Super Mommy!

Hi-

So this is a totally self congratualtory blog post. Bear with me. 

Aaron has been a trooper these many months- diving right into the role of stay at home dad and doing an awesome job with the kiddos. But everyone needs a break. So, yesterday we waved goodbye to Papa and off he went for a couple days and nights of relaxation and snow boarding up at Mount Baker. Thanks Jane for letting us borrow your condo!!!

So, I am playing 'single mommy' for a couple days. Now, lets be honest. I have help- Anya, our trusty PT nanny was here this morning (as she would have been anyway so Aaron can get a break), we are going to dinner at a friend's house tonight and Beth and I are going to take the kids to the park tomorrow. So, it is not me and the kids on a desert island fending for ourselves or anything. But it is the first time Papa has been gone overnight since we got home. I have had a few quick business trips and he has been a trooper through those (with Anya's help too) but this was a big step all around. It is going very well. The kids were so cute when he left - blowing kisses and telling him to be careful on the mountain. 

Last night went well - totally normal night with Mama- we made dinner and just did our normal night time routine, only difference was it was all me and not the two of us. It went well- a bit of weepiness from Sasha when it was time to go to sleep since Papa wasnt there to rock him but he got over it really quickly. Of course we had another night of in and out of our bedroom and he woke up at an ungodly hour (5am) and would not go to back sleep but that is pretty much par for the course- except the early wake up- that was new.... Today they have been great and are currently napping- which is a miracle as several days this past week have been decidely nap free due to babies' refusals to nap. Lets just hope it all continues to go well with no major melt downs and we will be all happy to see Papa relaxed and rejuvanated tomorrow night. 

Things have been going well other than that- just really normal. We had a good Valentine's day- made cookies for Papa and had a quiet family night at home. President's day weekend was also extremely low key- no trips or anything. We continue to find our stride as a family and the kids are just more funny and adorable every day. Sasha is most definitely 2 at the moment and Ana is testing us with "No" alot recently but it is all very normal kid stuff. We are very lucky and blessed with our two little munchkins. 

We are still looking at preschools for Fall and I will keep you posted on that when we decide - do we go expensive, close and montessori or less expensive, not as close but still within 10 minutes and 'general' curriculum? Any ideas? 

I am so concerned about the state of IA these days in general though- things seem to be getting really crazy with the process and I just hope that all the families currently in process are sped through quickly and safely. It makes me grateful every day that our kids are home with us and I just want everyone to have their babies home too!

Here are some cute pics- just because. A couple from Valentine's - note Ana has decided to wear her Cinderella dress to dinner and Sasha thinks frosted cookies he helped make are the best thing ever and then one from post haircut Ana. :) 

SKB

Snowing, Again!

Hi Everybody-

It is snowing, again. It isnt sticking at all so it is really just a nuisance at this point! The kids are excited it is snowing but the whole not sticking thing seems to have them down on it too. Here are some cute recent pics for you to enjoy. 

The first is the kiddos at the child's play area at Bellevue Square. Okay, so note to parents- do NOT take your kids to the child's play area at Bellevue Square on a Sunday afternoon when it is sort of yucky outside. It was chaos, uncontrolled chaos. Children everywhere, jumping on things, each other, running, falling, crazy crazy crazy. I am pretty sure Mama aged at least 5 years in 20 minutes. But we had to go bed shopping- we are over the whole Queen size bed thing now that Sasha has decided he vastly prefers our bed every night starting at around 2am (he is a kicker!) so we all went together to look at King size beds. The kids were great about it and patient and while we have picked our dream bed we have not yet made the financial commitment to a fancy, super nice new sleeping arrangement. Hopefully soon. Sasha will love it! :) 

Anyway, they were good so we said we would take them to playland and apparently so did every other parent in the free world. I wish I had video - I have never seen anything like it.The kids LOVED it. But for you grown ups -- Imagine a lord of the flies scenario, in an enclosed space, with parents hovering to make sure their kid was absolutely first or not pushed out of the way or whatever. Seventh circle of hell time for me. So we survived and then off to have a snack and go home. 

The pic of Ana posing is right before we went for a new haircut- she was excited to get it trimmed now that she is 'growing it out'. I am glad the horrid mullet from the baby home is finally gone and cannot wait for it to be longer. I will post a pic of post haircut cuteness next time. I want to braid it and put bows and barrettes and stuff in it and right now it is pretty fine and still a wee bit short for that. Soon, soon, soon. 

The pic of Sasha posing is at the FRUA event we went to Saturday. It was fun but maybe a bit strange. We had not been to a FRUA event (for those of you not deep into IA, this is great group of parents who are all involved with Russian adoption that has been very helpful to us- especially the online community, and they have community events from time to time so you can hang with other adoptive families, which is great) with the kids since we were first home (and that one they were way too new and freaked to understand) but it was good we went. Ana was especially excited to meet kids who also came from baby homes and both seemed to really like the idea that all the families there were "made in the same way our family was made". But the strange part was all the people asking them which one they were from etc etc etc. They are pretty shy in general and some of the other kids were not at all and came right up to them and started talking away and asking a million questions one right after the other so it was pretty funny. But as you can see from the above pic they did eventually warm up and played with all the dress up stuff. One little girl told Sasha that he couldn't wear a tiara because he was a boy and he just laughed at her and put 2 on his head. I love him! I told her he could wear whatever he darn well pleased - so we are probably labeled as the wacky family now but c'est la vie. 

Anyway, so a super busy weekend was had overall as I had to work much of Sunday and now we are into a semi- busy week. I was out of town yesterday and that created a cranky girl at bedtime- she dislikes it when she wakes up and I am not there but I pointed out I made it home in time for milk snuggles so that somewhat mollified her- I need to figure out how to better explain the whole mommy works so you can eat/play/live etc thing. She doesnt seem to have a firm grasp on that concept quite yet.....

We have our second preschool interview on Thursday- this one is a bit farther away but less expensive and also Montessori- so we shall see. I think Aaron really liked the one we went to last week that is blocks from home but man, that is A LOT to pay for 1/2 day preschool so I need to mull it over and work the numbers and in the interim we are looking at lots of options. 

Thats all for now!

SKB

Pics - just because...

these are some cute shots taken in the last couple days. 

Ana looking ever so serious as she decides what to color next, Sasha with the giant Mishka (teddy) at the dentist office and Ana this morning. Sasha and Papa were still asleep and Mama was getting some work done so she decided to read quietly. I caught her on the couch in this pose and thought it was too cute and took a quick shot. Adorable!

Things are going well, the kids had their first dentist appointment yesterday and after full check ups and yucky flouride treatments it was determined that they have no cavities! This is absolutely amazing considering the dental care in the baby home and we are super happy (especially because dentists are not covered by our insurance) and the kids did so well- no tears at all! 

Other than that we are just chugging along- this weekend Mama and Papa are going to an auction/dinner and the kiddos are going to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa. This will definitely be the longest we have left them for and the first time they will (maybe) fall asleep without us there as we probably wont get back until pretty late in the evening so fingers crossed. :) 

More later. 

SKB

Sasha's Surgery and other random January happenings

Hi All-

So Sasha's surgery was last week. It went really well. I will try to post some cute post op pics but my laptop died so I am rolling a new one and need to get all the pics together on this one so I can post them... 

Anyway, he was a total trooper. At first he was really not sure at all- very nervous and scared but the doctors gave him some sort of 'giggle juice' and he went to town, drunk as a skunk and giggly as all get out. He basically skipped to the OR after that. The surgeries went well - about 1 hour total in surgery and then 3 hours in recovery before we could see him. That was the hard part- waiting to see him! We had a great private room though and had brought all sorts of things from home- his blankie, teddies etc and we set the room all up for his arrival. He was pretty out of it and upset all night but he survived with Papa by his side. I went home and stayed with Ana because she wasnt able to sleep with someone else- which was totally fine. She did great with her first 'alone' babysitting with first Anya and then Beth. She was an angel.  

The next day we went and picked up Sasha and Papa and we were all happy to get the heck out of there. His recovery has been pretty seamless- he did have pain the first few days but was pretty much himself the whole time, just a bit cranky. I think the 'pika' surgery was harder on him (and Papa) than the tonsils for sure. But the drs said we had to do it and he is happy that his pika looks like Papa's and baby Will's and baby Harley's now- he is very into being like the babies in the family... Right now he is running around in his new Frog boots (they look like frogs) and pretending to be a frog dinosaur so I would say he is better. :) 

Both kids have some jealousy of the babies that are around- Ana even told us she was "mad it took so long for us to find them" which was sad but pretty cute. It started a good conversation anyway about how we had been searching for them for a long time and that we were so happy when we found them and came as fast as we could. She seemed to get that. She really likes talking about the baby home and what it was like and what is different here and how this place is better because it is a home and she found her mama and papa etc. Supposedly this is all good in terms of attachment so we help by showing pics of the BH etc. I am not 100% on if this is the right plan. Sasha seems to care less about the past- he seems to have forgotten most of it but maybe he is just too young. He is also less sensitive in general than Ana so it may be that. 

Also, we had our first post placement (6 months) the other day and that went well. The kids were nice to the lady and other than showing off for her (which they do for new people sometimes) it was just fine. They were upset after it was over because Ana was worried the lady was coming to talk about sending them away but once we got that all cleared up we were all fine and happy again. I wish she wasnt so worried about stuff like that but I guess it is normal and a phase. 

Other than that we have had a relatively quiet January. Lots of indoor play due to rain and surgery and cold but the last couple days have been nice. My laptop dying has been big in my world but I am mostly over it. 

Other milestones this month: 

-Sasha learned to ride his tricycle. He had been having pedaling issues and they are over- he is speed demon. 

-Ana is staying dry through the night (99%). We are planning to move her to no pull ups at night very soon. This is exciting on many levels. 

-Sasha is also staying dry most of the days so he is going from pull ups all the time to underwear FT! This is sort of less of a big deal as he is pretty dry all the time so the pull ups are not a big deal really but still it is exciting!

-The kids survived their first babysitting and survived. And Mama and Papa got to have dinner together for the first time since we came home. We had Anya over and the kids were great- they got to watch Calliou and stay up till 8:30 when we came home and it was great all around. Apparently they were good and we got 3 whole hours to just talk to each other and be together which was amazing and so very very needed. Six months is a LONG time to never ever be alone for a meal together. We need to plan 2 of these a month I think! Now our plan is to get them more comfortable with more than just Anya or Beth- we cant just have 2 people we rely on constantly, that is not a feasible long term plan but for now it is awesome. 

That is enough for now, I will try to post soon. :) 

SKB

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone-

It is officially a new year - YAY! I have high hopes for 2009 and lets all just believe and hope really hard that with some hard work, a lot of luck and some better government we can turn this recession around and everyone can be prosperous again!

Anyway, we are back from our Whistler adventures. Above are a couple pics for you...Aaron rallied on the 27th and we made it up there just fine. It was sooo nice to see Demian and get to spend time with him- we see each other far to rarely and so it was really great to spend time together. He and the kids got along super well too so that is good. Hopefully we will see him soon in Careyes!

The kids just loved the snow and especially the horse drawn sleigh ride we went on- definietly the high light of our time up there. They think Poppy Nick's chalet is nice too but were bummed that the hot tub was broken (oh yes, they are so my kids, very high standards). But they really liked the home theatre and watching Kung Fu Panda in surround sound with a giant screen is an experience. Now if only they got Caillou in Canada....

The trip back was hellish. 2 hour wait at the border, long drive in general, tired cranky parents, kids and dog. Ugh. We survived though and are getting back in the swing. Today was my first day back at the office in over a week and the kids were none too thrilled but they understand -i think....

Anyway, I am super stressed about Sasha's upcoming surgery- i cant believe it is on Monday! That is too soon!!! Grandma Marta and Beth are both coming in to help with entertaining Ana so we can both go to the hospital and I am nervous she will be a total handful too but mostly worried about my baby Sasha. Positive thoughts please. I know this is supposedly not a big deal surgery but I am sorry - any surgery where they put you under and you have to spend the night is a big deal- especially when you are my baby!

Gotta go - the kids need to sleep and are fighting it out a bit this evening!

SKB

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Hi!

Here are some pics from Christmas. The favorite toy of the day seems to be the giant tiger that Poppy Nick and Elizabeth gave the kiddos. And of course some shots of them in their helmets that go with the new bike and trike!

I know it has been an absolute age since I posted but the holiday season and a crazy work schedule got in the way of things like blogging! Way too much travel in December for Mama and the kids were not terribly excited by that- it is so hard to be away from them and my 3 night trip to NYC was not fun for them or for Papa, especially as it came on the heels of 2 other short trips. It all adds up and I know they are as short as they can possibly be but it is hard, on them, on Papa, on me. Oh well, I am just thankful there is work for my company and if I have to travel then so be it.

Things on the home front are great, the kids had their first Christmas yesterday and it went very well. As many of you know we have been having crazy weather in Seattle for the last week- snow, snow and more snow. Because the Seattle infrastructure is completely unable to deal with even a flurry, let alone several feet of snow, the city basically shut down. We were able to get around due to Mama's big truck and Papa's ability to put chains on. :)

The kids love all the snow and have been having a blast. A quick rundown of our holiday schedule -

Sunday, Dec 21- we ventured out mid-blizzard to go to Hannukah at Grandma Marta and Grandpa Craig's house on Mercer Island. Original plan had been to celebrate at their place in Bellingham but extreme snow kept us from being willing to drive there and back in one day so.... It was very fun, the kids had a blast and we all had fun making cookies, eating latkes and opening presents.

Weds, Dec 24- after another foot or so of snow we left very early in the morning for the drive to Bellingham. Because of the amount of stuff, the dog etc we could not take my truck and had to roll in Aaron's minivan. This was pretty scary because the clearance is so low on a minivan but with chains and front wheel drive we did pretty well. It did take absolutely forever though- a drive that normally takes an hour and a half took 4 hours but we made it up safely! Spent the rest of the day doing "elf business" and then went to the traditional Xmas Eve dinner at Aunt Robin's. Having heard that her road was plowed we came charging up it- only to get stuck half way up because our car is too low!! Carried the kids the rest of the way and then Aaron, Craig and Tom spent more than 1/2 hour digging and dealing with the car, finally freeing it and making it up to the house!

It was fun though, Brooks was in from Hawaii/Pennsylvania and of course Max and his family so the kids all played with each other quite a bit and fun was had by all.

Then back to Jane's house for sleep. The kids (and Mama) are super bummed that Jane is not here this year- it is her year to be with Terry's family in CT and we miss them greatly but are so happy we got to use their house because it makes it easier to have our own space. :)

Then it was Christmas morning!! The kids slept really well and woke around 7:30. Santa had come of course and they were pretty excited. We did a few presents here and then off to Max's for the full family celebration. Chaos- the poor kids were having a bit of a hard time handling all the action and the dozens of presents coming their way and it stressed Sasha out a fair amount. He decided to bail and go into their playroom for some quiet play, which was totally fine but some of the other 'helpful' people there thought it was odd he would prefer that to presents.... It was just too much, he will be into the presents in his own time, when they arent being piled on him.

They were great though and pulled through. Went back to Jane's for a nap (not happening, way too excited for that) and to change and get ready for the big dinner at Poppy Nick's house. That was also fun and the kids fell asleep on the way back to Jane's.

Today we are supposed to be off to our place in Whistler for a few days but unfortunately Aaron woke up in the middle of the night really sick. not sure if it is something he ate or if he has the flu but he is pretty darn sick. We are torn because Demian (one of my very best friends from college) and his girlfriend are flying in from Mexico to see the kids in Whistler and we certainly do not want to miss that at all but with Aaron so sick it seems like it will be very ridiculously hard to get there. We are mulling over our options but I am super torn- I am dying to see Demian and he is flying 3000 miles to meet the kids so.... But sick Aaron is no fun at all!

So, that is the long and short of our holiday thus far. I have a few days off so hopefully I will be able to post more. Hope everyone is having a safe and fun holiday!!

SKB

So many things to be thankful for.

Hi All-

The kids first Thanksgiving went very well. Grandma Marta and Grandpa Craig slaved over a hot stove for days I am sure and we had a FEAST. Aaron's pies were very well received and everyone had a great day playing, eating, visiting and just being together.

It is so crazy to think about last Thanksgiving. Last Thanksgiving we were in Mexico (common theme in our family since our mom died- my dad likes to go away for a family holiday someplace warm and nice and not here) but we were at a swanky very un-kid friendly place that was great, but so different than this year. Of course, the only "child' there last year was baby Will and he had still to make his appearance so I am not sure that really counts... (poor Jane- flying at 5 mos pregnant!).

Anyway, what I want to talk about it the fact that last Thanksgiving we were all done with our homestudy and weighing our options as to which agency to go with. I was really on the fence and had a lot of trouble deciding between WACAP ( a great agency and the one that we eventually did sign with- and they had done our homestudy which made it even easier) and CSS - a very well respected agency in North Carolina. While we were in Mexico we got word that we had been rejected as applicants by CSS. Apparently my medical history (which is very old and ridiculously unimportant in terms of real life but can freak people out who are dumb or dont know better) and they felt that we were not good candidates for International Adoption and that we would not be able to adopt a child. Okay, I was CRUSHED. I wandered around Mexican paradise for 2 days in a daze of tears and hurt. My whole family was there trying to cheer me up -- Pop was offering to find us babies no matter what it took, Aaron was telling me there would be a way, everyone was being as nice and supportive and I was just devastated. I was sure we would never be parents- that a stupid idiomatic seizure disorder from 10 years ago that was long gone was going to keep us out of the parenting world forever. I was so angry that an agency would tell us that we were not good enough to go through the process when we have so much to offer a child(ren) and that they would be better off in Russia than with us etc etc etc. It still makes me super upset to think about this. I mean, we are sort of a catch really- we are nice, normal, well educated, love each other, have great families, have resources, want to be parents, had a parenting plan etc. For someone to tell me that I wasnt good enough was a real blow to my psyche (and dumb if you ask me).

But, I guess everything really does happen for a reason! Because when we returned we met with WACAP again (they had alreay agreed to represent us as they didnt think it was all such a big deal either and that "your pros outweigh your cons") and decided to move forward with them. I was nervous-- what if they changed their minds about us, what if the Russians didnt like us etc etc etc. but we wanted to move forward and so we did. And, you all know how that turned out- our kids, the kids that were so meant to be ours, were able to find us (with some help from Queen Markell and the folks at the MOE and the people at WACAP) and are now home playing as I type this. We never ever thought we would have our kiddos home before this holiday season- we were sure it would take at least 2 years and that we were looking at 2010 before we became parents. Just goes to show how the world works in mysterious ways. Our kids were ready for us now so CSS had to reject us, they dont work in the baby home our kids were from so if we had gone with them we might have missed them! It is all kismet to be sure.

It is hard because I miss my mother more at Christmas time than any other time of the year (which is saying something). She WAS christmas- ask anyone- this was her time of year for sure. It is hard to see the kids get so excited about it and know that this will be our first year with them and have her not be there. It is just really hard. I know that she is watching out for them and I know we have plenty of other family but without her Christmas has never seemed quite "right" for me. All i can do is try to make it fabulous for my kids- maybe that will help this year. I need to get in the spirit though and i am having some trouble there- must be all the craziness in the world!

Anyway, enough of my musings. I just wanted to post how happy I am that we are all home and safe and how glad I am to have my children going into this Holiday season. I am also glad Pop is not in India anymore and I hope that the situation there gets resolved as quickly and well as possible at this point!

SKB