assessment today for early intervention

Vahnya had his assessment today for early intervention . They decided to asses him for the 0-2 age instead of the 3-5 age and I'm so glad they did. He did great but didn't say anything or sign anything little stinker. There was a young 20s maybe Russian girl there to help translate in case he knew Russian . She said he didn't seem to know anything she said and didn't respond to Her at all when she asked him a question in Russian or asked him to do something. The English speaking lady asked him the same question and he responded to her. So looks like he has forgotten any Russian he knew.All the babble he does that we thought may be Russian is just babble lol.



The nice thing about him being assessed at the 0-2 age is that they will come to our house to do his therapy. Since I teach preschool and do childcare in my home I am considered his teacher and they will work with us together. Instead of us having to send him to a preschool. I'm so happy about this. If they would have assessed him at the 3-5 age we would not have had that option.


Had to get a signed letter from his doctor saying he does in fact have Down syndrome lol then they will contact me to set everything up. I'm excited about this can't wait for him to start talking more then just one word at a time.

  I Also got to chat a bit with the Russian girl .She told me that her mom worked in a baby home when she was little and she gave me more insight about why people in Russia decide to let their baby that has special needs go to an orphanage. What she said sounded like she truly believed it was for the best. I so wanted to sit down with her and talk more. I know this is the way they think there. They think it is for the best. so when they send their children there they are not doing this because they don't love them, but because they think it is the best thing. I feel so bad for them and it gives me such sadness to know these parents do love their children they just don't know any better.I think that years ago here in the US we were the same way ONE DAY I KNOW THINGS WILL CHANGE AND UNTIL THEN WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP.

6 months since Gotcha!

6 mo ago today was Vahnyas last moments in his babyhouse with his people he had grown up with for three years and 4 months.
                                         HERE HE IS WITH ONE OF HIS NANNIES.

 6 mo ago I had my baby boy in my arms alone for the 1st time to dress as I wished, feed what I wished and play with how I wished. He was finally after a year of loving him mine!

The other day he was sitting on my lap looking at pictures from his gotcha day on the computer he made a face and a sound and hit his hand at one boy over and over. I said is that your friend? he looks at me with a mean face and said NOOO! lol then he pointed at each of the other kids. I said is that your friend? he said du to each of them. He took the camera we use for Skype and tried to put it up , he wanted to Skype with his friends..I wonder how much he remembers.

Here is the picture I was talking about, the boy he didn't like is the one in the middle dark hair white shirt lol.

                                         First car ride

First friend (Anya)

This is the smile I got when he woke up from his first nap.

                                             First meal

First bath

He was 27 lbs and 28 inches when we took him from his baby home he now weighs 31 lbs 9 oz and is 37 inches in 6 mo. 

                                                              First night.

He has learned to love I mean really love. he has learned so much in just 6 months it is hard to believe that it has only been that long. I can't even remember when I didn't get to wake up to this sweet smile in the morning.

The only one regret I have about Gotcha day is that his daddy was not there with us.

How I love his eyes!

Oh how I love his eyes! there is just something about them, so beautiful, they sparkle with joy, he smiles with his eyes. Such a rich color brown and a wonderful almond shape, slanted ever so sweetly.Oh how  I love his eyes! They are just so absolutely beautiful!

Listen is God calling you?

Listen is God calling you to help Orphans?..... He calls us to many different positions to care for the orphans, none is better then the other, all of the positions he calls us to are important, all of his children are worthy of love. Maybe he is calling you to Russia, Ethiopia,Bulgaria or China. Maybe it's the US saving a baby from being aborted giving their parents another option thru adoption, or becoming a foster parent. Or maybe you donate to other families in the process of their adoption.Or you can be called to be the voice of the voiceless orphans locked away. .Maybe you are called to pray for the children or the families adopting.


Listen to your heart is God calling you? Will you listen?... Will you react?... Will you respond?... Your response could very well be a matter of life and death!....

Just look at this 9 year old little girl what would become of her if her family didn't listen and respond to the call to go get her? I don't want to even think about it. http://theblessingofverity.com/2011/08/my-baby/

FUN! with friends at mommy's daycare

smart boy can say 18 words and sign 19

Vahnya can say 18 words and sign 19 and after only being home for 4 months what a smart boy!
words he can say
no
don't
stop
up
hot
done
baby
step
hat
dada
Denzy (Kenzy)
Dosh (Josh)
Danda (Manda)
milk
hi
bye
owee
boo

signs he can do
swim
banana
milk
more
eat
done
please
thank you
love you
apple
bath
swim
daddy
mommy
sleep
cracker
bye bye or hi
hot

like a forest

I was looking into the forest  at all the  different trees.They were different in size, different in color.Some branches stretched out long to the sky, some stretched out wide to touch each other. Some were tall some were short. They all stood together  and it was beautiful.They were living in the same soil, they had the same sun shine on them, they all had the same rain rain down on them. They were different in ways but also the same. They were all all trees. If they were all the same it would be boring, it would just be row after row of the same tree. It made me think of the world how boring would it be if we were all the same. I'm so glad that God made each of us different yet the same!

2nd post placement visit and some news

 We had our 2nd post placement visit today. That is where the social worker that did your homestudy comes out and visits you and the child and asks you questions about how things are going. Then she writes a report and sends it to the agency that did your adoption they send it onto the country you adopted from. It lets that country know that things are going well. I really don't mind it I think its a good idea and its really no big deal but it did cost $500.



here is Vahnya with Bev our social worker.

Josh got his drivers licence today wooohoooo! He is so grown up lol






I set up Vahnya's appointment for early intervention for Sept. when I was talking to the girl on the phone she was asking about him and she acted surprised that he already knew a bunch of sign language and also could say at least 13 words. she was also surprised that he was so healthy and he has been home only 4 months. lol guess he will be surprising lots of people in his life better get use to it. lol



                   NEWS!


Now for some big news! We have decided to do a new homestudy for a new adoption.Or a homestudy update is what it really is. We are doing that in January at the same time she does the 3 rd post placement report. It doesn't mean we are going to adopt or have a child in mind to adopt right now. We just want to keep our options open and being homestudy ready as they call it. Just makes thing go much faster and smoother when the time comes that the Lord tells us it is time.. It is going to cost us $1500 for the homestudy so we will be saving and maybe be doing a couple fundraisers to help.If any one wants to help out please do.As you have probably learned from Vahnya's Adoption,Adoption is not cheap! we can use all the help we can get.

The life of the party!

Vahnya is the life of any party!
here he is at Makenzys party he had to try out the game.


Here he is with Caitlin one of Amanda's friends at Amandas party.

Happy Boy!

Happy Happy boy!

Vahnya loves to play with his big brother Josh

Boy................... you make me smile!...................

I was teasing with mike tonight saying that I think Vahnya has gone from a baby to a preschooler in the four months since he has been home. but I really do think it is true .The last couple weeks he has had such an attitude sassy and just acting like any two year old would. yes I know he is three but gaining a year in four months is pretty good. When we brought him home he was like a baby more like a one year old.


He had a time out today because I took something away from him and he told me NO! with a sassy little look on his face. I said "YOU DO NOT TELL MOMMY NO! GO SIT IN TIME OUT." He marched his self over to the time out spot and sat with a grumpy face. It was the first time he went and sat in time out by his self with out me sitting him there. It was so darn cute it took all I had not to go hug him up and kiss him all over.

I can tell things are starting to click with him he has done things these last couple weeks he had never done before. Yesterday he asked for milk, he actually said MILK and today he said HOT when I was getting biscuits out of the oven.Today he also went and put something back in its place when I said "go put that back". and he puts things in the trash when I say, "go put that in the trash." He has really learned so much and he is starting to use what he has learned.

So I guess my baby is gone! at least I got to have him for 4 months. For now we have a two year old and I am happy and proud to deal with his two year old behavior.Bring on the terrible twos! And maybe in for months he will be into the three year old stuff. We will take it as it comes, how ever fast or slow, we will take him as he is, every bit of him, the sweet and the sassy!

 

Smile (Just want to be with You) Chris Rice

When we were going thru the adoption process it was tuff, there were times when I wanted to give up, times when I just wanted to hold Vahnya so much that my arms hurt for him. I would listen to this song by Chris Rice and cry and cry and cry and just let all my feelings out. This song meant so much to me. I haven't listened to it since we have been home until today and it is strange how a song that once brought so much emotion out of me now puts a huge smile on my face and makes me cry for other reasons happy reasons .

sweet

He has grown so much in just 4 months

He has grown look how little he was only 4 months ago.
being held up by one of his nannies on gotcha day

one lat time with his group

the ride away from baby home #6

in the apartment

look how skinny he was

in a front pack

on the train to Moscow

watching a movie with Anya

at our apartment in Moscow

playing with blocks at the Titus family's home

all dressed up and ready to go to the embassy and make this a done deal

long plane ride home


meeting his family for the first time

the car ride home.