We have a new blog.
http://www.kidsanimalsdustdrama.blogspot.com/
Please check it out.
Donna
Monday, November 24, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
July 4th
Things around here are going pretty well. Ksenia continues to do well and is making progress everyday. She is speaking English 100% now. From "Ahh Man" when I want her to do something that she doesn't want to do to "Sure" when i ask her if she want something. There are still things that she is confused on.
The temperatures here have been in the 90's. She will walk inside and hold her arms and say "Eww Mommy, it's cold outside." We have to correct her on the difference in hot and cold real often.
This is the lastest problem we are dealing with . Everytime she hears a sound that is not familar she will ask "What that sound Mommy?" Also, we live close to Oceana Air Force Base. Some afternoons there is one jet flying overhead after the other. While it is loud and bothersome at times we are pretty use to it. Well, all of the sudden if we are outside playing and a jet flies over Ksenia gets upset and wants to go inside. This has all just started in the past month. Jeff and I started wondering what was going on. What is really weird is that these things have just started bothering her. Then it dawned on us what is going on (or at least we think) Her right ear had fluid in it almost constantly until her adnoids were removed in May. At that time the ENT put in a PE tube. Our conclusion (with the doctor agreeing) that now her hearing is 100% where as before it was muffled. I hope she get use to these everyday noises because she is driving me crazy!!!!
We took the family to the beach on the 4th. It was nice to have all of the kids together for an outting. With living close to the ocean and the bay all of our lives we are use to the water and sand. My kids love the water. Well, my little Ukrainian is a different story. She didn't like the sand. She didn't like the little bit of wind and she hated the cold ocean water. Well, after fussing and complaining for about the first hour there I guess she decided to try to like it. By the time we left she was covered in sand, had been knocked down by several waves and swallowed about a gallon of salt water. She was so funny with the sand because she doesn't like to be dirty. She also told me " I don't like the mortor (that is how she pronounces water) in my mouse (mouth) MaMa"
I was really impressed with the fact that even though she didn't care for the situation she gave it a try and made the best of it. After we got home she had a nice bath and put on nice dry clothes. She looked at me with that cute face and said "Had fun at beach Mama?" I answered "Yes, did you?" and she said, "I lika the beach Mama." She is such a cutie!!!!
Oh, and my new favorite thing about Ksenia. When we first got her and of course while visiting her at the orphanage her hair smelled sour and was so thin and stringy. I couldn't find a hair tie that would stay in her hair!!
Now, I love to smell her hair and to run my fingers through it. She smells like a little girl should. Sweet and fresh. Her hair to my surprise has thicken up.
I can't wait to do that "one year later" picture to compare to the ones we took on her Gotcha Day.
I have to admit. It has taken a little longer than I thought it would but finally, I am feeling like she is part of our family.
.
The temperatures here have been in the 90's. She will walk inside and hold her arms and say "Eww Mommy, it's cold outside." We have to correct her on the difference in hot and cold real often.
This is the lastest problem we are dealing with . Everytime she hears a sound that is not familar she will ask "What that sound Mommy?" Also, we live close to Oceana Air Force Base. Some afternoons there is one jet flying overhead after the other. While it is loud and bothersome at times we are pretty use to it. Well, all of the sudden if we are outside playing and a jet flies over Ksenia gets upset and wants to go inside. This has all just started in the past month. Jeff and I started wondering what was going on. What is really weird is that these things have just started bothering her. Then it dawned on us what is going on (or at least we think) Her right ear had fluid in it almost constantly until her adnoids were removed in May. At that time the ENT put in a PE tube. Our conclusion (with the doctor agreeing) that now her hearing is 100% where as before it was muffled. I hope she get use to these everyday noises because she is driving me crazy!!!!
We took the family to the beach on the 4th. It was nice to have all of the kids together for an outting. With living close to the ocean and the bay all of our lives we are use to the water and sand. My kids love the water. Well, my little Ukrainian is a different story. She didn't like the sand. She didn't like the little bit of wind and she hated the cold ocean water. Well, after fussing and complaining for about the first hour there I guess she decided to try to like it. By the time we left she was covered in sand, had been knocked down by several waves and swallowed about a gallon of salt water. She was so funny with the sand because she doesn't like to be dirty. She also told me " I don't like the mortor (that is how she pronounces water) in my mouse (mouth) MaMa"
I was really impressed with the fact that even though she didn't care for the situation she gave it a try and made the best of it. After we got home she had a nice bath and put on nice dry clothes. She looked at me with that cute face and said "Had fun at beach Mama?" I answered "Yes, did you?" and she said, "I lika the beach Mama." She is such a cutie!!!!
Oh, and my new favorite thing about Ksenia. When we first got her and of course while visiting her at the orphanage her hair smelled sour and was so thin and stringy. I couldn't find a hair tie that would stay in her hair!!
Now, I love to smell her hair and to run my fingers through it. She smells like a little girl should. Sweet and fresh. Her hair to my surprise has thicken up.
I can't wait to do that "one year later" picture to compare to the ones we took on her Gotcha Day.
I have to admit. It has taken a little longer than I thought it would but finally, I am feeling like she is part of our family.
.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Thanks To You All
Wow!!! I really didn't think anyone still checked our blog. Well, that is except for Wendy. Thanks for thinking of us and I am sorry for taking so long to update.
While we lead pretty boring lives I will start boring you all more often.
Occasionally we have some excitement or something to laugh about. Like when Ksenia takes Alaina to the potty. Or when she changes Alaina's Pull Up. Did I neglect to mention that she cut her own hair? Totally my fault. I forgot that I left her in my bathroom brushing her teeth. The sissors were in a wall cabinet on the top shelf. Nothing is too high or secured for this kid.
It amazes me how I can say 10 times "Alaina, don't stand so close to the TV. Sit down" and she completely ignores me. Ksenia can so "Alaina, sit down" and she does it. Her English is great. Of course the Russian accent is still there. She told me today "Look Mommy, I play the flute" and she held her hands up to her mouth as if she were playing a flute. She has also started saying "OH Man". When she doesn't want to do something.
I have made an appointment with a Developmental Pediatrician. It's really hard to tell where she is developmentally. I want to do this before taking her to our Preschool Accessment Center for an evaluation. I am really not sure what to do with her school wise. I think she needs some special services but yet I don't think she needs a self contained special ed classroom. Just something else to research. For anyone out there that adopted preschooler what did you do as for public school services?
OK, enough of my rambling. Hopefully I can get Jeff to find the time to put pictures on this blog over the weekend. We also have pictures Punky (our 18 year old) to share. She is graduating from high school next week.
Have a great weekend and again, Thanks for taking the time to check on us.
While we lead pretty boring lives I will start boring you all more often.
Occasionally we have some excitement or something to laugh about. Like when Ksenia takes Alaina to the potty. Or when she changes Alaina's Pull Up. Did I neglect to mention that she cut her own hair? Totally my fault. I forgot that I left her in my bathroom brushing her teeth. The sissors were in a wall cabinet on the top shelf. Nothing is too high or secured for this kid.
It amazes me how I can say 10 times "Alaina, don't stand so close to the TV. Sit down" and she completely ignores me. Ksenia can so "Alaina, sit down" and she does it. Her English is great. Of course the Russian accent is still there. She told me today "Look Mommy, I play the flute" and she held her hands up to her mouth as if she were playing a flute. She has also started saying "OH Man". When she doesn't want to do something.
I have made an appointment with a Developmental Pediatrician. It's really hard to tell where she is developmentally. I want to do this before taking her to our Preschool Accessment Center for an evaluation. I am really not sure what to do with her school wise. I think she needs some special services but yet I don't think she needs a self contained special ed classroom. Just something else to research. For anyone out there that adopted preschooler what did you do as for public school services?
OK, enough of my rambling. Hopefully I can get Jeff to find the time to put pictures on this blog over the weekend. We also have pictures Punky (our 18 year old) to share. She is graduating from high school next week.
Have a great weekend and again, Thanks for taking the time to check on us.
Monday, June 2, 2008
A Long Winded Explaination
It has been almost 6 months since our last post. I have thought about posting several times. Unfortunately I couldn't get my thoughts together enough to do it. I have been drained physically and mentally.
I ask God daily "What have I done?" I had a kid that I wasn't connecting with. Her behaviors were driving me crazy. It has been 2 steps forward and 3 back. The worse part was when she started treating Alaina badly. I wondered how much I could take.
Now, with all of that being said, we did have some good days. That was after I started excepting that after 3 blood test, 200 blood cells analyzed there was no extra chromosome to be found. No Down syndrome, no Mosaic Down syndrome. I was told that she was a "typical kid". "Move forward, and be thankful. You saved her life". All while I felt like the life was being suck right out of me.
This was not the plan!!!! We were to adopt a little girl with Ds. A sister for Alaina to grow up with. To be best friends. They were to grow and learn together. I have been working hard to accept that we had another "typical" child. I worried what this was going to do to Alaina. To have a sister her age but years ahead of her developmentally. I pictured Ksenia running out of the door to "hang out with friends" while Alaina sat at home with her boring parents. Let me tell you, in my head I had painted nothing but gloom and doom. I have been consumed with depression. That was until today at 2:15 pm.
So, I will take you back to 3 weeks ago. Ksenia had her adnoid removed. I requested a skin biopsy to test her skin cells for Ds at the same time while she was under anesthesia. The biopsy consisted of a small piece of skin from behind her ear. I'm sure that I am known at Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters as the "Crazy Lady Looking for an extra Chromosome". I was told that it would be 4 weeks before we had any results. Well, I am very short on patience when it comes to waiting for test results. I called today just to see if by chance they were available. Sure enough, results were back and no one had called to tell me. But that was OK. They gave me the best news I have gotten in a long time.
Out of 30 skin cells analyzed 27 of them contained a extra chromosome. The other 3 were just boring ole typical chromies. Ksenia does indeed have Mosaic Down syndrome. While MDS is not uncommon it is uncommon for a percentage of tested blood cells not to be affected. Actually our genetics department has not had a case like this. I don't care what, where or how many. Our little girl does have Ds. I honestly felt like I saw a different little girl once getting the news. While her cognitive abilities are hardly delayed she has too many characteristics of Ds for me to believe that she doesn't have it.
We have come along way with attachment. At times it has been a love/I don't like her relationship but at the end of the day we usually kiss and make up and pray that tomorrow is better. Now I have to work on getting myself back to my definition of normal.
My dear friend Florence reminded me just this past week that Jeremiah:29:11
was for me. It's kind of ironic that another dear friend wrote the same exact verse in a card to me after we received the prenatal diagnosis that Alaina had Down syndrome. It's Welcome to Holland all over again.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
This one is for Charissa
After reading Charissa's comment today I decided to stay up past my bedtime to update our blog.
Things here are still going pretty well. Kristina is now speaking english about 80% of the time. Not just words but complete sentences. I think she is starting to understand that she is now part of a family. She gets upset sometimes when Bryce goes to school and when Jeff leaves for work. She always asks "PaPa home later?" She was getting upset when the cat went outside. I think she is now afraid of losing a part of her new family. She has become very receptive to hugs and kisses. In the beginning we had to remind ourselves that she wasn't use to physical affection. She would look at us like we were weird when we would hold her and try to cuddle. Now she reaches up to give me hugs. Jeff and I were talking about it earlier tonight. She has really come a long way in the 3 months that she has been with us.
So, while there is so many good things to talk about there are a few things that we need to work through. She still has times where she is very defiant but I have noticed that they are not a often. Now I can look at her when she is doing something that she is not suppose to be doing (like throwing toys across the room) and remind her that she is not allowed to throw in the house and she will freeze. Of course I take those opportunities to praise her for listening and she seems to be proud of herself. She is truly a good child. We just need to help her lose some of those "orphanage behaviors".
Now for the big issue that is on my mind alot. Kristina's name was Kysenia when we adopted her. We were told that her name was Oksana which it wasn't which it did matter because we wouldn't of kept that name. When we met her at the orphanage we heard the caregivers call her Susha (actually it is pronounced Ksusha) which is the nickname for Kysenia. Well, she has not really been receptive to the name change to Kristina. She very clearly told me a few nights ago that she is Kysenia. Since then she has corrected me when I call her Kristina. So, a few times since then when I have called through the house for her I have called her Kysenia just to see if she would respond. I tried this because when I call for Kristina she will not answer. Well, when I have called for Kysenia she runs to me saying "Kysenia". She clearly prefers that name and evidently she has been referred to by that name before. She will answer to Susha and we have called her that throughout the transition. With all of the chaos of the adoption process once in Ukraine and then of course the language barrier we never really had time to think about the name Kysenia. Actually our legal process in Ukraine moved so fast that our facilitator never asked if we were sure of the name change. She had casually asked us if we were going to change her name and if so what would we change it to. Then later that day she said "I hope you have decided on Kristina because I had to put it on the papers to get the court date today." At that point we had no choice. I am not so sure that it would of made a difference anyway. We were just wanting things to move quickly.
Now that I have thought about it I love the name Kysenia and it fits her. I am really kicking myself. So, I would love to hear from some of you what you would do in a situation like this.
Also, a little suggestion to my Reeces Rainbow friends waiting to adopt. Think long and hard about the name and do not be surprised if you get to the orphanage and find out that the name you think you child has is not their name at all or not the name they are called by.
Sorry to have gotten so longwinded with that. Can you tell it is on my mind?
One last thing. Please keep Ned and Martha Jones in your prayers. They are now in Hungary completeing their adoption process with another 3 weeks to go. Oh how I can relate to how much they are missing home. Thank God they are all together.
We (Jeff) will be adding pictures through out the Christmas season of the kids so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading our blog. And thanks to Charissa for pushing me to post. I am not so sure I will be thanking you tomorrow morning when I am dragging butt because I stayed up late to post. LOL!!
Things here are still going pretty well. Kristina is now speaking english about 80% of the time. Not just words but complete sentences. I think she is starting to understand that she is now part of a family. She gets upset sometimes when Bryce goes to school and when Jeff leaves for work. She always asks "PaPa home later?" She was getting upset when the cat went outside. I think she is now afraid of losing a part of her new family. She has become very receptive to hugs and kisses. In the beginning we had to remind ourselves that she wasn't use to physical affection. She would look at us like we were weird when we would hold her and try to cuddle. Now she reaches up to give me hugs. Jeff and I were talking about it earlier tonight. She has really come a long way in the 3 months that she has been with us.
So, while there is so many good things to talk about there are a few things that we need to work through. She still has times where she is very defiant but I have noticed that they are not a often. Now I can look at her when she is doing something that she is not suppose to be doing (like throwing toys across the room) and remind her that she is not allowed to throw in the house and she will freeze. Of course I take those opportunities to praise her for listening and she seems to be proud of herself. She is truly a good child. We just need to help her lose some of those "orphanage behaviors".
Now for the big issue that is on my mind alot. Kristina's name was Kysenia when we adopted her. We were told that her name was Oksana which it wasn't which it did matter because we wouldn't of kept that name. When we met her at the orphanage we heard the caregivers call her Susha (actually it is pronounced Ksusha) which is the nickname for Kysenia. Well, she has not really been receptive to the name change to Kristina. She very clearly told me a few nights ago that she is Kysenia. Since then she has corrected me when I call her Kristina. So, a few times since then when I have called through the house for her I have called her Kysenia just to see if she would respond. I tried this because when I call for Kristina she will not answer. Well, when I have called for Kysenia she runs to me saying "Kysenia". She clearly prefers that name and evidently she has been referred to by that name before. She will answer to Susha and we have called her that throughout the transition. With all of the chaos of the adoption process once in Ukraine and then of course the language barrier we never really had time to think about the name Kysenia. Actually our legal process in Ukraine moved so fast that our facilitator never asked if we were sure of the name change. She had casually asked us if we were going to change her name and if so what would we change it to. Then later that day she said "I hope you have decided on Kristina because I had to put it on the papers to get the court date today." At that point we had no choice. I am not so sure that it would of made a difference anyway. We were just wanting things to move quickly.
Now that I have thought about it I love the name Kysenia and it fits her. I am really kicking myself. So, I would love to hear from some of you what you would do in a situation like this.
Also, a little suggestion to my Reeces Rainbow friends waiting to adopt. Think long and hard about the name and do not be surprised if you get to the orphanage and find out that the name you think you child has is not their name at all or not the name they are called by.
Sorry to have gotten so longwinded with that. Can you tell it is on my mind?
One last thing. Please keep Ned and Martha Jones in your prayers. They are now in Hungary completeing their adoption process with another 3 weeks to go. Oh how I can relate to how much they are missing home. Thank God they are all together.
We (Jeff) will be adding pictures through out the Christmas season of the kids so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading our blog. And thanks to Charissa for pushing me to post. I am not so sure I will be thanking you tomorrow morning when I am dragging butt because I stayed up late to post. LOL!!
Check out news picture " fall pictures !!!!!" on right column at top
Sunday, October 21, 2007
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