Our adoption of Ian is complete!

Our adoption of Ian is complete.

This blog will no longer be updated, but here are links to our story 

within this blog if you want to relive the amazing journey with us!

or

hop on over to our new family blog, which might not be updated either (LOL)

but if it is not, just know we are out there havin' fun and livin' life!

thanks!

(HINT) use the "newer" and "older" post links, or the archives on the right hand side of the blog towards the bottom to navigate through our adoption story

Ian's first Days at Home CLICK HERE

PICK UP FINAL TRIP #3 CLICK HERE

COURT TRIP #2 CLICK HERE

TRIP #1 to RUSSIA CLICK HERE

First day we met Ian CLICK HERE

A gift for Ian CLICK HERE

The day we chose Ian CLICK HERE

A NEW HOPE!

Please click and come on over to

our brand new family blog

THE HOPE READER

see you there!

Throw Away's

You have seen, or maybe even used at least one time, one of these little disposable camera's.

I detest them. My mother, and she will freely admit to this, refuses to use anything other than these little throw away camera's. Something about digital being too confusing - oye! I have come to loath even the sound of the turning wheel on those things to advance the film. FILM? what even is that anymore? She has likely processed over 300 of these cameras in the last 10 years.

You can see I can't stand throw away cameras - PLEEZE tell me that I am not alone in that dislike....

......Until a few weeks ago came, and I took 8 throw away cameras to the CVS near us to be processed.

Special little camera's they were. You see, I had left them at then orphanage when we left Ian there after the court trip in mid July. I asked all of his caregivers and the director, to take pictures of him and his friends and themselves so that Ian would have something to show for his life before us. I wrote out the request in English and had a wonderful friend of ours Yuliana, translate the message appropriately.

I had NO idea if they would actually comply with my request, or even if they could, given all we had always heard and been told about the restrictions on taking photographs of children in orphanages. In my heart, I prayed and wished and I hoped they would, but you have to know that they DO NOT LIKE having anyone take pictures for any reason at Ian's former orphanage. Especially of themselves and the other kids. It was a crap shoot basically.

When I went to Russia in July to get Ian, not too long after I walked into the groupa, a caregiver came to me with a squished paper bag, she handed it to me like it was a new born baby. What she gave to me was a bag FULL of all of the cameras I left, all appeared to be exposed. I was shocked.

I got them developed toot sweet when we got home!

Since there are MANY pictures, and since I don't want to put ANY other adoptions in jeporady by putting these pictures here on my blog, I have posted them a private space on Ian's original website at

www.hopeforian.org/orphanagenumber40-pictures

You will need a password to view them. Please send me an email if you would like to view these pictures and I will reply with the password. Sorry for the extra step but one never knows what might be lurking about trying to make trouble for people. My email is: bringhopehome@gmail.com

Ian is home. He is rescued and safe. Here is a glimpse of his life at the orphanage.

If you choose to view the other photographs, the children you will see are ORPHANED and most of them will be dead in a few years, that is if no one rescues them. They already have a less than a 10 percent chance of being adopted. Ian's chances were even less than that because he is also a racial minority.

Ian's region in Russia is chocked FULL of waiting souls. Here are just a few of the sweet sweet babies crying out to be seen, and loved, and cared about. Please adopt, or support adoption, it's the right thing to do....and you know it.

Sweet little children, looking out the window, wondering when someone is coming for them.

Right now The Peterson Family is also crying out for you to help them. They did answer the call, they are adopting, one of Ian's friends. They need to raise $3,000.00 NOW in order to submit their dossier and become officially registered. That action will trigger the official invitation for them to travel (and the need to raise $10,000 for that trip) to Ian's former orphanage and meet their new daughter to be. I have asked you faithful few readers and friends of Ian to post about Heidi before and I am begging you now again. Snipe her photo from my blog and write a post, share on your Facebook, send a email to friends and family, make a plan at work to forgo the "secret santa" gift exchange and a make donation to save Heidi NOW. We were in this same situation with Ian, and the stress around not having the cash and no way to get it but to press into GOD and his people, and TRUST that one of you, many of you....that all of us will help.

THIS IS HEIDI

She is Ian's friend, they slept in the same room, ate together, they KNEW one another

THIS IS HER FAMILY

The made shirts to raise money for IAN and helped us spread the word when we needed to raise funds fast

THIS IS WHERE TO DONATE NOW!

They need DIRECT donations right now and you can do that by clicking below

CLICK HERE TO HELP THE PETERSON FAMILY BRING HEIDI HOME

look to the right on their blog and click the CHIPIN button to donate

and this is what WE are doing on Saturday, to start really helping Heidi. Craig will be taking repeated whip cream pies to the face. Yep, a an who dislikes whip cream and to be embarrassed, is allowing God to work in his life...he has shed his tough guy-ness for Heidi this weekend and gotten rid of any excuses. He got creative and humble for a little girl who is the smallest child in her group, who NEEDS TO COME HOME. What are YOU going to do?

First Family Photo

thanks to a wonderfully talented and big hearted person who takes amazing pictures

we have our first real family photograph

many more to come:)

to visit the person behind the camera's website, just click on her name below

http://www.lesleykerrphotography.com

we were blessed to be gifted this session yesterday evening by this awesome group

http://www.inspirationthroughart.org

if you too have children with special needs you too can get a professional shoot free of charge and full of love! Just apply and choose your photographer!

Beyond Our Means

Since my last post, when Ian had been home for one week, I have not had much time to sit and process the events of his homecoming as they have unfolded. I wish I was disciplined enough to be keeping a daily journal of his transformation, and ours. Truly, I think it is utter exhaustion that keeps me from it. Make no mistake, the relief that is afforded to be "done" with the travel and the major expenses involved in an international adoption is HUGE, but "after the airport", its a whole different ball of wax. (HINT: click on the after the airport link to read a fascinating and TRUE life narrative of what we have and are and will experience here at home with Ian, this adoptive mama said it SO well that I wouldn't try to say it better. It really is a MUST READ).

So much happens here each day, it is amazing to all of us. I'm gonna hit the highlights with this post, pray for some time to process and then write a really "deep thoughts with Jack Handy" kind of post before I have to go back to work, and share a bunch of awesome pics today.

I'm also going to YELL and SHOUT as much as I can for this sweet baby girl who is in Ian's FORMER orphanage, waiting for her mama and papa and sisters to come and rescue her. She is Heidi, and she needs to get the heck out of that place. Her family is where we were a year ago at this time, in the throws of the homestudy, tests and clearances, and compiling the VERY complex and difficult first dossier. Russia is no joke people, they make it perhaps the most difficult it could be for families to even get approval for that first trip, and every time an American adoptive parent of a Russian child does something sinful, it gets that much harder. Russia could close to US adoptions, at any moment, and once you begin the process to bring a child home, you are always praying that nothing like that will happen. It is IMPERATIVE that Heidi's family raise all of the money to save her, and because WE KNOW the gut wrenching and sickening feeling of needing close to $50,000.00 to save a human life of an innocent child, WE ARE BEGGING for YOUR help to be the hands and feet of Jesus for the Petersons.

Please make a tax free donation at Reece's Rainbow HERE, to help bring this sweet baby girl to a home where love awaits, something she has NEVER experienced before. This family were CHAMPS for Ian, they made tee shirts, fundraised in the midst of their own decisive journey to step out on faith to bring Heidi home, and they have supported us in prayer. I took this picture of Heidi when we were at Ian's orphanage for court. Heidi and Ian were FRIENDS there, the second photograph of them was given to us by the groupa caregivers. This baby girl is small and needs to loved and fed up. She needs to go to school and thrive. SHE NEEDS YOU TODAY to extend your heart, your prayers, and frankly people - your wallet - to BREATHE LIFE INTO her one chance to come home.

How important is this? Is Heidi too old to benefit now from a family? Will she be able to transition? Why should we help this child and this family? Who cares anyway? Aren't these throw away kids, I mean her biological parents didn't care, why should I?

Hmmmmm.....all valid questions, all with answers, that I am really humbled to say IAN CAN ANSWER all by himself. Take a look people, and be moved to action to help Heidi leave the place where Ian was, because it DOES MATTER, every dollar, every penny. Donations brought Ian home, all $42,000.00 of them, and after NOT EVEN ONE MONTH in a loving, safe, fun, and REAL home with a mommy and daddy and brother.......

Just look and read, and realize, that you can be a BIG part of saving a child - TODAY.

IAN IS LEARNING! and fast too! Ian started school this past Monday. He is attending our local elementary school in a pre-kindergarten special needs self-contained cross categorical classroom. Whew - that was a mouthful! In lay terms, it means Ian is in the best type of classroom for his needs at this time, with a small number of children and teachers with special education and training to help him learn. I had the great pleasure to watch him for about an hour on his first day and man, while his first day was a little rough, being in the class, observing the teacher, I just walked away KNOWING it was a perfect fit for him. The other children in his class are ADORABLE! all of them! I mentioned to the teacher as I left that she must just smile all of the time, as there is no chance you can't given all the cuties in that classroom of all little boys.

The first day of school, Ian was dressed and ready and he screamed with excitement when we got there. He KNOWS the places we go already and he knew we were at school on the first day. Since he got home, he has cried and thrown his little mini-fits (consisting of crying and or screaming, stomping of the feet, pulling from our grasp, and perhaps fist pounding) when we have dropped Ari off at his school in the mornings. He SO wanted to go into Ari's classroom and participate. That was my first hint that taking him to school and leaving him there might be okay.

It was no mistake that had met Ian's teacher, Ms. L., TWICE prior to this day. The first time was in May, for ARI's IEP meeting! I knew she looked familiar but did not realize it until I met her on Monday (again) to take Ian to school. The second time was in August, right before I left for Russia to go and get Ian and bring him home. She was a participant in a training that I did for work on special education preschool curriculum. Funny thing, I used Ari and Ian as the two mock students for that training, and then afterwards, I told the 100 teachers in the room that these two boys were real kiddos and that one of those teachers would have the chance to see Ian everyday as HIS teacher. I feel certain that it is not a mistake that Ian's teacher is this particular person. She is the perfect mix of firm and caring. She's not fooled by his utter eat you all up kind of cuteness, or his cunning intelligence - she is right on the money with him, and that my friends is a blessing of GIANT proportions. There is NO battle necessary at school to get Ian what he needs, and we are SO thankful for that as it would have been beyond our means to orchestrate the perfect setting for him. God did that.

Technically, Ian has been retained at the Pre-K level. If we would have placed him strictly based on age, he would be in a much different setting, and missing all of those things that make Pre-K the developmentally right choice for a kid that has not had the benefit of growing up in a family or ever being taught a single thing. Pre-K is play based, and that is what he needs right now. His teacher is providing us with daily reports this first week and instead of re-writing them, I am just pasting them here so you can get a taste of what his first days at school have been, granted there have only been THREE of them! When Blogger wants to play nice, I will post some video of Ian at school, so be sure to check back for that this week!

DAY ONE

He wanted to walk around the room and touch most things, but did not appear interested in engaging in a specific activity. Of course we helped him engage until he heard the timer and it was time to transition :) (Gretchen writing: This means he threw a mini-fit and had to be physically moved) During snack, he ate a handful of goldfish and asked me (I'm assuming it was Russian) if he could have a doughnut hole when he saw a Dunkin Doughnut box on our shelf. I gave him one and he signed more and got another one. He LOVED the doughnuts, but then again, who doesn't'? :) He drank water from a straw and cup during snack. I think since he has a hard time drinking from an unlidded cup at this point, we'll use a straw until he begins to realize he can always have something to drink. At this point, if he asks for a drink, I will give him one even if its not snack or lunch. I think his peace of mind about food and drink is necessary and will provide him the security he needs to participate in other activities at school (Gretchen writing: Ian shows a HUGE need for access to food and water and he eats and drinks voraciously - remember, while he was not starving per se at the orphanage, the kids did not have free access to food and drink when THEY wanted some). After snack we went to the motor room and he played in the ball pit the ENTIRE time :) He loved rolling around in the balls and throwing them, etc... We will not be going outside for awhile until the weather is cooler and we have a little more control over the students and them staying on the rope or with a group. We will work into going outside, but we're building other skills at this point. After the motor room we came back to the room and he sat with me as I read a book. He did not prefer this activity and cried and tried to put his head down while I was reading, but would stop and look at the pictures briefly :) We will work through this of course and he will begin to love looking at pictures and hearing stories. We then went to the water table which he also loved. On a side note, he really liked washing his hands. He would become upset when we turned the water off and he couldn't rub his hands anymore. Needless to say, he enjoyed the water table but was more interested in dumping the water on the floor than using our containers to measure, pour, etc... Experimentation was the name of the game today :) At lunch he sat in front of me and did cry as you said he would when his food was presented to him. He kept pushing the food away, so I took 2 forks and put a piece of pizza on one fork and an piece of apple on the other fork. He tried for over 5 minutes to push these forks away, but I kept them in front of him and he eventually picked each one up and ate the food off the end of it. I then brought his lunch tray back in front of him and he used his fork to poke the food and eat it one bite at a time. I think this will be our ritual during lunch to help him get accustomed to sitting, eating with a fork/ spoon, and keeping the food in front of him, etc... During nap, he slept hard! He was tired and I could tell he was ready for nap b/c he was rubbing his eyes and his protests were less robust :) He went to the potty fine today and was independent just like you said he would be. He loved music and did really well sitting by the end of the day. He sat at our music group and imitated me for 15 minutes with only Ms. Jody sitting behind him in case he tried to run. He smiled and laughed quite a bit today, so I am assuming really liked school. Him taking my hand and wanting to come back in the building may also have been an indication he liked it :) LOL :) We thoroughly enjoyed having him in our class and it is our pleasure to have such a strong, capable little boy to inspire us all :)

DAY TWO - 9/13/11

He played with pretend food and cooking items for approximately 10 minutes without leaving the center or dropping it and moving on to something else. When it was time for calendar, I had to physically take him to circle and Ms. Jody had to sit behind him for the first couple minutes to keep him in his chair. He participated in group and imitated me very well. After calendar we transitioned back to centers and he went to the computer. He engaged in a cause/effect game for about 7 minutes independently using a touch screen instead of a mouse to access it. After centers we transitioned back to circle for speech and he needed physical assistance to go to his chair and sit. He protested by yelling "no" in Russian but once the music started began smiling and copying the teacher. After speech, we went to the table for snack and again a teacher needed to physically help him get to the table because he wanted to run back to centers. Once he was seated he began eating his goldfish. He asked for "more" by signing several times throughout snack. When we went to the motor room, a teacher walked beside him holding his hand while he was holding the rope. We are trying to get him used to walked in the line while holding the rope and staying with the class, but don't want to let go of his hand yet b/c he's not been immersed in our routine enough yet. In the motor room, he played in the balls and sat in the swing for the whole time. Although a couple of his classmates tried to get him to "chase" them, he preferred exploring/ throwing the balls and swinging. After the motor room, we came back to the room and had another circle. This was a short story about Farm Animals and he looked at the book when it was presented to him directly but not when it was shown to the whole class. He would imitate the teacher when she made a farm animal sound. At lunch, he ate very well. He used his fork and sat in his chair with teacher proximity only. No physical prompts to stay in his chair or use his fork were needed today, which is a HUGE improvement from yesterday. We didn't have any crying during lunch or refusal of the tray, etc... He slept hard again today during nap and we used a weighted blanket again to help meet those sensory needs to rock and pulse. He appears to like deep pressure. After nap, he folded every blanket in the room like a pro! His new job is going to be the blanket folder b/c he did it so well and was very adamant about getting all the blankets folded and put away :) Overall, he showed remarkable improvement over yesterday and yesterday was a great first day, so you guys should be proud of how well and FAST he's adjusted to school.

Day 3 - 9/14/2011

Ian had an even more fabulous day today than yesterday, so I'm really not
sure where we're going to be able to go from here! :) His independence
grows more each day with every activity we do. He played in centers today
with the microwave, food, dress up clothes (he put every piece of clothing
we had on his body at the same time including a hat) and blocks. He stayed
in the play center for almost 10 minutes without anyone prompting him or
directing him to. We haven't added many other centers to his repertoire
yet, but will as he understands the system of waiting until he hears the
timer to change centers. He also did the computer again today and really
seems to enjoy it. He looks very closely at the screen and seems stimulated
by the animation he sees. During all of our group activities he sat in his
chair with Ms. Jody sitting a couple feet behind him in case he tried to
run away. He didn't. He participated and imitated me during each group
activity we did today.

During the motor room, he approached me and said something (I'm assuming he
wanted me to tickle him b/c that's what I was doing to the other students)
so I chased him and tickled him and he played this game for a few minutes
before going back in the balls. He is already imitating the other students
and what they do b/c a couple of them starting throwing balls at each other
and he joined right in :)

Lunch time was a total non issue today. He asked for his milk and drank it
by himself. He waited for his lunch tray with no crying and when it was
given to him, he ate his food with a fork- independently. Jody and I
weren't sitting by or next to him, but were watching him from across the
table. He ate the bites we cut up and didn't stuff too much (but did a
little).

Overall, he has adjusted to our classroom wonderfully and has already
become part of us. It's like he's been here since August and is even
following our routine better than some of his more "experienced" peers :)

IAN IS LOVING! with fervor too! We have gone from a little boy who could not tolerate us touching him AT ALL in April 2011, to a little boy who COMES TO US to give hugs, to ask to be picked up, to give kisses, and to show his brother concern and affection. Ian is so smart, it is really mind blowing. There is no way he should have been behind these gates, where Heidi is now, and 70 other little slowly dying souls screaming to be rescued. Soon it will be cold in Russia again, for many months, and Heidi will stand at these gates, hoping for a chance to be on the other side, like Ian and Anya are now. Don't think Heidi needs you to help her emerge from this place? Please, I beg you to think again. These kiddos DO lose their families when all of the money cannot be raised. It happened to sweet VIKA this year, and it can happen to Heidi too, so please donate to the Peterson's now while it is fresh on your mind and while you are happy to see how well Ian is doing after leaving the orphanage.

Ian and Ari have really begun to gel as brothers. Ian's lack of speech has little impact on his ability to show love and request affection from all of us. Ian and Ari hold hands, and they even hug one another spontaneously! One of the MOST heart warming anecdotes yet on this topic was from this week. As you know, the impact of bringing another child home on Ari has been my BIGGEST worry! I was outside working on the curb appeal of our front yard, when Craig texted me to sneak into the house to see something amazing. We had put the boys to bed, or so we thought. For some time before I was alerted to the happenings a foot in their room, Ian and Ari were getting out of bed and playing with the toys in their room, which the larger lights and sounds cars and planes and the like, are stacked on top of their toy and clothing organizers. There is a red leather chair in the room too, kind of near the toy bins. I snuck up the stairs that night and they were each, in a repeating patters of doing so, getting out of bed, running around the chair and then activating each toy in sequence, running back into their beds, laughing, and then doing it again - in the DARK! Baaa ha ha ha!! It was the FUNNIEST thing!

During all of that, which we allowed to freely continue for about an hour before we had to shut it down and strongly encourage them go so sleep, Craig turned the light on without warning on them and what he saw just made the TEARS stream down my face. They were BOTH seated on that little red leather chair (which means they where squished together), HUGGING one another and laughing. AHHH - there it was - confirmation in a way, that at some point here, it IS all going to be okay for our sweet boy ARI. It was SO what I needed to know, to see and feel from all of this. The doom and gloom and the utter fear and desperation of the first week is lifting to reveal something beyond our means to construct. God has shown up in our house, big time.

IAN IS BEHAVING! making progress each and every day! We have been on several outings for fun, and doing the things that comprise normal everyday living, with more and more ease and possibilities each day. While we have kept the visiting of others to a minimum to make sure Ian attaches to us and understands we are HIS family, and not every stranger on the street, he has been to my office at work and of course, now to school AND to daycare afterwards. He has shown such wonderful adaptability and is learning to end and begin activities without throwing a fit.

One of our first big deal outings was to a petting zoo that was about a 45 min. drive from our home. This was his first LONG car ride and being out in the community where rules for behavior HAD to be enforced, and frankly, to a place where there were lots of other people who could all SEE us. Well people, HE LOVED IT! We had to hold his hand most of the time as his impulse control is still kind of non-existant (i.e., mini fits are thrown at the SITE of things that look like he wants to go for or at or do), however he FED the goats and cow like it was old home week! We had a 6 pound bucket of feed and the kid went bizerk with it! He tried to eat some too, but fast realized it was not for human consumption LOL.

Ian dived right in and was feeding all of the animals!

Ari had a little aversion to the animals eating feed off of his hands but he liked it and wanted to keep doing it as long as we helped him.

When I say he dived right in, I mean that literally too! if he could have jumped into the feed bucket himself he would have!

We've gone from this, which is BTW the most difficult thing we deal with - UTTER CUTENESS while being very naughty!! This is Ian's look after he has been naughty or not gotten his way and had a mini-fit. On this occasion, he was being naughty on purpose with an item and got it taken away after multiple directions to stop his behavior. We are in SO much trouble with that kid! He's got the pouty face an angel! LOL.

To much more of this...

I was able to take Ian to Ari's school for Shabatt Sing (Ari's attends a Jewish Preschool that is AWESOME!) Ian was imitating the Rabi during a song! He was really pretty good on this day, except for figuring out that the theater seats sprung up and down and he could fold his limber little self up in them and then laugh hysterically during complete theater silence!

What was not so long ago - screaming, crying, defying every single thing, hitting, pushing, being ugly, refusing to eat, refusing to walk and on and on.....is now at a low hum each day, and that is for sure beyond our means to MAKE happen. Ian is doing it, and he appears to want to be better, to be a strong little man who see's and understands what life is outside of all he has ever known. You cannot MAKE a child do anything, they have to want to do it and that is our goal, that Ian will come to recognize the intrinsic "wanna be a KID" and do kid stuff thing that has laid dormant in him because he never had the opportunity to just, be a child. Yes there are rules to living and getting along in a family, but they are all meant for good, and when they are followed, doors open to many options. It has not even been a month, ask yourself how amazing Ian is, go ahead, ask, we cannot even quantify it.

IAN IS GETTING BETTER! and stronger too!

Ian has been to a few more doctors appointments and had his first round of blood testing come back to us. His pediatrician again proved herself wonderful by calling us after hours to go over all of his tests and our plan for care. He will need more vaccinations, but we saved him from 5 shots by doing the blood testing for antibodies. He has some sort of something else happening with his white blood cells but she ASSURED me that was NOT a pre-cursor to Leukemia (which children with Down Syndrome are at a higher risk for development of) and that we need not take any course of action for. He will need another blood draw and round of labs because the lab failed to do three important tests, not cool. He has seen the urologist and yes, he will need some surgery there, it is 1 day in patient only because of his heart condition, otherwise it would be outpatient. We are going to and can, wait until after Christmas for that surgery to occur. In Feb. we will know more about his heart surgery and thanks for a friend, I now know that it might not be open heart, and maybe they can do it with a small incision! Yea for medical advancements!

In the next two weeks we have eyes and teeth and then brain stuff in October. His rash is gone and he's not itching, the scabies are gone and he is eating very well. He's getting heavier (yeah!) and his bones are sinking into him so that you cannot feel or see them so readily. He still falls a lot when he runs and bangs his head because he's not looking and has NO fear of anything. Teeth brushing requires a wrestling type grip on him, but we are holding out hope that both of our boys will get better at this sensory nightmare that is the sonicare toothbrush!

WE ARE BECOMING A FAMILY! a new normal is starting to settle in!

One Week Home

Today, Ian has been home for one week.

It seems like much, much longer.

Everything is NOT how I ever pictured it. Some is MUCH better than we thought, and some is MUCH worse than we thought.

The important thing to keep in mind is that

WE DID IT

we answered God's calling, Ian is safe, he will not die alone within the year of neglect and starvation in a lifeless and cold institution.

He will live.

He seems very happy.

Praising Jesus.

***************************

There are a list of things we are SO thankful for, and a list of things we could for sure do without. I promised myself that I would never post that things were honky dorrie when they weren't. After some time to think about it this past week, I do feel like it is very important to write about what really happens when you finally get home, but to be frank again, I'm so darn tired and now I have a cold that is seeping the life out of me, I couldn't begin to tactfully share the hard stuff even if I wanted to.

Before we committed to adopting Ian, I read, for a long time, MANY many blogs from other families that were adopting children from Eastern Europe with special needs. It was the reading of these families stories and experiences that helped me understand that adopting Ian was going to be hard, but DOABLE.

This week has been very HARD for all of us, and DOABLE too. We are still here, and things are getting better. I look forward to the day we have a new normal that we can all count on.

I'm not totally certain how to write this post, I have a plethora of things swirling in my head, some so great you'll cry, some so downright ugly I should just keep them to myself. Yeesh, I need a moderator! I just want to really update you on how things are going here, and as for all of the emotions and hard stuff, I will spare you the details, just know that coming home is a whole NEW challenge with things that are harder then the entire 14 month adoption process ever was.

Ian is loved, that is for sure, there is no other way we could do this.

******

So, how is Ian doing?

• Ian came home with scabies and we are on our second and prayerfully last application of the full body cream to rid us (yes, I got them too from being near him) of these pesky and disgusting mirco bugs;

• Ian developed a whole body rash between the time I removed him from the orphanage until today, he is on an oral medication for that, it seems to be clearing and none of us have gotten the same thing so that is a blessing;

• Ian has seen the Cardiologist, Dr. V. I got all of Ian's physicians on referral from a number of parents with children with Down Syndrome. I can say that Dr. V. is all that he was said to be and I love him already. He was kind and did not talk at all over my head, as all of this is totally new ground for us. Ian's open heart surgery as an infant to repair a Ventral Septal Defect or VSD, went very well in Russia, according to Dr. V, and we will never have to worry about that repair. Ian however, in the other chamber of his sweet little heart, has a problem. He has a Mitral Valve Prolapse of the, right now, moderate to severe nature. Ian will have to have open heart surgery to repair the valves in his heart that are allowing blood to leak backwards into a place in his heart where it should not be, another name for this is regurgitation. At this time, Ian will be watched by us at home for things like increased tiredness, sweating and other things. In 6 months he will have another echocardiogram to determine how the prolapse is progressing, and that will give us a better idea of when he will face surgery. There is a possibility he may also need to be placed on heart medication before the surgery is needed, but again, that will depend upon his observed disposition and the 6 month visit. We are hopeful that Ian will be fine in the future. As would any parent, the thought of open heart surgery on a 5 year old, makes me wanna cry and be overcome with worry. Yes, we could lose Ian on the operating table. God knows already what will happen so I can find some sliver of Peace in that my worry would not change the outcome. We find hope in that this particular repair of the heart has a great, over 90 percent, success rate. If the repair of the natural valve does not work, it can also be replaced by a metal valve. That would not be the optimal choice however as that would then limit Ian's lifestyle to run and play and do all those things little boys love to do. He would be on medication for life too, if that became the road we had to walk. Doing nothing about the prolapse is not an option, he heart would eventually become enlarged and he would die. Just keeping it real.

• Yep, it is a lot to deal with in the first week, but I would much rather have it all laid out for us now, than later. There will be a financial impact here, as there are not many types of health insurances that pay 100 percent of anything anymore. I know many of you love Ian,and many of you have prayed for him and followed him well before we even began his adoption process. I have created a chip-in that will run from now until Ian's heart surgery is complete. Should you want to donate to the costs we will encounter, please feel free. This money will remain in his open heart surgery fund and only be used for that purpose when the time comes. The chip-in is also located at the top right of this blog and the code may be shared if you would like to help spread the word on your own blog. I looked up an estimate of the cost of mitral valve repair and with our 10% co-payment, we are looking at a cost of $5,000.00 out of pocket given no complications. We are not ASKING for donation, we just know that some people have already ASKED US how they can help, and we greatly appreciate the forethought and the care and concern for Ian and our family as we attempt to meet all of his medical needs and recover financially from the adoption journey.

• Ian has seen his new Primary care Pediatrician, Dr. A. I also found Dr. A through referrals and a process of BEGGING her to take Ian since her practice is closed to new patients. She did so and I am glad, I like her and she is very competent and thorough. Ian has come in on the US Down Syndrome growth charts at the 40th percentile for weight and the 50th for height, which is pretty darn good considering he has been lacking all of the things that contribute to a child growing healthily. Ian got 4 shots yesterday to help get him up to date on immunizations. They are required for him to enroll in school here, which we will be doing tomorrow. He did get a low grade fever from the shots, but seems to be handeling it well. He screamed like a banshi during the shots, which all came right after the other, it was HARD to hold him still but the nurse was great. I really hate having to watch my little children get shots. I remember being so afraid of them until later in adulthood. He will be facing more shots soon. Bummer. So that our friend TESNEY DAVIS does not feel all alone, we are also in the throws of a fecal study to make sure Ian has not brought any parasitical visitors to our home and our bodies (w0nderful). No words.

• Today, Ian and I will venture to see Dr. B, eye specialist. Tomorrow, a hearing test and then next week urology and neurology followed lastly by the dentist. My entire FMLA is being used to get him well and on the right track, and so adopting families where both parents work, please be ready to have one stay home for at least a month to get all of the first appointments in.

• Ian is itching to attend school. He CRIES and KICKS and refuses to move when we drop Ari off at school each morning. Yesterday, because he's so so fast on his feet, he made it almost to Ari's classroom's circle time in the morning, shoes off and all! Ian will start out attending our local elementary school, in the special needs Kindergarten class which is small and self-contained. His IEP meeting in tomorrow morning along with registration. No worries, I am an IEP expert, it is my field so Ian will have a solid IEP with all of the necessary services and I am sure, since they remember me from Ari's meeting this summer, they will be ready to present their level best! Ian will ride the special needs schoolbus in the morning, which is great for us, it will come to the front door for him and a para is on board to get him all buckled into the carseat on the bus. School starts at 8:50 am. Then, in the afternoons, he will be walked to the daycare bus and dropped off at the daycare we contract with. We are visting the 4 choices this week, Primrose School, Kindercare, Today's Kids, and Kindercare. The prices are reasonable so we should be good in terms of having full time school and care for 2 kids with special needs. I'm voting for Today's Kids because I've driven past it a hundred times and I like the playground. Ian loves playgrounds!

• Out in public, Ian is doing remarkable well. He is CALM most of the time and really only refuses to walk by pulling me or Craig the opposite direction of where we need to be going, or by starting to whine and cry. He is tolerating his 5 point harness on the carseat well too, I guess he has figured out that he cannot get out of it no matter what he does.

• At home, things are coming along, but we are dealing with some behaviors in Ari that we have never seen, and so my heart is hurting for my little boy. He likes Ian, so that is not the issue. Ian is very defiant, he is also very smart. He has come from a place where hitting and pushing were okay, and likely the only way he had to defend himself or his food, as he does not speak more than three words in Russian. At home, that is not allowed. Ian struggles with that expectation, and with most expectations actually. He is not totally uncivilized, but he does at times appear to be so. We have had to leave public places because of his behavior. Ian's relationship with me is not the same as it is with Craig, and that is also causing some issues. I was with him alone for two weeks before we came home, and he and I had to get some ground rules for life in Russia. Craig and he are just starting that process, plus Ian is not at all used to a man in his daily life, they were rare at the orphanage. Being home all day with Ian, and then having to help Ari compensate for his loss all night ling, is VERY exhausting. Plus, I came down with a pretty bad summer cold and so I am sick, going on 3 days now and no end in sight. Awesome. Ian was up at 3:00 am for a while and now he's up before 6 every morning, still trying to get on that EST clock. That is hard. It truly is like having a new baby at home.

• We are trying to get into a routine, but until Ian starts school, I think we will continue to struggle here at home for some return to sanity. No regrets, although I do want people to know that there is no way we can do this without God and a faith that surpasses what we can try to understand. This IS too hard for me, I admit it, but it is not to hard for God, and I know that he has never and will never leave my side, and that is how I eek out some peace in all of this. I am working on releasing the HEAVY feelings of guilt and sadness I have for my Ari, he is hurting, he cries, he cries for me, he is being naughty at school, he is changing, and I do not like it. I feel like it is all my fault, like I have ruined his life by bringing Ian here. That is the just what the devil will have be spend my heart on too, and because I am aware that negative thinking can result in negative living, I am trying to let those thoughts go. If I had had a new baby myself, this would all likely be happening with Ari anyway, so that is how I try to rationalize it. We always wanted Ari to have a sibling and as an only child, I do not think that is always such a great thing. I wish now, so badly, that I had siblings. Ari is showing grace though this, please pray for HIS peace and transition during this time.

• As for Craig and I, we are running on absolute fumes. The exhaustion is severe. We look forward to a time when there will be calm again in the house and a routine and having energy again. Sleep is a commodity around here right now. We are SO tired, but we are thankful and recognize that we have been blessed in many ways and we will continue to show thanks to GOD for all we have and how we have been changed.

**************

Hope always remains when you look to God.

Our adventure to HOME, and other stories...

Luda was up early Wednesday morning, and I was up at 4:45 am. She had found, from somewhere in the house, a red Bosco Russia hat that she wanted to present to me, fur lined and all. She admired my Bosco shopping bag from the other day and so I am sure that is why she searched the house for something Bosco. I wonder whose hat she gave away! I snapped this last minute picture of Luda and Ian and then we were out the door, taking the first steps towards home.

Olga and Kostya were outside well before the scheduled pick up time. I don't think I mentioned that on Embassy day, the phone at Nastia's apartment was dead. I had been told the driver would come for us at 11:00. So naturally, I went downstairs at 11:00, where I promptly got semi-hollared at by Olga, who was all consternated that she could not (1) get the code that Luda gave her to work to open the downstairs door, and (2) that she could not get through to the house phone. She was like, "...well I never...I mean I have been calling you and calling you....you have made me so nervous...." and on an on. In my mind, I was like, "....LOL, and every single thing you have told me has been inconsistent, or a lie, or total BS...and well - I NEVER!" Oye.

After she stopped harping, we pulled off and settled in for the hour drive from downtown Moscow to Domodedov Airport. By 9:00 am we would be on our flight to Frankfurt. Praise Jesus! I was SO INCREDIBLY TIRED!
As for our little orphan no more, our little miracle boy Ian, he was also SO INCREDIBLY TIRED. He has never had to fall asleep in a car, or sitting up, so you won't be surprised that he does not know how to do that. Thus, the early am car ride was a bit of a struggle for him, he was intermittantly crytting and yelling and I was like, oh muh gosh, here we go, my WORST fears are about to be realized. He's going to freak out on the plane. Err, um and then he fell asleep in the car, 5 min. before we arrived. SUPER! I had to wake him up and he was NOT having it.

We got to the airport and I had this sickening feeling of elation that we were LEAVING and TERRIFICATION (is that a word? who cares, sounds good right there), that Ian was going to loose it on the plane ride home. I remember once when Ari was about a year old. He literally SCREAMED and CRIED the ENTIRE 2 and some hour plane ride from Ohio to Atlanta. He could not be consoled. It was a living nightmare, and I was having them sorta flashbacks people, of my next 16 hours to come.

We pulled up to Domodedov and Kostya and Olga helped me into the airport. OYE VEY! I am SO happy to be gone from under Olga's "care," if you can call it that. She is a fusser, and more often than not, her fussing made everything harder. At the airport she INSISTED on helping me put my bags onto the security belt at both check-in locations. This was NOT a help to me, it made it harder because she's like 60 or more in years and cannot and should not be lifting ANYTHING more than a bouquet of flowers.

Enter, a weight problem. They sent my first bag down the belt before they had weighed my second bag, so when the girl told me I needed to remove 2 kilo's from my bag or pay $150 EUROS (which is like $10,000 American Dollars!), I was like well, I don't think that is going to work honey, as you just shipped off the only other bag I could have put those 2 kilos (which I have no idea how much that is in dirty clothes weight) in. She sent me to the Luftansa desk to pay. The woman there was WAY frustrated with me as I had disturbed her sleep. She and I fussed and then, the patron saint of overweight luggage descended upon us and she simply took my boarding pass and WAIVED the BAGGAGE FEE!

Maybe this trip home wouldn't be so bad?

Olga left, sorry, I admit, no fan fair as in the Elena vain, but I did thank her and give her a hug and wish her all the best. She is after all, the person who made it possible for us to be leaving two days early and that turned out to be SO critical for us, especially for me, I was tanking in Russia, fast.

We had about an hour for breakfast before we had to get to the gate. Ian flipped. He had had it. He started to act out majorly. He refused to eat, he yelled and screamed, he would not sit, etc...I tried to enjoy a coffee since I knew I needed some caffeine in order to deal with him on the plane (no falling asleep Gretchen, cause he'll be in the cockpit if I let my eyes off of him). Did I mention Ian HATES seat belts? Yea, he screams when you put them on, so I had that to look forward to. Sweet.

We boarded, the LAST seats in the back of the plane. This flight to Frankfurt was going to be 2.5 hours. We settled into our seats, which was dramatice because they had Ian seated in the row one AHEAD of where I was seated (oh if only that could have been true, a nanny on the plane!). The person that was UNSEATED because of it, was so confused when I tried to explain to him why a little whiney kid was in his seat, likely because he only spoke German. I guess my frantic hand modeling, pointing to me and then Ian and then his seat, my seat, and the empty seat, must have look real weird to him. ATTENDANT CALL button was pressed and thankfully, they figured it all out, in German.

So, now, the moment you have been waiting for. HOW DID IAN DO ON THE PLANE? This time, there was no patron saint, no angels hovering over. It was the right hand of God. I promise you that Jesus had to be sitting in the aisle next to Ian because...

THE CHILD WAS THE ABSOLUTE PICTURE OF PERFECTION for not only that first flight, but for the ENTIRE flight HOME! That's right, I was yee of little faith. HE DID IT, he was an angel. People remarked to me, in fact ALL the people that were seated around us on the 9.5 hour ride home, on what a GOOD BOY he was. It was the most amazing thing to watch. He just sat there and played with a little bag of toys, for 12 hours. Thank you whoever invented these baby snap rings! I got them the day before we left and he LOVES them!




He slept maybe 1 hour and after the breakfast on the flight out of Russia, he refused to eat anything. He did drink, so that kept me from too much worry. Potty was a little bit hard in that small space, but he did it and never even needed the Pull Up that I put on him just in case. I got a pic of him the short time he slept on the plane.





the last 20 min, as we approached Atlanta, he lost it. Crying, trying to get out of the seatbelt, etc...I didn't even care at that point, I just tried to comfort him although I was crying too, so that must have been weird for him. About 3 hours from landing, I got a massive migraine headache. So, I was totally fried by the time we landed. We had also had a little mishap in Frankfurt, but thankfully the GERMAN POLICE gave me back our passports!

We landed at 3:40 pm and spent the next 2 hours in US Immigration. That was fun. Ian passed out right as we were leaving immigration.





about 5:40 pm we emerged from the arrivals point and then....

Met by Ari and Craig and some other friends and family, I was SO, in fact NEVER SO, happy to be home. Craig took over Ian and I got to hug and talk to my Ari. It was a great homecoming and Ian was excited. He remembered Papa and they had some special moments bonding there are the airport.

Ari was TOO excited that Ian was home, it was SO cure to watch!

We were home. Officially however, not until Thursday, August 25th, due to Ian having a whole body rash and scabies, which I am so lucky to have contracted from him and the orphanage, that we had to seek out urgent care straight from the airport, and then find an all night pharmacy (closest one 15 miles from our house) and then apply the stuff, and THEN we could sleep, I think it was 1 am.

I had promised Ari he could sleep with his mommy, that could not happen after the diagnosis so Ian and I bunked together and papa with Ari. Not the first night home I imagined, but home none the less, slept in my own bed with at least one of my sons:) This is real life.

NOTE TO future families: BUY scabies cream and apply it to your child even if you look at them and do not think they have it, it might not show up for a few days. Application won't hurt them, or you! I regret not bringing the cream when I had that question in my mind, but I just said, ah, forget it, his orphanage is pretty clean. LOL, a clean orphanage, I'm an idiot.

Since then, we've had one full day home with Ian. He is doing well! No problems really except when Daddy and I took him to the mall this morning to buy shoes and clothes. He's testing Daddy, which is hilarious to me because daddy is now the softie! LOL.

Craig shot a little bit of video of Ian eating lunch. It captures that laugh I was trying to tell you about before, the on purpose one where Ian is like - this is so beautifully absurd to me! Lunch time with no limits, all the food I want, no screaming of other kids, no curt caregivers, no flies, no slop to eat, no one trying to snatch things from me, more if I want more. HE IS HAPPY.

Ian and I rode along to take Ari to school yesterday morning, but we did not go in. We will today, when the new normal really begins, as Craig took off from work yesterday to be at home with Ian. Today Ian and I will be alone together all day, and it will be this way for the next few weeks until I go back to work and Ian starts school.

Ari and Ian have not really spent any time together yet, but they did have an exchange in the car on the way to school Ian saying his words and Ari just darn excited that he was finally home. TOO CUTE!

We will be laying LOW LOW LOW until October 8th when we will be having Ari's birthday and Ian's welcome home party. It should be a blast, we have rented a jumpy place and the theme is carnival, complete with face painters and ballon animal makers and a cake that looks like a box of popcorn!

I may post a one week update, I may not. I'll try. Life is busy here, there is lots to be done now to get Ian ready to attend school. MANY doctors to be seen and surgeries to be scheduled. Bonding to be done, learning, sharing, growing together. In September, we will close this blog for good and launch our NEW family blog! I'm SO excited about it! and I hope when the time comes, you'll hop on over to that yet to be named blog, and stay with Ian on his journey.....

OF A REAL LITTLE AMERICAN BOY.

Ian is one less, and there are 147 million more to go. How do you change the world? ONE AT A TIME - click here to HELP Heidi come home, a little girl with Down Syndrome in Ian's former orphanage, in his same groupa. The Peterson Family are just beginning their journey so they need all the prayers and financially blessings you can share.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Home, USA

Days 9 - 11: Ready

Monday night I had a plan. It worked to help me get through these last 24 hours here. The plan was to tire Ian out so much so that he would just pass out and go to sleep, and sleep past 6:00 am.

Sunday afternoon, when I got back from a much needed break, where in the other Luda was here with our Luda, babysitting Vasya, I could hear him yelling when I was coming up the steps. BTW, Luda was replaced by an English speaking sitter and she's been great.

Oye.

Since Sasha was gone, I had a hard time figuring out what happened. From what I gather, he was good for a while and then started testing the two grandmas. He won, obviously.

Smart kid.

Anyhow, I know him a bit by now and I know that he knows he was acting very badly (the whole yelling and screaming stomping thing), and then he threw food. Awesome.

What happens in your house when someone who knows better throws food? In our house, even if it does happen to be located in Moscow right now, you go to bed without your dinner if its dinner time, and if its during the day, you clean it up and spend some time in time out. Ian eats delicious food all day long so please don't comment about with holding dinner. I then got on google translate and Luda helped me learn some critical commands that I will need going forward with him. He has taken full advantage of the Babushku situation as well as my inability to speak Russia. Ian is small for his age but that is in no way an indicator of his functional age. He functions in self help skills like an 8 year old American kid. He can do mostly everything for himself, and not too shabbily either.

Smart kid.

While we were doing that, Ian came out into the hallway, pointing at the kitchen, asking for dinner. Again, Google translate to the rescue, I explained to him (through Luda) what he needs to do and he indicated he understood (no screaming, yelling, throwing food, etc..). I (through Luda) then told him if he threw food at table again, he would go straight back to bed without it. Same thing for yelling and screaming.

Guess who ate like an angel? Didn't make a peep, clam and collected.

Smart kid.

I did put him back to bed because he was tired and I know that was adding to his apparent susceptibility to melting down. He's very very committed once he gets into his misbehavior. None of this is his fault and I do not treat him like it is, however I do expect him to behave appropriately in those areas which I have confirmed that he is able to understand how to do, and that has had to start from Day 1, or Craig and I and Ari will be in a great deal of distress for a long time. Ian will be fine, I am confident of that, he understands everything that is said to him in Russian and he even knows what I am saying when I use gestures and model for him. HE KNOWS what he is doing, and that is half the battle.

I am certain at the orphanage, he and the other kids played the rotating caregivers against one another, learning which one would allow what, looking for openings to do tom foolery, etc...I mean if they had him on lock down at the orphanage, they would have never told me to be firm with him or he would take the place apart.

This is definitely tough love for me. Oh its so hard because I do feel so bad for him. I do want him to be happy all of the time but that is simply not how it will go at home and going forward. To make him think that, to pacify him and not to parent him would be, in my estimation, a grave mistake for all of us. Think I'm exaggerating? Just LOOK at this face! It's SO hard to make him tow the line of mom's expectations (and trust me, I'm the softy of the pair of Craig and I, and I don't expect or even look for perfection).




Ian is learning to be a child. It's very heartwarming to watch. He is learning to PLAY in the tub. First up: Slashing the water is OKAY to do, go at it, have FUN! I imagine splashing was forbidden at the orphanage to avoid total chaos at group bath time.




I'm actually glad that this, if it had to happen, happened now and not on the plane where I could have done nothing about it (see, I'm predicting he'll be a star on the plane, I have to think positive right!?). By the time we leave on WEDNESDAY, he should be good to go for the trip home.

He will have to learn all about regulating his emotions, that is a part of the orphanage behavior. Even if he was never an orphan, he could be acting like this, I've seen my Ari have mini-meltdowns when he's off his routine and for Ian, little guy, BAM, his while life changed. He's missed an awful, awful lot of learning time and love. Funny thing though, I don't think he misses the orphanage AT ALL. He seemed and seems READY for all of this as much as he could be. I'm happy for him about that. It's almost like he knew that there was something else. He walks the streets with me dumbfounded at the buildings, the people, the cars, the everything. He laughs purposely when we do something like sit down at a cafe, he points to some food, and they bring it to him and set it in front of him!

Oh yeah, you caught that huh? That's right, we ARE leaving tomorrow morning at 5:30 am, 2 days early! It's only money, and if I can save him and I some challenges here, I think it is best to come home early. I thought not but then seeing him struggling here (and me too), I feel it is best to get him home and into the new normal routine as soon as I can so that we don't reinforce this other stuff that is by default factors of traveling. Heck, I don't think Ari would be perfect given the amount of change involved in this many day bringing home process.

Russia really makes it difficult in terms of the adoption process. I think more kids would be being rescued from here if the travel was not so insane. It breaks you, not just financially, but physically too, three trips here in 5 months time is really hard on a family.

On Monday we walked to Red Square, at night. It was awesome. I wanted Ian to go to sleep without any issues so we walked and walked (it's about a 20 min. brisk walk from Nastia's apartment). He saw the famous Guum mall all in lights, and Red Square at night is something I had never experienced before. We did some gift shopping at Gumm and then grabbed a taxi home. I would have taken the Metro but I'm not totally confident that Ian would not freak out and I'd have no way out of there with him.




Okay, so he wanted me to pick him up so I could not get him to stand on the pavement so I could take a picture LOL, he's so lovey now it's a real blessing. Before he would resist being picked up like crazy but now he likes it. He learns fast. He LIKES affection. Thank Goodness, the damage done from being an orphan looks like maybe it won't be too too bad.




By the way, my night plan worked and he was like butter in my lap in the cab home. He normally will NOT sit in my lap (another foreign concept to him). Bed and bath was easy pieces:)




I had been to Red Square earlier that day and took some pictures. The moment I stood in the same place I had stood 23 years ago on the International Peace Walk from Odessa to Kiev and then on to Moscow, I just began to cry. It was a combination of the gradually more difficult this trip has become, the deep sinking in of the orphan crisis that I (and I know Craig too), have felt and come to realize over the last 13 months of the adoption of Ian, memories of August 1988 in Red Square when Russia was still under Communist rule and the police presence felt SO different, being at my friends home with Ian and she is not there, having a tough time with our Moscow adoption agency team, and finally maybe, wishing Ari was with me to see it all. I miss him greatly. My mother told me that he told her he does not want mommy or daddy to go away anymore.























This is Lenin's Tomb. Last time I was in Red Square, it was guarded 24 hours a day by a trio of military guards, in the same vein as the tomb of the unknown solider in the United States. You can visit but not on Mondays.




If you are lucky, you can meet the President of Russia too!




When I entered Red Square, the cross atop this church blinded my eyes. I felt like God was trying to get my attention, to remind me that he called me to this and I CAN do this and it's almost over, at least this part. Don't miss the moments, that is the title of one of my favorite songs. So, I had a nice time on my walk around the square.





This is Guum. Last time I was here, these buildings were all government buildings. Now they have all be refurbished so to speak, and the place is IMMACULATE. ALL of the stores are designer. It's really one of the most beautiful malls I have ever been in. I was debating on a purchase since before I came for this trip, some clothing from Bosco, the makers of the Russian Olympic team clothing. The knock off versions are reasonable but NO where near the same thing. Bosco is not cheap.

Eat the cookies, buy the shoes. If you know that reference then you'll get that I did make a purchase at Bosco. It was the ONE thing I got for myself in THREE trips to Russia, a country that I have loved for 24 years and where I left my heart when I was 18 years old. It was on sale, half off. You'll just have to wait and see what it is:)




Craig, doesn't this look familiar?




Here are three pictures for daddy, things we saw on our walk that you would have stopped to look at:




I guess that is the engine that is in this car.




ALL the while I am here, away from my home, I am thinking of and missing my bear, by boo, my bug, my pumpkin, my buddy, my son ARI.

Ari hs been though the ringer with this adoption too. Craig and I were able to t ake him the first time to Russia and that was great for him. This time, and the 2nd trip, he's been under the care of a cadre of people from grandmothers to hired, wonderful help. This trip, both Craig and I were gone over a period of 4 days that overlapped our trips. Ari wakes up and one parent, or both are gone, and then they magically reappear. When Craig came home this last time, Ari told him not to leave him again.

Heartbreaking. Ari's 5th brithday is coming up soon and its going to be special. We have rented a jumpy-bouncy place, the whole place, so Ari can run free and not worry about people that don't watch thier own children. It will be filled with his friends and ours, and I am looking forward to the focus being on ARI for a day, since for the last year plus, its been mostly on Ian. The theme is Carnival, so woo hoo, time for some BIG FUN!

So, this is my last post from Moscow, and from Russia. Today (Tuesday) we went to the US embassy and breezed through that process. $400 bucks for Ian's VISA, $150 to fast track his passport for departure tomorrow, and $160 bucks to even up with the driver through drop off at the airport tomorrow. We leave at 5:30 am.

It was $550.00 to change our tickets. PRICELESS to be going home.

I cannot tell you ALL, even though I could not respond to each comment or message, how thankful I have been to know that you all care about us over here and I read all of the comments and I have really been helped by them all. I know your prayers have gotten us through this trip. It's almost over.

I can't wait to post that we are HOME.



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Location:Moscow, Russia