Winter Wonderland

Snow Angel

Bashka, Natalie and the snowman

Me, Natalie and the snowman

Natalie building the snowman

Winter Wonderland

Yesterday marked 11 months since Natalie came home. We are in the process of completing the second of four post placement reports due to Russia. Her next one will be due a year from now. It is hard to imagine what she will be in like in another year. Last week I registered Natalie for kindergarten. Though I am looking forward to not having to pay day care costs, I do feel a bit sad that my "baby" is starting the "Big Girl" school. She is so excited. A brand new school is scheduled to open for the fall and technically she is to go to that school. But the way (I have learned all of this recently) the system is set up, we can request any school in the zone. We are only guaranteed the school in our district. I have requested a school in our zone and am praying that Natalie will be able to go there for a lot of different reasons. The most important one is that the school has an excellent reputation.

Yesterday we also had 5 inches of snow. I know so many people are tired of the snow, but it was a great treat for us. We built a snowman and played in the snow for awhile. Unfortunately the snowman lost his head today due to the bright sunny day we had.

Busy, busy, busy

Here is one of my favorite recent pictures: Natalie and her "Big Buddy Maxx!"

As usual, I am way behind on everything. Natalie and I have been busy doing some major painting and house overhauling!! We have managed to make it to a children's museum and work on some "school" tasks such as writing her name and spending time outdoors playing and flying a kite!! She is growing in leaps and bounds, not only physically but emotionally, socially and language wise.

I love it!!

I know there are people who blog every day and I wonder 1) where they find the time and 2) how there can be something every day to write about. I'm not being critical, but just amazed. Some days I feel like the days roll one right into the next. Other days, I think about so many things I want to write about, but just lack the energy. Last week was one of those weeks. It was a challenging week for both of us. This week has been an incredible great week. Natalie is so funny. The other day she was eating an apple. I kept encouraging her to eat more of the apple (she had eaten off the outer skin) and all of a sudden she said, "Mom, there are seeds in here!!" I wash the dishes and she says, "Mama thank you for washing my dish." I give her something like a special dessert and her response is, "Mama, I love it!" I wish I could some how convey the emotion and pleasure in her voice as she makes these comments.
We have have some very special prayer times lately. Tonight, she said, "Thank you Jesus that this is my home." Ohh, how that brought tears to my eyes and touched my heart.

Monday she went to the dentist and did great. No cavities and a good report. It looks like it won't be long before she starts losing her baby teeth. I also did a little checking and it won't be long before I have to register her for kindergarten. Oh, my sweet little girl is growing up so fast. Her speech and language skills continue to grow in leaps and bounds. There was a time when I was a bit concerned about her bonding and attachment to me. But now there is no doubt of our relationship. I think every sentence starts with, "Mom....bla bla..." She is constantly telling me that she loves me and you know what, "I love it!!!"

Throw Out!!

Thursday Natalie had her 4 year old wellness check up. Her first visit to the doctor was in April 2008. So not quite a year later and she has jumped up from the 25th percentile in height to the 48th percentile. She has gained a little weight but I'm not sure of the change in the percentile. Her pediatrician was so pleased with her health and how well she is doing. She is definitely the princess when she goes there. Everyone loves her and she always manages to leave with 3 stickers and 3 suckers. Because she has to have one to give Bashka and one for mommy too. She was scheduled to have 2 shots. We had talked about it for weeks and she did great until the nurse came back with the shots. She cried of course but as soon as they were done she stopped. We got ready to leave and I was checking in to see when she would need to return to get her kindergarten shots. We were offered the opportunity to have the 2 needed shots that day or return in July. (So hard to believe that my baby will be going to school next year.) I asked Natalie what she wanted to do and she said she would get the additional 2 shots. So back into the exam room where she happily started to play again. In walked the nurse with the needles and this sudden look of disbelief came on her face. She did not cry but started breathing heavy and before she knew it, the shots were all over. So my sweet brave girl had 4 shots that day and does not have to have any more for a very long time!!

Friday night during dinner, she commented that her belly hurt a little but she kept eating any way and finished her supper. She then watched a movie with Bashka and danced on the bed. Then she had her bath. While she was sitting in the tub, she asked me to wash her (this independent child always wants to do this herself.) and again said her belly hurt. So I got her out of the tub and managed to put her underclothes on when all of a sudden she "threw out" several times all over the carpet. I got her cleaned up and put her to bed. I sat on her bed rubbing her belly and just waiting for her to fall asleep. About 30 minutes later she "threw out" again with most going into the garbage can, but still managed to hit the sheets, bed skirt and carpet. After everything was cleaned up from the incident, she managed to fall asleep and was much better the next day.

I am sure you are wondering why I am sharing these lovely details with you. Friday night brought back so many memories for me. My very first night that I took custody of Natalie, she threw up about 3 different times that night. She was also very congested and had a serious cold. The lady in the housekeeping department was so sweet and kind and came and changed the sheets each time. Natalie was so sick and here I was the first night with her and I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me or communicate with her or comfort her since she couldn't understand me. I felt horrible. We did get some medical help and they were able to give her a shot and bring her temperature down. And we made it through that first night. She has not been sick on her stomach since that time. As I watched my sweet little girl fall asleep on Friday night, I realized how far we have come as a family and how much my love for her has grown. What a joy it was to be able to understand her and that she would tell me what was wrong, that I could hold and rock her and just reassure her that everything was going to be okay. She just held on to me and looked at me with eyes full of love and trust. God has blessed me with an incredible child. I am truly humbled and honored that He has entrusted this child to me.

Pictures

Natalie received bathtub crayons. Here is some of her artwork. Just in case, you can't tell, I am the one on the right and Natalie is on the left

Here are the boys, Maxx and Joey longing to go outside.

Natalie in the rocking chair she got from Bashka for Christmas.

Natalie in her beauty shop tent, a Christmas present from mommy.

All dressed up for the Christmas program she sang in at church.

2009!!!!

As usual I am way behind on updating my blog. Christmas, New Year's Day and almost a whole week in the new year have come and gone. I do feel like life is slowing down and I am getting some sense of order and structure back into my life. In the past on New Year's Eve I would stay up until midnight and write in my journal. I would review the past year, write what I think God is saying for the next year and set some goals (not resolutions) for the new year. The last several years, it has been New Year's Day or New Year's Day eve before I would do this little ritual. It is now the eve of the 6th and I have yet to accomplish this task.

Christmas was very low keyed. Natalie didn't know what to expect so she slept until 7:30 and we made our way slowly downstairs. My mom came over and we just took our time opening presents. We went to my sister's for dinner and then came home about 7:00. Since I had to work the next day, we went to bed early. I think I enjoyed Christmas Eve perhaps a bit more. We went to my mom's and watched the Charlie Brown Christmas video (I have yet to upgrade to a DVD) and then read 2 different children's books which told about Jesus' birth. It was a sweet time.

New Year's Eve was just a quiet night at home with me heading to bed by 10:30 since I had to work the next day. I am so happy to report that I now have a full year of vacation time ahead of me. I am looking forward to a real vacation and planning some day trips with Natalie.

In the month of December I made 8 trips to the vet between the two cats. They are doing well now. Maxx is still healing but should be completely healed within the week. They have big areas that were shaved and they look quite funny. They have not been allowed back outside, though Maxx did manage to escape one night. He was finally caught about an hour later.

I am now scheduling a visit with my social worker for our year post placement report. Natalie has been home over 9 months now. It is amazing to hear her speak and now she is associating things (like clothes, puzzles, etc.) with the time we were in Russia. What is interesting to me, is that she does not only associate those things with Russia, but also with me. She doesn't talk about her life before being with me. It is almost as if her life began at that point. She goes for her wellness check up this week and according to my measurements, she has grown almost 4 inches. Still doesn't seem to be gaining weight, but she can eat!!! She is great because she is not picky or fussy about what she eats. Loves salads, vegetables, meat and she does like her sweets too!!

She is just as loving and affectionate as always. And she loves to talk and talk and talk!! She is growing up so fast!! Please enjoy the pictures!!