It’s been toooooo long….

I’m a Mom ….I just love saying that I have a son, my child, my precious little angel. How am I doing…well the answer is great..(this week)!!!

Let me explain…When we arrived on Christmas night from Russia, we figured we would have a bit of energy to at least eat. We made sure Joey ate but Walter and I just couldn’t find the energy to eat. I wasn’t feeling good from when we arrived in Moscow on the 20th and we were tired. The next day went well for the most part. Joey was extremely attached to my hip, which was adorable however NO ONE could even talk to him without him crying. It was pretty sad…not for Joey but for our families that have been praying for arrival and couldn’t wait to get their arms around him.

We had a wonderful dinner at my in-laws on the 26th. My family was invited as well and we were all together. We ate well, we had fun then we went home and that’s where the fun began.

I wasn’t feeling so good. I ignored it as much as I could. I put Joey in the high chair. He seemed hungry so I was feeding him mashed fruit. All of a sudden I couldn’t ignore the feeling in my stomach. I told Walter to take over, ran upstairs to the bathroom and threw up so much…It was horrible!!! I laid down for about 15 minutes got up and threw up again. It happened again and Walter called my doctor. Doctor said if it happens one more time bring me to the hospital. Well it happened a few more times…OFF to the hospital we went (my mom stayed with Joey). Long story short…I had an infection of my intestines from antibiotics prescribed by a doctor in Moscow, which were too strong for my body to take. After IVs with lots of different medicines so I would stop throwing up…finally it worked. I was sent home at 6:30am with prescriptions and a good luck and a feel better!

I was completely out of commission for 2 days after that. Walter became Mr. Mom/Nurse. We called for back up and our friend Kelly came to the rescue. She came over for most of the day and helped with Joey and me. When I was able to get back on my feet (sort of) we notice that Joey was still not feeling better. We went to the Pediatrician and found out that Joey had a double ear infection and a cold. Poor little man was put on medication. He is also dealing with teething as well.

Needless to say, Joey was NOT a “happy camper.” We did the best we could to comfort him. The following week we went for a follow up and he was doing a lot better.

WEEK TWO: Walter went back to work and I was with Joey. It was tough. He cried so much. I had a hard time because I just didn’t know what he wanted. He would put his arms up for me to pick him up so I did, then he would wiggle and cry that he wanted to be put down…so I did…and that’s how the entire week went. He barley napped and I was exhausted, I still wasn’t feeling well at all and I felt like I should have known what he was crying about. The truth is I had to constantly remind myself of how many days Joey has been home and that’s when it made sense to me and I would calm down and just deal with it.

Week Three: I know it’s only Wednesday but so far it’s been wonderful. Sure he cries but I do realize that he’s teething. I always have the Orajel handy, I know he likes a bottle as soon as his eyes open in the morning, I know when to play Peek a boo and make him smile, I know what foods he likes, I know what makes him sleeper for naps and at night, and I know that he’s more comfortable in his new home and he knows who his mom and dad are.

I know some things will change in time or next week or maybe tomorrow but I’m feeling great now and ready for that challenge.

I’m a mom…and he’s my son. I love saying that.

TA-DA...Joey's room!!!

Happy Thanksgiving...

This Thanksgiving will be a little different then the rest of them. For some reason my heart grows heavier when I think of all that I’m thankful for. I’ve always knew how lucky I am …I have the best marriage, I have the greatest friends & supporting families, I have so many people that care and love me.

Of course I must be grateful to a very special woman who made the biggest sacrifice and did the right thing. I’m talking about Joey’s birth mom. I have prayed for this woman and I hope that she finds her way in life. What ever it is…I hope she finds it. Even though Joey is not here yet...We can’t image this world with out him. I’m sure all the orphanage workers would agree because they all love him there.

The last (but not least) person I am grateful for is Walter…my rock…the one I lean on…let’s me cry…the only one who can tell me to get it together (and not hurt my feelings)…The One!!! It doesn’t take Thanksgiving to remind me of how grateful I am…I remember every night before I go to bed. He is amazing and is going to be the best Dad ever. He is so excited to get Joey…when he talks about him, his eyes light up. It’s an amazing thing to see.

In conclusion…. I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy your time with your families and friends.

PS…Let’s not all gain too much weight!!!!!

Lita

Make ROOM for baby….

Well Joey’s room is almost done…Furniture is in, the walls, doors and molding are up and painted. The closet has it’s shelves and is ready for cloths and all his stuff!!!

After we clean the room up...the only thing we’re waiting for is the carpet, which should be in Monday AM!!!! Once the carpet comes in, that’s it….everything goes into place!!! We are so excited; it’s hard to find words to describe it.

Here’s a little sneak of what it looks like right now!!!

Our Weekend....

Our weekend in a nutshell...CRAZY...CRAZY...CRAZY.

Days are flying by and next thing we know we'll be on a plane to go get him!!!
Aside the frustration of our home looking like a Home/Baby depot, everything is well. One thing that i can't wait to do is thoroughly clean my house and not making it look messy the next day. Everyday I try...for example when I dust, the next day it really looks like I have done nothing!!! So frustrating. Once Joey's room is done and all his things are in there and all the tools go back in the garage and our bedroom can go back to being a sanctuary, not a storage room; I will feel better…much better. Till then, stress isn’t even the word for it.

As a stress relief I helped Walter paint and to my surprise he said OK…It was fun and we absolutely love the color. We’re adding another color to it however so far this is what it looks like.

November 2, 2008

So I thought it was an anniversary Halloween party for Mr. & Mrs. PeeWee…I was so wrong!!!

My brother & girlfriends threw me a baby shower!! 60 adults & 9 children!! I had a blast, I couldn’t believe that there were so many people there who love and support us. There was baby bing-go, raffles and lots of homemade food and desserts. Lots of fun!!!

There are no words to describe how much it meant to us to see everyone there. It was truly overwhelming and I still can’t stop thinking about it.

Joey isn’t going to believe how many people are waiting for his arrival. He isn’t even here yet and he is loved already.

Here are a few pics of the party....Just a few out of 350 shots!!!

What Are The Chances?!?!?!?!?

OK….so just incase I haven’t told you this or have written it in a while. It is amazing when you decide to adopt you instantly become apart of this inner circle of adopters. Anyone who has adopted a child from where ever is always there for you with just the right advice. They advise you patience, give you the ok to cry it out and tell you what they did to “get through” it.

Two days ago I searched the web for “Krasnoyarsk, Russia” and I found a blog about a couple (Kris & Joe) that just got back from Russia. I went on their blog to find out that they just adopted their precious son from the same orphanage Joey’s from. I had left a message on her blog congratulating them and that is where our son is right now. Kris leaves a message on my blog saying that she has two pictures of Joey on the potty with the other babies after a few emails back ….she emailed them to me.

I was so overwhelmed to see these pictures. I was wondering if he looks the same. I wanted to see his beautiful face and those innocent eyes again. We miss him so much that some days are better then others.

On a lighter note….check out how he has his hands on his knees like a “little man” (Joey is second child on the left)