Andrei's Homecoming

Here are some pictures of Andrei's airport homecoming back in March. We were so blessed with awesome family and friends to welcome us all home! There's nothing like showing up to a crowd of people wearing dirty underwear and a toothbrush not crossing you teeth in over 24 hours.  It's something everyone needs to experience!



Before the "big reveal"...




Here he is!  Yes, that's me in the back ground in tears while hugging my girls.  I was so glad to be home!






A little overwhelmed!




So excited to finally meet their baby brother who they had been praying for nightly for nearly a year!



More Adoption Resource Helps

(1)I found another PAD (post adoption depression) resource for those who need it.  EMK Press has put out a 50 something page free booklet with a wealth of adoption information.  It was put out in response to the Hansen incident over a year ago. It is filled with articles ranging from sleep issues to eating issues to power struggles to sensory issues--all written by IA Doctors, social workers, or therapists.The PAD article is the 6th one down. It is all well worth reading.

Realistic Expectations adoption booklet

(2) And here's another new article on PAD from the same web site. This is one of the most indepth articles I've found to date on this topic. There are a TON of resources at the end of the article.  I so wish I had had this at my disposal 4 months ago!

Disposable Camera Woes

On our first trip, we left a disposable camera with the orphanage.  I was fully expecting to have 27 pictures taken during the weeks we were gone.  I did not leave instructions on how to operate the camera.  I had read so many accounts of where everybody knew how to run the camera that it was not needed.  (**Sigh**) Instructions in Russian ARE needed.  I got two.  Only two.  When they gave us the camera back on trip #2, I noticed the camera had not been advanced after the last picture.  Then I looked at the pictures remaining, and saw 25.  I was really disappointed and frustrated with my decision.  I had so much to do before we left, that I didn't put "disposable camera instructions" on my list.   We didn't get them developed until this last week after Annsley used up the rest of the exposures.  But, we do have two.  Better than nothing.  He's sitting in some kind of reclining chair strapped in with one of his "buddies" sitting next to him in a similar chair.   Really, a sad telling of the life of existence for those children in the orphanages. Always strapped in, always in some type of tight quarters of containment.

So, my advice to those of you out there planning to leave a camera:  leave it with instructions! 

Getting verbal

(Oooooo...this new blogger posting is awesome!)

I am amazed at Andrei's vocabulary lately.  I think he is going to be as verbal (but definitely LOUDER than) as his big sister Annsley.  Although his mommy and daddy can only understand most of his words, here's the short run down right now:

• uh-oh (pronounced ahhh-ahhhh)
• thank you (pronounced da-noo)
• snack (pronounced ack)
• duck (pronounced duh)
• hat (pronounced hat!) He puts his hand on his head any time he sees a hat--any time.  He's obsessed with them. 
• milk (pronounced mmmm)

He is really getting into his foods.  He must be going through a growth spurt because his pickiness has waned lately.  New favs? Watermelon and macaroni and cheese!  All we hear through lunch and dinner is "ummmm" every time he takes a bite! He very rarely drops food off the high chair.  I guess I trained him rather well during my "funk" and not having much patience with him. When his little hand starts to hold food he doesn't want to eat off the side of his highchair, I just say, "Andrei, food stays on your tray."  He looks at me and puts it down.  I can't tell you how nice it is not to have to mop the floor after every meal like I did with Annsley and Kennedi.  In fact, with Annsley, she was a food thrower.  When she was finished, if I didn't get to the high chair on time, she was slinging whatever was left on the tray.  I got so tired of scraping green beans and spaghetti off my blinds that I put up plastic drop cloths over the windows and walls of our dining room.  It was a nice decorator's touch.  I was really thinking that I had started something, but alas, it didn't catch on with the fashionistas of the world.

Happy 4th of July to everyone out there.  We, of course, are fireworkless (yes, new word there) due to our incredible drought, but to those of you with rain....light a sparkler for me!

"Sisters--I've Had It! If I only weighed 20 more pounds...."

Andrei's emotions are drawing closer to a normal toddler these days. He is starting to get down right hacked off when one of his sisters takes something away from him that he is playing with. He lets them know in no uncertain babbling that their actions were not cool! Our pediatrician had asked if he got upset when something was taken away from him, and we had to say no. He never uttered a word or changed facial expressions. Not any more! This week he has begun showing jealousy (for lack of a better word??) whenever Annsley or Kennedi is sitting in Doug or my lap. He throws himself on us--literally--and starts crying and trying to push the "obtrusive girl" off the lap. He gets particularly upset with Kennedi. He's turned into this little scrapper! Quite frankly, Kennedi and Andrei have been having their share of jealousy issues with one another. Kennedi has always had them since we brought Andrei home, and I think that Andrei is comfortable enough now that he is "fighting back". It's interesting watching them. They are like two 3 year olds--twins--fighting like two duct taped skunks under a bed sheet. Are you kidding me??? I really thought that they'd be far enough apart in age that I wouldn't have to deal with this. Funny. Not. Her response lately any time he starts crying, which seems to be a lot lately in efforts to get picked up--is, "I didn't touch him!!!!"

Turning into a regular toddler

Andrei's first swim! He loved it! It took him a few minutes to start splashing as it gets him out of the tub at night, but once he realized that rule wasn't here, he had an awesome time!

I believe Andrei is adjusting rather well. He seems to be acting like a normal toddler would these days....not at all happy to be the only one in the living room, temper tantrums, deciding to eat all of his peas one day and not touching them the next. He has also started to put his head on my shoulder when he is upset and not wanting me to put him down. The hitting me in the face has become non-existent in the last month! Yeah! Whenever he sees you talking on the phone, he puts his hand on his own ear. So cute!

He was running 102 fever Sunday afternoon, and he's been tired ever since Annsley's birthday party this weekend (yes, I have a 7 year old--yikes!). He slept until 9:30 this morning, but he needed every bit of the slumber. I think he did remarkably well with all the excitement at Annsley's party. Usually we see his serious face (the same one we got daily at the orphanage) but this time he actually loosened up seemed to have a good time. He thought Annsley's cake was the cat's meow!

He loves, loves, loves his daddy. I am toast the minute he hears his voice when Doug comes home in the afternoon. (As it was--still is--with my girls. (sigh)) He loves to sit in your lap, and if you're on the floor, he will come over to "sit." And he wants his back up against your stomach; the closer he can get to you the better!His speech comes and goes. He will go days without "practicing" his words, and then a few days later he'll say some of his regulars. He does understand "nyet" and "no"--they usually reduce him to tears. Annsley noticed this the other day, and then just went around the room saying "nyet Andrei" to see if she could make him cry. It didn't, but let his mother say it and out come the waterworks. Notice I said "his mother"--he doesn't hear those words from his father...

Deal of the Day! ***SOLD!***

EDIT: The Russian Adoption Travel Kit and Miscellaneous Items are sold! Thank you Ashley and I am excited to see that they are going to a good home! :)

Here is the "I'm Going to Russia and Adopt Travel Kit." Seeing that I've only made one international adoption run, all products are in excellent used condition and yours for a bargain basement price! The retail of all products combined would total over $175.

First up, what I would consider the "don't go to Russia to adopt without it" piece of equipment: the universal power adapter strip. The cord is fitted for Russia, so you don't even need an adapter to plug it into the wall. I paid $40 for it.

Teresa Keheller's adoption language kit. Well worth the $45 I paid. You will get the CD Rom, booklet with phonetical spelling, flash cards, and a language CD with court phrases.

BUT WAIT..... There's more...

Adapters with a cute little carrying case. I didn't end up using these since I had the power strip, but these would be great if you wanted to dry your hair and not stand next to the computer while your husband was trying to SKYPE. ($18)

If you've read the blog of our travels, you know that this little book got us our mustard among other things. Another travel essential!

I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING--IT CAN'T GET ANY BETTER--BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE:

Russian Pimsleur CDs. Great for those wanting to really learn how to converse in Russian.

10 Steps to Successful International Adoption Workbook--unused. Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child book.

AND JUST WHEN YOU DIDN'T THINK IT COULD GET ANY BETTER...

Focus on the Family CDs on adoption topics. I think there are about 8 or so total here. They range from Steven Curtis Chapman to just question and answers from their radio broadcast.

No, you're not going to pay $150, or even $100. No, you'll get all this for only $80 AND I'll throw in the shipping for free!

I will even throw in a very used copy of The Complete Book of International Adoption by Dawn Davenport if you want it. I would recommend that book to anyone adopting internationally.

Contact me by email and we can arrange payment and shipping details! This stuff is just sitting in a corner and not getting used, and at my age, I don't anticipate using it again (ha! ha!) so I'm making it available to anyone who would like to have it!