PawPaw and Grandmommie Visit

PawPaw and Kathlena playing with leaves.





Andrew working hard learning to shoot a bow
like his big brother and Daddy.

Andrew "teaching" Grandmommie how to hold
the bow and arrow to shoot it.

Kathlena stuck pretty close to PawPaw.

Everybody on the trampoline!




We had a great weekend with grandparents visiting. Andrew and Kathlena got to spend some time getting to know David's parents. I am again reminded that it seems like Andrew and Kathlena have always been with us. They both just adore their PawPaw and Grandmommie and we are so thankful to have two sets of loving grandparents who are so accepting and supportive of our adoption.

This was the first time that PawPaw and Grandmommie have really had a chance to see Andrew and Kathlena one on one with us. Andrew was born on PawPaw's birthday and also seems to be left handed like his PawPaw. It was a great time for them to see their little personalities and begin building grandparent relationships. I know it has been hard for grandparents being so far away and not able to stop by to see them, but we are seeing so much progress with both of them attaching to their new home and family. How grateful we are to our families understanding that this process is different and loving us enough to patiently help us through this season of the process too. Much grace has abounded for us all during this process and the Lord is faithful to continue to give us the grace to persevere and trust Him with everyday.

Thanks again Emily for capturing these memories on film err...pixels for us.

Lucy, eat your worm!!

Andrew and Kathlena love Lucy the Leopard Gecko. They love to feed her mealworms and touch her soft velvety skin. Kathlena is still a little skittish around her, but gets braver with each encounter as you can see from the video. So fun to see them experience all of these new adventures.

Yes, Lucy is named after the Lucy from I love Lucy. J.Michael and Emily had just discovered the I love Lucy shows when we got the Leopard Gecko.

Kathlena's Neurology Dr. Visit

I am happy to report that all went well today with Kathlena's appt. The doc concurred with us that we should proceed with opthamology first; that her neck issues are likely related to her vision and we should treat that first then, see how her neck responds. The dr. was super nice and even gave us paperwork for a CAT scan should the opthamologist think her neck issue is not due to vision then, we could go ahead and schedule her appt. for a CAT scan without having to come back to see him first.

Kathlena did so well even "helping" the dr. as he was examining her. Poor thing she has had so many dr.'s look at her in her little lifetime she knows the drill and even tries to "help out".

Just this week she has really started to talk more. She will pat herself on the chest and say "Yeena" or point to something and say "Yeena's" She points to each of us and says our names. It is so cute. I cannot believe it has been a little over a month since she heard her new name for the first time and already has "attached" to it as her own name.

Another new thing this week has been the recognition of ownership of things. Thus the statement "Yeena's" she is starting to catch onto the idea that she has "things". Although, while in Target she points to things and says this but, in the usual 3yr old manner of I want that to be mine. :)

She is such an amazing little girl...she just gets cuter every day!

My Kombucha Buddies and their new trikes

Andrew got a new trike this week from one of our favorite places--Harbor Freight. He is really doing well on it. So, good for him to use those large muscle groups and build them up! As a side note according to our scale he has gained 4 lbs in a month. I knew he looked thicker in his neck and face...wow! that is 10% of his body weight gained. Andrew in the video below has taken to riding laps around the house for Kombucha. He loves this stuff! Funny since it originates from the Ural mountains of Russia.

Kathlena loves Kombucha too but it is more of a I like it but I don't relationship. Kind of like Andrew with salsa...he loves the salsa but it is hot so he keeps eating it while he drinks a gallon of water to keep going. Well, Kathlena drinks Kombucha then makes the "ahhhhhh it burns face" then asks for more. She is not quite as committed as Andrew though as she prefers to sip hers in the swing instead of riding her trike for laps. They were both quite excited about getting helmets...we are making Kathlena wear her indoors now. She took a nasty fall into our padded couch and now has a black eye. You will notice in the pictures and video below.

Putting the trike together. J.Michael did most of the work
and Daddy, Andrew and Kathlena help with the seat.

Father and son working together...I love this pic.

Trying it out...first ride.

A little off roading.

He is giving it his all. Andrew is so hardworking.

He likes to go fast.

Giving sister a ride.

She is loving it!



LAPS AROUND the House for Kombucha

Andrew and his dogs

Andrew has really changed his mind about dogs since he has met Charlie and Chase. He absolutely loves them and now he can't get enough of the dogs. Here are some photos Emily took of Andrew with Chase and Charlie.


Hugging Charlie

Charlie is almost 10yrs old. He is a german short-hair

pointer and one of the best dogs for kids.

Charlie is eating up all of this attention.

Charlie getting kisses.

Come on Chase lets get in the pool...just try it!

Chase is really not wanting to go along with the pool idea.

Okay, no pool how about a ride?

Charlie and Andrew "sharing" a popcicle.

Kathlena Phonics

Kathlena has been working on her letters and sounds and she likes to practice them. During blanket time before dinner tonight she saw the steam rising at the stove over a pot of carrots cooking and said "HuhHuhHuhHuh...got!" Which is Kathlena phonics for sounding out the letter "H" but she pronounces "hot" as "got". It was too cute a moment not to record so here is our latest video.

Uncle Steve and family Visit

Uncle Steve(David's middle brother), Aunt Ceci, and Hannah came for a visit this weekend. It was their first time to meet Andrew and Kathlena. Andrew and Kathlena both had been working all week on saying "uncle Steve" and I am happy to report that they both were able to say it to him when he was here. They also were able to say Aunt Cecelia and Hannah too.
Uncle Steve surprised the boys with a hydrogen powered rocket that they launched; J.Michael and Andrew absolutely loved it. Andrew will tell you about it in hand signs quite well. Here he is holding the button and waiting for it to be ready to launch. It is a really cool rocket because while you are waiting for it to be ready to launch it talks to you about Hydrogen. It helps the time go a little faster in between launches (4 mins) and an educational bonus.
Uncle Steve thank you for leaving the Rocket...the boys love it and definitely want to learn how to make more hydrogen fuel for it.



Kathlena likes to get right next to the action to check
things out.

I wasn't fast enough to catch this but Kathlena would go
up to Charlie an grab his tail then run away squealing with
laughter.


Oh! I just missed it again.


Kathlena has become quite brave around the dogs. She
likes Charlie's tail wagging. She thinks it is so funny.

Kathlena is pointing out Charlie's knobby knees.




Kathlena gives good hugs!


Uncle Steve and Andrew

Kathlena Progress Report

Kathlena is doing so well with her speech. She is parroting back words and even 3 word phrases. It seems that just having the opportunity to name and see things has really turned a light bulb on for her development. Whatever delays she had I think will quickly diminish.

She loves to hold her arms up to me and and say "Momma Yuck!" which means pick me up. We started having her say "Momma Sweet" to pick her up and she would do it. So, cute but we decided it would be better to teach her correctly so now it is "please hold me " which she says very well as she likes to be held often.

She is also a very good little helper. She likes to help unload the dishwasher naming everything--spoon, fork, plate, bowl, cup and so on. She is very good about putting her plate away in the sink when she is through eating...such a good example for the boys!

Kathlena loves to jump and play on the trampoline with her brothers. She absolutely loves to be outside and has adapted to the dogs very well. She got a Charlie kiss that surprised her but she did not scream. She really likes to pet Chase and Charlie both. One night she was chasing Charlie around the yard trying to catch his tail in a bag (she had seen Andrew do this and got so tickled by it she thought she would try). This was so funny, actually, it was hilarious to see them both do this and the dogs were loving the attention.

She is eating very well. She loves milk and drinks lots of it. She is also a big fan of green beans, boiled eggs, apples and of course bananas. I have had to resort to "hiding" the banana stash in the garage frig otherwise they beg for them every time they come through the kitchen. What is funny is that when she is in the laundry room(leads out to the garage) she starts asking for a banana...she knows they are out there. She is pretty good about trying anything although you quickly know when she dislikes something as she spits it out saying "nyet" "poo" or "yuck"--yes, I know we will be working on those table manners, but communication is good. :)

She does like to listen to music and now her nap and bedtime routine involve turning our music on (Baby hymn instrumental-night time and Scripture songs 2-nap time) then crawling into bed. This has helped with the laying down for bed or nap tantrums. She still displays her dislike with her lip poked out, but again progress from our "respiratory attacks"! We were told that she has major mood changes which was something that was going to get her put on lots of medication in the orphanage. We have found these mood swings to be surrounded with the word "no" or her not being able to do what she wants. With consistent use of the rod and lots of praise and love when she accepts "no" without complaint we have greatly seen these mood swings diminish and a very charming, delightful, peaceful child emerge.

Kathlena has developed unique bonds with each of her family members. She loves to play with her brothers--J.Michael, she likes for him to chase her and pick her up, Andrew she likes to play cars, in the kiddie pool or just sitting near him and playing. She also loves to help her big sister Emily that she calls "MiMi". She is a Dah-eee (Daddy's) girl. She lights up when she see him and he is the one she calls for when she gets hurt...so sweet. With Momma, she is my little shadow following me and helping me where ever I go. She is so curious and very busy...I love this age as life is so exciting and fun.

We have also begun "blanket" training. This is where Kathlena must sit quietly near me on a blanket with a few toys and play--like a playpen only it is her will that is trained to contain herself not physical barriers. She is not to get off the blanket until Mommy says it is okay. She really did not like this at first but once she realized this was not optional she would sit and play happily thus allowing Mommy to prepare dinner or in the mornings get a shower! She is always where she can see me and know that I am right there but Daily, I see this improve and time increase that she sits contently playing. This has been wonderful for safety because little ones can grab a hot pot or pull something down on themselves with you standing right next to them (experience talking as our 10yr old son did this with a iron when he was 18 months old and hubby was standing right there and placed the iron down on the ironing board for a second...this accident resulted in thumb surgery at 5yrs of age--a very bad burn). It is also teaching her self control as she must of her will choose to stay on the blanket or receive the consequence. Kathlena has become a very happy, content 3yr old with consistency...it is not easy to keep this as their "cuteness" gets you diverted, but the fruit is so worth the work.

Kathlena is growing so much each day. It is hard to believe it has only been a month since she has been with us. At the same time I can't believe how quickly a month has flown by. I look at pictures from our trip and I don't even see the same little girl. She is my precious "little Lena" who is so full of life and has this amazing laugh that makes you smile from the inside out. I love you my sweet baby girl!

Andrew Progress Report

Andrew is such a sweet boy. He really has a tender spirit about him and is very calm and considerate for his age. He has been very patient with us as we continue to navigate the language issues. He continues each day to pick up new words and still parrots everything we say even whole phrases.

His understanding of the language is amazing to me right now. I can give specific instructions like "Andrew go put your swimsuit on" and he understands this. Now if he is engaged in playing or doing something else he may move a little slower(like English speaking 5yr olds) to do things like "pick up the cars and toys", but he understands clearly when it is something he wants to do. He is still saying much in Russian, but tends to add hand signals--our own sign language is developing. It works as we are able to communicate effectively this way.

My friend and fellow home schooler and children's book lover (Thanks, Tracy and Demmer family) sent us the cutest books Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson. Andrew loves this book and it's simple explanation of being sick was beautifully illustrated and using repetition the word "sick" is reinforced. When Andrew hears the word "sick" in other contexts his ears perk up and he will tell me "sick" and do the hand motion demonstrating the word sick. He loves to be read to and it is so cute because he is mostly watching me instead of looking at the book. He is really picking up on the facial cues and other aspects of language right now. I am just amazed at how quickly they adapt and change even the sounds of letters they have known are changing sometimes over night. He has learned to say "excuse me" when he burps and like most 5yr old boys he makes himself burp for fun only he likes to so he can say "excuse me". Well at least he is learning to connect the two...good manners.

We have been using a DVD series of phonics called Leap Frog Letter Factory
This was recommended by a friend of mine and Andrew really likes it. He loves music and the characters in it are humorous which he also likes to mimic. He is absolutely glued to this and will sometimes watch it twice in one day.

Andrew has continued to sleep well and eat well. He is still on the picky side sometimes refusing to eat what has been fixed for him. It is hard, but I do not fix alternates for him as I know he will eat when he is truly hungry. Without fail the next meal/snack he eats what is in front of him even things he has refused to eat before. He was really not keen on raw milk so I did give in and start adding a little chocolate to it and that did the trick. He does love fruits and veggies and meat, meat and more meat. One thing he is not as keen on is food that is mixed--like casseroles although, he likes quesadillas and tacos with all the fixin's. He is also a bit of a pepper belly eating a fresh bell pepper right out of our garden. He really likes that he can go out and collect tomatoes, strawberries, onions and peppers out of the garden and eat them right there. He thinks it is so funny that we can just pick them and eat them.

Our scale is not very accurate, but I definitely think Andrew has gained some weight. He has bulked up through his core and I think his face has filled out some too. I began giving both he and Kathlena cod liver oil and colostrum chewable capsules everyday since the first day they became ours. Andrew's hair and nails have grown so quickly. I also think his hair is much thicker now and so soft and shiny not fuzzy. I am trimming nails almost twice a week now!

I took Andrew and Kathlena for a walk...only Kathlena rode in the stroller and Andrew rode the scooter. He did so well and never gave up or complained although it was difficult for him to balance. I noticed though that his endurance has greatly improved since we were in Moscow as he struggled to walk long distances. Perhaps nutrition has improved this too in a short time. He loved seeing all the neighborhood animals and trees. It was so fun to see it through his eyes. He talked the whole way saying "Momma" over and over. I never tire of hearing those words though. He is such a delight...we are tying many strings now; I love you my dear sweet Andrew.

First Jump...trampoline pics finally

Okay, It has taken me a while to get these posted as I have had so many good pictures to choose from. A picture is worth a 1000 words so this should tell the story.

Three boxes and 5 helpers...yes I think we will have this
together in no time!

Progress

Kathlena checking out these "rods" not exactly what she
thinks of when she hears the word rod.

Andrew decided he would supervise from the top of the
house.

Kathlena...Daddy's faithful little helper



Taking a break to feed the dogs

It got too dark so first jump wasn't until the next morning









Mom getting her workout in her new gym



Kathlena is our gate keeper.

Testing out the netting.

Too cute not to include.

Safety Sue...zipping everyone in.

Even Dad gives it a jump.

Kathlena was so tired that she fell asleep at the table.
Trampoline jumping wears you out!