I have so many photos and videos to share with all of you! Here is a small sample of the amazing things we are seeing from the boys already. Orion (Oleg) is already making sounds more clearly than he was a week ago, and he tries so hard.
Monday, June 16, 2014
We Are Home!
Our house is full of so much wonderful chaos right now. It is beautiful, and messy, and loud, and joyful. I love it. It is not leaving me much time to spend online to change our photos and type out messages, but as I recover from the time difference that will get easier. We had an extra day of travel on our way home because our last flight spent three hours on the runway before being cancelled. The boys were not thrilled about spending the night at the airport, but we are finally home and that is the part that counts.
I have so many photos and videos to share with all of you! Here is a small sample of the amazing things we are seeing from the boys already. Orion (Oleg) is already making sounds more clearly than he was a week ago, and he tries so hard.
I have so many photos and videos to share with all of you! Here is a small sample of the amazing things we are seeing from the boys already. Orion (Oleg) is already making sounds more clearly than he was a week ago, and he tries so hard.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
We Are Going Home!!!
We have three visas and three batches of paperwork for customs! We will be leaving for the airport in four or five hours! I am so excited to finally be ending this part of the adventure and beginning the real journey ahead of us. So many new experiences, so much to learn, so much to share. And for my husband, so soon to return to Eastern Europe for court for our fourth new son. Thank you to everyone who has helped us reach this point!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Don't Forget Gene!
Gene's time is running out. He turns 16 in August. He needs a committed family before his birthday!
I have seen him and can answer questions and provide additional info for interested families! His need for a family is desperate. Please share him and contribute to his grant fund to help him find a family!
http://reecesrainbow.org/52866/gene
I have seen him and can answer questions and provide additional info for interested families! His need for a family is desperate. Please share him and contribute to his grant fund to help him find a family!
http://reecesrainbow.org/52866/gene
Friday, June 6, 2014
Waiting to go Home!
UPDATE-photos added!
We are waiting on passports to arrive any time now, then we need our medical documents and last visa appointment, and we can bring Orion, Theo, and Evan home! It is so wonderful to have them with us, but we are missing our children at home and we are also missing Barton. We are still anticipating court in July for Barton and we have turned in his necessary immigration papers to stay eligible to adopt him as we approach 6 months since our immigration approval.
I don't think I can repeat enough times how amazing these boys are. They should have had families YEARS ago. Orion is so helpful. He is full of energy and excitement. Everything we do is the best thing ever. I have never seen a teenage boy so excited to take a shower before! He can't wait to get America because he wants glasses to help him see better. He is so sweet and kind and helpful with his new brothers. He will pet Evan's head so gently and tell him to sleep or eat. Yes, he has a knack for finding trouble too, but we even love that. He did not belong at this kind of institution. None of the kids should be there, but his delays appear to be almost entirely caused by the environment he grew up in.
I love how joyful Theo is. Such small things make him so happy. We gave him a xylophone to play with and I danced to the music he made. He was thrilled. I moved his arms to the music from a cartoon on tv, and he could barely catch his breath he was laughing so much. This boy loves music. He can also do so many things for himself if he is given the chance. He is used to people helping him with tasks he can do himself because he takes longer. We would rather take the time and let him be independent. He also wants to do everything just like the other kids. When we were leaving the orphanage he insisted on wearing shoes. His feet are very twisted from never being braced or stretched, so they don't fit in shoes. We found a way to keep them on long enough for him to get to the car, and he was so proud.
I have so much to say about little Evan. He will be 11 next week. He weighs 33 pounds. He wasn't eating well at the orphanage and he didn't eat much for us at first, but he has already gotten better at eating for us. He would choke on the cut open orphanage nipples, but he will actually suck on the nipple we have for him. There isn't time for nannies with 9 children with severe needs in a room to make sure each individual child eats. If he needed to stop and breathe, sometimes someone would come back around to give him the rest of his bottle. Sometimes one of the other children would be given the rest of the bottle. He takes turns vocalizing with us, he laughs, he loves contact and attention. That last part was a huge, unexpected blessing. He loves to snuggle up with us and we thought all that attention might be too overwhelming.
Some things have been overwhelming for all the boys. Passport photos and the first medical appointment were tough on them. It was hard to get the boys to sit and look at the camera, they didn't understand what was happening, and it was right after we left the orphanage. The next day we were able to explain to Theo and Orion that we would be going back to our apartment when they were visibly frightened in the medical waiting room, but Evan doesn't understand that. He was nonresponsive the entire time we were there and didn't get back to himself until that evening. The travel has also been very hard on Evan. After being left alone lying down in a crib for a decade, it is a lot to travel across the country and back and forth to appointments. The flight home is going to be hard for everyone, but we are hoping it is uneventful for everyone. If we are lucky they will sleep most of the way, but none of them slept on the trip out of the orphanage so we are planning ways to keep them entertained. We are all hoping we travel home soon!
I don't think I can repeat enough times how amazing these boys are. They should have had families YEARS ago. Orion is so helpful. He is full of energy and excitement. Everything we do is the best thing ever. I have never seen a teenage boy so excited to take a shower before! He can't wait to get America because he wants glasses to help him see better. He is so sweet and kind and helpful with his new brothers. He will pet Evan's head so gently and tell him to sleep or eat. Yes, he has a knack for finding trouble too, but we even love that. He did not belong at this kind of institution. None of the kids should be there, but his delays appear to be almost entirely caused by the environment he grew up in.
I love how joyful Theo is. Such small things make him so happy. We gave him a xylophone to play with and I danced to the music he made. He was thrilled. I moved his arms to the music from a cartoon on tv, and he could barely catch his breath he was laughing so much. This boy loves music. He can also do so many things for himself if he is given the chance. He is used to people helping him with tasks he can do himself because he takes longer. We would rather take the time and let him be independent. He also wants to do everything just like the other kids. When we were leaving the orphanage he insisted on wearing shoes. His feet are very twisted from never being braced or stretched, so they don't fit in shoes. We found a way to keep them on long enough for him to get to the car, and he was so proud.
I have so much to say about little Evan. He will be 11 next week. He weighs 33 pounds. He wasn't eating well at the orphanage and he didn't eat much for us at first, but he has already gotten better at eating for us. He would choke on the cut open orphanage nipples, but he will actually suck on the nipple we have for him. There isn't time for nannies with 9 children with severe needs in a room to make sure each individual child eats. If he needed to stop and breathe, sometimes someone would come back around to give him the rest of his bottle. Sometimes one of the other children would be given the rest of the bottle. He takes turns vocalizing with us, he laughs, he loves contact and attention. That last part was a huge, unexpected blessing. He loves to snuggle up with us and we thought all that attention might be too overwhelming.
Some things have been overwhelming for all the boys. Passport photos and the first medical appointment were tough on them. It was hard to get the boys to sit and look at the camera, they didn't understand what was happening, and it was right after we left the orphanage. The next day we were able to explain to Theo and Orion that we would be going back to our apartment when they were visibly frightened in the medical waiting room, but Evan doesn't understand that. He was nonresponsive the entire time we were there and didn't get back to himself until that evening. The travel has also been very hard on Evan. After being left alone lying down in a crib for a decade, it is a lot to travel across the country and back and forth to appointments. The flight home is going to be hard for everyone, but we are hoping it is uneventful for everyone. If we are lucky they will sleep most of the way, but none of them slept on the trip out of the orphanage so we are planning ways to keep them entertained. We are all hoping we travel home soon!
3 New Sons
EDIT- Photos fixed!
I am so thrilled to be able to tell all of you we have passed court for Theo, Orion and Evan! They are sons with a mama and a papa and brothers and sisters.
All three of them are incredible.
On my first visit, Orion came running up the path yelling Papa, Papa! Then he asked if I was Mama and gave me such a big hug. He has been dreaming of a family for so long. He wanted to leave as soon as we arrived, so we have had to explain that we need all of our documents and passports before he can go. Just a couple more days!
I am so thrilled to be able to tell all of you we have passed court for Theo, Orion and Evan! They are sons with a mama and a papa and brothers and sisters.
All three of them are incredible.
Theo said Mama, Papa when he saw us. He loves spending time with his Papa pushing him on the swing, and he had missed that while he was gone. He kept looking up at my husband and smiling and saying Papa. These boys all love their Papa so much because he is so much fun!
Sweet little Evan was so happy to hear my husband's voice too. The pictures of him really don't show how tiny he is. His forearm is the length of my hand. He will be 11 this month! He is so sweet too though. I could listen to his laugh all day. My baby boy will be leaving his crib forever so soon!
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