brrrr. I am so very happy we were able to be there in the summer. It was absolutely beautiful and we’ll have some great memories. Here it’s still in the 80’s with hopes of this weekend finally getting to the 70’s. I bet Reese & Niko are beginning to wonder if they’ll ever feel cool air (that’s not air conditioned) again. It’s funny, a couple of times when picking up Reese from preschool, while I was getting Niko out of the car he has said “Hot, hot..” Yes, it’s still hot.

The past month has been much of the same. They go to preschool on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. I have to pick Niko up at 11:30 and then we go back to get Reese at 2:45. They are both truly enjoying it so much. Reese’s English and words have improved slightly since beginning 3 weeks ago and Niko...well, not so much yet. A few more new words but no sentences.

They enjoyed Halloween and after the fourth door or so Niko was starting to understand what to do. Walking up to the door, opening his bag and then sometimes saying Thank You. He only saw one item that really caught his attention when it went into his bag. A sucker - he had to have it. Reese didn’t seem to want anything or maybe she just didn’t realize what they were putting in her back was sugar. They both ended up having two pieces of candy and then that was it. The next day they saw me throw out what was in their treat bags and didn’t seem to care. I’m sure next year will be a different story.

I guess the holidays will soon be upon us. What will that be like this year? We have a very small family so it’ll be quiet but we’re looking forward to it. Already I’m starting to think of what we’ll be doing for their birthdays in 2010. What kind of theme? I know we’ll combine the celebration this year for them as their birthdays are only 5 days apart. Things book up quickly around here and I want their first birthday with us to be extra special.

Let’s see...I’ll jot down (mostly for Reese and Niko’s sake for when they get older) all the things I’ve noticed of these two little angels so far:

Reese: does not like vegetables, is very good about eating all breakfast foods, loves to tickle people, is a big helper, very independent, shows attitude by putting her hand on her hip, lets me fuss with putting things in her hair, loves bath time still, favorite cartoon is Yo-Gabba-Gabba, and she almost knows all of the ABC song.

Niko: eats cherry tomatoes like candy, tends to eat veggies a little better than his sister, is a big stretcher when he wakes up in the mornings, won’t pose or smile well for the camera, genuinely very loving, also loves bath time, still rocks when he goes to sleep, very ticklish, and he loves to put anything in his mouth.

OH...and my most fantastic, handsome, intelligent and helpful husbands birthday is Thursday. I love you so much honey. You’re my forever prince charming and life is complete as long as you’re in it. I love you madly! Wishing you a fabulous Birthday!

1st Halloween 2009

The Princess & Flash....

Could it be 3 months already???

I admit I’m very bad at blogging now, but my life has certainly been turned upside down with two busy little monkeys. The 17th will mark 3 months since “Gotcha Day.” We’ve had a busy schedule since my last post last month.

Swim lessons are continuing for both Reese and Niko. They still both absolutely love the water. Afterall, the are both Pisces.

At the end of September, Niko had a circumcision. It was a somewhat difficult decision to electively put your 2 1/2 under anesthesia, but in years to come we’re hoping he’ll be glad we did. He went through the procedure just like a champ. Of course, he couldn’t feel anything that day because of the pain pills, spinal block and anesthesia. The next 6 days were a different story. The wiggling, screaming and crying every time you would just try to put antibiotic ointment (vaseline-type) on him. Poor thing. It’s been 16 days now and he’s almost all healed.

Five days after his surgery we were headed out to San Diego. It was my birthday weekend and that’s just where I wanted to spend it. I also anxiously wanted to see what the kids thought of the beach and ocean. We figured the ocean for Niko might not be a good idea (and the water might have been too cold anyway), but they could surely play in the sand and see the ocean, right? Afterall, at the orphanage that was their favorite activity--just playing in the sandboxes for hours. Well, after we arrived at the hotel we went out for some dinner and then back to the hotel as it was already getting late. Bathtime! The kids favorite “indoor” activity. Three minutes into the bath Niko starts crying, we turn around to look and he had sliced just above his eye on the edge of the marble bathtub. Roger and I debated about whether or not he needed to go to the urgent care for stitches. There really wasn’t any blood trickling down, just mainly staying at the injured sight. And at this point Niko was more upset we ended bathtime. Well, Roger said it was sliced cleaned and looked deep. He’s off to the urgent care. I stayed and put Reese to bed. Well....they arrive back at the hotel at 2:40 in the morning. They were gone almost 7 hours! That’s just crazy! He did great though. Barely cried and the next morning acted as if nothing happened.

So needless to say, now we couldn’t go to the beach and play in the sand. What 2 y/o do you know that wouldn’t throw sand up in the air and land in his head? So they saw the ocean from a bluff and were just as content to play at the playground there. We also made it to SeaWorld. Oh my, they loved Shamu! Niko’s expression the whole 30 minute show was just bug eyed and open mouth. Not a word. They were very tired, but absolutely loved the long day of seeing all the sea animals.

The car trip (6 hours each way from PHX) wasn’t that bad, either. The last two hours into PHX is when the whining started on and off with Niko.

They are both still taking naps. Sometimes it’s 1 1/2 hours or sometimes it’s 3 hours. Still no problem going to bed for either of them, and they’re both still sleeping through the night. The pronunciation of words for Reese is still pretty bad. She also still doesn’t have many words in her vocabulary. Same with Niko--not many words. We’ve been told by so many professionals and other mothers to just get them in pre-school to be around other toddlers, and they should start beginning to speak more and better. So, that is on my list as the next to do. I am looking into part-time pre-school for Reese and possibly Niko, too.

Not that Reese had many, but practically all crying, whining and being upset is non-existent. She’s a very happy little girl. Niko, on the other hand, who had always been so calm, never cried or whined, is starting to whine quite a bit now. I guess he just feels comfortable enough now and is doing enough activities that he gets frustrated. Overall, still very happy. They’re really great kids!

We’re also still trying to go to Pump it Up gym once a week. There’s been quite a difference since the first time we went there. One of us would have to go with them up the slide and down and through the obstacle course, but now they just do all the climbing, jumping and running around on their own. So great to see!

Reese’s allergies, eczema, and asthma is totally under control. You wouldn’t even know she has them at this point. Also quite a difference from the first month home. As far as potty training goes, Reese has still had a couple of accidents in her pants, but for all practical purposes she’s potty trained. Well...nighttime diapers are still 60% of the time wet, but we’re getting there. We’re still gonna wait a few more weeks to get Niko on a full schedule of potty training.

And, the cooler temps are beginning to arrive. Granted it’s still in the 80’s, but that’s much better than the 100’s, so it’s off to the playground now and playing outside. We’ll also be headed to the zoo and the pumpkin patch farm soon. Lots to look forward to! I’ll leave with some pics until next time. (Probably another month....)

2 month post...already?

I can hardly believe I am writing this post. Didn’t we just spend almost 24 hours flying home with 2 toddlers? Reese & Niko have been in the USA for 2 months now. Geez...time is flying by so quickly. Because I’m in my 40’s I really hate that time is passing by so quickly. Let’s slooow down a bit. There’s so much living to do!

As for an update, Reese and Niko are thriving! How can anyone be so happy all the time? They are making me appreciate all the small things in life we often take for granted. I love seeing their wide eyes and smiling faces when they discover/see something new. The first time we caught sight of this was actually in Moscow when we went to a playground and Reese saw an 8 year old boy for the first time. She actually stood there, not moving, for fifteen minutes just staring at this boy. This occurred many times while in Russia and for the first couple of weeks back in the States. She had been the oldest (3 1/2) at the baby orphanage, and had never seen a child older than her - only adults. Pretty amazing to think of it like that, huh? Just weird little insignificant stuff like watching a car window roll down and having their hair be blown around, or seeing a ceiling fan for the first time, first time in a bathtub (so funny!), taking their first ride at the fair, etc.

Reese is picking up more English and pronunciation of those words is slightly better. Niko has also picked up a few more words. Today, a woman we know from Russia (Ina) came over and spoke Russian to them. You could tell they thought it was familiar, but didn’t respond back to her at all in Russian. Actually they spoke mostly English or baby talk. It’s somewhat sad to see their native language going. It was cute to hear some words in Russian. They lose it so quickly, as I know too well with my Italian. If it’s not spoken or you’re not around it very often--it goes. Roger and I still have several command phrases that we say to them. They abide by them very well, so we figure why change those phrases. Ina is also translating a letter we wrote to send to the caregiver at their orphanage in Moscow. This woman obviously loved them very much and very much wanted us to write to her and let her know how they are both doing. We also sent her a lot of pictures so that she could see how much they have changed already.

We have decided not to do occupational therapy. We’ve seen great progress by bringing them to the bouncy Pump it Up place and going to swim lessons. Also, we’ve been showing them how to button and snap things and use scissors. No speech therapy, either. We’re going to wait and see on that. Just working with them more closely on a daily basis on their words and speech. We’re also just beginning to have them participate in “playdates” with other kids in the neighborhood. That will be very good for them to interact with other children. The next thing on my list will be to find a pre-school for Reese. Reese is mostly potty trained, except for naps and nighttime. I hear that could take a while to master those. Niko...not even interested yet. He is comfortable sitting on the potty, though, as we have him sit there a few times a day.

I think that’s it for an update. For my days being “not boring”, it seems I should be writing a novella. Each day brings a new experience and new way for Roger and me to see the world through their eyes. It’s quite a life altering time.

July 19, 2009

September 19, 2009

Swim lessons and more....

The summer might be coming to an end in many parts of the country, but here in AZ it’s still a scorcher. The kids can swim probably another month, so that is one of the reasons we have started swim lessons this week for Reese and Niko. They can’t go to the same class because of the age difference, and of course, that would just make it too easy on the chauffeur to only have to drive once a week to swim lesson as opposed to the two separate classes we’ll be attending. The classes are only 30 minutes, once a week with 3 other toddlers in their group. It goes on a monthly basis, but what I hear from so many moms is that it actually continues for years. I guess they keep graduating and learning different techniques and move up to different classes, and most of all, find it fun learning to be great swimmers. Reese’s class was today. She did really well. No crying leaving me to go in the pool, and while the instructor was with the other girl, Reese waited patiently on the side. Just very basics for now, but she did swim under water with no floaties for a few feet. Niko starts on Saturday.

In other news, R & N are still wonderful, happy kids. We’ve gotten lucky! We are not doing occupational therapy for their fine/gross motor skills and to work on their muscle development seeing as they didn’t evaluate too far from norm. The Pump it Up bouncy place near our home has done wonders for many of those areas. After only one visit, both R & N began to climb and jump more proficiently and pulled themselves up the bouncy, steep ladders with much greater ease. We’re also working at home with them on building blocks, buckles, zippers, buttons, etc... They have both proven to be quick learners. We hope that will still be the case with language. That is coming a bit slower, but it is coming. Reese knows many words now, just not sentences nor does she pronounce the words very well. She does understand much of what we are saying to her, though. Niko still has a very small vocabulary, but we still manage to communicate just fine. We are still going to do a speech therapy assessment, just still working on a place and how much of it insurance will cover.

We look forward to the many first experiences we have with them coming up. We both can’t wait to take them to the ocean and see what they think of all the sand and waves. It would also be great to go to the zoo again with them. While in Moscow we took them and they seemed to really enjoy that. Also, some of you have probably wondered how bedtime is going since the first two weeks for Reese were somewhat “stressful”. For the last 2 and a half weeks she has been allowed to watch a “learning” type cartoon from 7:30-8:00, and when it’s over the credits roll up and NOW she even asks to turn off the TV and then quietly without a peep goes to bed. We’re secretly thinking the bedtime meltdown stage is over, but a small part of us just can't believe it's happening so nicely every night, and somewhat nervous of a meltdown to rear it's ugly head... :-)

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Pump it Up!

Today we took Reese and Niko to a place called Pump it Up. A place filled with big, blow-up, bouncy type equipment. I have never seen these two have so much fun yet. Although, the Build-a-Bear and stroller pushing through the mall was a close second. It was suggested as a way to do occupational therapy and get those legs climbing and muscles built. They slept almost three hours at nap-time. I think we'll go every Monday. I'll leave with a few pics and also a pic of my cutie-patootie in her costume. My neighbor, Deb, came over last week to give this leotard and tutu to Reese. She looks adorable and she loves to wear it around the house. (Sorry the pics are not that clear--these kids move too fast!)

Allergies

Well...the results of my little girls allergy testing came back today. The doc said we have a highly allergic little girl on our hands. He said she's severely allergic to dogs, then cats, and also highly allergic to eggs. She is also testing positive for many other foods, but since they are not as high as the dogs/eggs we will be doing a prick allergy test in 3 weeks to all those other specific foods for a 100% positive reading. At least it's nothing too serious. Seems to be all manageable. Definitely not getting rid of my sweet baby dog. Benadryl, creams, breathing treatments, food/dog avoidance...
It's been a bit exhausting taking them to all these appointments. But, I know they are necessary right now and will not last forever. So far Reese has been to the pediatrician twice, dentist, allergy/asthma specialist 3 times, 2 times to a lab for blood drawn, and an assessment of developmental delays. It's been diagnosed as they are both behind, and we have decided we will be bringing them to occupational therapy and speech therapy. I don't know how many times per week these visits will take place yet, but we're thinking they won't last for more than a few months. They'll catch up very quickly, especially with the right supervision/guidance. Reese is very eager to learn. I guess the forever mom "chauffeur" services have officially begun. LOL!
Niko just has a mild scalp dermatitis. All of his bloodwork and x-ray and ultrasounds came back normal. It's been fun to see him develop into his personality. He was very quiet at the orphanage, but he is changing here everyday. So cool! They are both great little people!
In between all these appointments and people still coming over to visit them for the first time, we've managed to squeeze in some pool time, too. Here are a few pics:

One month marker

Wow! It's hard to believe but we've actually had them in our care now for 4 weeks!

It's true what they say and that each week gets better and better and shows many changes.

Nice Days!

Each day has truly gotten better. Reese’s rash is better being on the allergy syrup and lotion, so she seems to be sleeping better. A couple of nights all the way through. They both are still sleeping 10-11 hours per night.

We have been going in the pool for about 30 minutes almost daily. They are very comfortable in the pool now; however, they are wearing floaties. We might begin to look into swim lessons and see if they say they are ready for that. Reese is continuing to do well on the potty. Still has many mistakes (always at night, obviously right now), but when we ask her if she needs to go she’ll usually say yes or no. I think we just might have to get better at asking more frequently. Niko still sits comfortably on the toilet several times a day and occasionally gets lucky.

Sunday we drove down to a place Roger & I usually went on Sunday’s to go jogging. This time we put them in the double jogging stroller for 4 of miles of jogging and they loved it. Then, our friends invited us over for breakfast of eggs and bagels and to meet R & N. We had a wonderful morning. Thank you Gary and Kathy!

We still have many dates set up with friends who want to meet the kids. We’re just spacing them a part a bit. And we are still venturing to new restaurants and with new foods. They are doing great in both areas.

Over the next two weeks Roger is going to work part-time, then back to regular hours after that.

11 Days

Reese continues to go to bed w/o a meltdown--not even a cry now. She also had an allergist appointment today. We were gone from 1:00-4:00. So, no nap and she did great. Never once did she whine or cry, only a flinch at the 2 vial blood test. By dinnertime, you could tell she was tired and getting a bit cranky. She was sleeping tonight by 7:45. We won’t know the results of the allergy test for another 8 days or so.

Niko continues to be a sweet, sweet boy. I’ve never seen him give so many kisses before. He only sucks his fingers at naptime/bedtime now for a short bit, not nearly as much as he did that first week. He lets us rock him now, but when laid down he still continues to rock himself to sleep. Never cries still. He’s a very happy boy.

They both have started repeating some words we say, but not many English words yet. Reese is working on potty training. Niko is comfortable sitting there, but I feel he still doesn’t quite know what it’s about.

We’ve gone to several restaurants since we’ve been home and only once did Reese have a semi-meltdown (she had no nap that day). We just took her out to the car and said she has to behave before we can go back in. She agreed and the rest of dinner went fairly well after that.

They are both more comfortable in the pool. Seem to really be enjoying it. Especially going up, up and then under water. I feel we’ve been very lucky. They really are well-behaved children overall. The orphanage did a great job at teaching them how to put away toys and brush their teeth and pretty much listen to commands like don’t touch that or don’t do that, be calm/quiet, etc... Reese still loves to yell at her brother and tell on him. :-)

So, just an update, but they are progressing very well. We do wish Reese would start speaking more or learn her A,B,C’s, but I guess we’ve only been home 11 days.

Bedtime

It can be the best time...
Four nights in a row Reese went down without a meltdown. You have no idea how much this pleases Roger and me. Still melting down at naps, but we’ve found they are still needed at this point. There’s just still so much that’s stimulating her all day long. Niko goes down fairly quickly with us holding him and rocking him for awhile, then we put him in his bed and he continues to rock (soothe) himself to sleep. Probably 15 minutes in all.

Here is sleepy time in the apartment in Moscow:

On the plane home (last flight):

And HOME in their own beds:

Making Strides

We’re establishing our routines. It’s going well. We’re back to giving Reese naps--even if for 1 hour. We find she’s doing a bit better at bedtime if she’s had a little rest. Reese’s rash is getting better. The doctor believes she’s not allergic to our dog, but we’ll still be going to an allergist for testing. It still seems like she’s allergic to something (or many things). Sensitive to the sun, too. She’s our sensitive girl. The doc says she has eczema and to keep her skin very moisturized by a gentle cream. We’re still giving her a small dose of allergy syrup twice a day, too. She was great in the car with Roger to the doctor and even two errands after that.

They have been in our pool twice now. I thought they would have loved it more seeing how bath time is such a gynormous hit. They’re getting comfortable with it, though. Staying on the platform and occasionally letting us carry them and swoosh them around in the deeper end.

Food is still probably the most frustrating. They are picky eaters. What I think they’d like, they don’t. They don’t like pizza. Tried twice. They ate mashed potatoes in Russia once, but I made them here last night and they wouldn’t eat them. They seem to like all fruit and no vegetables. It seems like they got a lot of sugary foods and bread at the orphanage.

We’re working on filling out more forms. Right now it’s getting them registered with the Consulate.

Roger and I are getting back in the groove of things ourselves. Finally went through 3 weeks worth of mail and got most of the bills paid. Laundry is done. Roger went to the gym today and I’ll try to go tomorrow. We’ll just alternate days for now. He’s off of work for the next two weeks(except occasionally working from home). Thank God! I can’t imagine when he goes back.

Oh...and they each got their first haircut with us today. Well, Reese just got a quick trim. We’re still trying to grow out her hair. Our hair stylist actually came to the house and the kids did great with it. They’re obviously used to that being done, too.

I leave with a couple of pics.

Home Sweet Home!

Well...the plane ride wasn’t as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. Now mind you, Roger and I never slept and we were up for 24 hours, but we knew that would be the case.

Once at the airport it took quite a bit of time to get the kids checked in and there wasn’t even a line. Because they have a Russian passport and we have US passports I guess they double and triple check everything. Finally at the gate and we were almost ready to board. A good thing not to have to waste too much time waiting there.

On the plane, They both didn’t want to put on their seat belts. With enough distractions and then the plane racing down the runway, they were fine. The plane’s seats configuration was 3, 3, 3. Roger sat with both kids and I was the aisle across. I basically handed him stuff/toys/food for most of the flight. The kids were very occupied with the remote controls in each seat-back for the individual movie screens. These kids don’t like to watch TV or movies. It doesn’t interest them in the least. A bit of a bummer for such a long flight, but the remotes worked well enough. They played, then it was time to eat. We ordered child’s meals and they ate some of it. This is pretty gross but Reese ate the butter packet--AS IS. She seemed to really like it. Yuck! After lunch we tried to rock Niko to sleep. He slept on Roger’s lap. We didn’t tell Reese to go to bed, but she shortly fell asleep on the armrest by the window, too. Niko was sleeping for almost two hours when the Fasten Seatbelt Sign came on and the flight attendant immediately came over and made us put seat belts on both kids (a lap belt for Niko while in Roger’s arms). Right after we got the belts on, the slight turbulence stopped and Niko and then Reese woke up. Darn flight attendants. I bet they would have slept another hour. After that they were a bit rambunctious. Tried playing in their row, changed diapers, walked Niko around the plane many times and 2 really quick, short meltdowns(for the entire flight), then it was time for the second meal. They weren’t too keen on this one so when our food came, they were like vultures on Roger’s food tray. It was pretty hysterical. The flight was 11 hours. We actually arrived in Houston an hour early. So, that flight, as busy as it was occupying their minds, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I thought there would be major screaming and meltdowns, but not the case. They were very good considering how long the flight was and that they had to be confined in one row.

Arrival in Houston....our “single” stroller was there. Yea! Long walk to passport control, then we were asked to go to a special room and wait to be called upon. Seeing as the kids have Russian passports and we’re claiming them as US citizens there’s a process internationally adopted children have to go through. It took awhile and our friend Adrianne had to wait outside for us. Finally given the “OK”, we had to go claim our bags and switch airlines to US Airways and re-check the bags. Little did we know we had to lug ALL bags, kids, stroller, carry-ons up and down escalators, on a tram, then elevator, switching terminals to go check-in and check bags for the next flight. We were very happy we had someone helping us out on this part of the journey, for sure. Thanks Adrianne! This must have been the worst part of the whole 24 hours. Finally through the US Security checkpoint, we got to eat some dinner and decent food--with an actual English menu. So nice to hear English and read a menu. We couldn’t have been happier and more exhausted at this point. After dinner, we went to our gate and decided these kids have been up way past their bedtime and thought we would try to have them sleep. We had almost 2 hours remaining. I held and rocked Niko and he fought it at first but managed to fall asleep on my lap rather quickly. Reese, on the other hand, OMG!!! This was the Major meltdown and screaming episode I was afraid would appear on the flight, but it came at the terminal. Better there than on the plane, I’d say. It took quite awhile...walking with her in the stroller but Roger finally convinced her to sleep. They slept as we boarded our last flight for home, woke slightly as we adjusted them on the flight, and then they were OUT the entire flight to PHX. We were grateful for the quiet, restful time on the 2 hour, 10 minute flight home. Walking through the terminal it was even hard to wake them up.

At the airport we had Roger’s business partner and his wife and two boys meet us. They were kind enough to drive our truck and park it at the airport for us and help with the bags and to get the kids settled in their car seats. Also at the airport was Adrianne’s husband, Ed, being a wonderful photographer. Roger’s mother and friend also wanted to be there, too of course. Thank you everyone for giving us a warm welcome to AZ!

The kids slept the entire way home in the car. Once home, we brought them inside and they saw Pardo, our lab. Oh my....they fell in love with her. Couldn’t give enough hugs. kisses, and squeals of delight. We thought it might be real hard now to put them to sleep after that, but after about an hour we put them down in our room on a pull out sofa we have in there. We figured with the jet lag and all we would just have them sleep in our room. We never even showed them the whole house or their rooms. The airport adventure and the dog was enough excitement for one night. Niko went down pretty quick, as usual, but Reese took her time. Not as much screaming and crying but did eventually fall asleep. Three hours later, she awoke and came walking by our bed. Several tries to put her to bed woke up Niko. He only stayed awake a short time and was back down. We decided it might be best to take Reese to her room and bed at this point. She can often wake up Niko and we didn’t want that. Roger slept with her in her room. She fell asleep and woke up at 6am. Niko awoke about 5:15. Not bad.

Our Sunday was very busy. They are a full-time job, the two of them. Very happy, but busy. One bad thing we think has happened...we believe Reese might be allergic to our dog, Pardo. This makes Roger and I very sad/upset. She’s itching constantly and scratching, watery eyes, too. When we got home Saturday night after she met Pardo she sneezed many times. This morning she awoke to a rash on her cheeks and on parts of her arms. At times today it got worse when she was playing with Pardo. For now we’ve given her some allergy medicine and put hydrocortisone cream and eczema cream on her several times. It’s a bit better. Maybe we’re wrong on the diagnosis. We’ll see what tomorrow brings... probably a doctor’s visit. All in all, it’s GREAT to be home and in my bed!

2 More Days til We’re Home!

I can’t wait!!!!!!
Today (thursday) was a great day until about 2pm, then a major meltdown on and off for hours with Reese. She’s testing our wills and seeing who the decision maker is--she still thinks she’s going to win. I did not do well with this. Niko was very good today.

We left to walk to the zoo around 9:45. They did great at the zoo. No meltdowns. Were really impressed with the animals and seem to be having a good time. Lunch at the restaurant even managed to go OK. Then on the walk home, Reese was in the stroller and fell asleep until we reached the apartment. About 20 minutes. Niko fell asleep in Roger’s arms as he was carrying him the last 15 minutes of the walk. He brought him in to the apartment and laid him down, he was still sleeping. Reese became a terror bit by bit at this point. And nothing has been able to satisfy her.

After bath time she was in a better mood and decided to head to one last restaurant for dinner. They both did well in the restaurant. After coming home and bedtime is a different story. Meltdown for an hour at bedtime. The night before they slept 11 1/2 hours.

Tomorrow we’ll go to Gorky Park for a while. It means taking the Metro to get there. Then we’ll be back in the apartment for the rest of the afternoon/night. We’ll have leftovers for dinner and start packing. Get up early and get ready to head to the airport. The way things have been going these past two days, I hope I can prove myself wrong and we have a good flight home. Please send all positive thoughts our way for Saturday morning (or Friday p.m.) your time.

This is my last post until we get settled back in AZ. In many ways this week has been easier/better than I thought. I, however, have never slept more than 4-5 hours at a time each night so I am looking forward to my bed and pillow and my dog, Pardo. Thanks to everyone for all your support and positive thoughts throughout this long journey in Moscow.

4 More Days To Go

This morning the day started early. The embassy doctor came to the apartment around 7am for a quick exam. It’s just basically a formality and red tape. The second to the last step of this process. On Wednesday we will go to the Embassy to get their passports and visas for travel home.

Around 10:45 we headed out for a walk to the Kremlin and St. Basil’s. We ate lunch at a restaurant in Red Square. It was very good. Breakfast, lunch and dinner also all went well today. After lunch we waked around some more then headed back up the hill to the apartment. My friend Adrianne stayed at Red Square to go into the museum and churches there. They were both a little over tired/stimulated today. Reese fell asleep (after a short meltdown) for 1 hour and Niko only slept for 20 minutes in the stroller on the way back. We went to another restaurant for dinner and we thought there was going to be trouble/meltdowns, but it went rather well. The restaurant had coloring pages and crayons and bread until the food arrived so all went well. Back at the apartment for DVD, then bedtime. Meltdown for 20 minutes.

Oh...in front of St. Basil’s there was this Japanese couple who came right up to us smiling and pointing at Niko with their camera. It was the strangest and funniest thing. They basically almost grabbed him. They scooped him up and took pictures and then switched so the guy could get his picture with Niko. We were cracking up. We would have loved to know why they wanted his picture so bad. And 10 minutes earlier there were these two women who also looked at him playing on the cobblestone and snapped his picture. He’s famous!

Five More Days To Go

Sunday morning Reese woke up not herself. When we picked her up at the orphanage she had a bit of a runny nose and cough. She was not her usual high energy happy girl. After breakfast about 9 she went up on the couch to lay down (very odd!), so we turned on Baby Einstein in within 5 minutes she was back to sleeping. She was out for 2 hours. Niko played sort of quietly and then Roger took him outside to play for 45 minutes.

The rest of the day kinda went the same as the last two. We tried some food, which again Reese is still picky about. Niko took a nap, Reese played quietly. Bath time is still LOADS of fun for them. Then a Baby Einstein DVD to calm things down at night before we put them in their room for sleep. Again a meltdown from Reese, but a smaller, shorter one. It’s 9 p.m. and they just fell asleep. MInor improvements that we’re happy about.

Monday morning we lost internet until about 2 p.m. So now it’s after 8 p.m. and the kids are watching Baby Einstein again. We’ve developed this routine to get them to wind down and then to the bed about 9 p.m. Reese has been sleeping about 8-9 hours through the night and Niko about 9-10 hours per night.

Around 4:30 this afternoon my friend Adrianne arrived from PHX to stay with us until Saturday. We all leave together and will have an extra hand on the plane. Nice, but I’m still worried about how it will go. We ordered chinese takeout for dinner tonight. Nice to know in any country you can always rely on Chinese food for good food.

Tomorrow we’ll try to go to the Kremlin for the “traditional” family photo in front of St. Basil’s. Although it’s scheduled for rain tomorrow....and the rest of the week... :-(

Saturday (home next Saturday-Yeah!!!)

Reese fell asleep last night in her room right as we finished typing last nights post around 10:00pm. Niko took longer. We rocked with him until about 10:45. Reese came to our bed at 7:00 this morning and Niko got up about 7:40. Not bad because they slept through the night.

We’re really surprised how picky they are about their food. I asked the orphanage and they said they ate hot cereal in the morning. Well, I made oatmeal and put a few raisins in. It was pretty bland. They did not eat it. I also cut up more honeydew, which they loved.

We played in the apartment until 10:15 then went out for almost 4 hours. We walked to the nearby park again, then continued further down the street to New Arbat street. It’s a touristy area of souvenir shops and restaurants. We found a Russian restaurant geared towards children. They ate most of their lunch which we were happy about. Bits of meatballs, mashed potatoes, split a piece of bread and some stroganoff. Since they did well at the restaurant we let them have a small ice cream cone on the walk back to the apartment. When one was in the stroller, the other was either walking or on Roger’s shoulders. The double would have been nice, but this is working.

We washed them when we got back and let them play for awhile. At 3:45 we turned on Baby Einstein video for the first time. In 5 minutes Niko was out and after 20 minutes Reese started loosing interest, but was still nice and quiet playing by herself. Since it was so late we only let Niko get a “cat nap”. After, there was a little play time in the courtyard area and then bath time, then dinner. Dinner went a little better tonight with regards to their eating it.

For bedtime we’re started with a Baby Einstein video at 8pm. First showing they did well watching it, but they still didn’t seem tired enough to go to bed so we put it on again. Not far into that they wanted to get up, but we told them to sit. Niko was somewhat getting tired, Reese not so much, so we decided to just put them in their room and say time to sleep. Shut the door. Each time Reese came to the door we put her back in bed. It’s a little after 9pm and they are getting the point. Sleep is very near. So far this bedtime stuff has been the worst but we hope each night is going to continue to get a little easier. :-) Paka (Bye) until tomorrow or Monday....

Gotcha Day and 8 more days til home!

Well...we’re parents! Isn’t hasn’t been so bad yet.

We first had to go to the Vital Records department this morning. That took almost an hour and then we went to the orphanage with all of our gifts and clothes to take the kids home in. The transition went really well. They were happy to come with us and looked great in their new American clothes. We got the address of the main caregiver that has given them so much love, and we intend to send her letters and pictures of the kids often.

After we were all in the car, we had one more stop to make. Roger and our driver, Vlad, went into a building to have Reese’s and Niko’s passports expedited. Meanwhile I sat in the car with both of them for 30 minutes. After about 15 they were getting a little antsy, but overall did okay. We arrived back at the apartment around 12:45. We immediately started to get their lunch ready. Ham sandwiches and honeydew melon. Niko ate up, but Reese only about half. Niko also drank plenty of water. Tried to have them both sit on the potty, but it was already too late and had a damp diaper. It’ll take awhile, but we’ll try. Another half hour of play and we decided Niko should have his afternoon nap. Roger laid down with him in the bed with his new blanket (thanks, Amy!) and his bear, while I tried to keep Reese quiet so her brother could sleep. She’s 3 1/2 and not sure if we should still do naps????

Niko slept for almost two hours. Reese, no. We’re not having any success on the potty training, either. It’s obvious they have no clue what that is about. I guess I shouldn’t have hoped for miracles. By 5:00, after they played nicely in the apartment, we decided to take a 10 minute walk to a small playground area. Again, they listened and it went great. They really enjoyed that. Back to the apartment at 6:00 and I began to make dinner. Pasta noodles with a touch of butter and bits of chicken from a roasted chicken I went to the store earlier for while Niko slept. Again, Niko ate 90% of it, but Reese hardly touched her dinner. They also had an apple before the park and a small cookie when we got back. She’s probably hungry, but not eating. They may be small but they are not lacking in weight. They got plenty of baby fat. After dinner it was bath time. Oh Boy did they like that! I’ve read over and over how orphaned children might not have been exposed to baths and scared, but no way! They knew what it was and had a grand time. Maybe we should have did that before dinner because by 8:00pm they were still too riled up for bed. We put on their pj’s and we were firm when we tried laying in bed with them to go to sleep, but Reese would have nothing to do with it. We know she’s beyond tired because she’s had no nap and has been rubbing her eyes for hours. Niko was good at first and lying down, then began Reese’s MAJOR meltdown. Finally got it under control but then they are now both too awake to sleep. I tried to leave the room and just have Roger stay with them in hopes of winding down. Then I thought...bribery (getting desperate), brought in a small cookie and said they could have it if they went in bed and to sleep. Kinda worked...they went and laid down in bed and then after the cookie was over they were running around in the room and playing with the light switches. Finally decided we should just leave the room and eventually they will fall asleep. This took a long time! So BEFORE bedtime...things went really well (considering) the whole day. But even as I write this, they are still not asleep. I wonder how tomorrow night will go. It’s 10:00p.m.

Here are photos to enjoy: