A NEW CHAPTER

This adoption process chapter has thankfully finally closed, and we are now turning the page and starting this new chapter as a family of four! We appreciate all the love, support, prayer, and encouragement you have provided our family during this LONG haul. We are so thankful our little girl is nestled safely in our arms and we are so excited to see her story continue to unfold in our family. Please join us over at our family blog:

http://thehouseofverbs.blogspot.com/

Haven't forgetten to blog!

Just trying to get my family blog up and running again, as I will stop posting here on this blog soon...it is nearly impossible for me to run two blogs! I am not always great even at posting consistently on one!

So sorry for the silence, family blog under construction...It will happen SOON, SOON, SOON.

Also, blogger has informed me that I have used up my free space for photos and now will have to pay for extra storage, which the directions to pay for this storage are as clear as mud, so I am attempting to figure that out ASAP!

Life is rolling along beautifully, we have been SUPER COCOONING...meaning not going out of the house except for necessary doctors appts and not having any people over (except for the wonderful 15 min visits from friends and family who have provided us meals...a complete life saver these first few weeks! THANK YOU!). So we are on lock down...which I believe is one of the reasons "family of four bonding" seems to be going so well. We are giving Rush the experience of family IMMERSION therapy. :)

Hoping all of you are enjoying your Christmas celebrations this month!

ONE WEEK HOME!

WOW...CAN IT REALLY BE TRUE? WE HAVE LIVED A WEEK AS A FAMILY OF FOUR?!

It's completely surreal to see this little person we dreamed about for so long, and worked so hard for playing, eating, sleeping in our home!! I have to pinch myself multiple times a day. :)

Well, this week has been more than i ever wished and prayed to the Lord for. Every specific prayer that we prayed...every one has been answered and then some! Our Lord is such a tangible God, he lives in EVERY moment in our lives, he hears us and answers us, even in the smallest details. 

This little girl has blossomed before our eyes. A little girl who didn't smile often when we met her in the orphanage. We had never even heard her laugh despite doing every silly thing we experienced parents could think of to wiggle out a giggle. She was cautious, cordial of course, but always alert to when someone else would be coming back in the room for her, and gladly head back with her caregiver to her little group.

Now she smiles ALL DAY LONG...and her laugh is getting more and more frequent and more and more boisterous as the days go on. I was making dinner last night in the kitchen with Lance and the kids were in the playroom just laughing at each other over and over again...music to a mama's ears. 

We prayed for a smooth transition that the Lord would prepare her little heart to be a part of our family and deal the best possible way with all the changes to her world happening so fast around her. SHE HAS COMPLETELY BLOWN ME AWAY!!! I have said it before but will say it again, she is so brave. She has taken on every new situation like she was born to do it! She is a sponge, enthralled with this new place, our home. Her toys, her bedroom, her brother, her parents. 

She plays a little name game what seems like 50 times a day. She will pat me and ask, "Muppet?" (which is her adorable way of calling me mommy...hee hee) and I say, "Yes, Mommy." Then she will point to Rowdy and say, "AwwwDeee?" and I say, "Yes, Rowdy." Then "Daddy?" (which she says perfectly) We say, "Yes, Daddy" and then my favorite part is she points to herself, and asks, "Shto eta?" ("What is this?" but she uses it as a "Who is this" for this game) and I say, "RUSH" and her shoulders pull up to her ears in delight as a pure joy smile spreads across her face. She gets it, she gets that she is chosen and loved, and special. She initiates this game MANY times in a day, and I am thrilled to affirm over and over again who we are and who she is. 

She needs extra filling up, extra snuggles and kisses, extra affirmation throughout the day. I am so happy she is at my feet all day arms up, grin on her face, begging for me to swoop her up and give her love, which she receives with open arms held tightly around the back of my neck and giving ME kisses! Yes, Lord, this child was just made for this affectionate household. :)

Mealtimes have required the most of our attention. Teaching a sweet little girl that her food is her food and won't be taken away is something that will take time and repetition. We are teaching her with every bite, that she can take one bite at a time and enjoy it! Her chewing has improved LEAPS and BOUNDS in the last two weeks...Praise the Lord! We are still working on her ability to drink liquids without leaking, although I know she is capable, I think it is just preference of what she is drinking that determines how well she will drink it. SO trying some different things, but just think she doesn't care for water. Which makes sense, seeing that it takes so much to purify the water in Russia that she most likely didn't drink much if any water. I know she was given a lot of juices.

My sweet Rowdy Roo has just been an EXTRAORDINARY big brother! He has dealt with all the change and another little person getting mommy and daddy's attention wonderfully. This has been for him the play date that doesn't have to ever end! They have been two peas in a pod chasing each other with their push toys around and around the house. Just little shadows of each other! I have said almost everyday, "It's kinda of like herding cats around here!" haha BUSY keeping little busy bodies out of trouble and busy having fun! Rowdy, has been so kind and thoughtful. Sharing with her, getting her snacks, getting her pillows and covering her with blankets to snuggle. They share hugs and kisses, unprompted from me, all day long. It is really so sweet to see them caring for each other so much!!  I think because Lance and I are such affectionate people with those around us, us being affectionate with Rush hasn't seemed abnormal or threatening to him at all, which is such a huge relief.

Where there is bright light, the darkness tries its hardest to stomp it out. And boy, we have had a lot of wonderful light this week! Earlier this week I had a dark moment of guilt. Feeling guilt over this new divided love for my children...I have loved Rowdy to pieces for 4 years, I have loved the idea of Rush for a year and a half and I COMPLETELY ADORE HER, but I am in the process of falling in love with HER. We are making leaps and bounds in bonding with each other, learning about each other, and learning to love with each other more and more each day. Its all just a process that requires time together, knowledge of one another. I know those guilty thoughts are not from the voice of TRUTH. I am just overjoyed that I have lens on that see past that garbage of guilt, and can quickly pray to be washed in the truth. I know he wrote this story specifically for US, I know for a fact that the Lord built us to be parents to both Rush and Rowdy and I know He will provide us with everything we need in order to be the best mama and daddy for both of them! I am so proud and blessed to be their mommy! 

He gifted me this life and I am still in awe of his goodness! I get to live a life not many are granted let alone desire. 

Thank you Lord, for giving me the desires of my heart and making my heart YOUR heart, my life YOUR life, my hands YOUR hands, my love is YOUR love. 

Trip 3-Day 12

Today, we had a wonderful time out and about sightseeing around the city! :) Miss Rush took to the hustle and bustle of the big city like she was born to do it! Soaking in everything around her and demanding the stroller go FASTER! She even had her first Metro ride, which she was so excited about (imagine flapping arms and laughter) and after awhile lulled her to sleep (head buried in mama's chest and thumb in mouth.)

Baby is napping, we are resting, and packing up bags...because we are heading

HOME

HOME 

HOME!!!

Trip 3- Day 11

WOW

Day 11!!

We have had Little for a week already and she has just done so amazingly well! I am just blown away at her ability to handle and deal with all the changes so far. She has been eating as much as her little belly can handle and knows the power of saying and signing, "MORE, PLEASE" in English! She is very independent, and wants to do it herself...hmmm...sounds like someone else i know... :) 

We have only seen tears twice, when she takes too big of bites and I have to swoop the piece from her mouth...twice this has made her burst into tears and throw her head back like its the worst thing that has ever happened...but she has recovered quickly. She has been sleeping great, 8-10 hrs a night and napping 2-3 hrs in the afternoon. 

We arrived via the train to the capital to complete the final step of this adoption process. We had our appointment today at the US Embassy to have all her documents processed regarding her citizenship and receiving her US Visa. And all went VERY well, we received all the necessary documents and her passport back with the US VISA stamped inside. The whole process maybe took an hour! 

We got to bypass the LONG line (adoptions have priority) and went directly to the cashier window to pay for her Visa, then sat in the waiting room and waited to be called up to one of three windows. We were called to window two where a very nice gentlemen swore me in (raise your right hand...) and had about a 5-10 min interview regarding what documents they were returning to me and when I will need to present what when. He had me verify her name was spelled correctly and birthdate was entered correctly and then asked me if I had any questions. And I said, "None!" and he said "Congratulations! I know its a long time coming!" Yes, sir, it has...but all well worth the wait! We sat for another 10 mins and we received our paperwork back. We were one of 4 other adoptive families that had appointments today. Fun to see all the other little kiddos. :)

We raced back to our coordinators car so that we could take all those documents and Rush's passport over to the consulate where they need to register her. This is the last step needed before we go home...we are waiting for her passport back that has a stamp in it confirming she has been registered. So, we chose to ask if it that process could be expedited so that it would be ready tomorrow evening so that we might have a chance to fly home a little earlier than we planned!!

I am so thankful that Rush is doing so well in the midst of all the changes while we are so far away from the comforts that we know and really take for granted...it has made all this traveling and time away so much easier. 

We look forward to some sight seeing tomorrow and some last souvenir shopping! 

Please keep us in your prayers as we near traveling back home! The Lord has been so gracious and laid out an easy perfect trip thus far. Our daughter is such a gift, I am so joyful the Lord called out our names and said, "GO!" I can't imagine this sweet little gem of a person being hidden away in the dark depths of a culture who can't see past the diagnosis of Down syndrome and appreciate her beauty... 

Thank you Lord, for giving us enough courage to say..."YES!!!" and then moving mountains when they came, and carrying us the whole way. He made the impossible possible...all the unknowns he already had worked out before we even knew Rush existed...we just have to have enough faith to just keep saying yes when we knew we were called. I am so reminded more and more in this process to not put my expectations on what is possible, not to put the Lord in a box...when he so carefully and purposefully designed the box. :) 

Lord, all the praise and glory to your name! May you be glorified OVER and OVER with our life story...may it be a beautiful song to your ears!

 

Trip 3- Day 7

Friday started off wonderfully...Little slept another great nights sleep and woke up all smiles! We went down to breakfast and she ate two bowls of yogurt, some peaches and banana, and some bread. Her chewing has already improved, just giving her firmer textured food, she just never needed to before! She LOVED feeding herself today...looking forward to putting her in the high chair to have full permission to get messy...right now she is eating on the floor or in the stroller.
 

I was picked up at 9:30am to go pick up Rush's passport. So, Grandma got to have some one on one time with Rush at the hotel. The same procedure that was required to request her passport on Monday is the same to pick it up...pick a number, stand or sit if a chair becomes available, and wait for your number to be called up to the window. Not much fun for a little busy body. :) So, she had a date with Grandma that included playing with toys, taking another BELOVED bath, and napping. 

I took it as a wonderful sign of bonding that the whole time I was gone I was having mommy anxiety...not because my mommy isn't capable (SHE IS ONE OF THE BEST) just that it was those "first time leaving you" worried feelings! They had a wonderful time together and she was peacefully napping when i returned, passport in hand.

 Reading books with Mama.

 Sweetest smile EVER!!!

 She is signing and saying "MORE" with appropriate usage already during meals. Here she is signing more.

 So happy to feed herself!

She LOVES playing with this little noisy stick!

And is obsessed with boots...her boots...mama's boots...grandma's boots...

We hope to get out of the hotel today as my mom and I are having a little cabin fever! It has been really rainy out and then yesterday she took a 4 hour nap, then was hungry, then it was getting dark. So hopefully today will be filled with an outdoor adventure of ANY kind! :)

We are at the part of this trip that we feel like "we have baby girl, now we would like to go home now, thank you!" We are SO ready. She is doing just wonderfully...she has been so brave with all the changes to her world this week. It's been hard because Rowdy has been out of sorts and missing his mama...and when he is out of sorts so is Papa...ready to get home to the boys. Please pray for my baby boy's days...he is struggling.

I am so happy that my momma has been here to experience all of this! She has been doing what our mommies do best...taking care of us. Doing laundry in the bath tub, making endless cups of tea/coffee/hot cocoa, mixing up instant soup or potatoes, making beds/cleaning up, grabbing wipes and tissues at request and just playing. WE ARE SO BLESSED BY YOU MOMMA!!  I LOVE YOU!!

Last night, as I lay my sweet girl in her crib to go night-night...it was the first time (and I'm certain won't be the last) that her bottom lip stuck out and her sweet blue eyes welled with tears...just threatening to spill over onto her cheeks...I pick her up and rocked her and told her I knew it was all just SO DIFFERENT than what she was used to...we are different, this room is different, the food is different, your bed is different...and that it is okay for her to feel sad but that I love her more than she has even known love and won't leave her...ever. She kept patting my chest as I rocked her saying, "mama" and i would smile over and over again and say, "yes, mama"...I laid her back in bed after some time and she went right to sleep.

 Sweet daughter...

you 

are 

so

 BRAVE.

And I am so beyond blessed...

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnstly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

Trip 3- Day 6 The first 24 hrs

 We skyped with Papa and Rowdy Roo last night!!! I think these two three year olds of ours are going to be a hoot together! Rush and Rowdy my little hooligans. *wink wink* Rowdy was waving and "telling her stories"...and Rush was pointing and "talking" back. Then Rowdy started dancing his little wild boy dance, and she started dancing. Seriously, can't wait to get them under the same roof!! I miss my boys SO MUCH!

 Little slept 10 straight hours!! She did so amazing! I got the best squishy baby snuggles this morning. Then it was time to jump on the bed and plop on bottoms...giggling all the while. We decided to play with our purse full of pretty bows.

 We went down to breakfast and she did wonderfully! She ate a bowl of oatmeal, some plain yogurt, some banana, some pieces of white bread and some juice. Sweet little will have some occupational/speech therapy in her future as she hasn't ever been served food that really required much chewing...so that is an area that foresee will need a little extra guidance in learning. :)

After breakfast, we came back up to the room and she was all about the bathtub so I decided to let her have another bath...seriously THIS GIRL IS A FISH!!! She just loved it, spraying her toy cups, filling them up and when she would accidentally spray herself in the face, she would just laugh laugh laugh. 

 

 After her bath (smelling allll delicious!!) She wanted to brush my hair, and brush Baba's (short for Babushka...aka Gma). BUT, we are curly haired folk who don't own a brush because you can't brush it...so we sacrificed with little yelps every once in awhile because she was enjoying it so much. Then my mother had the GREATEST idea, and saved both of our yanked on scalps with the My Little Ponies...ahhh...genuis, why didn't I think of that earlier!?

 

 We moved on to flash cards, which she really loves! She was signing the words and actually attempting to SAY the word too...so proud of my little smarty pants. That juice cup is never far away and I am more than happy to have it near. In her orphanage we were told that they are only given food and water on a schedule throughout the day...so when she was thirsty she would have to wait until to was served to her at the appropriate time on the schedule. Again, she was in a LOVELY baby home, its just how its run to take care of so many children at once. BUT NOW, she gets to have a drink WHENEVER she thinks about it and I am happy to hydrate her. I'm sure it will do wonders for her skin and hair, just to be properly hydrated! :) We are still working on the straw cup, but she has mastered the sippy cup like a pro.

 Isn't this how we all color?? Funny girl! She loves to color...in straight lines and then in swirly circles...and talks A LOT while she is coloring. :) With every stroke of that crayon, "words" (well, they could be REAL words that i just can't understand! HA) come flying out.

 She has been loving to play "Mama's gonna get you!" game today...she giggles and runs towards the door and I chase her and swoop her up! Giggles, giggles, giggles. 

 My sweet Little, I am soooooo beyond blessed to be your mama, and I still CANNOT believe you are mine, FOREVER!

I'd say she's pretty okay with that.