Frank and Christen - Tales from Chicago Suburbia

26 Rules for Mothers of Sons.

2012-01-09T10:28:00.000-05:00

Source: pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com via Tabitha on Pinterest

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.

2. Be a cheerleader for his life
There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.

3. Teach him how to do laundry
..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.

Source: offbeatmama.com via offbeatmama on Pinterest

4. Read to him and read with him.
Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents." Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.

5. Encourage him to dance.
Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn't have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.

6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).

7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).

8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.

Source: simplymontessori.blogspot.com via Terry-Anne on Pinterest

9. Teach him to have manners
because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.

Source: swagbucks.com via Adriana on Pinterest

10. Give him something to believe in
Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.

Source: theberry.com via Chris on Pinterest

11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle
like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.

Source: heatherbeadles.com via Heather on Pinterest

12. Let him ruin his clothes
Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.

13. Learn how to throw a football
or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.

Source: shanna-kaye.com via Shanna-Kaye on Pinterest

14. Go outside with him
turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It's like magic.

15. Let him lose
Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.

Source: None via Emma on Pinterest

16. Give him opportunities to help others
There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.

Source: data.whicdn.com via Meagan on Pinterest

17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.
This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.

18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"
Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Maegan on Pinterest

19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.
especially the wipes.

Source: babyhold.com via Katie on Pinterest

20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.

Source: familyfun.go.com via Kate on Pinterest

21. Give him something to release his energy
drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you'll be sorry.

Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Marybess on Pinterest

22. Build him forts
Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.

Source: None via Tabitha on Pinterest

23. Take him to new places
Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.

Source: None via Anne on Pinterest

24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).

Source: smallesthings.blogspot.com via Sherry on Pinterest

25. Be home base
You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.

26. Let Go.
When the time comes, the hardest job of all is to let him go. Let him be the man you raised him to be, to take care of his own wife, children and family. Like #25 says, you'll be home base if you've done your job... so in the meantime, let him fly and be proud because you built those wings.

A Year Ago Today: We Received the Call!

2011-12-21T12:58:00.002-05:00

It was a year ago today that we received our referral for Crosby. As I sit here typing this, it's hard to put into words all of the emotions I feel. Relief that it's over and our son is home. A heart bursting with love for his sweet cheeks, little kisses and hysterical antics. A bit of sadness at the thought of other children who are still waiting for families. And gratitude for all of the people who helped bring Crosby home, all of you who supported us during the process and for God who united our family in such a perfect way.

It was a magical Christmas being able to share such exciting news with our families! Such a gift. I don't think any gift will ever compare to that as long as I live. It was also a crazy, whirlwind of planning, phone calls, emails, booking travel, sending visa applications, realizing my passport was in another state and figuring out how I would possibly get it to the embassy for our applications. All of this really overshadowed our holidays. At the time, we were so happy it didn't matter, but I can honestly say I'm so looking forward to this Christmas being just about family. No stress, no panic, no rushing around. Just our family... home together.

When I saw Crosby's referral photos, I loved him instantly. As soon as I saw them, it opened a whole new world. I had tons of questions and worries and fears. It was as if seeing his face made him real and then everything became more emotional and involved. He just looked so innocent and lonely and beautiful and I remember thinking we could not get there soon enough. And today, I feel so blessed and thankful.

Some of Crosby's referral photos:

Some recent photos of Crosby:

I'm amazed at how much he has grown and that little smile kills me! What a difference a year makes?!

Pine Trees and Reindeer.

2011-12-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

Our house was in need of some art a la Crosby, specifically of the Christmas variety. Recently, I took it upon myself to get that task accomplished.

We decided to transform Frank's foot (center), my foot and Crosby's foot into reindeer heads. For Crosby, of course, we added the glittery, red Rudolf nosed deer.

Then, I dipped Crosby's hand in green paint and "stamped" a Christmas tree onto the canvas. I painted the star and trunk, added some glitter and let it dry. I love the finished product and it warms my heart to think that I'll always have these two Christmas projects from Crosby's first Christmas home!

Here is one of the two masterpieces hung next to our tree. (The other is on the other side of the doorway pictured.)

Hunter Men.

2011-12-08T14:15:00.000-05:00

Last month, we spent a few days at my Dad's cabin. While Crosby is a little too young to go out into the great woods to hunt, we did manage to have a good time while his Daddy and Papa were gone.

The first necessity was to prepare for our hunting trip by dressing him in "up north" clothing. :)

the mark on his nose is from his sippy cup accident

Then, we had to try out some "tents," which Frank correctly calls blinds.

Finally, we were ready to head up north, where Crosby did a lot of relaxing. He rocked...

and rocked....

and napped with Nana (and the pugs)...

and because fresh air is just so exhausting, he napped a little more...

He tried to get ready to go hunting with Daddy and Papa, but sadly the equipment and attire didn't fit just right...

The big boys had to get out to the woods...

So, Crosby said his good-byes...

And he was left behind to bake and cook chili with Mommy...

Mommy with no makeup :/

Eventually the great hunters returned... and he sure was happy to see them!!

Crosby with Papa (my Dad)

Crosby and Papa. His new favorite up north activity - being tossed up into the skylight!

"Pa Up!"

First: Trimming the Tree.

2011-12-07T17:43:00.001-05:00

While Crosby was napping on Saturday, Frank and I set up our tree. We strung the lights and turned them on just as nap time was coming to an end. You should have seen the look on Crosby's face when Frank turned the corner into our living room! I'm sure he had no idea what was going on or why a big tree was now placed in his living room... but his mouth opened and his eyes got wider and wider. Then, a little smile grew across his face and he just wanted to touch the tree.

Crosby hung the first ornament and then we all started adding things to tree.

Crosby, of course, only hung the unbreakable ones. His placement choices were entertaining, but I was surprised to see how picky my little decorator was... he must have moved one snowman about 4 or 5 times before he was satisfied with it's placement. (Pushed deep into a lower branch upside down).

Maybe my favorite ornament this year is a pinterest DIY project.

We painted clear glue on Crosby's hand, made a hand print on a clear glass ornament and then glittered it!

And as the sunset, our tree began to glow. Crosby stood admiring his handy work...

And making a few more adjustments to that darn snowman...

Taking a little time to watch some Grinch Who Stole Christmas (playing on our tv)...

And maybe dreaming about the presents Santa would soon be putting underneath his tree...

Finally, for your enjoyment... a video! FYI this video could be titled:

Crosby decorates his first Christmas Tree
He's got the whole world in his hands! ;)
Mommy's voice is slightly irritating
How Tubbs protects us from dogs on television

18 Months.

2011-11-24T17:40:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Crosby is 19 months old!! The 18th month was a huge month in Crosby's development. I would say the changes have been more this month than in the last two combined.

This month Cros started walking backwards! When he does this, he gets a huge smile on his face like he is really proud of himself. I've tried to catch it on video, but miss it every time.

Crosby recently started saying "outside." He also said his name for the first time this month. He was sitting in the bathtub and just said it, "Crosby." Another word he said that surprised us was "bubbles." I couldn't believe he could say a two syllable word so easily.

He has learned to wipe his hands and wipe his face when he is all done or falls down outside. He has also learned to hand me his dishes when he is all done eating and wants down from his seat.

We finished his playroom this month, too! Crosby loves to tunnel through his fort and go down the slide.

Crosby's interaction with the pugs has increased a ton this month, too. He no longer just pets them. Now he rolls around on the rugs with them and belly laughs. It's so adorable to watch.

His favorite word this month, by far, was "oy!" I'm not sure he realizes he's Catholic. lol.

When reading books, Crosby loves to lay on his belly on the floor and flip through them on his own. He won an award at daycare for reading the most books. This doesn't surprise me because he would read one after another all night long if we'd let him. Who knew I'd have to tell him to "step away from the books."

Crosby riding a tricycle at daycare

Another quirk this month is throwing his hands into the air when we ask him a question. For instance, if the phone rings and we say, "who is calling?" He'll toss his hands up like he's saying, "Who knows?!"

My bathtub cu-pie doll

He has also started climbing on top of everything and wanting to wear shoes all the time. He specifically loves his loafers (which are a size too big for him).

This month we also experienced pink eye. Fun times.

We had visits with Nana, Gigi, Grampy, Aunt Teresa and cousin Christian this month.

Crosby and Grampy at the park near our home

Crosby also trick or treated for the first time!!

12 Days of Christmas!

2011-11-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

These things might not be consecutively accomplished, but this is our 12 days of Christmas goal list for this year! We give ourselves between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve to accomplish them all.

What are you hoping to accomplish between now and Christmas?

Quack Quack.

2011-11-20T17:37:00.000-05:00

Last night, Crosby brought me his letter D book. It's his favorite. The first page says, "deer," the second, "dog," and the third, "duck." Nothing was unusual about this occurence until he opened to the third page pointed and said "Duck!"

I couldn't believe it.

He must have noticed my dropped jaw and wide eyes, because he then repeated the process and said, "duck" again.

It's official. He's a genius. ;)

Bark Worse Than His Bite!

2011-11-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

Last week we received a call from daycare. Crosby got himself into a bit of trouble. When another child kept trying to take his toy away, he apparently bit the other boy on the arm in a moment of frustration. We were assured this is a common thing in the toddler room and that Crosby was disciplined appropriately.

I am slightly embarrassed and hope this is a one time incidence. I do, however, admit that I secretly giggled to myself when hearing this news because I couldn't help thinking...

Was he behaving badly or is he taking his puppy dog role a bit too seriously?

Do you think we have a method actor on our hands? ;)

Snow Way!

2011-11-10T15:20:00.000-05:00

It's official... the cold fall to winter season is here. Today we had our first snow fall! And not a little... a lot. And it stuck! I can't wait to see Crosby's reaction when he comes home from school today. Here's a picture taken from our front porch. Brrrrr!

First: Trick or Treating!

2011-11-09T16:55:00.002-05:00

A quick video recap of Crosby's First Halloween! If you've got a spare 3 minutes, check it out!

First: Halloween (Photo Recap)

2011-11-07T17:35:00.000-05:00

Crosby got a Halloween bucket filled with goodies from his Gigi. (My Mom)

He liked the dracula sippy cup the most!

Then, Crosby decided to try on some "nerd chic" glasses.

We thought he looked pretty cool.

But before long, we had to get ready to go out for our first trick-or-treating!

My little puppy with skele-Tubbs in the background

We added the finishing touches.... his doggie hood

With a little adjusting, my puppy was ready to go!

Crosby-Pup on the move!

In awe of the other kids' costumes

(notice Pumpkin Crockett in the background)

Excited about his candy!

Our real puppies all suited up for Halloween

Off to go trick or treating!

Crosby's favorite part of the night was handing out candy to bigger boys and girls!

He was the "official candy inspector." ;)

With his handy pugs by his side, Crosby hung out at the door watching as the trick-or-treaters walked down the sidewalk and out of sight.

Prayer for Orphans Day

2011-11-06T07:48:00.001-05:00

A video is making it's way around the web recently in honor of Prayer for Orphans day, which is today. It is in Russian, but you do not need to speak the language to understand the message. Can you imagine what it feels like to be an orphan? They all long for one simple thing — a family. It seems so innate to most of us, yet for 147 million children in the world, it’s not.

Crosby, December 2010

Our family has most certainly been blessed to have known one particular little orphan who has found his forever family, but there are many more out there who need to find theirs. Please say a prayer today in hopes that they will go home soon.

From This to That!

2011-10-26T05:43:00.000-04:00

How did this happen already?

.... and in just six months!

Immunity.

2011-10-24T05:36:00.001-04:00

Don't be fooled by the blog title. This is not a recap of an exciting episode of Survivor, rather it's in regards to my own inherent lack of survival skills. I have come to realize I must have an immune system about as strong as, oh... a toddler! For every single cold or flu bug Crosby has gotten has been quickly passed along to me. It's to the point of almost being embarrassing. If one can be embarrassed by their immunity (or lack there of)?!

I'll be the one with the toilet paper roll and anti-bacterial gel next to my keyboard....

Home 6 Months!

2011-10-20T08:38:00.000-04:00

As of today, Crosby has been home for 6 months! Can you believe it? It flew right by.

The changes in Crosby in this short amount of time have been more than we expected.

He was crawling then, and now he is running!
He was not saying much of anything, though he did say "mama" for the first time in Russia. Now, he is jibber jabbering (in baby talk) constantly and says several words regularly.
In Russia, Crosby ate everything we fed him, but it was all jars of baby food. Today, he still eats everything we feed him, but the food is a wide variety of fruits, veggies, proteins and grains. He will eat whatever it is we're eating (unless it's too spicy) and loves to drink from cups.
Bath time went from a horrendous event to a fun, playtime we look forward to sharing with him.
We've gone from two naps to one, but this kid is still a great sleeper!
And the attachment we feel for him has grown leaps and bounds. There are times when he wants Frank and times when he wants me. It's nice to see him bonded to both of us.

The things I was worried about seem so silly and far behind us now. The paperwork, the caretaker gifts, the feeding schedule, the home study. None of that matters. We truly are blessed and thankful to have him home and part of our family.

We call this his superman pose. After all, "superman was adopted, too."

17 Months.

2011-10-04T08:39:00.000-04:00

This month Crosby seemed to grow before our eyes. He is almost 30 pounds now and 2 foot 10 inches. I swear the kid's hands are going to be bigger than mine within the next year or two. He is between a size 5 or 6 shoe depending on the brand and he is wearing 18 month clothing now consistently. (This bums me out because he has SO many cute 12 month outfits that have been retired to the storage bin for our next baby boy. Don't get any ideas.... it's going to be awhile.)

Crosby loves to dance to music. We often find him clapping on his own when he hears applause or sees people clapping on the television. He loves his children's cd that we play in the car... favorites are 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed and I love the daffodils. Frank says he enjoys rap. :/ I beg to differ.

He will eat anything and everything. If we don't pay attention he'll shove 3 pieces of pancake (or whatever else) in his mouth at one time. It's kind of cute, though, because he'll use his palm to shove that last piece in. We're working on better table manners now.

Wearing Daddy's hat

Crosby has switched over to one nap a day. Usually it's about 2 hours long, but it's an adjustment for all of us.

This month we:

Attended our block party! Everyone oohhed and ahhed over Cros. He loved the bouncy house and eating popcorn with his buddy, Jimmy, while watching Finding Nemo in the driveway. (the movie was projected on the garage door.)
Went from walking to running!
Spent a few days in Michigan visiting Gigi, Grampy, Papa and Little Nana.
Went to work with Daddy (zoom in for full effect)

Split my lip open with a head butt!
Spent a lot of time outside

Bought tons of new fall/winter clothes at a Mom-to-Mom sale!!! :)
Experienced hand foot mouth disease. Yikes!
Enjoyed his last time home with Mommy before starting daycare

my most favorite picture of us

Went for walks with Daddy to the park and watched little league games
Spent a weekend in Traverse City visiting family
Cheered on the Bears in his team outfit

Completed our 6 month post placement report
Really loved his new backpack!

6 Month Post Placement Report.

2011-09-28T14:40:00.002-04:00

We have survived our first major post placement evaluation. It was not without hiccups!

First, I greeted the SWer at the door and introduced myself. I called her Heather, when her name is Elizabeth. I have no idea where that came from or why I said it.... but, right from the start I felt like a flake.

Then, the pugs came in from outside and greeted our social worker by jumping all over her. She followed that interaction with questions about how well Crosby gets along with the dogs. I'm sure she was wondering if they are like that with him. Thankfully, one of the photos I submitted was an image of Crosby sleeping on Crockett. Proof is in the pudding. :)

She asked the standard questions and I responded honestly. I asked her for information about early intervention. It is free to have Cros evaluated, so I figured it is a good idea for his sake. Though, she expressed her belief that he is right on track and we have nothing to be concerned about regarding speech or physical delay.

It was a bit awkward overall because this is a new SWer. The one we bonded with during our homestudy process is no longer working with our agency. Kind of a bummer, but it went smoothly enough and I'm relieved it's over!

First: Day of School.

2011-09-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Crosby had his first day of school.

Everyone warned me that mornings could become hectic if I didn't organize myself ahead of time, so I made sure to have our clothes laid out, backpack and bags packed. Waking Crosby up in the morning was hysterical. He rolled over in his crib, arched his back with his hands behind his head and stretched. Then he rolled back over and gave me the stink eye. Clearly this kid is not a morning person.

We had a big breakfast and got ready for our day. Crosby put on his little backpack and walked out with Frank. And then the tears came. Like a cliche, I stood in the doorway waving with tears streaming. Yes, I am officially a dork. And a mom.

It was my first day back to school today, too. A short day, orientation and good news that I will be able to have Halloween off. Besides that I only get one other day off in 6 weeks. I'll be in Park Ridge for the first 3 weeks and then downtown for the 3 after. I'm excited and nervous, but anxious to get back to work.

During my day I received two updates from the daycare staff. It's great knowing Crosby is attending a school that cares about it's families. I was also sent several pictures of Crosby partaking in activities throughout the day. When Frank brought him home from school, there was a note from the teacher. Each day we will receive one. Highlights from the note told us that Crosby had painted with acorns, danced to music and sat with the other kids for story time. He only napped for 45 minutes and wouldn't nap at all without his backpack. We were told he was very attached to his backpack and the teachers let him wear it most of the day. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of him toddling around the classroom with his backpack on. The only thing I can think to make sense of the backpack attachment is that I put a picture of our family in the front pocket, which is a clear plastic cover.

Here are some photos from Crosby's first day:

Lives Interwoven.

2011-09-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

Have you ever bought a new outfit thinking you'd never seen it before, only to wear it out and see two other women in the exact same thing? That's how I feel about adoption lately. It's amazing how your eyes and ears are opened when you are a part of the adoption community. It seems we've been surrounded by adoptive families in the last year. Just this week while dealing with my medical school, I discovered one of the administrators has two adopted daughters from Romania. Just seems adoptive families are all around us.

I remember my Little Nana (great grandmother) had a favorite poem (I'll have to look and see if I can find it). It was about life being like a quilt and God being the weaver, who combines the right fabrics together at the right time. Our life has been like that lately. And so, I have to believe God has found a way to interweave these adoptive families into our lives... for support, for community and to normalize adoption for the children.

*Update - I found the poem*

God's Quilt

Of pieces that make up my life,

from many fabrics torn,

some are new and beautiful,

some are old and worn.

Here a thread of silver

there a few of gold

And there are grays and blues and

blacks among the bright and bold.

Some fabrics wear the jewels of joy,

others scarred with pain.

Fabrics here are traced with loss,

others wreathed with gain.

Seen apart and separate, they

show no purpose clear.

You see, the pattern set of them

cannot be viewed from here.

He Who does the quilting

sets the pieces from above.

Carefully, He chooses them

and binds all with His Love.

He has thus designed for me

the fabric of His Grace.

Quilted, every piece is fitted

lovingly in place.

And patterned by His Mercy,

my life for e'er shall be,

assembled with His Masterpiece

for all eternity.

--by Gloria Small

-------
Here's another similar one, but not the one my Nana kept:

I Think God is a Quilter
(Author Unknowned)

I think God is a quilter
Who takes His needle and thread
To piece our world from nothingness
And give it form, instead.

I think God is a quilter
And everything I see
Are pieces from His careful hand
From tree to bumblebee.

I think we see God's stitches
His texture everywhere;
The velvet moss, the grainy sand,
The silky strands of hair.

I think God is a quilter;
Stitching tight and tiny rows,
Adding to my scraps and pieces,
Seaming everything He knows.

I think He cuts the patterns
From what I'd throw away.
He shows me how to use each scrap
In His redeeming way.

I think God quilts a pattern
From everything I live;
But He can only stitch the quilt
From what I choose to give.

I think God is a quilter
Stitching strength where I am weak.
Showing me that life He touches
Embraces everything I seek.
I think God is a quilter

From the patience in each thread;
Proving length of time no barrier;
Treating time a gift, instead.
I think quilts are lessons

God uses just to teach
That our pieces and our remnants
Have kaleidoscopic reach.

So, in the life I'm living
With pieces everywhere
I'll give them to the Quilter
To stitch with loving care.

I'll give them to the Quilter
Unwanted though they be
And with His work of quilting
He'll make a quilt of me.

Life With Crosby & Two Pugs.

2011-08-19T10:54:00.002-04:00

With Crosmanov running around, it may seem as though the pugs have become second class citizens around these parts. Do not be fooled. They are still as spoiled as ever.

Sure they get their ears tugged on. And open mouth kisses from Crosby. (Eeewww!) But, they also get their fair share of cuddles, hugs and naps with their new little brother, too.

And they aren't complaining when he purposely drops them goldfish or eggs in the morning.

Our routine has changed a bit. In the morning, the pugs get a little extra attention while Frank and I work out in the basement. I wish I could have snapped some pictures this morning while Frank was doing crunches. He had one pug licking his head (tubbs) and the other sitting on his stomach (crockett). It was hysterical! After our workout, the pugs go play outside and then come in for their breakfast. Shortly after Frank leaves for work, the pugs take the first of many naps. This one happens under my desk while I check emails and blogs.

But before we know it, Crosby calls out, "mama, mama, mama," and the real pug fun begins.

Several times in the last month, Tubbs has mysteriously gone missing. After a quick search of his favorite lounging spots, I usually find him upstairs sitting beside Crosby's crib. I still haven't figured out how he manages to sneak up stairs and pry open the nursery door without my knowledge. This dog is very stealth-like. When it happens, I'm most often alerted by a "woof, woof" sound coming from Crosby's room. That's right, Crosby will be standing in his crib, leaning over the edge and barking at Tubbs. I'm not sure if Tubbs really loves Crosby or if he just wants him to get up and start eating his breakfast, in hopes of receiving the aforementioned egg droppings.

Our day continues on with lots of play time. The pugs benefit from this play, as well. You see they like to follow Crosby around while he's popping his popcorn bubble/vaccum toy.

They like to wrestle with him, while Crosby jumps around on the couch pillows or me.

They like to scheme ways to snatch up Crosby's toys and run off in corners to chew them. And they are awfully cunning when it comes to sneaking off with a sippy cup full of milk. Those pugs love to lick the tops and drink up that milk drip by drip. (Oh yes, I do lots of dish washing of sippy cups throughout the day.) We average about 2 per day for Crosby and 3 per day for the pugs. ;)

When they aren't playing or eating, the pugs are commonly found in these precarious positions. Oh yes, they have it rough folks.

Bath time is also an amusing event for the pugs. They love to lean over the edge and drink bath water or climb on top of my lap and attempt a high dive into the bath tub. Crosby gets a kick out of this and I swear he deviously plots along with them to distract me just long enough for one of the pugs to dive over the edge. Twice now we've had a combination Crosby and pug bath. Fun times, let me tell you....

Apparently I have no control over this situation, because somehow it still happens even when I give Cros a bath in the sink.

And our day ends with bed time. The pugs are banished from the nursery because it's nearly impossible to get Crosby to sit on my lap for story time if they are present. We sing lullabies and put the baby to bed while the pugs lay pitifully outside his bedroom door hopelessly awaiting the start of the next day.

Somehow we manage to pull them out of their depression long enough to get them to follow us back downstairs. (Okay we bribe them with milkbones.) And then those unfortunate pugs get an hour of cuddle time on the couch with us before we head upstairs to bed, where they each have their own cozy and cushioned pug bed in our room.

Looking back, I shouldn't be surprised by this bond between Crosby and his Pugs. It seems they were somehow in the background of everything from the first day we brought him home. Proof below in photo taken in our first week home from Russia.

And I'm pretty certain our boy is happy to oblige his pug brothers in all their mischief each day.

Crosby Giggles.

2011-08-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

I love this little laugh!

Snapshots from the last week.

2011-08-10T09:56:00.000-04:00

A little cheek smashing makes my day!

i love when he looks all squishy while he sleeps :)

He's still not a huge fan of posing for the camera.

I love surprise baby kisses!
Crosby still hasn't figured out how to pucker his lips. haha.

16 Months.

2011-08-09T09:50:00.000-04:00

Some things to remember...

Current measurements: 26.5 lbs. and 33.5 inches

He is officially walking! He took his first steps on June 16th and was really walking around all the time by around July 16th.

He loves his pugs more and more. Last week, I turned around to find him sitting next to Tubbs and rubbing his back. Apparently he's watched us pet the dogs and learned how to do it himself. Another day I found him asleep in this same position. In turn, twice now Tubbs has waited as long as he could outside of Crosby's bedroom door. Finally he got tired of waiting and pawed his door open so he could sit next to his crib and whine until C woke up. (I was not too happy about this...)

His favorite word has switched to "go." In April it was gaga. In May it was mama. In June it was dada. I've also noticed that he mimics the dogs when they bark.

In the last month, he started screaming a lot. Although it's less than pleasing to the ear, my understanding is that this is normal in child development as they like to hear the sound of their own voice. In the last week or two, this has mostly stopped.

His voice, however, has changed a little bit. Sometimes it's the high pitched, happy baby talk and other times it's a deeper, little boy voice.

Crosby has been enjoying looking at and reading books with us. He loves to turn the pages.

His favorite toys are balls, trucks and pens/markers. He has also taken to his puppy dog stuffed animal and pets it like the pugs. He pretends to write with pens/markers and holds it correctly in his hand. (The hand switches minute by minute.)

He has 4 teeth on top and 4 on bottom. He has 2 molars on the right, 2 coming in on the left and an eye tooth cutting through on the right.

He has learned how to turn on my iPod on my iPhone. Seriously. Now if he starts playing a specific kind of music, I'm going to go ahead and declare him a genius.

Frank noticed that he dances (bounces) when music is playing overhead in stores or in the background of the television. It cracks us up!

He knows "arms up," "peekaboo" (cover his face) and "say hi/bye-bye" (waves). He points at everything and gives lots of kisses. We're working on blowing kisses.

Day Out in Wicker Park.

2011-08-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we spent Saturday downtown in the Wicker Park neighborhood. If you've never spent time there, I would describe it as hipster neighborhood with an eclectic group of people, restaurants, pubs and tons of great shops. Most of my favorites are places with a mix of new and vintage items. Here are some instagr.am photos from our day:

Renegade Handmade - amazing DIYer type store

silliness with hats.

We voted this most interesting find: purse made of pop can tabs and thread

My Mom and Rick get in on the vintage hunt...

i-cream store. Make your own ice cream or fro-yo with liquid nitrogen, toppings and flavor injectors!

more i-cream... the set up

neighborhood art

pumped for shopping the city!! (is it just me or do Sam's lips look collagen injected? lol.)

Why so many wig shops? We had fun choosing which ones we'd buy.

Ten On Tuesday.

2011-07-05T18:09:00.000-04:00

1. Yesterday, the 4th of July, Crosby turned 15 months old!

2. We spent the holiday weekend at my Dad's cabin on a lake in Northern Michigan. Crosby swam in the lake (any lake) for the first time. The water was cold and initially he was not pleased, but it didn't take long before my water baby was splish splashing and being zoomed around in a baby float.

3. We are completely on solid foods now. :) We are completely off of formula, too.

Crosby displaying his "arms up" after I asked him to put them up.

4. He has 4 teeth on top and 3 on bottom. 2 molars are cutting through on the back right side now.

5. Crosby has started pointing his finger at everything.

6. He has also started giving us kisses. There is nothing more precious. Nothing.

(Except maybe his pout face. lol.)

7. He is a jibber jabberer. Everything is a constant stream of nonsense, but I'm sure he knows exactly what he's saying. Words we can make out are mama, dada, baba, papa, ball and boat. He also barks at the dogs (sounds more like an arff than a woof!) Everything is an imitation right now. I especially like when he tries to whistle. I'm going to try to get all of his sounds/words on video to share.

8. Peppa the Pig is my son's favorite show. We rarely ever watch tv with him, but he cracks up when this show is on. I think he likes the animal sounds.

9. Crosby can walk, but he chooses not to... ;) He has taken several steps at a time (up to 5), but will sit down when he realizes he's doing it. He's still cruising alongside everything and can walk beside us holding one finger in one of his hands.

10. He's no longer afraid of grass, but I wouldn't say he's a huge fan just yet.

Bless Caylee.

2011-07-05T17:40:00.000-04:00

Is anyone in America not talking about the Casey Anthony verdict tonight? It's so sad and wrong that she just walked. And it's just so obvious she did it.

What kind of mother would not report her child missing for 31 days?

That alone would have been enough for me to find her guilty.

It's just shocking and sad. That poor family. How does a family pick up and move forward after something like this? Tragic.

For Those Just Starting Out in Adoption.

2011-06-25T18:01:00.000-04:00

Things I would tell people who are considering adoption or just starting out in the process: (This is not a complete list, just some thoughts after reading through this post.)

1. Take the time to enjoy each other and your time together. Go to lots of movies and dinners. Stay up late and sleep in. Spend time with your friends and families. Go to church. It will be awhile before you can do all of these things again.

2. Shop in bulk ahead of time. Be prepared with diapers, wipes, creams, bath stuff and baby food! Somehow in the midst of our process I completely forgot to have baby food waiting for us at home.

3. Spend some time on your first trip and on your second trip (before receiving custody of your child) doing some sightseeing and relaxing, if possible. This is the last "vacation" you're going to have as a couple for a long time.

4. Look at trip two as your first family vacation. I wish we would have had a more positive attitude about everything, but with all of the back and forth nonsense we had to put up with it was difficult to feel that way at the time. Just force yourself through the exhaustion to do things for your child/ren. See sights, take lots of pictures and video. I'm glad we have the things we have documented and now wish we would have done more.

5. Set up the nursery ahead of time. It gave me something to do and be excited about along the way. I didn't find it depressing to look in there at all. Instead it made me happy to go in and sit down in the chair and think it won't be long before I'm sitting here holding my son. It's a happy distraction! I did ours before trip one and never regretted it. I put finishing touches on between trips, once I knew his size and likes/dislikes.

6. Be sure you have a pediatricians appointment set up ahead of time. Have your contacts made with daycare or nursery school or whatever school your child will go to. Research babysitters, talk to family and friends about their expectations and find groups you can join or activities you can do together. It helped me tremendously to have the support of other new moms and blog friends. When you are exhausted, the smallest task (like finding a story time group at the library) seems very difficult. I was so glad I did all of this ahead of time. And the last thing I wanted to deal with was explaining how we felt about bonding and attachment to our parents when we were overtired and frustrated. Do it ahead of time when you have patience and understanding!

7. Do not be afraid to take time for yourself when you get home. You need it and it is SO helpful in giving yourself a chance to recover and relax. Let go of the guilt.

8. Talk to your family and friends ahead of time about your expectations and the adjustment period associated with adoptions and attachment. Most families are supportive and excited, but they will need you to explain appropriate boundaries to allow your family the time and space needed for a healthy attachment. Be kind and patient in your explanations, but be firm in your convictions.

9. Have a sense of humor and remember in time this to shall pass. Go with the flow because eventually you will return home with your baby and it will all be a distant memory.

10. Document your journey. Take photos, video and write things down. Journal while you're in country, keep travel stubs, maps, souvenirs and mementos.

Four Randoms for Friday.

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-04:00

I had my first glimpse into teenager-hood today. Crosby put something in his mouth and I turned around just in time to see him chomping on it. I quickly jumped up and said, "what's in your mouth?" and chased after him. He turned, giggling and crawled as fast as he could in the other direction. My kid is a rebel already. Yikes.

We're working on converting C over to solids. We're at about 50% right now. The truth is baby food is easier and it's more my fault. I think he'd be able to handle all solids if I was willing to go there. But making sure he's getting proper nutrition and a balanced diet with plenty of veggies is tough. Anyone have any links to great, easy toddler meal plans? Or any other suggestions?

My kid loves splashing around in water... the bath tub, the dog dish, the toilet... if it's wet, he's going to get it! I'm thinking about getting him one of those water tables.

An interesting note: Crosby always grabs for things with his right hand, but holds markers or pens (with the cap on) in his left.

Adoption Process and My Adjustments

2011-06-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

I have made so much progress over the last two months and yet still feel I have a long ways to go.

I'm including a series of pictures from last week.

When things were starting, I went from excited and naive to exhausted, overwhelmed and frustrated throughout the paperwork phase of this adoption. My patience eventually wore thin with the repeated documents and waiting around. I was still, of course, hopeful and happy to be finally "in" the process, though.

Trip one sparked back up the energy levels and the excitement was re-ignited. Frank's reaction to Crosby was priceless and just made my entire heart swell up. I surprised myself with the way I felt, questioning the process, unsure about Crosby's health and my capabilities as a mother.

The wait was easier on me than I expected it to be, but still the most challenging thing I've ever done. It was incredibly helpful to have the distraction of purchasing our home, but I felt sad and depressed sometimes. That was the part I sort of knew to expect. The thing that surprised me was that I began to feel angry with the system, the costs, the endless documents. I couldn't believe how much we had to do between trips. I think it was the Psych eval that finally pushed me to my breaking point. I couldn't believe we were this far in and had to do a psych eval. It just seemed so ridiculous and unnecessary at that point.

But then came the good news of a court date and all was quickly forgotten! I could not believe how little time I had to prepare and suddently I felt completely "un-ready" for this entire thing!

Crosby's "crinkle wrinkle" nose trick. He does this and then looks at us to make sure we're watching and cracks up!

Trip two was such as whirlwind that I went into it thrilled, nervous but slightly unprepared. I think that feeling carried over and made my adjustment to parenting more difficult. Looking back the things I was worried about were silly. Everyone told me I would figure it out and "just know what to do," and it was so true. Feeding wasn't so hard, but it was the thing I was most concerned about it. Bath time was a huge challenge for us and I hadn't even thought of that ahead of time. On the other hand, I was prepared for sleeping challenges and Crosby slept like a champ. We were so lucky in that respect.

Leaving for home I thought I'd never ever ever consider doing this again. I felt sickened by the process and just so tired of being away from home. I couldn't imagine wanting to do it again. I also felt very, very insecure about my ability to be a good mom. Walking around with Crosby I felt uncomfortable, like people could look straight through me and see that I was a fraud.

Of course, I wasn't. I loved this baby and wanted to take care of him. It just felt that way in the beginning because I was unsure of myself. I didn't know if I looked like I knew what I was doing and it made me nervous. It took awhile for this to go away. Now, I'm completely comfortable and could honestly care less what other people think. I'm also slowly thinking about adopting again. I want a daughter someday. I want Crosby to have a playmate, a brother. I want my home to be filled with giggles and running feet and "Mom he's looking at me!" (Well, maybe not so much of that last one.)

But, it is going to be awhile before we even begin to seriously think about it again.

For now we're just thankful for what we have in Crosby and that he is home with his family at last.

14 Months.

2011-06-05T17:53:00.000-04:00

Crosby turned 14 months old on Saturday. I wanted to write down a few things that are everyday things with him, so I don't forget:

He is able to walk along with one of us as long as we're holding one hand. An improvement from the cruising and two hand holding. Makes me think the real deal is coming soon!
He has definitely gained weight. He's got a lil' buddha belly and a double chin when he giggles. I can't wait to find out where he's at on the growth chart at our next Peds appointment.
We need to make some plans for his baptism and I still need to get announcements sent out.
He loves to imitate sticking out his tongue, clicking his tongue, making a kiss sound, shaking his head no (still not shaking his head "yes" yet).
This week he learned to clap his hands and wave bye-bye. It's on and off, but it's his latest trick!
I've been testing his understanding of commands and have been impressed with what he understands. For example, "go get your truck" and "bring it to mama," was met with exactly what I had asked him to do.
He doesn't always go to strangers anymore. When family or friends try to take him from me, he will turn his head away from them and towards me and cling to me harder. Then when he actually goes to someone, he'll keep an eye on me. :)
He will eat anything so far except raspberries.
He loves cell phones, anything with wheels and the pug toys. I've been joking (half seriously) that we should just stop spending money on baby toys and go buy some safe, dog toys for him to play with... lol.
At Sam's open house this past weekend, he was the star of the show! Everyone loved him and we were told over and over again how much he looks like both of us.

Observations.

2011-05-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

Everything goes in the mouth.... everything.

Cupboards and shoes can be a source of fun for hours.

It doesn't matter how many expensive, educational toys my child has... he will go for the lint roller every time.

We've had two dog food incidences. I don't know what's worse: the fact that my kid tried to eat dog food twice or the fact that it took two times for me to realize I need to pick up the dog food.

We have the word "no" figured out around here. (Most of the time.) We can even shake our heads no together in sync. But, for some reason Crosby simply can not shake his head yes. We're working on it.

I loved the idea of baby sign language. Ha! Now I'm totally impressed with the mothers who actually had time to teach it.

Crosby is currently saying Mama, Dada and Gaga. My favorite is gaga... as in LADY gaga. :) We watched part of the DVR'd Gaga concert on HBO this week. Crosby sat bouncing on my knee in awe. Have I mentioned that this kid was definitely meant for me! lol.

Our first road trip to Michigan went exceptionally well. The drive there was nearly perfect. The drive home involved about an hour of whining to get out of his seat, but it was almost bed time so that was to be expected. We definitely passed the test and will be heading back to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend.

Crosby has never been afraid of the pugs, but this week was the first few times he has tried to play with them. Tubbs and Crosby had a gentle tug-a-war with a pink stuffed dog. (Tubbs let Crosby win.) I watched carefully, of course, to be certain it didn't get out of control. Another day, Crockett was sleeping on the couch and Crosby kept popping his face up into Crockett's and feeling his paws. Crockett would move, so Crosby would move. Finally, Crockett just gave in and let Crosby play with his paws until he was over it and moved onto something else.

The dogs' water dish is also a favorite play time activity for Crosby. I've moved it onto a tray because I was wiping up water daily. It's amazing how much this boy loves water! Maybe a future swimmer?

Ten On Tuesday.

2011-05-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

1. Have I mentioned lately how cute my kid is???

2. Our kitchen cabinets are FINALLY being installed!

3. Our downstairs bathroom is being installed today, too! WOO to the HOO (or should I say, LOO?) Okay bad humor, but having a baby will make a rhyming game out of anything.

4. Debbie was here for 5 days. She swept, washed clothes, re-organized my makeshift kitchen, played with Crosby and allowed us to go out for our anniversary.

5. We went to dinner and a movie and then spoiled ourselves with ice cream! I have a post coming. It was SO wonderful and fun and hilarious. Coming soon....

6. The weather in Chicago in the past week has been bizarre. We went from 93 degrees to 50 within a matter of 24 hours. We had sun, rain and thunder. I love Spring storms, though. They relax me.

7. Our first SWer appointment or post placement appointment was quick and dirty. Well, the only thing dirty was my house (which she completely understood). She asked some brief and expected questions: do we feel like we're bonding, how do we know, details of crosby's first peds appointment, sleep schedule, daily routine, etc. She was very positive and really impressed with how young and healthy Crosby was at our homecoming.

8. Btw, I found out the reason we had an appt so soon was a state of IL DCFS law. Our case is now officially closed with them! :)

9. Lately, we've been enjoying ourselves with a little of this:

10. And a little of that:

First: Pediatrician's Appointment

2011-05-11T17:45:00.000-04:00

Crosby saw his Pediatrician for the first time on Cinco De Mayo. I left really early (an hour before the appointment) for the office, which is within walking distance of our house. It was a good thing I did because we had a lot of paperwork to fill out, copies of the insurance card had to be made and then someone decided to poop a lot. It came in handy later, when we needed to send out some lab work. ;) (Always a bright side!)

Doctors' offices are fun! I can rip up this paper and strip down to my skivvies!

Crosby got measured and weighed. He came in at 21 pounds (16%) and 30 inches (28%). His head circumference was 46.4 cm (42%). His BMI was 17 and we want it 18.5 or higher. We have some catching up to do, but honestly I was just happy that he was moving up the charts. At referral he was in the 5-10% range for Ht and Wt, so this was improvement! Overall, the Dr was impressed with his state of health and strength. We also spent some time laughing at his referral medicals. Almost all of it was complete nonsense... as we already suspected.

Wait? What's that about shots???
...or What do you mean there is a Lochness Monster over my shoulder? ;)

Crosby was given three shots for viral hep, strep pneumo and combination NEC. When it came time, he did really well. The first one got no reaction. The second one resulted in a scrunched up, I'm-not-happy face. The third one resulted in some major crocodile tears, but he got over it very quickly. I think it was harder on me than it was on him. There were plenty of other lab tests ordered and he will have blood work done this week along with a TB test. This Dr sees a lot of internationally adopted children and has a daughter adopted from China. It made me feel comfortable to work with him and know that he's being very thorough.

The Dr also felt his hernia would probably resolve on it's own and said we should hold off on surgery until he is two. If at that point it is still an issue, we can pursue surgical repair. As for circumcision, we will be given a referral to a pediatric urologist at our next appointment.

Meltdown.

2011-05-10T17:44:00.000-04:00

Today has been rough and it's only 9:57 am.

This morning Crosby decided to wake up about an hour earlier than usual. This was all fine and dandy except that I've sort of gotten spoiled with my ability to get up, shower, have a cup of coffee and put myself together before he's up and at 'em. So from the get go this day was a little screw-y.

Then, our contractor showed up an hour earlier than usual. Normally I'd be all, "yes! they are really working hard for us!" But today I was supposed to have the gallons of paint purchased for them to paint our hallway, foyer and den. Of course, I had thought I'd have time this morning to get it before they arrived.

So here they were waiting on me for the paint. This meant I had to skip breakfast and coffee and rush off with Crosby in tow to the big Home De.pot.

We got the paint without an issue and were headed out to the car. When we got to the car, Crosby started screaming so I pulled him out of the cart. He was ~~sitting~~ wiggling on my hip as I unloaded my cart.

As I unloaded my last gallon of paint, Crosby began screaming and stiff arming me. In order to hold onto him, I dropped the gallon of paint. Of course, it slipped and broke open on the pavement... splattering along the back of my car and bumper the whole way down.

Paint was everywhere! Crosby was screaming! I was about to cry!

Thank God a worker came up and helped me wipe it off the car. I was flying between Crosby and the bumper... screaming and paint... screaming and paint. I grabbed a plastic bag and wrapped the gallon of paint in it.... loaded it in the car... and off I went!

I called Frank and vented and eventually made it home safely. I got Crosby in for his morning nap and then went out to the car to bring in the paint. As I headed outside the dogs were barking like mad and I was yelling from the outside to "be quiet" so they didn't wake up the baby. (It's amazing how having a baby can make you completely care less about what the neighbors think!) It was right then I realized the paint can had been spilling in the back of my car the whole way home.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!

And that was it... I started crying. My poor painter probably thought I was insane and I went upstairs to just let it out. Since then, I've calmed down and here I sit documenting my first meltdown. I've wiped down the car, but there are still paint stains in the back. I've decided to just let it go. What can I do and it is the back of my car... in the scheme of things, it doesn't really matter.

**Update: Our contractor (possibly the world's best) power-washed our driveway to get all of the paint off of it and our painter just happens to be an ex-car detailer. He took apart the back of my SUV, brought the carpeting in and cleaned it good as new! Thank God!**

Pass On Grass!

2011-05-09T08:55:00.001-04:00

(Okay so maybe that's not the most appropriate title for a blog post about our son, but hey if it works... why not? lol.)

This post could also be called "for those of you who asked for pictures..."

Last week the sun was shining and it felt like one of those days you just must get outside and enjoy it. I decided it would be a good day to introduce Crosby to playing outside. Then, it occurred to me that he probably had never felt grass before. I made it my mission to get our toes in the fresh spring grass and the following is what happened.

We started out like this. A little unsure.

Tubbs tried to show Crosby that grass was okay.

Crockett tried to do the same.

But Crosby was pretty sure he wanted to get his feet out of the grass!

I tried to show him that the grass was okay, too.

He still wasn't buying it. Not even a little bit.

But then something happened. A flower distracted my child and he forgot all about the big, bad grass.

And Crosby felt grass between his toes for the first time...

So then we tried laying in the grass... but, Crosby thought this might be pushing it!

We even had a brief meltdown...

But, in the end, Crosby decided he liked laying in the grass and enjoying the sunshine
and I got my favorite picture to date!

How We Chose the Name.

2011-05-06T12:58:00.002-04:00

A few years ago, maybe 2008, I saw a commercial with a little boy dreaming about playing hockey. It was one of those whimsical sports commercials and immediately I conjured the image that someday we would have a little boy skating around in a hockey jersey on a frozen lake. And then, I saw the name on the jersey.

I hadn't heard of this name before.

I didn't know of any specific person with this name.* And I really was not aware of, you know, or maybe you don't... the one who went on to become a hockey legend in the recent winter olympics and win his team a Stanley Cup.

But, this name was just what I was looking for in the name of our future son. We wanted something unique, sporty and not overly baby sounding. To me there is nothing worse than an adorable baby name on a full grown, professional man.

So, I looked over at Frank and said, "how about that name?"

He replied something like, "huh," in a perplexed sort of tone.

I pushed, "you know, for our future kid," as if we'd be discussing him or something.

Frank thought to himself for a minute and then smiled. I assumed he was going to make fun of me for daydreaming about kids again.

But then he said, "yeah, I like that. A lot."

Finally, we'd agreed on a name!

*Note:

It was only after we chose the name that the Stanley Cup and the Olympics occurred. We even considered changing the name because we didn't want people to think we named our son after this specific person. However, we love the name and when I saw a second commercial featuring this big star, I decided maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have our son compared to him after all.

Later on, the television show 'Parenthood' came out. There again, was another person with the name being played by Dax Shepard. I was really annoyed when that first happened. I thought to myself that people would think we had come up with the name from that tv show. And I was doubly annoyed because I had originally planned on naming our son Sawyer... until Lost came out.

But, we got over it. And the name stuck regardless of hockey heroes or tv characters.

It had been decided. Our son would be named Crosby.

5 Things on Cinco De Mayo!

2011-05-05T17:44:00.000-04:00

1. My kid needs a haircut. Badly. I just can't bring myself to do it. I love the way his hair curls up on the ends. A friend of mine suggested one of those kiddie places that specializes in children's haircuts. The other option is my hair stylist. What do you think? And any suggestions for boys hair-dos???

2. The last two nights in a row I've woken up with Tubbs on my head. Does he think he is a cat? Does he think he deserves to sleep on my pillow? I'm not sure what his deal is... but, secretly I love my little cuddle pug. Crosby loves his, too.

3. Our special order cabinets have FINALLY come in!!!!! This means I might actually get to have a kitchen sometime soon! Remodeling is still in full force. Unpacking is still happening little by little. It hasn't been easy, but the end result will be so worth it. (I hope, lol.)

4. Tomorrow we leave for Michigan. We're going for the weekend so that the contractor will be able to stain the new hardwood floors in the kitchen and downstairs bathroom. It will be the first time we've road tripped with Crosby, so this should be interesting. I'm looking forward to my first Mother's Day, though. Do you have any big plans? Mine include sleeping in, a pedicure and going to see a movie with my husband. I can't wait!!!

5. As for today, Crosby and I are going to see the Pediatrician for the first time. I'm going to attempt to not be a total pain in the ... with this guy. I'm sure our case will not be easy, though. (I'll be back with a full report.)

From Korea to Home!

2011-05-05T12:22:00.000-04:00

When we reached the Korean airport, we had to walk what seemed like 2 miles to get the check-in/security location for passengers who were transferring. We didn't care, though. Not one bit. We were all smiles! We were out of Russia and one flight away from the U.S.! Once we got through to the terminal, we had a chance to snap a few photos with the actors that roam the airport in traditional Korea attire.

Our layover was just under 3 hours, which was a perfect opportunity to let Crosby play, eat dinner and get changed into a fresh pair of jammies. (Our plane took off from Korea at what was about 8:30 at night in Vladivostok.) Here are some photos we took during our layover:

We were SO excited to get Starbucks!!!

The flight from Korea to the US went surprisingly well. Crosby had a bottle at takeoff and mingled with the three other babies in our row. Then, he settled right into his bassinet and slept for about 10 hours. I kid you not. He was an angel. The other babies, however, were not! Frank and I barely slept because we were forced to listen to them whine and cry the majority of the flight. Somehow, thankfully, Crosby slept right through it. (Maybe because he was used to the sounds of other babies in his room.) I went from the sympathetic mother who started the flight by saying if people get upset with us for Crosby crying I don't even care.... to the passenger who was like, "shut your kid up lady I'm trying to sleep!" Yes, I know... it's bad. I was that mean-y who gives dirty looks at the screaming baby. Well, not really... but I wanted to! lol.

I ended up feeling sick at one point. Probably from exhaustion and the emotion of it all. Ginger Ale, a washcloth shower in the bathroom and fresh clothes made a big difference. Plus, I was eventually able to sleep for about 3-4 hours. The flight went really quickly all things considered and before I knew it Crosby was up and ready to eat his breakfast. We fed him, changed him and prepared for landing.

It was honestly that easy with him. What can I say? We lucked out, big time!

Landing in Chicago was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. Relief, happiness, excitement, everything all at once! Frank felt the same and we were again in tears.

We. Were. Home. With. Our. Son. Finally!!!!

When our plane touched down in Chicago, Crosby officially became a US citizen!

We were ready to unload by the time they let our row go. Thankfully, we were in the first row of the "coach" area and exited very quickly. Then it was a speed walk marathon to get to immigration. We got through in about 10-15 minutes and headed over to pick up our luggage.

It took about a half hour before the luggage came around and by then the exhaustion was starting to hit me. When we finally got all of our bags, we were directed over to a special are for "new citizens." We gave the girl our paperwork and were shuffled through in a matter of minutes. I was thankful that it wasn't a long wait because we were both so anxious to get out and see my Dad and Nana, who were there waiting to greet us!

Where Did I Leave Off?

2011-05-04T08:08:00.000-04:00

Oh yes, our last night in Russia. So let me start with the day we flew out and our trip home!

packing up the night before we left

Although he wanted to come home, like his Momma, Crosby was not thrilled with packing up a month's worth of stuff.

What our room looked like while we packed...

The morning we left, we decided to have breakfast on the side of the restaurant. Crosby was able to play while we ate and it didn't take long before the two new families (we met in the days before) came to wish us well and give us their contact info. One couple in particular, Dody & Anthony, were very sweet. They were on trip one and meeting their two daughters. (We've kept in touch with them since then and I hope we can be of some help to them in preparing for trip two.) We also said good-bye to our favorite waitress and a few of the staff members.

It didn't take long after Boston Overstreet left before Crosby started moving in on his girlfriend.

One other random thing I wanted to remember... one of the translators, Lana, came up to us and asked us what Crosby's name was. She said she thought he was a girl the whole time because he has such a "pretty face." We took it as a compliment. :) She also laughed that we were FINALLY going home. Even she thought it seemed like we had been there forever!

Irina finally came to get us. We loaded up what seemed like 800 bags (really it was 5 checked and 2 carry ons) and off we went. The drive to the airport was a bit longer than usual because of the construction traffic. We attempted to look around and take in the last moments, but Crosby was crying most of the way. Also, I just kept thinking how much happier we would all be once we were in our own home. The thing that stands out the most in my mind is the tiny shacks along the way. Many with tin roofs and boarded up walls. It was a sad sight. And off in the distance, was a beautiful shining sea. The sunlight was sparkling off of the water and I was awestruck by the contrast between this beautiful landscape and the sad, little homes in the hills.

At the airport, we didn't have much problem. Frank unloaded the car while Irina waited at the xray machines. I had already gone through and was waiting for them just outside the check-in counter and passport control. After we finally got everything through, Irina helped us check in at the desk. We were lucky to get an extra seat between us (for free!) because the plane was not full. Then we headed to passport control. It seemed to take forever. Maybe it was because I wasn't used to carrying a baby while waiting in lines, or maybe it was because it was about 90 degrees in there, but I was so relieved to finally reach the passport control attendant. Irina gave her our documents and explained what was going on. I have no idea what most of the conversation was, but we stood there for about 20 minutes while they discussed our situation. Eventually, we were given the okay. I hugged Irina good-bye and then stepped through to the other side. In that moment, I felt a rush come over me. It hit me then that we might actually, for real, be going home!

We sat and waited in a temporary waiting room because, like everything else in Vlad, the airport is under construction. Crosby cried a bit. We tried to ward him off by feeding him puffs, but it was not much help. We definitely got dirty looks, but neither of us cared one bit. All of the sudden, people started leaving. We decided we had better follow. Turns out they were lining up to board our plane downstairs. We rushed down and outside. I knew from the last time we left that a bottle neck forms outside the plane, so we made sure to be in the front. I didn't want Crosby outside for too long. At that point, I was still trying to follow the Russian protocol with bundling him up to a ridiculous extent and avoiding cold weather.

We got seated very quickly and having the extra seat was SO nice! It wasn't long and we were preparing to depart. I was able to snap a few photos of the plane taking off. While I was taking these, the tears started pouring. We were REALLY going home! They let us leave and they let Crosby come with us! I don't know if I truly believed it was going to happen.

During the first flight, we gave Crosby a bottle so his ears didn't bother him.

We reviewed our safety regulations. ;)

Then, he played with a small, stuffed airplane that the stewardesses gave to him.

About 30 minutes into the 2.5 hour flight to Korea, he was asleep. And he slept almost the entire way.

This is what it looked like when we landed in Korea.

Tomorrow, I'll start from Korea and finish the coming home story.

Final Days in Russia

2011-05-02T15:59:00.002-04:00

This is a rambling of final moments in Russia I want to remember. Excuse me if it seems unorganized.

The funicular

Church of the Dormition of Our Lady

This picture makes me sad and happy all in one. This was our "Gotcha Day!" Crosby saw us standing outside the doorway of his room and kept leaning over to keep an eye on us. I don't think he took his eyes off of us the entire time we stood there.

Daddy & Crosby watching hockey in the White Rabbit room
(yes, his butt is bare... must have been during diaper change time! lol)

Saying good-bye to Russia. Our last walk on the beach.

During our last walk, we stopped and sat on this bench to take a final look around at the beach.

The infamous "crinkle wrinkle" face. ;)

Daddy & Crosby checking out the wrestling bears statue in the park.

The train tracks down the hill from the VMI.

Daddy & Crosby watching a train go by.

One of the roads we walked along each day.
This street in particular was entertaining because there were large guard dogs that would bark at us from beneath the fence on the left.

Update Coming Soon!

2011-04-29T16:26:00.000-04:00

The good news is I found my camera cord and have uploaded all of our photos to my computer. The bad news is I think Crosby just woke up from his nap, so I don't have time to write a proper blog post.

Here is a recent photo from our walk today. It was the first time he rode in a stroller in the US. Not sure if it's because we have a better stroller or he's just more secure with me now, but he didn't cry at all. In Russia, it was a major ordeal... so more progress!!!

trying to blog...

2011-04-27T10:11:00.002-04:00

I'm attempting to find our camera cord so that I can upload some photos and catch up on blog posts. Hang in there... hopefully by tonight I'll have something worth reading up online. ;)

A Quick Update

2011-04-26T16:03:00.000-04:00

We are slowly getting settled and adjusting to our new routine, new time zone, new home, etc. It has been exhausting and much harder than we anticipated. That being said, we are so happy and relieved to have Crosby home!

I have several blog posts started and I just need to finish them and add photos. Finding the time and energy to do that has not been easy, but it is coming.... just sit tight for a little bit longer and I'll be back with more info about our flights, our homecoming, our first weekend, Easter and more!

HOME!

2011-04-21T20:50:00.001-04:00

We are home! We are exhausted, but doing very well. I will update with details about our trip and homecoming as soon as we catch our breath around here! :)

Trip Two: Final Night Recap.

2011-04-19T18:02:00.002-04:00

We completed our usual routine in the evening… walk, feed Crosby, bath time, cook dinner, play time, bottle and bedtime. But, bedtime didn't work so well. There were children running up and down the halls of the hotel. And here it doesn't matter if you complain. Things just don't work the same way as in America. It wouldn't have been as big of a deal, but we needed to finish packing and it's not easy to do that with a whiny, overtired kiddo.

In the midst of trying to put him down and finish cooking dinner, new friends at the VMI (another adoptive family) stopped by to wish us a safe trip home. They ended up staying and chatting for about an hour and even though it meant Crosby still wasn't asleep, it did kill time. The final day seemed to draaaaaaaaag on for so long that anything to pass time was a good thing! Once they left, we took turns eating dinner. Something I had be warned would happen after adding a baby to our family. lol. We attempted to put Crosby back to sleep with no success. Maybe he was just as excited to head home as we were?!

So we decided to let him stay up. We figured if anything, maybe it would make transitioning to the Chicago time zone easier.

We finished packing and realized we were missing a bag. We had no idea where it was! Then we remembered we had switched rooms. Maybe it was in the old room or the maids found it? Frank went and asked and, of course, no luck! There was no way we were getting all of our stuff home if we didn't find another bag. I decided as a hail mary to unpack the bags one by one and look inside our bigger suitcases. I thought perhaps we had stuffed inside one of the other bags when we moved and then packed over top of it. Sure enough, it was in the third bag I unpacked! :) Of course, that meant I had re-pack everything all over again, but at least we had enough bags to get our things home!

Eventually, we finished up… Crosby was still wide awake at 10pm. Frank tried to rock him to sleep and finally he was snoozing away on Frank's chest. After gently moving Crosby to his crib, Frank tip-toed away. We high fiver thinking he was surely going to sleep in! Two seconds later the wails began. He was standing up in the crib screaming… still wide awake!

So we brought him into our bed, turned on a downloaded episode of American Idol and hoped for the best.

It didn't work. He was absolutely giddy to be with us! He started crawling around, bouncing, squealing and head butting me. (Something he's recently started doing and he will crack himself up each time he does it!) Nothing was working and we just kept telling ourselves each hour he was awake was an hour later he'd sleep and an hour closer to be on Chicago time.

He finally fell asleep at midnight. We went to bed about 2 minutes later.

I woke up and am typing this at 7:30 in the morning the day we leave (Wednesday)! I kept hearing thundering footsteps up and down the halls (something I won't miss) and the excitement of today's departure was too much to keep me in bed any longer.

So now we will kill time for the next 4 hours or so and then FINALLY head to the airport to say good-bye to Russia and see you soon to the USA!!!

Trip Two: Last Day in Russia!

2011-04-19T17:46:00.000-04:00

Today is our last full day in Vladivostok, Russia. Tomorrow we board the plane and head home to the good ole US of A! I feel torn because I want to say something profound about Russia, after all it is the birth place of our son. However, both of us are so ready to get home. We are tired of the people, the culture, the hotel, the entire adoption process. Right now, in our current mind set, it's hard to find the words to say something wonderful.

The best I can do is say thank you to Russia for giving us our son. It's a strange thing to fly into a place with two people and leave it a family of three. Part of me feels like "they" won't really let it happen. As if at the last moment someone will say, "Nope. Sorry. He can't really go!" I don't think it will all sink in for us until our plane is up in the air.

I do want to say that we are grateful for the people who have helped us along the way. Though we grew very cautious and weary of the system, EAC and Irina have made this adoption happen for us. We will be thankful forever. There have also been kind people along the way who made more of a difference than they might know. Of course, our family and our friends, who supported us in every way possible. This would NOT have happened without you. Jeff, who donated the sky-miles that paid for our first flights to Moscow. George and Colleen, who helped guide us to EAC and offered priceless advice. All of the blog friends who have gone before us or are in the process who have been unbelievably helpful and generous. And our new friends, Heather, Justin & Boston, Angie, Robert, Ardith & Jolee, Chad, Tracey & Elena, and Doty & Anthony. Thank you for your words of wisdom, your stories, your laughter and for being great new friends we won't forget.

For our Crosby, this is a time of change, confusion and I'm certain fear. But, it's also a time for new opportunities and a whole new life. When we board that plane he is literally flying to a whole new world with a home, a family, friends and two pugs waiting.

Trip Two: Day 25. (Tomorrow We Leave!)

2011-04-19T02:12:00.002-04:00

For our Crosby, this is a time of change, confusion and I'm certain fear. But, it's also an exciting time for new opportunities and a whole new life! When we board that plane he is literally flying to a whole new world with a home, a family, friends and two pugs waiting.

It is Tuesday night here and we are completing our evening/bedtime routine. Once Crosby is asleep, Frank and I will finish packing and tidy up the room. I have a lot more photos to share, so maybe in the morning I'll get a chance to post some of them before we go. If not, I will most likely write from South Korea, where we can log into the internet at the airport.

Trip Two: Day 24. (Two days to go!)

2011-04-18T01:23:00.000-04:00

We seem to have really settled into our routine here at the VMI. Each morning Crosby wakes us up with a few whines and happy screeches from his crib. We have a little morning cuddle and give him his bottle, sneak in a diaper change and then we get ready for our day. Breakfast is either in our room (scrambled eggs, french toast, or cereal) or in the restaurant. Crosby has rice cereal and fruit and then plays around on the big play rug or in the castle.

This morning Crosby apparently got tired eating his big breakfast....
He laid his head down on the side of the highchair. lol.

After breakfast, we usually move up to the White Rabbit, where we check emails, post to the blog and play. We like this room because there are more windows and more natural sunlight. Crosby particularly likes a little red bucket that is filled with a bunch of mismatched cards and a squeaky frog toy that looks like something the pugs would enjoy. :) On lucky days, we get phone calls from home. Crosby likes to attempt to talk into the phone at his Nana and Gigi.

Morning nap happens after playtime. Sometimes he'll sleep in the big chairs in the White Rabbit, sometimes on one of our chests and sometimes back in our room in the crib.

We usually feed Crosby lunch in the White Rabbit - two jars of baby food and juice - a mixed veggie and meat and another fruit. This is followed by even more playtime. Occasionally, Frank and I can get in a game of pool while Crosby plays around us.

Then it's time for our afternoon walk. This is my favorite time of the day! You never know what you're going to see. Here are some images from recent walks.

By the time we're back from our walk, Crosby is usually "zoned out" and ready for his afternoon nap. This is always in our room after we've rocked him to sleep. He usually wakes up and plays with this stuffed dog or monkey lovey.

Dinner is almost always at 5:30. Crosby gets three jars of baby food - meat, veggie and fruit - with juice. Some nights we feed him in our room and some nights we feed in him the restaurant. It just depends on whether or not we're cooking that night.

After dinner we play for a little while and eventually comes bath time! As you know, we've had struggles in this department, but I'm happy to report that last night Crosby actually cried when we took him out of the tub. What a change?! After bathtime comes jammies and then an evening bottle. We rock and read a story and then say goodnight. Sometimes he'll go down with only a few whimpers and other times he will cry a little. When that happens, I've found that if I rub his back he will lay his head back down and fall asleep.

We only have to go through this routine one more time! Then, FINALLY, on Wednesday we will head to the airport to fly HOME!!!!! (Btw, Crosby and I are already packed. Tomorrow I will pack up Frank's things and our carry-on luggage. So very excited!!)

Trip Two: Day 22.

2011-04-15T21:06:00.002-04:00

They say, "ask and you shall receive!"

In my last blog post, I said I'd like to have Crosby comfortable with baths by the time we leave. The same night I wrote that post, Frank took a bath with Crosby and a bunch of bath toys. He cried for about two minutes and then started playing in the water. Then again last night he played in the water. He even took the bath by himself. So I'm thankful we've finally reached this point! (And I think Frank is, too, so he no longer has to take baths with a screaming baby! lol.)

We've heard from our VMI friends and they have all made it safely to Moscow. We're thankful they didn't have any problems on their long flights and hopeful that we will have a similar experience with Crosby. We've also heard from our friends who left the first week we were here. Their daughter was in a crib across from Crosby at the baby home #3. It's great to have people a few weeks ahead of us in this process because they have invaluable advice about what they have gone through in recent weeks. It sounds like the time change is quite an adjustment, but having a baby to take care of forces you to just push through it. Basically, that's what we expect, but it's still good to know they are surviving their first few weeks home!

After today we only have 3 full days left and then it's the HOMECOMING day! We can hardly believe we've made it to this point. I swear, I thought we would never be able to check out. Last night we laid in bed saying how much we can not believe they are actually going to let us get on a plane and fly out of this country with Crosby. Feels like they will say, "just kidding! Give him back now."

And now we are the ones doling out advice to the other newbies. Funny how things come full circle so quickly. We met two couples yesterday who are here on trip one. Yesterday was their last day with their children and I remember so vividly how I felt leaving Crosby on that last day of trip one. It was very hard and it made me feel good to be able to tell them to hang in there... we made it back... so will they!

Both of them impressed us with their stories. I won't get into too many details out of respect for their privacy.... but, one couple has 3 children back home and are adopting two boys under the age of 4. That's a lot of kids and a lot of work! Amazing if you ask us. The other couple... even more amazing! They have 7 children between the two of them and are older (by adoption standards). They are adopting a little boy with down syndrome. I could not believe the selfless generosity of this couple. To not only take on that challenge and the work of this process, but to be willing to pay to do so is just so awesome! Like I said in my last post, what a wonderful community we have in the adoption world!

And now, if you've made it through all of my rambling. You deserve a reward. ;) Here are some recent snapshots of our little family over the past few days.

One of Crosby's favorite activities - putting baby food jar lids into a pot.

I'm not sure who was more tired, Crosby or me?

Watching our first hockey game together - Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks

For those of you who think Crosby is always smiling. lol.

Having a meltdown before we left for the US Consulate.
Good thing he's cute! ;)

Trip Two: Last Man Family Standing

2011-04-13T23:29:00.000-04:00

Today was a sad day, but still a good day.

We said good-bye to our two closest friends (adoptive families), who have become our support system and who have kept us sane during this process. Together, we all found a way to laugh at ourselves and everything along the way. And sometimes cry. We all bounced, "is this normal?" and "what did you do with this?" questions off of each other. It helped so much to have these families here with us and I was so sorry to see them go. (Both of them are flying to Moscow to complete their embassy paperwork. We chose to send a courier in our place because we did not want to make the over 8 hour flight with Crosby. We thought flying directly through Korea and saving that extra flight time would be easier on us.)

I said to one of our new friends, "I've never been so happy and sad to say good-bye to someone in my life." Sad because we have become like a small family of supporters here at the VMI and happy because they are finally able to move onto Moscow and we are heading home soon, too! The light at the end of the tunnel is coming into sight!

Crosby has had a really great day today, too. He has been a happy kid and seems to be on a routine now. (Just in time to fly home and switch I don't know how many time zones and get all screwed up again - lol!) But, seriously, I think he is finally comfortable and being himself. We're lucky that he is such a cuddly, loving child. He's able to go play independently now for longer periods of time, though he checks over his shoulder to make sure we're still there. We are able to say, "come to mama," or "come to daddy," and he will crawl to us. Usually he still whines the whole way over, but he makes it eventually. I see progress happening everyday. He played in the bath for the first time last night. It only lasted a minute or two, but this was huge for us! Every other time has been a terrible fight with screams until we let him out. My hope is that we can have him okay with baths by the time we leave.

We are on the countdown now. Only 6 more nights. I sat down and made a packing list for our airplane carry on today. That's how ready I am to head home!

But while we wait, we'll try our best to take in these last few days in Vladivostok and wish our friends a safe trip home. I can hardly wait to keep in touch with them and see the changes in their children as they learn to live with families with the US. Adoption is such a cool thing and the people in this community have been priceless.

Introducing...

2011-04-12T20:29:00.002-04:00

Crosby Merrill Ellis

The boy with most kissable cheeks!

Who loves peaches and shakes his head no when he is "all done."

Who said "Mama" for the first time yesterday!

Who looks cutest wearing his monkey hat

or in jammies fresh from a bath.

who is learning to find his voice with squeals and coos and cries

Who is sometimes a Daddy's boy

and sometimes a Momma's boy, depending on the day.

who is already "all boy," making messes everyday

Crosby, who is discovering the world around him

and who we love more than we could describe!

Trip Two: Day 16.

2011-04-11T01:26:00.002-04:00

For us, things are improving here little by little. I'm beginning to think that being in Russia has sort of been putting a little storm cloud over our heads, kind of like Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Being sick, having our minds on our new home, adjusting to being parents, missing home/food/family/friends, etc has taken it's toll. It has been an adjustment in all areas, but little by little we are starting to get the hang of things. I'd say I'm finally starting to feel a little more like myself again.

Some of the things that have helped me adjust have been getting some fresh air and sunshine. Sounds strange, but hanging some wet clothes in our room really moistened the air and helped both of us feel more comfortable breathing in there. (The air here is so dry in the hotel.) Also, we've met some incredible friends that are adopting children here. Socializing, talking through and laughing at the situation has made things seem so much more normal. And I think it's helped us stop second guessing ourselves, as well.

We've seen improvements in C already, too.

Yesterday was sort of the "day 3 meltdown." I'm not sure if he realized he's staying with us or if he was just testing boundaries and checking to see what we're willing to take care of for him. Either way... it was a rough day. Today, however, he woke up a happier baby and is mostly smiley and eating well. (He always gets cranky before nap time, but I'm guessing that's normal for all kids.)

He tends to pick a parent each day. Yesterday was a Daddy day, the day before a Mommy day. Today he's been comfortable with both of us, going back and forth. I think that's good improvement.

His little hair has really thickened and it's getting long. I'm excited to see what we can do with it when we get home and can get it styled a bit. Right now we kind of sweep it to the side and the nape of his neck curls up. Sometimes we call him "Justin Bieber hair," because it's long and swept across his forehead. ;) So cute.

Sleeping has worked out well, too. We usually rock him to sleep and let him fall asleep against one of us for about a half hour. Once he's really out, we'll move him to his crib. There's usually about 30 seconds to two minutes of cries and then he's back out again. I'm hoping this continues when we get home, but we'll see. I expect another adjustment period when we return due to the time change and a whole new life there.

He doesn't seem to have any issues with food. Though he does have quite the appetite. We haven't found anything he won't eat yet, which makes things easy. And he doesn't seem to have any allergies so far. Fingers crossed! This morning, we fed him a bottle when he first woke up. Then, about an hour later, he had a small bowl of rice cereal, a jar of baby food plums and half a jar of baby food broccoli. Weird, I know, but I'm trying to get in as many nutrients as possible. I was happy to see that he seemed to let us know when he was full. He'll turn his head away and fuss a bit. I'm hoping that means he won't have any food issues in the future. We've slowly started introducing small solids, too. He's eaten tiny bites of french fries, mashed potatoes, gerber puffs, yogurt melts, toddler cookies and noodle.

One thing he does that drives me nuts is an occasion teeth grinding. The sound is horrible! I can usually get him to stop if I stick my finger on the side of his gums or give him the binky. We're attempting to get him switched from his fingers to a binky. I figure I'd rather break the binky habit than have a kid with sores on his fingers from sucking them so much.

So that's the update. I'm double checking with Irina to see if we can post photos and the name yet. I think we can, so stay tuned! :)

Trip Two: Keeping Busy.

2011-04-09T01:34:00.000-04:00

It's Saturday night here and let me tell you things have changed since the Saturday nights of our past! Two months ago we might have been going out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant (which I'm craving btw!) and then bowling and having drinks at Fitz's pub. Now... we are just trying to watch an episode of American Idol online! If we can get one episode to download we are thrilled! (If you watched and know who was voted off, please do not tell!)

Last night C slept through the night like a trooper. We've figured out that the easiest way is to rock him and let him fall asleep on us. Then, once he's fast asleep, we move him to his crib. No problems so far! Fingers crossed!

He woke up after sleeping a full night and was his usual happy morning baby. We've been careful about feeding him for the last day and a half to avoid any problems. The baby home said he was very sick, but really we only had two bad diaper incidences. I think the medicine and easy diet has cured him. Or maybe it's just being with us again. Who knows?!

Today we hung out, played with some toys, ate and napped in the morning. This afternoon we went for a long walk down to the water with new friends, Angie and Lana (an adoptive mother and her new daughter from Texas!). C did not like the stroller AT ALL. But, we figure he'll get used to it. It's new, like everything else and that makes it a little scary. When we got back from our walk he was conked out, so we gave him a bottle and he's been sleeping for about an hour now.

So here I am... Saturday night sitting out in the lobby of the VMI trying to download the latest American Idol episode and reply to emails. We're having Chicken sandwiches and borscht from the restaurant for dinner. I actually love their soups here! Frank is in the room reading a war novel, though most of the time when he's "going to read," I find him napping. lol. I think he likes this new two naps a day schedule just like C. After dinner, we'll probably play a round of pool or two and then it's bedtime.

Not much longer and C will be replaced with the real name! Photos will be posted and we'll be saying next week we come home!!!

Trip Two: Even More Views of Vladivostok

2011-04-07T01:52:00.000-04:00

Time for another round of pictures from our time here in Vladivostok, Russia.

Another quick road side convenience store

The tall things on the left are parts of the bridge being built over the bay. You can see in the distance how the city is built on hills that run down to the water around the bay.

Vladivostok University

Just one example of the gorgeous interiors of the buildings here.
The back wall was all stained glass and there were huge crystal chandeliers throughout this entire lobby.

Beautiful architecture downtown Vladivostok - the Vokzal railway station

Bortsov Square - a memorial to the fighters for soviet power

window shopping

the bay

the Catholic church - Most Holy Mother of God

Hotel Hyundai, the hotel we stayed on during trip one

My favorite! Russian Orthodox Church

Trip Two: Feeling Better!

2011-04-06T23:49:00.002-04:00

Things are looking up around here! First of all, and most importantly, we get C tomorrow (this time for good)!!!!

Second, we have moved rooms! We've upgraded from Rosanne's single wide to her double wide. lol. We now have a larger kitchen with more storage. Two beds instead of one. A real couch with fabric that doesn't scratch your skin like sandpaper. More floor space for C to play. Bigger windows to allow more natural sunlight and fresh air in the room. And what a difference?! I swear I think I was going through a seasonal affective disorder from living in a cave. ;)

Plus, my cold is going away. Apparently even Russian bugs can't stand up to high levels of Amoxicillin and Thera-flu. Thank goodness and just in time for the return of Baby C.

And by the way, is anyone getting excited to see Baby C pictures on the blog and hear what "Baby C" stands for? Monday night our 10 days are up.... stay tuned for the big reveal!!!

Trip Two: Waiting...

2011-04-06T00:19:00.000-04:00

We have been gone for 10 days. It honestly feels more like 30. We have today and tomorrow and then we get C back on Friday afternoon. (This time for good!) Afterwards, we have 11 more days here in Russia. So the way I look at it, we're about to the half way point.

While I know the waiting period is a great thing for family bonding and attachment, we are not enjoying this trip. Partly because of the emotional ups and downs of the adoption process, partly because I'm sick and partly because we're just plain homesick. It's interesting because Frank and I are usually very good travelers and enjoy international destinations, different cultures, etc. This time it's completely different. We just want to go home as soon as possible and we're wishing the days could fast forward.

It's been a few days since my last post because I've been feeling really under the weather and also because I didn't have much to write about that was positive. As we get closer to picking C back up, it's getting a little better... but, the truth is our hearts are back home. We just want to get our son and get him out of here as quickly as we can!

Today a couple who adopted a little girl from C's baby home checked out and are headed to the airport as I type. It was strange to say good-bye to them because C spent his first year of life in the same room as this little girl. We don't know if we'll ever see them again. I hope we do and I'm sure we'll keep in touch through emails and pictures. We were very happy to see them head home, as they were also very home sick. And it's amazing to know their daughter's new life is just beginning! It also gave us a little sign of the light at the end of the tunnel. We'll be checking out eventually, too. In other words, if they made it... so can we!

While we attempt to be patient with the waiting, I'll share a few random photos from the past few days.

our hotel - the Vlad Motor Inn

a local street sign

the beach near our hotel

local convenience store

one of our cupboards ready for C's return

Trip Two: Clogged Up!

2011-04-02T19:31:00.003-04:00

We are clogged up around here.

1. my nose

2. C's, well, we will just say "tract" (still no #2, but we're working on it with plums and plum juice)

Btw, this might be a world record for the quickest mention of poo by a new parent on a blog in the history of the blogosphere. I promise not to mention it again. (Until we finally have blast off - then I might come on here and do a happy dance! lol.)

In other news:

Things are going really, really good. Dare I say we got an easy baby??? Knock on wood!

He barely cried the first day. He didn't like going in the bath (sink) so we just sat him on the edge with his feet in the water. Eventually we'll get him to take a full bath. Other than that he didn't really cry. Little fussing here and there and especially before he went to bed, but he ate a ton and went right to sleep at about 8:30. Slept through the night without crying a single time. We slept horrible, though. I think we were both nervous, checking to make sure he was still alive. lol. He woke up about 7:30, had a bottle, played and was happy as a clam. Had a little snack of oatmeal, peaches and plum juice and then he got really fussy. Frank rocked him a bit and he fell asleep again. Must have been nap time. It would help if we had a schedule we could trust. Anyways, he was out by about 9:30 this morning. So we'll see how long he naps. Yesterday afternoon he napped for 2 full hours from 2- 4.

This might not be too bad if he naps for at least an hour in the morning, 2-4 in the afternoon and then sleeps through the night 8:30 - 7:30. We just might have hit the lottery!

He is very congested, though. He does this funny little crinkle wrinkle face to blow his nose and when he's laughing. So we're prepared at all times for major boogies. Kinda nasty, but I think mucin*ex is helping bc he seems to be drying up some and getting the rest out. I, on the other hand, have a horrible cold again. Just like last time. And not sleeping last night didn't help. Oh well. Hopefully I'll nap this afternoon while he is napping. Frank's on baby duty right now while I check emails and blogs.

Trip Two: C Has Landed!

2011-04-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

This morning we picked up C from the baby home. It was a mad rush to get him out of there, not just because we wanted to hurry, but because the caretakers were rushing us, as well.

The good news is C has done amazingly well! Hardly any tears. Some squeals and grunts in the car and a little puke, but nothing major. When we got back to the hotel, we let him play on the floor with some of the toys we had during our visits at the baby home. Then, we fed him lunch and a bottle of watered down apple juice. He ate it with no problems. His first meal with us was beef and potatoes and some plums for dessert. After lunch came bath time. We gave him a really good scrubbing. He cried a little at first, but then he was laughing and seemed to tolerate it okay. It was nice for us to know he is finally, completely clean. We changed into a sweet little pajama set with ducks on the feet and then we jumped into bed as a family to play for awhile more. About 20 minutes later, he started sucking on his thumb and his big eyes started to get heavy. Frank rocked in for maybe 5 minutes and he was asleep. We let him sleep for a few more minutes and then carried him to his crib. That's where he's at as I type. Sleeping away with his tush in the air.

We'll see how he does when he wakes up.

The bad news is we have to take him back to the baby home on Monday night. They want to keep him until Friday, which is when the 10 day waiting period is over. We're not happy about this. Neither of think it is good for C and both of us are angry. There is just nothing we can do about it, though. There is no arguing and we've tried reasoning with them. They won't budge.

So we will enjoy today, Sunday and Monday while we can. Then on Monday we will return to the baby home for one last temporary stay.

Trip Two: Fortunate Fools!

2011-04-01T19:00:00.000-04:00

April Fool's Day might not traditionally be the best day of the year. Maybe you have even had a joked played on you already! But this year, we're starting a new family tradition. You see, today is now officially the Ellis Family's "Gotcha Day!"

Today we officially received custody of our son.

(We are not legally allowed to post photos until after the ten day waiting period. Otherwise, I would have included some from this very big day!)

Trip Two: Court Day!

2011-03-31T18:49:00.001-04:00

The morning of the big day (3/30) we woke up before our alarm. We were both nervous. Very nervous.

We got ready and changed into our court clothes: A suit and tie for Frank and a black and white dress for Christen. Then, we headed to breakfast to fill up. We shared french toast and an omelet, had fresh squeezed orange juice and lattes. It helped calm our nerves to sit and practice some of the questions we had been warned we might have to answer. Afterwards, we packed up our bags for visiting with the baby and grabbed our passports and a photo album we had made for the judge. Our driver showed up on time, as usual and we were speeding off to the court house before we knew it.

When we arrived we had to wait for Irina to meet us. It only took a few minutes, but for us at the time it felt like an hour. I tried my best to deep breath and Frank kept re-reading the words he had written on his hand. (I had laughed at him the night before as he wrote out a Russian diagnosis in his palm so he wouldn't forget if the judge asked him about it.)

Irina showed up, looked us over, said we both looked very nice and sped off towards the entrance. As usual, we chased after her trying to keep up. This time it was much more difficult because I had worn my highest heels in an effort to appear more Russian.

Once inside we had to show our passports to a guard and go through a metal detector. Irina argued in her typical way explaining we were the "Ellis fam-eee-leee." The guard apparently had some trouble finding our names listed on the court schedule. Finally, we were allowed inside.

Irina instructed us to sit and wait. For how long? We had no idea and no explanation was given. She then shuffled off down a hallway. While we waited, we were able to snap a few photos of the courthouse.

If it hadn't been for our nerves, we might have noticed how beautiful the courthouse was. There were elegant carvings and royal looking coloring. Chandeliers hung above our heads and the marble floors were so immaculate that the light fixtures actually reflected in the floor beneath us.

Irina came back in a hurry and said we needed to follow her upstairs... it was time. Our hearts were racing, not only from trying to keep up with her pace, but because our nerves were out of control at that point. We climbed the staircase...

and sat outside a door....

...and about five minutes later we were waved inside by the court secretary. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and wore all black. Her black hair was down to the small of her back even in a pony-tail. She had straight chopped bangs that made her appear hard, like a villain in a James Bond movie.

Inside the room was a desk with an important looking chair. Two smaller chairs flanked the desk and on the opposite side of the room was a line of chairs. We were told to sit in the chairs across from the desk. Almost as soon as we sat down, we were instructed to stand again as the prosecutor and judge entered the chambers.

The prosecutor had short red hair in a sort of military like hairstyle. She wore a long wool skirt and wool blazer, both in an off putting shade of teal. There were patches and stars on her shoulders that made her appear to be something like a naval commander. She looked us up and down and took a seat beside the judge's desk. The judge wore a black robe and small glasses. She did not smile. She marched to her desk and quickly took her seat.

We stood as the judge read out the reason for our court session. It was all in Russian and Irina translated as quickly as she could, but most of it went in one ear and out the other. We were too nervous to listen at that point. We were then told to sit.

Almost immediately after we sat, Frank was told to stand again. He was asked to state his name, date of birth, home address and country of citizenship for the court. Then, I was told to do the same. This was followed by Irina and, our social worker, Svetlana. When the identification process was completed, Frank was instructed to stand again.

Most of the questions were directed towards him. Something we were not surprised about, as we had been told men are "more important" in Russian culture. He answered questions about his job title, job description, our home and our discipline methods. He was asked why we wanted to adopt and why we chose Russia. He was also asked if we knew other couples who had adopted, what their experiences were like and if we were aware of the adoption abuse cases. Also, he was asked to describe our son's personality and how we knew we wanted him to be our son.

He did a great job! He stayed very calm and answered slowly, giving Irina time to translate.

Finally it came to the part where they asked him about our son's medical diagnoses. He got them all correct! And he didn't even need to look at his hand. ;)

While this line of questioning was happening, I watched the faces of the judge and prosecutor. The judge was very stern. She didn't have any facial expressions and she even looked away (out the window) during part of Frank's speech. It was almost as if she was bored. The prosecutor, on the other hand, was flipping through our photo album. It was filled with pictures of our home, our families back home, our friends, the pugs and many of us with C from the first trip. She would look up from the photo album as Frank spoke. Slowly, she seemed to be showing signs of emotion. It looked like she might like us.

Then it was my turn! They asked me about my schooling and career. They asked about how much time I will have to take care of my child. They asked me to describe our son and his personality. Then, randomly, the prosecutor started smiling and asked who I thought C looked like. My line of questioning ended with the most ridiculous of questions. Were we concerned about our dogs being "ferocious" with the baby? I actually laughed. I said no. The worst that might happen is that he would be kissed uncontrollably. Then I went on to describe how the neighborhood children come to our house and take them on play dates. The prosecutor smiled again. We won her over!

And that was it. Our social worker made a brief statement in favor of our adoption. We were asked to make a closing remark. We stood again and asked the court to grant our petition to adopt. We thanked the judge and prosecutor for their time and expressed our love for C. Then we were told to exit the room because the judge needed time to think about her decision.

We stood out in the hallway scared and nervous, but hopeful. Almost immediately the secretary came back out, this time smiling and asked us all to return to the court room. We stood as the judge read her decision. We were granted our petition to adopt our son! His name would legally be changed to C and we would need to visit the vital statistics building to pick up a new birth certificate and arrange for passports for him to leave the country.

And just like that... we were parents.

On the way out, things looked a little differently. We paused to take some time to look around and the building that had seemed so intimidating began to look more like a place where families are created. For us, it was the beautiful structure that housed the beginning of our family and a moment we will never forget.

Trip Two: Preparing For Court

2011-03-31T00:36:00.002-04:00

(Written 3/29)

Tonight, after a very long day, Irina came back to the hotel to prepare us (and the other couple from Texas) for court. She walked us through the procedure and described who would be in the court session. Then, she ran through practice questions with us. Most of them were expected and were questions we have already prepared for, but some were new to us. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. We were also given a "cheat sheet" of things to memorize. It included diagnoses from C's referral and some birth facts. She also told us to work on our answers for things like, "why Russia," "what are our child care plans for when i return to work," and "why adopt now? why not wait until after school is over?"

After practicing, we headed back to the room and laid out our clothes for court. Frank chose a grey suit, white shirt and simple, striped tie. I chose a black and white dress with a black shrug, nylons and my most Russian looking high heeled, black pumps. I also laid out one too many pieces of sparkly jewelry, so as to fit in with the traditional Russian look. ;) Now the question is what do I do with my hair? Up or down?

I finally had to make Frank stop practicing. I thought he was going to stay up all night reviewing his cheat sheet!

We were told we would not be able to get photos inside the court, but I'm going to do my best to document it. It's a strange feeling knowing that this time tomorrow we will "officially" be C's parents. We already feel like we are in our hearts, but something about it being legal makes it even more special.

We can't wait to get it over with!

Trip Two: Images of Vladivostok.

2011-03-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

A real "tough guy." He had knee high leather boots and a bomber jacket with patches that read "special club."

A view of the city on our way to the baby home

downtown in a traffic jam

typical apartment buildings

not an unusual sight. the roads look like war zones here.

a high school and park (behind the fence)

apartments we sat in front of for about 2 hours during "an investigation" (long story!)

one of the many, many dogs that roam the streets

on this day it was over 50 degrees outside, but still the children are bundled like it's negative ten

the siberian tiger symbol - the city's symbol

Trip Two: The Dreaded Medicals.

2011-03-30T04:11:00.002-04:00

After visiting with the baby, we drove to our medical appointment. We were anxious about what we would encounter to say the least. We marched through the building towards the exam room, in the way Irina does for every appointment. We can hardly keep up with her!

When we got to the room, it looked more like a ballroom. We were taken with the butter yellow walls and very high, cathedral ceilings decorated with scrollwork, chandeliers and carved faces. It looked like a royal palace. The back of the room had a line of chairs, where we sat and waited to be called. There was also a small table with eight chairs pulled tightly around it. There sat seven of the "eight doctors." A few stuck out like a sore thumb. One had bright, red hair, obviously dyed and pulled up in a beehive. Another had short black hair and wore a scarf tied tightly around her neck. The only man in the room looked disheveled, pudgy and he was the only one to wear a white coat.

We handed in our X-rays, which were brought with us from home. Another couple from Texas, who are staying at our hotel, were waiting beside us. We watched as the doctors passed around our X-rays. The pulmunologist (or was she just an X-ray specialist? who knows?!) called some of them over to look at one of the films. We all looked at each other wondering whose X-ray it was that they were excited pointing at… turns out it was the other man's. His X-ray showed two small dots … they were buttons on the gown he wore when the films were taken.

The other couple volunteered to go before us. We were both relieved. While we waited, I began pacing. Frank sat quietly and waited. He did a better job of keeping his nerves at bay. Finally, the other couple exited and we were waved into the room.

We went through the door and were both immediately led to examining tables with a thin divider between us. We were told to remove our tops. Then, we were spun around while I assume they gave us a quick look over. We were then instructed to lay down on the table. Another doctor introduced herself as an infectious disease specialist. She palpated my abdomen and asked if I had a fever. I said no and she quickly left the room. The neurologist came in next. He asked me to close my eyes and touch my fingers to the tip of my nose. He then asked me to stick out my tongue and smile. Inside I was laughing, knowing exactly what he was looking for and also because he missed most of the cranial nerves. ;) Then he had me bend down and touch the ground. All of this was done without my top on. Why? I'm not sure. He then observed my face for some time, asked if I had any head trauma and told my translator to tell me that my face was disproportioned. Apparently one of my eyebrows is wider than the other. Not sure how that's relevant to adoption, but whatever….

A final doctor came in and asked if I had been feeling well. I told her yes. She asked me if I lifted weights. I said yes again. She smiled and said I looked strong and would have no problem lifting a baby. Then she shuffled away. I was instructed to get dressed.

Finally, we were told to sit at the table in the room. A psychiatrist asked us if we wanted to adopt and whether it was a boy or girl. She asked if we had depression, took drugs and if our families had mental health problems.

That was it. We were told we passed and we could leave.

Painless. Mostly. Except for the part where a grimy neurologist told me my face was unbalanced. ;)

Trip Two: Day 2.

2011-03-29T04:08:00.000-04:00

Today was emotional. On one hand, it was a great day with the baby, but we also received disappointing news. When we were exiting the baby home, Irina informed us that we would not be receiving C after court like we were originally told. Apparently the director of the baby home feels there will be an inspection by the court prosecutor. She will check to make sure all the babies are where they are supposed to be and this means C must be there. The best we can do is take him on Friday for the weekend (bc the prosecutor is off during the weekend and will not make inspections). Unfortunately, we'll have to return him on Monday and we won't get him full time until that Friday. We were both angry when we found this out. It doesn't make sense that suddenly the rules have changed. We couldn't help but feel like it was personal when we know a couple four doors down took their daughter the day of court. And that happened a week ago. We both are concerned it is not what is best for the baby. How can he come home with us, begin adjusting and then have to go back to the baby home for a week? That can't be good for anyone. All we can do is ask again tomorrow if we can take him and pray that someone will see the wisdom in that plan. It just makes more sense for everyone and it's certainly better for C.

But back to the positive side of things…. our visit! This day C was much more "himself." Or at least the sweet little boy we remember from the end of the first trip. Immediately, he seemed happy to see us. Although the caretakers told us he was napping when we arrived. I do think he was because his little body was sweaty like he had been in a deep sleep. Or maybe it's just because his crib is next to the window and today was very, very warm. When they opened the door to his room, I saw a huge ray of sunshine shining down onto his crib.

During the visit we fed him gerber puffs, which he has now learned to take out of the container on his own. He even looks for them when he drops them by accident. We tried to keep things simple and avoid overwhelming him with choices. I think it helped a lot. He spent most of the time playing with his elephant rattle. He loves to spin the ball with the rattle pieces inside it. We also got to hear him coo, squeal and talk today. The first words we heard him say were, "Gagagagagaga." I told Frank that he just might be a lady gaga fan. ;) lol.

Another thing we did was open up the curtains in the room. We held him up to the windows and let him peak outside. It was very sweet to listen to Frank describe things on the outside world and promise to teach him about all of them when we get home. C was much more cuddly with us today and he spent quite a bit of time snuggled into my chest and turning my necklace over and over in his hands.

The best part of today, though, was feeding him! He got a giant bowl of mush that seemed to be applesauce, ground chicken and mashed potatoes. Who really knows what it was, though?! We fed him with a large, metal spoon and he could not get enough! He also drank apple juice from a cup. When the caretakers brought his meal, they tied a towel around his neck and it was a good thing they did! He was a messy little thing! There were blobs of food all around his mouth and more than once spoonfuls of food got spilt. The cutest part was the way he would wave his hand at the cup or the bowl depending on what he wanted. It was good to see him communicating with us.

When we left today it was more difficult than the day before. That bond was definitely back between us all. Frank promised him that tomorrow (Wed) would be his big day and we would be back to get him.

We keep hoping that we will be able to take him, but first we have to get through court.

Trip Two: Our Apartment/Hotel

2011-03-28T08:41:00.003-04:00

We humbly refer to our apartment, which is actually a hotel "suite" (lol!) as the Roseanne Barr room. It reminds us of something you would expect to find in an outdated, 80s decorated manufactured home. AKA something like the house from the television show Roseanne. Let's just say it's less than comfortable. But, there is no other place in this world that we'd rather be right now!

Let me take you on a tour!

This is the view from our front door. 10 bonus points if you can find Frank. ;)

Here's a closer shot of the living room and dining room.

Our spacious kitchen.

Here's the reason (we think) our room is called a suite. It's actually two adjoining rooms. This is our "hallway." To the left is the living room. To the right is a storage room and straight ahead is our bedroom. Directly behind us the crib. And directly to the right of us (not pictured) is the bathroom.

The crib, draped with our clean sheets and blankets.

And my favorite room, the storage/closet.

And someone has enough clothes to sink a battleship! Can we say spoiled? lol.

I do love organization. This was the first thing I did when we checked in.