Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted
according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or
slow to do the humble work.

- Mother Teresa

About Me

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Sunny Florida, United States
I am the proud mom to 6 kids: Natasha, 24, Nikolai, 20, Reese, 20, Maylee, 14, Erik, 10 and Violet, 7. The kids come from Russia, Ukraine and China; I'm so proud of my family sometimes I think I'll burst and I needed an outlet for it - so I've created this weblog. :o)
If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
- Mother Teresa

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One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.
Mother Teresa

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Thursday, September 3, 2009
We had an uneventful first night. We got home from the airport after a quiet reception (just me and the boys were there to greet) around 9:30. Mark and I were both SO tired (especially him, of course!) and we just wanted to go to sleep. We didn't want to put Erik into his room all alone on the first night so we kept him with us. Unfortunately, we have a queen sized bed and it's barely big enough for the both of us full-sized parents, but we tried. Erik sat there as we nodded off, wiggling (he's soooooooo wiggly!!) and "lalala"'ing to himself, looking around, half-sitting on top of us, not going anywhere but just quietly entertaining himself. He sat there like that for about an hour when he fell forward onto his face, asleep. Mark laid him down in a more normal position and he slept like that for awhile, while I was so squeezed off the bed I had a "one cheek on, one cheek off" thing going on and KNEW I would never make the night. So, we did what good parents who just brought home a new child from an orphanage would do on his first night in his forever home: we put him on a quilt on the floor and let him sleep there!! LOL!! We didn't want to put him in a bedroom all alone, but we didn't have room on the bed, so that's where he went! He stayed asleep all night, but he was a WILD sleeper, and didn't stay on the quilt long - he rolled all over the bedroom in his sleep! The bad part is that neither Mark nor I slept more than 2 hours all night as we were both paranoid he'd wake up and be scared and we wanted to be right there for him, but he was out like a light all night.

This morning, I took Nikolai to school and after I got back home, went back to bed, where I napped for about 2 hours where Mark FINALLY got to sleep. Erik also slept, but this time with us in bed. ;op

Afterward, I had no choice but to bring him to Wal-Mart. I really wanted to limit activity at first, but Mark was sleeping and I didn't want to leave Erik home with Reese (who is homeschooling this semester) who knows NOTHING about little kids (yet). He did great!! Mark said the orphanage caregivers said he only eats soft/pureed foods, which is a drag - do I trust that he can't eat until he can get evaluated, or do I try to give him little things? Mark even said the Cheerios I bought him, he would choke on!! :o( He doesn't chew his food, true, he "tongues" it, but don't you think I could TRY to feed him a Cheerio or little fish cracker? He also said the workers said not to give him citrus - any insights there, anyone??

Thankfully, Mark is still sleeping, poor guy. He'll probably sleep all day and all night tonight. That's good. He needs it!! I am soooooo proud of him for being so strong to do this with Erik. He has had SUCH a good attitude and is just so in love with his new son!! He really is changed with this experience. :o)

It's almost suppertime and I bought some stuff for Erik for tonight - some sweet potatoes to mash and we have a juice machine, so I will juice some fruits that I bought. I'm trying not to alter his foods too much, and introduce new things slowly, but it's hard!! I want to cook for him!!! ;o)

He's been good with the dogs, too. They've sniffed him up and down (he still smells like orphanage milk - can't wait to give him a good bath tonight!!) and he's not scared of them - he just sort of pulls away like, "What the heck IS this thing???"

We have MUCH to do in the upcoming weeks, with therapy, doctors, etc. But so far we are off to a really good start.

Welcome home, Erik, my beautiful son!!!!

6 comments:

Kelly said...

YAY!!!!! So glad you are all together. I was getting worried! Have a blast getting to really know Erik. Please post some photos!! The citrus thing may be that citrus has a lot of acid. When we first brought our son home from Russia he could not tolerate citrus at all. Result---BLOW OUT on a huge and grand scale.
If ever he had any, I would know it the minute I changed the diaper, i could smell it. I know, TMI.
Anyway....welcome home!!! Now, go get some rest.

Shea said...

I bet the citrus upsets his tummy. I'd just dilute it half water half juice and see how he does. That's what I did with my girls. So many people give to much juice too kids and it causes diarrhea. I never gave more than one serving of juice a day, but still did fruit too. Just my theory. I am so glad your guys are okay. I am so relieved!!!

amyl4 said...

Hi Missy,
Can you believe this day has finally come? You have all 4 of your guys home safe and sound. I'm so happy for all of you and especially Erik! He never had to take that bus ride to the institution. God is so GOOD!!
Amy

Unknown said...

Citrus interestingly enough we heard that with our 4 older kids when we adopted them. Someone told me it was because they never get citrus fruit so they say it will make them sick because they are unfamiliar with it. We brought all our kids home they ate and drank citrus with no problem but they were older. They told us our oldest was deathly allergic to it but that wasn't true. We also were told that he had a heart murmur but also untrue. So glad you are all together. Rhonda

Laura said...

I'm so happy for all of you!!!! I can't wait to see new pictures. I hope Mark will blog about the adventure home with Erik too, I'm very interested to see how he did his first time out of the orphanage!

I love you guys!!!

Lydia said...

oooo....thanks for mentioning Carnation instant breakfast. I'll check it out since Pediasure is SOOOO expensive. I'll also look into what the difference between ensure and pediasure is and find generic- we are spending about $10 a day right now!!!

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If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
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- Chinese proverb
It is not the will of your Father that any one of these little ones should perish. Matt. 18:14

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My family

My family
Nikolai, Mark, Missy, Reese, and Erik

Nikolai, 19

Nikolai, 19

Reese, 19

Reese, 19

Erik, 9

Erik, 9

Daisy

Daisy

Mary

Mary

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