Today has been amazing!
We have Wesley! Keep praying that we get his passport tomorrow!
And… the hugely answered prayer today is that Aleksa has been AWESOME with him!! That is nothing less than an absolute miracle!!
Seriously, driving around before picking him up we just kept talking about how jealous Aleksa has been when I give any attention to another child or even just if we don’t pay her our 100% attention all of the time.
When I got into the cart with Wesley she moved over for us to get in and then began to BABY HIM! Seriously! She petted his leg, tried to hold his hand, gave him her telephone… She was so sweet!
There have been a few ‘smack or kick at him’ moments but those even were very sweet. And… he likes her too! Not her loud noises with soda bottles (now confiscated) but her playfulness and her attention!
That’s saying quite a bit because he has NOT been very happy since we got to the apartment… And I was expecting that.
Backing up a few steps, though… this morning we left the apartment at 9:30 with Oleg and went first to Vorzel where Aleksa lived her first 5 years in Baby House #3. She went in and three of the caregivers there recognized her—including one who was the person that drove her to Pugachovka 3 years ago! She didn’t seem to remember the building at all (which is GOOD) but since we were so close we wanted to let the caregivers see her (they had expressed a desire previously).
After that we went to the bank practically across the street and closed Aleksa’s account, which we learned had $500 more in it than we originally realized. It is a nice-sized donation to the institution along with the donation that our facilitator made and the one we made personally.
After all of that, we went to get Wesley! We did paperwork then delivered his clothes to his caretakers and continued on with paperwork with the head doctor while they fed and dressed him. Finally, he was brought to the front along with almost all of the caregivers working (won’t ask who is with the kids then…). He got a tearful and sweet send-off! Everyone expressed their thanks and gratitude to God (Slava Bogu—Praise God!!) at his adoption. Since he is almost 6 years old (February) it was just a matter of time before he would be transferred. With the potential of a moratorium, this was even more pressing for his future. God is Good!
Ellen—Nina’s caregiver came walking down the hall then began to cry out Slava Bogu, Slava Bogu! and introduced herself and came to hug on him.
The main caregiver that loves him so much is very modest and didn’t want to accept the gift I’d brought for her but eventually did at mine and Nadya’s and the doctor’s insistence :). She wouldn’t let me take her picture, though. She was always so sweet with him… talking sweetly with him at every chance and teasing with him, making him smile as she’d buckle him back into his stroller at the end of a visit.
Wesley understood, to some extent, what was going on as they told him his Mama was there, he was going to America (which he I’m sure has no concept of), and of course the loud proclamations of Slava Bogu! Throughout the front hall and room. Wesley came out of the orphanage with a huge grin on his face!
I was very afraid he’d be screaming… since he doesn’t seem to be so excited about new people…
He lasted all the way home! I think he got overheated a bit in the car and spit up a little of that freshly fed lunch of beets. Then he entered the apartment and promptly cried. It’s been on and off ever since (about 3 hours now).
Since getting home, both kids have pooped (tho he needs to go more—obviously—anyone know about how his high tone may affect his ability to have a BM? I’m curious whether being upset may either cause him to go more or if it may actually restrict his ability to relax and go?). BOTH in a diaper (grr…. LOL I know Aleksa will take some time with that aspect and she acts as tho it’s normal to go in her pants and wanted a bath after, so I’m sure she usually goes in her underwear… diapers it is now!)
Wesley seems to have calmed for the most part now and is playing, sitting on my lap, and SMILEY whenever I bounce him or spin him around. He’s occasionally fussing but immediately stops when I interact with him. He loves to flip upside down and will be a great roller coaster kid :)
He also… likes to see Aleksa! She’s a great distraction. Back to the kiddo’s… Pictures to come in a bit!
GOD IS GOOD! PRAISE GOD!! SLAVA BOGU!
Congratulations Meredith!!!
ReplyDeleteI have been praying for you through all of this, and I am so happy to hear that now you have both Aleksa and Wesley with you.
I will email you in regards to the bathroom issues, we have a 6 year old with CP ( Kaydee adopted from Taiwan August 2009)
Blessings to you and your family.
Oh, wow! Slava Bogoo! Praise the lord!
ReplyDeleteContinued prayers for your process. How wonderful that things are falling into place...or actually, being placed into the places carefully by God's wonderful hands!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the photos.
Mary
What a wonderful post to read. Praising God with you!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you all! One of my good friends has CP, and at 17 she can walk with a walker and is very independent! Wesley has a great future ahead of him, especially with such a lovely family! I am glad that Aleksa is not jealous of Wesley, that is amazing! Hope your travel day goes well! =]
ReplyDeleteSlava Bogu is right, been reading along and so happy to see everything fall into place for your family and your two newest additions. Kara was from baby house 5 in Vorzel, a tiny town I grew to love my 6 weeks there.
ReplyDeleteWe are thrilled for your family!
Praying you through the rest of your journey!
ReplyDeleteRe: CP and digestion etc.... my son has CP but low-tone, not high-tone. Either way I know constipation is an issue and our doc said it's mainly because due to the limited range of motion, the digestive system doesn't move things through normally.
The other big issue we had was the reflux/spitting up (for the same reasons of his not being upright as often as a normal toddler) and the only thing that has ever helped with that was specifically Prilosec (other meds or approaches never worked, so if you run into that problem maybe i can save you some time). Hope that helps!
A majority of children who have significant global developmental delays have trouble with constipation. I learned this from a specialist my son sees and also know it first had as a teacher for these children. A daily laxative will do wonders when you get home. It also makes a huge different in the mood of a child when they are not constipated.
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