Tuesday, May 23, 2006
First haircut and a brilliant child :)

Well, Saturday marked a big first in our lives with Roman...his first haircut. He doesn't look like a baby any longer...he looks like a little boy. Here are some before, during and after photos of him. He did really well. He didn't fuss at all, he just kept trying to turn his hed and look at the lady as she cut it...the mullet is now gone.

On the left, is a before shot on the way to the Hair Cuttery. On the right is at the start of the haircut...Daddy was getting his hair cut too.

Then, look at the cool dude with his shades on our way home afterwards...such a big guy!!
Roman had his International Adoption Specialist Doctor's appointment today and he got glowing reviews. He is in the 50th percentile for weight & height and his motor, language, etc skills are at a 14-15 month old level. Delayed? NO WAY!!!

The doctor did disagree with our pediatrician though and told us that we need to try to get Roman into his own crib/bed asap. We are going to move his crib into our room next to our bed and start trying that tomorrow night...yeah, no sleep again for Mom & Dad!!

Last night, he just would not go to sleep. So, Daddy walked around with him in his arms and after about 5 minutes, he crashed there. So, then we were left with, well, how do I transfer him to the bed without waking him up and this is what the picture below is. I was cracking up.

Thursday, May 18, 2006
Tired Mom here...
Hi everyone...sorry that I have not posted in awhile. It seems like I cannot even find time to check my email, let alone read other's blogs or post to ours. Having a one-year old is like running an endless race...uphill :)

Roman is still a joy and a happy child. The only problems we are having is at nap and bedtime. He HATES his crib and screams and screams and screams if we put him in it. He will eventually calm down and fall asleep after we come in several times and soothe him...but, not before he "scares the poop" out of himself. 2 days last week he pooped in the first 5 minutes after being in his crib...and, not because he had to poop...because he was so anxious and scared, that he pooped. Poor baby...after 2 days of that, we just couldnt let him suffer any longer. We tried one last time and he did it a 3rd night and so I just took him into the guest room and slept with him in there...

We talked to the pediatrician on Monday at his one-year appt and he said that he was crying in fear and not in anger...so, it was okay that we let him sleep with us. Poor little baby has to be scared that he is going to be put back into the orphanage. He is back to normal now and snuggling at bedtime...our bedtime ritual is a bath at 7:30 and then winding down and playing with a few toys until 8:e0. Then, he has a sippy cup of milk (which he drinks in a minute flat) and we read "Goodnight Moon" and then we turn off the light. Sometimes he falls asleep within minutes and other times it takes an hour. Tonight he was wound up and it took a little longer...plus he spit up on me. I have not changed yet, so I keep smelling milk...yucky, I know, but in order to change I would have to go back into my bedroom and I don't want any chances of waking him up :)

We have a pretty good schedule going...here is a typical day in the world of Roman...

Around 7:00-7:30: Roman wakes up with a smile on his face :) then we eat breakfast. Usually oatmeal and some sort of mushed up fruit such as applesauce, bananas or pears. He won't eat the real fruit (probably doesnt like the texture), but he loves the Gerbers Baby Fruits.

Then, we play and do laundry and sometimes go for a walk.

Around 10:00, we have a snack...usually cheerios or some more fruit or maybe some sweet potatoes.

Around 10:30, we start winding down and he usually goes down for a nap around 11:00...sleeps for about an hour and a half and then we have lunch. Lunch is sometimes scrambled eggs or maybe soup. He LOVES soup.

Then, we either go out in the yard on a blanket and play or go across the street and swing on the swingset in our neighbors' yard. Andrew helped put it together, so we have visitation rights :) We bought him a baby swing that we can trade out for the bigger kids' swings when we go over. Roman loves being outside...just loves it!!

Sometimes, in the afternoons, if Roman is in a good mood...we venture out to the grocery store or to Target. He loves riding in the car and is such a good baby at stores...he likes to watch people. Then, Daddy usually comes home around 4:00 and we have some more play time and then an early dinner. We have been going for walks together as a family most evenings if it is nice. We have met a lot of neighbors that way that we didnt know before.

Sometimes, we have a friend or relative stop by for a short visit in the evenings or at some point during the day...Grandma Joann likes to come over during the day so she can get in some "Roman time". Cousin Haylee & Aunt Erica sometimes stop by on their way home from work/school since they drive by our house every day...if they see us, they will usually stop.

We do all the feeding, bathing, bedtime rituals, etc with Roman...and he is mostly with us all day and all night, but we do not tell people they can't come over to visit if they would like to and we are all up for a visit. He already knows that we are his MOmmy & Daddy...he is bonding and attaching with us. We don't feel that we are hurting any of that by having visitors in small doses. Roman even made an appearance at a shower last weekend and had the time of his life...he was having a ball :)

Roman has his evaluation with the International Adoption Doctor/Specialist next Tuesday. I am sure he will tell us that we should have him in lockdown, but we are doing what feels right.

Also, he got excellent healthy marks at the pediatricians this week...he is gaining weight and color. He is growing and flourishing with us...the doctor said he can see a difference in him already even after just 3 weeks with us as his parents. He had 3 shots to catch up on his immunizations and tolerated those very well. He is not anemic as the Russian doctor in Moscow said...

So, anyways...this post was a lot of rambling :) I just wanted to fill everyone in on what is going on in our lives...

I have new pics, but I havent put them on my computer yet...check the blog or the online photo album in the next few days.

To all of my blogger friends, hope everyone is doing well...I am sorry that I have been so out of touch. And, to all of my friends and family...we love you!!!

p.s. Lauri, email me. I am much better at checking that :) vgnail@cox.net
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Roman's Posse...
When we arrived at Dulles Airport, our family and friends were all waiting for us in custom-made T-shirts...

From the right, "Aunt Carrie", Grandma Joann, Aunt Erica, Uncle Brent, Cousin Haylee, Papa Tack, Grandpa Jeff, Grandma Beth, "Brother" Ryan and Friend Amy :)
Friday, May 12, 2006
My baby's cry...
Here is Roman sleeping on the 8-hour flight from Frankfurt to D.C. You can't really tell, but he is drenched in sweat from head to toe...my baby is a sleep sweat-er. I asked the International Adoption Doctor about it and he said it is something that they have found in babies adopted from Eastern European countries and that it should subside in a few months...they don't have an explanation...

I am sitting here listening to little Roman cry in his crib from across the hall...it is nap time and he is exhausted, but still fights the sleep. I go in about every 10 minutes and rub his back and tell him that I am still here...sometimes it helps and sometimes it just makes it worse.

Today, it would freakin help if the neighbors didn't have the huge yardwork crew running 5 machines right under his bedroom window!! Geesh!! Don't they know it is nap time?

It is so hard to hear him cry, but I know I need to do it...he needs to learn to sleep on his own and to self-soothe. Last night, he went to bed okay after about 5 minutes of crying after his books and bottle...then, at 1:30 in the morning, he woke up screaming. I was so tired myself, that I just picked him up and he and I went and laid down on the guest room bed. We slept until 7:00 a.m....it was a sweet morning!!

Wait...I don't hear anything...I think he might have fallen asleep. Maybe? Do I dare hope? I better wait a few more minutes before going into check because he will hear me and it will all begin anew...

He really needs a nap because today is his Great-Grammy's 90th birthday and we have a birthday dinner planned. He has met her, but has not let us put him in her lap long enough to take the picture we so desperately want to capture...

This is a busy weekend for the little guy...birthdays and Mommy's first Mother's Day...

Alas...I think he is asleep...now, maybe I stop listening and go do some laundry :)
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
First night sleeping in his crib...
So exciting!!! We had been having Roman sleep with us in our bed, but we knew it was time to try to get him comfortable and secure enough to sleep in his crib. So, I tried it last night...and he only woke up four times and then slept from 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. I was so proud of him...but, it was hard to let go and not keep him with us. He is such a snuggle-bug...and when he wakes up and rolls over and sees you next to him, his faces just lights up into the biggest grin. It was hard to put him in his crib and to hear him cry, but I just kept going in and reassuring him and rubbing his back.

Baby steps...
Sunday, May 07, 2006
New Family Photo Gallery...
So, I didn't go to bed...instead, Andrew & I created an online Family Photo Album. Now, you can see tons of pics of Roman :)

To view it, click here!

To get to it in the future...just look at the top of the blog description. We have added a link there. And, no...I could not have done these fancy links without my husband :)
Some more pictures...finally!!!
After many requests from many, many people...here are some long-awaited photos from our trip to adopt Roman and bring him home. The trip was stressful and seemed like it took forever although it was just 12 days. We are so happy to be home with our son. As you can see, he is packed and ready to fly home on the right :)

Roman is doing great...he is sleeping through the night and taking 2 naps during the day. He eats pretty much anything we feed him (except Peas). He loves the cats...he tries to crawl after them really fast, but they are much faster. He already knows who his Mommy & Daddy are and the attachment & bonding are going well. We are doing pretty well sticking to a schedule for naps, meals & bedtime. We factor in a walk and a park visit at least once a day as well. He loves the outdoors.

We have been limiting the outings we take with him and the visits that people have with him, but he has become quite enamored with his 2 grandmothers, his cousin H & his Aunt E & Uncle B. The rest of the family will be meeting him over the course of the next few months as they come into town or to a shower or family gathering.

Okay...long day, long weekend...going to bed early. Roman has already crashed for the night!!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
He is amazing...
every little sound he makes, every time he lunges into my arms, every time he grabs my cheeks and laughs...my heart soars. I have a son...I can't believe I am finally a Mommy. On the plane ride home, Andrew & I both got so emotional as we watched him finally fall asleep...we felt as if we were dreaming. We had this life, this wonderful life, that we were now responsible for and we cried as he cried on the plane. We cried because at times we could not comfort him as he screamed because of his ear infection...it just broke our hearts to see him suffering.

how amazing little Roman is...when he wakes up and opens his eyes and sees me smiling at him, he just breaks into the most heart-warming smile that you have ever seen. he seems to already know that I am his Mommy and Andrew is his Daddy and that we are there for him. He knows we will catch him when we falls face first lunging at us as he is walking towards one of us...

he knows that we are his parents forever...and he is loved.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
We are home...meet our son, Roman!!
This pic is of Roman from our first trip to meet him back in March. I have not had a chance to download new pics from our trip to bring him home...this is the first chance I have had to post to our blog and that is only because it is 1:07 a.m. and he is sleeping and I can't seem to.

Roman is a joy and such a happy baby. Always laughing and smiling! Since we have been home, he has kept us very busy with his constant demands for attention and food :)

It feels so right...he is our son and we feel as though he always has been. He is amazing!

More pics and info on our wonderful return trip home soon...I promise! ~ gaye