We have had quite a lot happening this past week and weekend.  Oksana has had many firsts:

 

She has learned to go DOWN the stairs by herself by sitting on her behind and going one plop at a time.

She had her first bubble bath and loved it

She saw a goat and got to pet some cats

She played with bubbles

She got to dig in the dirt and help (if pulling them out counts) plant flowers

She got to see a firefly

and the really big biggie... She went to the bathroom twice on the regular toilet.  Yeah!!!

 

The boys got to have a few firsts as well:

We put up their camping tent so they could play in it.  We were going to let them fall asleep in it with their sleeping bags but they were too scared, even with us sitting in the backyard with them.  They also got to play with sparklers.

 

Vitaly got a new "used" bike from our next door neighbor.  We had just been discussing buying him another so that Larry and V could ride the bike trail, when to our amazement our neighbor came over with his son's bike.  There is a picture of Vitaly and the bike as they get ready to depart for a 20 mile bike ride.  Yes, they rode 20 miles together!!!  Perhaps we have a little Lance Armstrong in the making, not to shabby for a six year old. 

 

Leanna

 Well I did get up early and walk the dogs again, in fact I walked them again last night as well.  Felt really good to get up and get moving again although I am still having some pain in my back. Just weird  as I have never had back pain in my life and this happened with no trauma.  Sigh.

 

Larry took Oksana to the doctor to update her immunizations.  Poor thing has three bandaids on her little legs.

Another thing that is happening she refused to eat all of her food!  Sure hope she does not become another picky eater like Nikolai, because getting food in Nikolai is like getting into Ft. Knox!

I am finally getting back on track.  It is not easy to do after an adoption.  From the minute you begin to focus on your adoption so much energy and time and stress and longing go into it.  It is physically and emotionally draining.  I have to admit when we had only two days to leave I was a mess.  I cried and talked and cried some more and talked my way right out of it.  Than I talked to some friends and relatives and knew I had to finish what I had started.  It was tough.  One word of advice I will never forget came from my own brother.  He said Go or you might regret it the rest of your life.  It is only an airline ticket after all if things do not work out.  So I called my other friend who is waiting to adopt and we talked and she really helped me too (You know who you are love ya-smile). 

 

The whole trip was physically draining and being away from my boys so emotional.  When I got back I was wiped out.  Only in the past week have I begun to feel better.  Last week I went to the Doctor's because I was having some odd symptoms I never had before, including backpain that was making it hard to walk.  Well they never found out what was actually wrong but did find out some physical things were out of whack for me-sugar/salt/iron etc...So I have decided to concentrate again on my health. 

 

This morning I got up a bit after 5am and walked my dogs for 45 minutes.  It was actually very refreshing and I think it will be something I am going to do more routinely.  I have not been able to go to the gym and it is tough still getting any type of physical activity schedule worked out with all three kids.

 

I am also doing some other things that resources  (always saving for adoptions) and procrastination alluded me.  Time for some new outfits and shoes for mom!  Time to buy that mini-van!  Time to get the kids rooms finished (never knew who would get what room in the end)! Time to lose that baby weight!!!!!!!

 

It is time to take care of me!

Leanna~

Oksana has been home one month.  It is amazing how well she has adjusted to everything and how are family feels complete now that she is here. 

 

She had a fun filled weekend.  She got to stay up late almost every night (normal bedtime is 7). Vitaly and Nikolai were actually exhausted every night and this weekend no one got up before seven am, which was a real treat for mom and dad. 

 

Oksana got to meet most of her cousins and second cousins and she had a blast!  She met other friends and family as well.  My brother and his family will soon be moving to Germany and they were in town.  So today most of my relatives got together to celebrate our extended family and in addition to meet the newest addition Ms. Oksana.  They gave such cute clothes including a blue coat which she adores (pics in the newest album).  She loved it!  Uh oh I think shopping is very much in her future...

 

 

Leanna

Yesterday was our six month appointment at the Dentist for the boys and me.  I had booked all at once to save time and energy.  The boys did really well until it was my turn than it was mayhem with Oksana in her stroller the boys wanting to play dentist on mom and everyone running around.  Exhaustion. Then we had to stop by the Pediatrician's office and again, as I talked to the Nurse, the kids were wound up and running rampant.  Oh no, I think mom is getting the idea of how things are going to be for awhile with three!  Still need some time to all settle into our roles and limitations and what is acceptable behavior.  Oksana is having such fun with her new found freedom she is all about GO GO GO!!  She is having a blast and is fitting right in but she still needs to understand her boundaries.  This is where learning a bit more russian would have been helpful.  Sigh. 

 

Some new things Oksana has learned:

 

The toilet brush does clean the toilet and she loves to do it whenever mom is doing something else.

Toilet paper does go in the toilet- usually a whole roll at once

Dogs tails and ears are fun to pull and dogs sleeping are not happy when you sit on them.

You can fall DOWN the stairs (this happened thanks to a quick knockover by my dogs) (no trauma)

Dogs do not like cucumbers or pineapple.

Sweepers are scary

Shoes and socks are easy to take off and drop anywhere

Picking things up is not as fun as throwing them around

Kisses and hugs are everywhere

 

Leanna~

 

 

 

 

More photos Oksana at home three weeks!

Happy Mothers day to all moms, and those that long to be moms, and those that have mommies!!!!

 

My day started with some beautiful flowers picked out by Nikolai with dad and a nice card. The rest of the day was spent as a rainy day in Ohio with some grocery shopping and doing chores.  Vitaly attended a birthday party where he got to climb a wall!  Unfortunately my mother passed years ago as well as my mil.  I lost my grandmothers at a young age so there really was noone else to spend the day with.  So instead I focused on taking a walk with my children.  As we walked around the block I thought just one month ago I was in Ukraine and today I am home with my daughter and sons.  Five year ago I was not a mom and now I am a mom three times over.  Life is good.

 

I finally took some new pictures and downloaded them today.  I have a delay on the camera so sometimes when I think I have the perfect shot I get nothing one second later! 

 

Happy mothers day!

 

Leanna

Today is my birthday.  Last year we had just begun our adoption journey and I had blogged about my birthday. 

 

So today I am another year wiser, another year older, I still look about the same, I have most of the same clothes,  I have the same job, I have the same jeep, I live in the same house, I have the same dogs, husband and boys.  But this year is different in one way I now have a daughter.   I have all I need!

 

Happy Birthday To Me!

 

 

Today was the day for Oksana to see the team of specialists at the childrens hospital. 

She did awesome.

 

She did have a few breakdowns mainly when anyone wanted to see her physically.  They were all amazed how well they had performed her lip surgery in UA.  She received some rave reviews.  She is fine in height and weight,  her development is going wonderfully and she seems very on target in all areas except for speech, she doesnt appear to have any FAS/FAE or RAD.  She does need some more plastic surgery for her nose.  They think she still might have a lazy eye.  Some cleft children have hearing problems and she might need tubes for infections.  She will need extensive orthodontia and cleft repair as well as some plastic surgery.  The doctors want to do her cleft surgery within a month.  Please pray that this is done quickly and with little pain.

 

It will be a hard haul for awhile, but so worth it.  She is a happy and loving little girl who has come so far in such a short time.  I know I could not have done it.  I imagine in her world as a toddler it is alot like us as adults being taken in a space ship to another planet.  That is how I imagine if felt to her the first few days.  Aliens speaking a weird language on a plane going to a place I have never seen.  How  brave she is.

 

  I remember being in UA after her lip surgery and her all bandaged looking up with only her eyes at me.  We had just had court and I said to her " You are such a brave little girl" She had noone to hold her or comfort her and yet she was holding my hand and looking up at me with those huge blue eyes.  Than I said " It's okay because do you know you now have a mommy and daddy and two brothers and doggies?"  " You now have a family"  "You are now my daughter!"

 

I dont think I will ever forget the bond we had as she looked up at me and held my fingers and listened to every word I said.  A little girl trusting a  woman she had only met recently,  speaking a language she did not understand,  but yet trusting me enough to hold my hand and listen. 

 

Leanna~

what a great little girl!

 

she went from frowing to laughing when the wind touched her hair in the car in one minute.  This of course made my boys laugh as well.  What we take for granted THE WIND IN OUR HAIR.

  

I think I will remember this everytime I turn on the ac and the wind hits my hair

WOW if I could laugh just Like O did.  

 she made my day.   Laughing at the wind. 

 

Tomorrow I think I will laugh a bit more and whine a bit less

Kids can teach us a lot

 

Leanna

 

 

 

Well O has decided that is OKAY after all for mommy to go to work.  Wow how these kids adjust in no time

Mommy on the other hand was hoping to wait a few more days but it is okay.  So today dreading the impossible sitter transaction I went to work.  As I sat my baby in a high chair before leaving I thought the trears were going to flow... and guess what NO problem by O.  Nothing traumatic at least. 

 

Anyway I am glad all is good with her caregiver.

 

So a  few thoughts on Oksana

 

She can eat ANYTHING in bite size pieces and she eats alot over and over ( typical for newly adopted kids)

 

She  loves to see us after sleeping

 

She likes baths

 

She likes DOGS

 

She likes to tell people no

 

She likes to play outside

 

She likes the car

 

She HATES doctors (especially men doctors) or anyone with needles SIGH

 she has a huge day ahead in one week  when she sees six doctors here that all specialize in cleft.  Who will hate it more mommy or Oskana who knows but it will be the first step in a long process. 

 

Leanna

It was not PLANNED that today I returned to work but when Larry came right home sick ( IE the UA flu) I said okay if you can handle it than I will go back to work, and I did.  Wow being away can be a chore at my job files and files and work to redo or update and so may messages... Anyway I am back at work.

 

Oksana did great all day without me and with Larry as her guide.  Really times is the true journey that helps these kids adjust.  Tomorrow is the biggie though as she is going to the babysitters solo a place she really doesnt know.

 

Yesterday we went to the hospital for some testing,  First she went to the eye doctor whom she wanted NOTHING to do with and howled and clawed the whole time, so we will return in four months.  Than we went to the lab for blood work not happening said O but I and two others held her down while they tried three times to withdraw 5 vials of blood which didnt happen either.  Anyway this strong little girl really was strong!  I felt so bad when it was over because I could not make her better during the blood drawing and it was painful to watch it took so LONG

 

This is for the newbies waiting to adopt

 

Tests that are needed upon  arrival include

TB (if your child reacts right away to the arm prick that is bad and anything over 9mm needs to be treated

 

The weird thing about these tests is that V had a 12 mm reading and N a 9 mm.  Both had the BCG and both treated for TB anitbodies for 9 mos

 

O had the BCG and guess what NO reaction so yes there is a reason behind why some react and others do not  They had exposure and she did not,  nothing to do with the BCG

 

Get giardia for parasites, it was in two of my kids tests

Get HEP.HIV and other blood tests

Get the vacinnation titers

get a chest xray

check their proteins

 

There are others but these are necessary

 

leanna