6 weeks home!

Well we have been home 6 weeks now! Wednesday afternoon was the day, and amazingly Pasha has started eating better too that very day! Every meal since then he's eaten pretty well too! He's almost eating as much as my other two American toddlers! Callen is eating too much, he has some food issues and freaks out if others have food and he doesn't. We are trying to give him things that aren't bad for him like dry Cheerios and fruit but he's eating so much he's getting chubbier. He came home weighing 32 lbs and now weighs 36.....uh yeah he's a chunk. He has an appointment next month at a diabetic/endocrinology clinic because some of his labs were concerning. They suspect that he has juvenile diabetes but of course want to do more testing and rule other things out too. 

Next week Pasha has an appointment to be fitted for a manual wheelchair, car seat and bath and toilet equipment. I'm hoping that the wheelchair will be ready by the time school starts, I was told he has to have a chair to start classes. So if his isn't ready we may have to rent one for him. Both boys are doing really really great considering where they were less than 2 months ago, we still are working on things but I did successfully take all 4 little ones to Target last week with my parents and no one had a meltdown! Yay!!! In other news our house is going on the market today..... We didn't know the full extent of Pasha's condition of course until we got to Ukraine and met him. We had hoped he would be able to stand at least someday and possibly walk with a walker. We realized upon seeing him that wasn't going to happen and several doctors have confirmed our concerns. He *might* stand someday but that's a very slim possibility and it wouldn't be alone he'd need lots of medical equipment to do it and more surgeries just for that slight possibility. So long story short we are looking for a house we can handicap equip easier and one that's close to town for all the dr and therapy appointment both boys will need. Also we need another bedroom......more about that later:) 

5 weeks in America

Today is 5 weeks since I arrived in the US with the boys. I've almost been home as long as I was gone, still not quite acclimated back to my life here probably because I have more kids now and we are all still getting used to each other! Anyway since I'm feeling very melancholy about some parts of my trip and missing that country today I'll post a few pics:)

This was on a hill outside the city looking over it.

This was up in the mountains at Yalta

You can see Swallows nest castle in the background

Taken from the boat headed to Swallows Nest

A cruise ship in Yalta

Mmm yummy Shaslik!!!! So good!

Referrals

Our summer so far has been full of doctor appointments and referrals for more appointments. I think we are seeing almost every specialist at Texas Children's this summer. The boys are still doing very good overall of course they each have their own issues we are dealing with and trying to work through. Considering they have been home just under 5 weeks And where they came from they're doing amazing. 

Pasha can point to several body parts when you ask where they are in English and can now count to 5 in English. Callen went with my sister and Kaeden to her neighborhoods splash pad on Saturday for a few hours and did great! Ashlyn has started to get annoyed with all of her younger siblings. Since she is so much older its hard on her and all 4 little ones fight for her attention. She needs a sibling close to her age to help fend off the affection from the rug rats here!!! 

Anyway other than waiting to see more doctors that's about all we are doing these days other than trying to integrate the boys into American family life:)

Yay, finally Friday!!!

It's Friday!!! I like Fridays because it means that I get Saturdays and Sundays with Jared home! Not only do I enjoy seeing him and spending time with him but I get him here during the day to help with the kids. He's an awesome dad and very hands on so it's a huge huge help when he's home. I can go to the bathroom alone, I can shower alone and even run a few errands alone!!! I love my kiddos but just like every mom I cherish those few moments of me time too. 

I took the boys yesterday to TX Children's for their evaluations at the International Adoption Clinic, got a TON of referrals mostly for Grayson but a few for Callen too. I took Ashlyn with me to help and she was great, her younger siblings all love her so much and she's so good with them. She is only 10 but sometimes is much more mature and responsible, sometimes lol after all she is only 10:) 

This is Kaeden and Callen and then Callen and Pasha aka Grayson at the dr office.

The chaos of having two new siblings!

So it's still pretty chaotic here, it's getting better everyday but by no means is it all rainbows and unicorns! Adding another child to the mix is always a transition especially when they are "older" and have some institutionalization behaviors. Good news is both new boys are making good progress! The two younger kids Kaeden and Savannah are also doing great with this change. Of course there are lots of screams and yells in my house right now but I have 4 kids 4 years old and under and a moody 10 year old girl! My house looks like a very messy toy hoarder lives here right now! I still have not even had time to fully unpack yet and I'm slowly trying to keep up with the housework(unsuccessfully I might add) so I'll leave you with a few cute kid pics! 

Callen and Grayson aka Pasha

Savannah and Callen

Ashlyn and Pasha

Ashlyn with Savannah, Kaeden and Callen

Sorry it's been awhile....2 weeks home

Ok well sorry I have been pretty busy since we arrived home on Wed May 22nd. The last few days before arriving home were very hard and the flight home was an absolute nightmare. Both boys have some pretty severe behaviors as a result of being institutionalized and neither have ever really left the orphanage before. Out of our 3 flights home a total of about 16 hours of flight time Callen screamed about 12 of them. My mother in law and I took turns trying to restrain him because he was freaking out so bad.  It's something I NEVER want to do again. Pasha had also barely been eating and drinking and was very dehydrated and running a fever off and on the last few days. We ended up in the ER at TX children's Hospital on Thursday night and were admitted for an emergency shunt replacement surgery. It's been two weeks today since we arrived in TX and its still pretty chaotic here. Pasha still is barely eating and drinking and has more tests at the hospital this week to try to figure out what's going on with him. Callen is having a rough time transitioning into family life, he really likes it here and loves us but is having problems with learning its not ok to hit, push, bite and steal siblings toys and food. It's a process and I know it will be a long one. Changing 3 years of bad behavior is hard work. Kaeden and Savannah are also adjusting slowly to having new siblings, they of course are jealous and really too young to understand why the boys are acting the way they are. Ashlyn has been great though, she's helping out around the house and with all the little ones! I'm very grateful for her. Anyway better go I hear Savannah waking up from her nap and I don't want her to wake up her brothers!!!

Coming home soon!!!