Monday, January 30, 2012

The 411

Here is the 411 on my treasures!!!!

Taylor, will be 18 next month.  Tay was not willing to let me take her picture with out make-up on.  So this is the result.


Conor is 16 years old, his birthday is in March.  He was at ski club when I took these pictures so I used one from yesterday.



Nick is 13 years old, his birthday is in April.


Owen is 4 years old, his birthday is in August.  Owie wears a 5T.


Isabelle will be 4 next month.  Bellie wears 3T.


Gavin is 3 years old, his birthday is in May.  Gav wears 18 month pants and 24 month shirts.  (he is our littlest)


Then our youngest is Sara and she is 3 years old, her birthday is in July.  SG wears a 4T/5T.


From July 22nd to August 9th of each year the quads will all be the same age.

After putting together this post I realize why I am EXHAUSTED!!!!!!  That's a lot of little ones - WOW!!!!  Just Kidding - we definitely knew what we were doing when we chose to adopt 4 children all around the same age.  We believed and still do believe that Gavin & Belle will thrive with "typical" siblings the same age.   Gavin is already trying to do everything Owen & Sara do - it's Amazing.  Sweet Belle is climbing up the stairs like a champ because she wants to follow her siblings.  Owen & Sara are so protective of Belle and they are stepping right up with the same protection for Gav.  I am certain many people might think we are CRAZY and they are probably right but I tell you what, I will carry that title all day long to live this incredible life!!!

A Few "Firsts" for Gavin

 First time in his stroller with his big sister.
 First time going for a walk with his siblings.
 First time hanging out at the gate with Belle!!!  Look at the size difference.  Belle is a GIANT compared to Gav!!!
 Look how Owen towers both these guys!!!
 First time hanging out in the kitchen while Dad makes dinner.
 First time for all these guys to decorate eggs Ukranian style!!!
 We had so much fun!!
 These guys do good work, don't you think?
 First bath in HIS tub!!!
First bath with his big sister Belle and his little sister Sara!!!

So far so Good!!  Bring on day 2!!!!!!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Home - Home - Home - Home!!!!!!

Gavin did AMAZINGLY well on the 24 hour journey HOME!!!  He is just the BEST little guy EVER!!!!  We arrived home pretty late.  He was very tired.  He pretty much slept through his introductions to his new family members.

 Sara wants to hold her Big Brother!!!!!  I realize now that I am home how very little Gav is!!!
 The Quads together for the First Time!!!!
 Taylor Holding Gav for the first time!!!!  LOVE!!!!
 Gav started to wake up a little bit!!!
 Gavin meeting Grandma Mary for the first time!!!  Such a very lucky boy!!!!
 After a good night sleep, the toddlers are all SMILES!!!!
 Okay, I keep looking at this picture and I just CRY!!!!  I am just AMAZED that GOD Chose us to be the parents of this group.   I can NOT even believe how BLESSED I am!!!!!  ADOPTION ROCKS!!!!!!
 I am their MOM!!!!  SO WOW!!!!!!!
 Thank You REECE'S RAINBOW for my pot of GOLD at the end of the RAINBOW!!!!!!
 Oh My Gosh!!!  LOOK AT THEM!!!!!!

Be Aware!!!!  

DOWN SYNDROME IS A BLESSING!!!!!!
and
ADOPTION ROCKS

Friday, January 27, 2012

Visa

 Okay Mom, I am ready to go out and Explore this big beautiful city!!!
 What do you mean we have to go to the Embassy again???
 C'mon Mom - can't we go get this Visa thing later?????
Oh, I need it to go home???  Well, let's go get this Visa Thing!!!!

GOT IT!!!!!

Eggs

Gavin had his medical exam yesterday.  The Doctor was so nice, he explained to Gavin everything he was going to do so sweetly.  He showed me Gavin's private parts and said "you will have to get this looked at in America".  I knew that he was referring to an undescended testicle.  After the exam the Doctor explained everything he found to our translator.  Then our translator said to me very seriously that

 "he has a problem with his eggs"


(This was for you Sarah Basile)


He was so so serious and I just couldn't laugh - I had to keep it in.  So I nodded my head that I understood.

So many good times here in Ukraine - Really, if you can't see humor in this process some days it can eat you alive - or that's how I look at it at least!!!

Back to the Medical!!  The Doctor was concerned about Gav's cough.  I was sure he was going to order a chest xray.  I was so nervous that this could delay his visa process and we wouldn't be able to go home Saturday.  I told the Doctor that I am sure his cough is just reflux.  That he only sounds "junky" after he eats and then he is able to clear it out.  

Praise GOD - The Doctor didn't order the xray!!!!  

So that's that!  We will pick up Gavin's visa today at the Embassy and then we are DONE!!!  We will get on a plane tomorrow at 6:30 am and head home FOREVER!!!!!  Oh boy does that sound so good!!!!



Gavin is so ready to go Home 
and 
Meet the Rest of his Forever FAMILY!!!!!!



Thursday, January 26, 2012

Yucky Yucky Yesterday

Yesterday was our NOT FUN DAY!!

 Our driver picked me up at 10:00 am to get Gav's passport and then head to Poltava to have his passport stamped.  Poltava is about an hour and half drive.  The plan was to leave the three boys behind so Gavin didn't have to be in the car too long because we would head to Kiev later in the day and that is a 4 hour drive.  

Gavin has generously shared with me the nasty bug that caused him to have that awful stinky blow out diaper the other day.  So I was pretty nervous getting in the car since I had been visiting the bathroom very frequently the 24 hours before.  Everything went fine - no issues at all - THANK GOD!!!

 I get back to the apartment and we start packing the car to head to Kiev.   Four hours of the Five hour drive (Thanks to traffic) in to our trip, Gav let it all out AGAIN in his diaper.  Oh Friends - I can NOT even come close to describe the SMELL!!   Our poor DRIVER!!!  He doesn't speak any English but he so understood how sorry I was for the smell.  He was so sweet and shrugged his shoulders as to let me know
 "Poop Happens"

 Now, I haven't had anything to eat in over 24 hours and I am getting pretty grumpy.  We get to our new apartment and we head up five flights of stairs.  I am almost DEAD at this point.   I made it and felt like I accomplished climbing some huge mountain while carrying my stinky little monster.

The boys head back down the stairs to get all our bags.  I am trying to get the key out of the door because it is stuck and all of a sudden I hear Nick, five flights down screaming.  So, Stink boy is in the apartment, key stuck in the door and my 13 year old screaming for his life.  I could only imagine he saw something absolutely horrific or he fell down the elevator shaft.

 I panic!!  I grab Gav to RUN down the stairs.

 The elevator door opens and I hear Conor laughing - OH THANK GOD!!!  Then I see poor Nick and his eyes are so wide that I was pretty sure they will be stuck like that forever!!  I asked what happened.  Well, this was Nick's first time in an ity bitty elevator and they were having a hard time fitting in it with the bags and the door shut on him so he SCREAMED!!!!   See the doors don't just stop and reopen if something gets in the way they just keep trying to close.  My poor Nick was terrified!!!   Obviously his big brother Conor thought seeing his brother scared for his life was the funniest thing he had ever seen.

This of course is all so super funny now but I promise you I was not thinking anything was funny yesterday.  So I was so mad at Nick for screaming like he was being killed and I was furious at Conor for laughing.  Oh boy - I was Hot Mama of Grump City for sure!!!

Finally I start to clean up poor Gavin who has now been in a brutal diaper for far too long.  I put the new diaper under him and he starts to go some more and more and more and more.  He points to his little bum as if to say "what the heck is going on down there Mom!!"  THREE DIAPERS WORTH!!!!  Forget the stairs being a huge accomplishment, standing while this is going on is where I earned some heroic kind of Medal - I am sure of it!!!!

Then we all got cleaned up and headed to TGIF's for dinner.  Gavin was so AWESOME!!!   It was past his bedtime, he had lost most of his bodily fluids and he was the best behaved little toddler ever.  He is so AMAZING!!!

I needed food for sure because I felt so much better and stepped down in my grump status.  The boys were very relieved I am sure.  They have made fun of me all day for how grumpy I was - I guess I had it coming.

We all slept great and we woke up to a donation - THANK YOU TERI!!!!!!

Guess what???  We head home Saturday!!!!!  Oh I am so so so so HAPPY!!!  I can NOT wait for us all to be together!!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!!   Also, I think Gav and I are in need of some heavy duty medication.




That beautiful boy is soon to be HOME FOREVER!!!!!!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Poor Poor Taxi Driver

This Beautiful Little Boy:

 Who Likes To Dress Himself
 Put On His Brother's Hat

and Flirt Endlessly with Anya

Decided a nice fancy restaurant was the PERFECT place to have the stinkiest Blow Out Diaper EVER!!!  Oh Yes, he did!!!  So I took him to the bathroom and realized I was in some serious trouble.  Blow out like no other - it went through his onesie, his tights and his jeans!!  So I stop and try and think what to do.  I quickly realize the only option is to call a cab and bring him to the apartment for a power wash.  Anya and her brother Egor were with us and they were so understanding and helpful.  Anya asks for the check and I stayed in the hallway with Gav.  I sure didn't want to bring him back in the dining room - YUCK!!  The boys decide they will stay and go bowling with Egor and Anya will return to the apartment with me.  We get in the cab and guess what????  I FORGOT THE KEY AGAIN.  Oh My - so I am in this 130 degree taxi with the stinkiest of stinky boys and poor Anya runs back in to get the key from Conor.  Oh this poor poor taxi driver.  He was coughing, he was wiping his nose and I am pretty sure he was on the verge of getting out of the car to let me drive home myself.  I was so embarrassed!!!  This poor man was dying from the stench and I felt so bad.  Anya returns with the key and the driver takes off like he is in the super Mario race car game.  It is snowing and slick and we are fish tailing at every turn.  I honestly didn't blame him as I too wanted to get to the apartment as quick as possible. He was still coughing with an added gag here and there.  Then he drove down a one way street just to get us out of the car that much quicker.  Did I mention that this taxi was a Mercedes Benz??  Oh yes, we drive in STINK but in style!!!

I run in to the apartment and shower off my stink monster.  Rinse out his clothes.  Dress him.  Sit for a moment because I am sweating to death.  I then get his coat on because I have to go back out - I didn't have dessert.  Anya was so awesome about all this.  The poor girl opened the window while I was showering Gavin - she had to do it - really, it was that BAD!!!!!

We met the boys at this great coffee house.  I ordered German Chocolate Cake with a mocha chino and banana pancakes for Gavin.  Conor & Nick ordered specialty tea and Egor ordered the same chocolate cake I did.  OH MY EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD!!!


Gavin was starting to get pretty tired and so was I since it was 10:00 PM.

We called a cab and GUESS WHO THE DRIVER WAS????  Yes, poor same guy.  Oh his face was priceless when he saw who he was picking up.  When I got in the car I was greeted with an overwhelming lemon freshness.  He obviously had to deodorize the car after the EPISODE earlier.  Poor Poor Taxi Driver!!!

We hope to be able to get Gavin's passport today.  If we do then we will head to Kiev tonight and we should be able to fly home on FRIDAY!!!!!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!!!!!  So Praying that we don't have a Gavin Diaper Bomb on the plane - that sure would be something!!!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

So Amazing!!!

Our good friend Kostya came to visit us on Friday!!  Oh how I love this boy!!  He brought the boys bowling and they went out for pizza.  They had such a wonderful time!!

Conor had just woken up for a nap and Gavin was so ready for bed.

Saturday night we went out with our beautiful friend Anya.

 We did some shopping and went out for dinner.  I so LOVE the food here.  I had chicken and mushroom pancakes which was so so YUMMY!!!  I also had a very delicious salad.  Then for desert, a chocolate filled pancake with vanilla ice cream.  I know some people shed some pounds while here in Ukraine - this is so not the case for me.

Gavin is so well behaved.  Honestly, his transition to living a completely different life couldn't be going any better.  We take him everywhere and he just adapts beautifully.  We went to a shop and a lady from behind a counter reached her arms out to hold him.  Can you believe this???  This lady did not hesitate for a second - she wanted to hold my handsome love bug.  Obviously I don't blame her a bit. This Kid is just spectacular.  You know what else this crazy monkey is doing???  Imitating English words like a CHAMP.  He can say "Hi", "Bye, Bye", "Mama" and "up".   He is also walking, walking, walking!  The only problem when he walks is that he seems to misjudge how close the couch or a chair is and he starts to let him self reach too soon.  Sometimes he falls.  Well, yesterday he fell so close to the couch that he hit his little chin.  He only cried for about 30 seconds and this is the first time I have ever even heard him cry.  He let me hold and snug him and he calmed right down.


Gavin is showing you his Ouchie!!  Poor buddy!!!

Sometimes he gets a little bored in the apartment and we find him doing this.

 As long as he is having fun, right?
 Love it!!!
 Brushing Nick's hair is fun too!!
 Begging for a cookie!!!
 So happy the begging worked!!!
Okay, now for this super amazing story!!  Are you ready??  Anya came to get us this morning at 8:30 am.  We were going to try and find a stroller.  They do not sell umbrella strollers here in the winter as it is considered a summer item but we were going to try.  So we went to a store that has lots of strollers - beautiful, beautiful strollers.  I found one similar to an umbrella stroller but much nicer.  It was 500 grivna so about $60 - $70.  I really didn't want to spend that much.  Since I was so dumb not to bring one from home - ugh!!  So Anya asked if they have anything a little less expensive.  The lady went to the back and came out with two strollers.  The one you see above and a more simple green one.  I was sure the blue one was more money so I asked about the green one.  It was 300 grivna.  I said perfect.  She said the blue one would be a little cheaper because it was a display but she would have to ask the owner.  I was very interested.  So Anya explained that this is for an adoption and if we could get the blue one for less money this would be great.  The lady came out and GUESS WHAT???

 She said "This is a Gift for you, no charge"!!!

I of course CRIED!!!  Really?????  How nice was that???  I still can't believe it!  This stroller is so nice and even if it wasn't - this is just so generous.  So I left with the gift!!  We went to the store right next door and I bought a beautiful box of chocolates and brought it back to these super sweet ladies.  They didn't want to take the chocolate.  I said "Please" and "Thank You so very much" with tears of course and both ladies got a little teary eyed too. They took the chocolates!!  So Awesome!!!

Then, listen to this.  Anya's brother met us out this morning.  He was going to take the boys on the cable car and then to McDonalds and I would go back to the apartment to feed Gavin.  Anya would go back to the apartment with me to help with the groceries and my super sweet stroller.  I gave the boys some money and the "be good" lecture and I got in the cab.  I knew immediately that this driver was different then the others we have had.  He was talkative and smiled lots.  We got to the apartment and I realized that Conor had the key.  I was still so excited about the stroller I had forgotten the KEY.  So Anya calls her brother, the boys are still waiting for the trolley car.  Our driver is so sweet, he just laughs and waits for Anya to finish on the phone and brings us back to the bus stop to find the boys.  Anya opens the window to get the key and we drive away but the window wont close.  It is snowing.  The driver pulls over and reaches over and he too tries to shut it but can't.  We are all laughing.  Even Gavin!!  So he closes it enough so that no snow can't get in and we head back to the apartment.   He parks right in front of our door, jumps out and helps me out of the car.  He says he will only charge 10 grivna.  Now this would of cost at least 30 grivna.  SO SUPER NICE!!  I have to be honest - he is very good looking too.  So I say "this is the nicest driver ever".  Anya translates and he gives us his "number" so we can request him.  He smiles the best smile and says goodbye.   He drives away and I tell Anya - "he is the man for you".  So my new mission is to set these two up.  So Fun!!!

So many super super nice and very generous people today!!!  GOD IS GOOD!!!!!