One Year Home

 One year ago after a difficult 23 hour journey from Moscow, Russia we arrived at the airport greeted by our family and precious girls waiting to meet Bryant. I will never forget standing up to depart the plane, my emotions got the best of me and the tears started rolling and they wouldn't stop. The feelings and emotions I felt getting off the plane with my new son in my arms, my husband by my side and my girls waiting for me with open arms were those of thankfulness, completeness and sheer joy. At that moment my child was home with me forever, he was meeting his new sisters and he couldn't be more loved by his parents, or so I thought. The moment couldn't have felt more right. It was a moment in my life when I knew God was smiling and celebrating with me.

 What a difference a year makes! The scared,shaking 15 pound frail little baby we brought home has miraculously turned in to an extremely active, talkative toddler who has a zest for life that I wish I could bottle up and sell. I would be a millionaire. He is a sweet and loving child who will steal your heart in a skinny minute. The majority of days he is smiling and happy. If he is not than something is wrong. It takes a lot to keep to get this kid down. He is one tough little cookie. Yes he is still little. Sometimes I think his smallness is his best attribute though. It makes him tougher, work harder and much more determined to keep up with the older kids. He knows how to holds his own. In Bryant's case the saying holds true that "big things come in small packages." In a year the progress Bryant has made is incredible. Don't get me wrong it has come with constant work from me, Jeff, grandparents, his speech therapist, early interventionist, preschool teachers and most importantly his sisters. We don't let Bryant slack. We push him to his potential and we don't give up on him. Some of his favorite phrases now are "Ho Ho bring choo choo" "Spider man pow pow" "I wanna go school" " I want Mimi, Sissy, Mae Mae" "Ho Ho be nice" He is obsessed with everything Christmas just like his Daddy, aka Chevy Chase. The girl's magic elves returned this year and Santa sent Bryant one too. His name is Boris the Russian elf. At first Bryant said "Don't like." But now he has a love/hate relationship as he and the girls wake up every morning searching for the elves wondering what magic happened when they were sleeping. Gotta love being a kid at Christmas time. And for some more laughs the girls have taught him "Gotta go go get my hair bow" Then he runs to grab the hair brush and bow as they chuckle. At preschool he says everything is yellow and of course pink. Starting to think he may needs some more male interaction.

 This time last year I remember nervously thinking "How is this going to work once we arrive home? Will the girls accept him? Yikes Heather, four kids really. Can you do this?" It is incredible because this been the easy part in some regard. The girls have accepted him as their brother from the minute they laid eyes on him. They have never once treated him differently than they do each other.  He fits right in to our family so much that none of us or our family members really even remembers he is adopted. It seems he has always been around. As for the having four kids, after the initial adjustment it hasn't been all that bad. Jeff and I have made sacrifices and altered our lives in order to accommodate our clan. Some days are harder than others. Don't get me wrong it is crazy chaos around our house but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 The hard part has been dealing with Bryant's feeding and growth issues. It has been a constant battle in which I have lost many days. His GI doctor ordered a study to test his acid reflux levels. This PH probe study indicated he had significant acid reflux and needed a surgery where the top of his stomach was wrapped around his esophagus to prevent him from refluxing. Two weeks ago today Bryant underwent a Nissen fundoplication surgery and a G-tube placement to treat his reflux and growth failure. It was a big surgery but thanks to our awesome doctors and nurses things went very well. Once they got in surgery they discovered Bryant's stomach was attached to his diaphram and he had great deal of inflammation. Which helped verify for me and Jeff that Bryant needed this surgery and that he truly has had abdominal pain as we suspected. The surgeon lowered his stomach, wrapped it around his esophagus and placed a feeding tube. When my baby woke up he was pitiful. I am usually the strong one during medical procedures but Bryant was in a lot of pain and so sad. It just about killed me to see him this way. The first 24 hours he was on morphine and did not utter a word, just cried. It was awful. By day two he was feeling much better and by day three he was playing in the hospital playroom. Amazing child. We spent four days in the hospital. We even left a day early since he was doing so well. During the hospital, stay he and I became extremely close. Jeff says we are stuck together like glue. He is so right. We are now feeding Bryant at night through a feeding tube. So far he is tolerating the feedings very well. During the day we are hoping he will continue to eat some. It has been a journey but hopefully this will make Bryant feel better and get the nutrients his brain and body need to grow.

 On top of that Sara Kathryn had ear surgery five days before Bryant. It was her second attempt to patch a hole in her ear drum. We are praying it worked. We find out on the 18th. She did great with the surgery. Macie celebrated her 6th birthday with a big birthday party with her buddies. Jeff started his new job and things are going very well. A big month it has been in our house.

 Through all of the chaos, drama, medical issues, hospital stays, sleepless nights, worries and struggles this year Bryant has taught me about unconditional love. God loves us unconditionally and we should do the same. We say it but sometimes we don't live it. Bryant has not been an "easy" child to parent but my love for him is unconditional. As with Jeff and the girls, it will remain the same regardless of circumstances and it will remain strong. Bryant has taught me determination and perseverance in tough times. He has taught me to see the best in people regardless of their circumstances or where they came from. He has taught me that God is in control not me, at all times. He has taught me to love with my whole heart.

Tonight to mark our first anniversary home Jeff and I are watching the video of us at the airport returning home with Bryant. This will be our first time seeing the video. It will be a tear jerker. A wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary.

 Jeff and I one year ago fell in love with a tiny little boy from Russia but little did we know how much love he had to give us and how much he would better our lives. As I put him to bed tonight he gave me a kiss and said "love you so much" and I told him "I love you more."

One  year home

 

 

 

 

 

One year ago today Bryant met his sisters

 

 

 

11 Months Home

 Eleven months home and I am 6 days late on my post. This time it is intentional, I promise. Keep reading.

 

  Still hard to believe I have a two year old. Little peanut had a great family birthday party the weekend following his actual birthday. Bryant had a blast opening presents, playing outside and of course being the center of attention. He got a guitar from his cousin Hutson, a pup pup from his Papa and Nana and his favorite gift was a tee ball set from his Uncle Grayson. See the video below for a good laugh. He wasn't too fond of the cupcake, which doesn't surprise me. He did eat a bowl of ice cream, some icing, herhsey's kisses and a lots of lollipops. Wild man geeked up on sugar didn't go to bed until 10pm. Thank goodness birthdays only fall once a year.

 The girls had a great Halloween. Bryant, the lion, didn't feel too hot. The mermaid, clown and bumble bee raided many houses and came home with buckets of chocolate. It is great to be a parent at Halloween. You tell them you have to check the candy and come away with lots of good chocolate for yourself. Macie finished her soccer season with an awesome goal in her last game. She played as the only girl on an all boys team and truly held her own. So proud of my spunky girl. Sara Kathryn started gymnastic season. We have meet this weekend. Amelia is blossoming in preschool and won the cutest at a Halloween costume contest. See my precious bumble bee below.

 Now for the not so happy stuff, as I mentioned in my last post Bryant had a PH probe study done at the hospital to test the amount of gastroesophageal refux he has on a given day. Two weeks ago we went in for a horrendous overnight stay at the hospital which consisted of the doctors strapping Bryant down, putting a tube down his nose in to his stomach. It was so awful as I stood outside hearing my baby scream and feeling so helpless. Afterward they put "mittens" on his hands to prevent him from pulling the tube out of his nose. Well he was having nothing to do with that so I took them off only to have to watch his every move. He and I were linked together by a computer monitoring his PH levels. After 20 hours I fell asleep and he reached up and pulled the tube out. He and I were both done.

  After the study I had convinced myself it would come back fine even though I have known in my gut that he has been silent refluxing since we came home. Bryant burps an average of 15 or so times a day. His complex feeding issues are due to quite a few things - learned behavior, avoidance, wanting control, and being a toddler.  However there has always been what Jeff and I feel is some sort of pain and discomfort. The Nexium and other meds have helped some but we have still not seen tremendous growth and we still struggle with the burping and silent reflux. We have made progress on the number of foods he eats, textures and behavior but I feel some days we are fighting abdominal pain and discomfort. Anyway, the doctor called and dropped the bomb that Bryant is having a significant amount of reflux that in turn could be causing his esophagus to be inflamed. He has GERD. This could be causing some of our problem (maybe not all). So he suggested we do a surgery to repair the top of his stomach and prevent the reflux. Met with pediatric surgeon this week and just found out we are scheduled November 26th to have a Nissen fundoplication surgery done. At the same time a feeding tube will be placed to enhance Bryant's growth and get him the nutrition he needs. He will be in the hospital four nights and by the fourth I am sure they will want to kick us out. He is a tough patient. He has such medical anxiety he screams everytime a nurse opens the door to the room. He yells "Momma Momma" and grabs me around the neck as tight as he can. It is awful for him. I am not looking forward to this surgery. Tonight the surgeon gave me some reassurance. He said without a doubt Bryant needs this surgery. It will be a tough road to recovery but in the long run Bryant will hopefully feel better and his brain and body will finally get the nutrients they need.

  Next week Sara Kathryn is having ear surgery to repair a hole in her ear drum. This will be the second attempt. We are hoping that this will be successful and improve her hearing. She is very nervous about it. We assured her she is in good hands. We have both prayed together about the surgery, the anxiety and nervousness. We have placed all that in God's hands as he is our ultimate caretaker. I know he is the great physician and healer of all.

  To all our friends and family - your prayers are greatly apprciated during this time as we try to get our precious children through surgery and their bodies repaired. It is going to be a mess for the next few weeks but hopefully all will go smooth and our babies will feel better. Thank God daily that I have these precious children to worry about and nurture. They remind me daily, through their smiles and laughter, just how blessed I am.

The next Mickey Mantle

 



 

Two years old

 



Big Smiles

 



 

Elmo sit-n-spin with a lollipop. Couldn't be happier

Happy Halloween

 

Amelia- Cutest Little Bee

 



Macie and her soccer trophy

 



Gymnatics season starts 

 

 Macie and SK at soccer

Happy 2nd Birthday

 Bryant turned 2 years old today. We celebrated with some ice cream and blowing out candles. On Sunday we are going to have a small family party and open gifts. This week the girls and I worked on teaching Bryant to sing Happy Birthday however it came out as "Happy Happy to me." We have laughed and laughed. I tried to video it but he refused only to sing it every time I turned the camera off. Typical 2 year old. My little peanut has turned in to a big boy. Maybe not size wise as he weighed 19lb 5oz yesterday but in every other aspect definitely a 2 year old. Lots of new behavior, communication and independence.

 Each year on his birthday I thank his biological mother for him. I thank her for choosing life and having Bryant when it may have been easy to choose another option. I admit I do not think of her often but I do think of her today and every year on the day of his birth. Bryant is forever my child and I am his mother. I believe a mother is determined by raising a child not just having a child. Mothers work hard to love, care for and nurture their children. This is a life long commitment in which you never give up on not just 9 months. That being said it does not mean I don't wonder about what happened 2 years ago today. What were the circumstances around his birth, who was there, what were the feelings etc. I do not even know the time of his birth. These small details will never be known and sometimes I wish they were for his sake or maybe selfishly mine. What I do know is God knows these circumstances and chose to place Bryant in our arms. He has entrusted us as his parents.

  Please say a prayer for Bryant on Thursday. He is going to have a procedure at the hospital to test the PH in his esophagus and the amount of reflux he has. It will not be fun. A 24 hour stay with a probe down his throat. The thought makes me so nervous. But this is the beginning of trying to figure out his GI issues and get his growth moving in the right direction. We appreciate your prayers as you all mean so much to us.

  Here is a video of my sweet boy today. Also some recent pictures from school I couldn't help but share.

  Happy Birthday Bryant. I love you with all my heart. Mommy

Happy 2nd birthday
click Watch on You Tube


My 2 year old

 

School Pictures

 

Love this pictures of my babies.

10 Months Home

Ten months ago this week we saw Bryant's face for the first time in an email. As I think back to this time last year I remember the roller coaster of events and emotions that occurred. We were getting ready for our first trip to Moscow scheduled for October 22nd , 2011. Everything was going as planned or so I thought. One day early October I was out shopping for a winter coat when I received a life changing phone call. Here is my post one year ago.

Post from October 12, 2011
"Last week we received the dreaded call that there may be a problem with our referral (child in adoption language) and the ultimate adoption of this child. We were stunned, more like blindsided. We had purchased airfare, hotel etc and were ready to head to Russia. WHAT???? Was all I could say over and over. And then I cried. Things had been going so well and now this. My wise and wonderful husband's response (nothing like mine) was "nothing in our lives that has mattered to us has come easy and neither will this" and I had to agree. We are not exactly sure what happened but told someone came in the orphanage inquiring about him and signed a petition. Not sure if it is a foster situation, adoption or family but in the end it doesn't matter because it ties him up for adoption by an international family. My heart broke not for us but for this child. I can only hope the best for him and that he does end up with a forever family. We were told he was a risky because of his young age but that went in one ear and out the other. Maybe I should learn to listen more. We were extremely sad and lost.  Lots of emotions.

The  next day our agency found us another child. We did not know what to do. It is so hard to think that one child is your child and then less than 24 hours later switch gears. We prayed and prayed and asked God for guidance. I feel like sometimes in hard situations we ask and ask for God's help but we fail to listen to his response. That night Jeff & I talked about how we had been disappointed about losing this child but it would be unfair not to consider the second child. Maybe he is our child but if we never open this email we will not know. I thought about this poor child sitting in a Russian orphanage. He didn't ask to be born or to live the first year of his life without a mother/father or home. But what I imagine he would ask for was at least a chance. A chance for a better life and a family who would love him. In the end, we decided to open the email and what we found staring back at us was the sweetest little 11 month old boy with brown hair and brown eyes and a big smile on his face. This is when we laughed with joy at this precious child with a huge grin that said "lighten up and come get me"

The following morning as I read my daily devotion it said "Be willing to follow me where ever I lead. Follow me wholeheartedly. Though you don't know what lies ahead, I know and that is enough. Some of my richest blessings are just around the bend: out of sight but nonetheless very real. To receive these gifts, you must walk by faith not by sight" And then I thought, Heather you need to stop and really listen. Listen to what God is telling to you, listen to what is in your heart.

So we have decided to take that leap of faith and go meet this new little boy. We are nervous and more guarded this go around but know this is what God has intended for us to do. We believe as Christians you must trust God completely not just when it is convenient or easy but when things get tough. We are still heading to Moscow on our same trip. Our amazing agency has worked hard to make sure that happens. We want to thank our wonderful family and friends for their support last week. You are incredible.

Hopefully we will look back and say thank goodness we listened.  From now on let's just hope we remain at the top of this roller coaster with our hands up in the air."

Yes one year later, I am so glad I listened and walked by faith not by sight. I re posted this because it baffles me to think what would have happened if we had not opened the email and listened to God's call. I am amazed by what God has blessed me with and I had no idea at the time. What if I had let fear overcome me and not trusted in God's plan. Scary thought. Not listening to God's call would have meant I missed out on an amazing child and opportunity.

One of the things I am most proud of in my life is following God's call in this situation and not letting the external issues distract me from his intentions. It would have been so easy to give up and pass up Bryant, consider another child or to give up the whole idea of adoption. I admit the thought crossed my mind but the little voice in my head and the feeling in my heart said press on. I never doubted God's intentions. I may have been scared and nervous but I never doubted this was God's plan for us and Bryant.

When Jeff and I opened a picture and stared at Bryant's face we both knew this was our child. His smile was contagious. When we first met him there was a twinkle in his eye and a love for life even when his life was not so grand. To this day his happiness and smile will turn a gray sky blue. When we shop he always smiles at people and regardless of how big of a hurry they are in they always smile back. I swear his smile is simply contagious.

I am in sheer amazement of how different our lives are now than one year ago. Bryant has added so much more life to our family. Don't get me wrong he is very very difficult at times. I really have to stay on him and watch his behavior. He has been much harder than the girls in all aspects. He came with his own set of problems but at the end of the day he is the happiest sweetest little peanut. Every night he says "Mama rock rock" and "I wus you." Tonight he said "I a mess" because he heard me tell him he was a little mess. So cute. I just can't help kissing him. We continue to struggle with feeding. I swear the kid could go all day with nothing. It is like he plugs himself in to a wall socket. I don't know where he gets his energy. We are now seeing a pediatric gastroenterologist to help with his severe reflux and monitor his growth. We started new reflux meds. We have also started feeding therapy in hopes of increasing growth. Praying for some success.

He is a smart little cookie. He his repeating words and phrases and likes to sing. He loves coloring, dancing and trying to play the Wii with his sisters. He loves his preschool now too.

We had two big events this month. Sara Kathryn was elected to student council at her school. We are so proud of her and her willingness to help others. She has a kind spirit. Bryant had an elective procedure on his "hiney bo bo" as he calls it. It was not pleasant but at least it is over.

So sorry for the long post but again it is very important to me and will be very important to Bryant in the years to come.

Contagious Smile - Now

 

 

Referral email picture 1 year ago - Can't help but smile

 

Sara Kathryn's student council celebration

She is 1st row 4th from the left

Love the saying "Sacrifice to make the world a better place for you and for the human race"

 



Proud parents

 



At the hospital- He did not like that name bracelet

 

Acting silly





9 Months Home

 Yes, 9 months since we brought our little man home. This month we had quite a few changes and adjustments. First the move to the new house and then school starting the week after. Two big events in a matter of two weeks makes Momma a little loony. Honestly after the drama of last month it was more like flat exhaustion.  Thanks to Jeff's awesome aunt and uncle we had a much needed rest and relaxation in the mountains over Labor Day weekend. We packed our swimsuits, left a house full of boxes and had an unforgettable time with family.

 We have finally gotten somewhat settled in our new house. This weekend we finished unpacking the majority of boxes downstairs. A must needed accomplishment since Bryant and Amelia were climbing and jumping on boxes of our wedding china and crystal. Yikes. The little monkeys have found the move to be quite fun because the whole house is now a jungle gym. Mommy is tired of living in chaos and ready for some organization. So I am on a mission now.

 Sara Kathryn and Macie started elementary school and love it. Sara Kathryn's third grade class is full of her good friends and she is running for student council. Macie has had an amazing transition to kindergarten. Unsurprisingly, three weeks later she walks around like she owns the place not allowing Mommy or Daddy to walk her to class. She has started reading too. Proud of my big girl.

 Bryant and Amelia started preschool. Big day in our house. I was nervous especially for Bryant but they both did great. The most important thing about preschool is the book bag. Of course Bryant has a "pup pup" book bag since he is obsessed with dogs and his mean Mommy won't buy him one (another mouth to feed). Amelia has a cute turtle on hers. They both ate breakfast with their book bags on. They were so excited to wear them. Poor little Bryant who weighs only 19lbs can barely walk with his on. Once we but his diapers and wipes in it the bag weighs more than him. We laughed uncontrollably as he tried so hard to keep the book bag on. Only to be repeatedly pulled down to the ground. The determined little stinker would get back up and try again and would not take that book bag off. Jeff said he was like a weeble wobble toy. So far they have enjoyed preschool and playing with their new friends.

 On the downside we have seen a little backslide in his eating after all these changes. Honestly I knew this would be the case. We are still working on the feeding issues and are exploring some other feeding therapies. Little mam does not let his size hold him back though. Today I picked him up from preschool and he was the ringleader of the class. He had the other kids following and copying him. Got a little laugh since I put him in preschool so he could model other children's behavior and feeding. Jokes on me right.

 Bryant continues to progress in speech and development. He is stringing 3 words together, learned his first color, walking up and down stairs by himself, and my favorite - taking all his clothes off including his diaper. He has started learning books and songs. He likes "Twinkle Twinkle" and his favorite book is "Pete the Cat &  His groovy buttons." If you ask his what happens to Pete he says "Pop, Oh no" and points to his buttons. Smart little thing.

 Lately I have felt the rush of life and ready to slow down a bit. Sometimes in the busyness of life I forget to give praise to the one who gave me all the busyness. I forget that it is not about me or my to do list but it is about my daily relationship with God.  On my mind today is the verse Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know I am God" In other words, stop and smell the flowers, give thanks to God for my busyness,  talk to him about my daily struggles and most important trust him fully to handle them.

Here are lots of picturs from our busy month. Enjoy.



Amelia & Bryant 1st day of preschool

 



 Bryant and his "pup pup" bookbag - bigger than he is

 

 Ready to go to school

 

Labor Day Weekend trip

 

 

   Driving the boat

 

 

 

 



Happy Birthday to my friend Maks

Happy 2nd birthday Maks. Can't believe you are 2. We are thinking of you today at your big party. Wish we could be there to celebrate.

We met Maks and his wonderful parents in Moscow. We left the orphanage with the boys together. There is a special place in our hearts for Maks and his Mommy and Daddy. A chance meeting has turned in to a relationship that I will cherish always. Maks and Bryant are two amazing boys who have parents that love them to pieces. We joke they will be college roommate's one day and I hope that will prove to be true. The boys will always have a bond like no other.

Here is a picture of us in Moscow together. Seems like yesterday. Also a video for Maks from Bryant.



8 Months Home

 Yes again I am 6 days late but this time with very good reason. Our lives have been quite a mess for the past two weeks. To rewind a bit, at the beginning of July, Jeff and I decided on a whim to put a For Sale by Owner sign in our front yard. We knew there was a slim chance our house would sell in this market but due to the traffic on our road during the July 4th holiday we thought we would give it a shot. Ha ha ha. 7 days later we had a contract on our house. Needless to say we were stunned. We had 24 hours to find a new house and less than 30 days to move. So I hit the panic button a few times. I was also concerned about how Bryant would do with the move. We had just gotten settled and he has shown so much improvement. I didn't want him to backslide. In addition all of the kids are starting school. Yikes. Lots of worry and anxiety the first day and then I caught my breath. I knew this was the work of God and I had to let him be in control not me. Lesson I have had to learn over and over. If you know us or have read this blog you know Jeff and I had our house on the market a year and a half ago and decided to take it off the market and use the money we had saved to adopt Bryant. Best decision we have ever made. God led us to Bryant and has shown us that sharing his love is much more satisfying than any house would ever be. To sell our house now was just icing on the cake. We already received the sweetest gift. We felt with the quick house sale that God was leading us somewhere else and if this move was supposed to happen he would take care of it.

Our new house was the first we looked at and we fell in love the minute we drove up. It is a cottage in the country on 2.5 acres of pure beauty. We felt stillness and peace here definitely the presence of God. Stillness and peace are much needed with four kids. So we packed up and moved to the country in hopes of a little calmer and simpler life.

 Two weeks ago we were in the process of packing to move to the new house and Jeff woke up with a sore throat. He went to doctor and was given a Z-pack. On Sunday he woke up with awful mouth sores and then came polka dots all over his body. At first I laughed and then I ran for the benadryl. The next morning his entire face was swollen and looked like he had been distorted by Facetime. We call him daddy aka Fat Albert now. We rushed to the doctor for a steroid shot and it helped a little but that night things turned south and he began to go in to anaphylaxis shock. So I drove 90 miles an hour to the hospital where he received a bigger steroid dose. Turns out he had severe allergic reaction to the drug and developed a condition called Erythema multiforme minor and if we had not had the steroids he could have died. I kept thinking the fine print that no one reads on the medicine bottle is happening to Jeff. It was terrifying. In addition to that he was put to bed and was supposed to cut out all stress to allow his body to fight this. Ha ha ha. We were moving in 3 days. Again I hit the panic button. This time I called Jeff's wonderful father and step-mother to help care for Jeff while I packed up and moved our family. So I put on my Wonder Woman cape and flew through 48 hours of relocating everything we owned. Thanks to the help of the greatest friends and family ever we made it all happen. Currently I am sitting in my new living room writing this blog.

 Little Bryant has handled the move much better than I expected. So far he has done great. He thankfully has not slowed down on his eating which was my big concern. We think we made it to a whooping 19lbs. He is drinking Pediasure and eating better. Slow but sure progress. The little peanut is so funny he walks around showing everyone his muscles. Tonight we sat outside and listened to tree frogs and caught fireflies in the backyard. He saw a bug and it it ran away. He looked at me and said "where he go?" He is a mess. He also loves the trampoline Sara Kathryn got for her 8th birthday. Problem is he is so small he flies too high. He doesn't care. He loves it.  He stands at the window and says "I wanna jump jump." Then he begs "please please."

 We have had an eventful and busy month. On top of the move we celebrated my first baby's 8th birthday, our 12th anniversary, and had my precious niece Laurel came stay with us. In a few weeks Amelia and Bryant start preschool, Sara Kathryn starts 3rd grade and my Macie starts Kindergarten. Oh my, lots more changes ahead. Praying for everyone to adjust and get settled.

 Been a tough two weeks. Jeff is finally feeling a little better. I am so thankful for my husband's recovery. In the midst of the madness and exhaustion I realized how quickly plans can change and how the only thing that will get you through the tough times is a lot of prayers, good friends and incredible family.

Bryant today on the "jump jump"



Oh my he has no fear

My peanut - 21 months



Sweet girls

Big girls going to cheer camp



Hanging with Uncle Grayson

Bryant thinks he has muscles like him!



Sara Kathryn getting spoiled by grandparents on her bday



Amelia and her cousin Laurel

"Wuss You"

 This week the day I have longed for came. An ordinary day like any other but that soon changed after Bryant uttered the words "Wuss You." Jeff and I were so touched. Our son told us he loved us and even sweeter he followed it with a kiss. Tears of joy. After all of the stress and transition we have been through with Bryant's feeding struggles, hearing those words erased it all. I realized we were obviously doing something right. Even though he is only 20 months old, he still understands to some degree what this means. He knows it is an endearment and it makes Mommy and Daddy very happy. I captured a video yesterday of him saying it. I had to share it with you. Bryant continues to be a little chatter box taking after his sisters. He looked at the TV this week and said "Turn it on da da." He wanted Jeff to turn on Elmo. His communication skills have taken off which equates to a much happier child.

 Thank God everyday for my incredible husband, beautiful girls and amazing little boy. I am so blessed and I know it. Oh how I "Wuss them."

Bryant saying "Wuss You"





The girls have been putting together "shows" in the backyard. So cute.

Bryant always wants to be a part of it. Just watch!

Joy Joy Joy

I have joy in my heart for our friends who are in Russia right now and are finally bringing their son home after a more than two year journey.. They have been through an incredibly hard adoption process with many curve balls along the way. Throughout the process they have been so determined, faithful and patient. For those of us cheering them on, they have been true role models. We all tend to want things to work out our way on our time. Sometimes God has other plans. He tells us it is his time and his way and that we should be faithful servants and prayerfully wait. Our friends have been through a storm but they never gave up on their son (when it would have been very easy to do so) they persisted and prayed knowing that God would not fail them. And of course he did not.

I was fortunate enough to see some pictures of them with their new son. He is precious. Can't wait for Bryant to meet him. As I looked at the pictures, tears were flowing as I was singing in my head "I've got JOY in my heart."

7 months home

 Yes I am two days late. My dear Moscow friend reminded me of Bryant and Maks ( her son and Bryant's orphanage brother's) 7 month anniversary. Wow I am getting slack. I almot forgot.

 Been a little busy lately and we just returned from a family reunion/meet Bryant party with Jeff's incredible family. We had an awesome time. I am so very lucky to have such wonderful extended family. I am so thankful for them. I just wish we lived closer to see them more often. Bryant got to see his great-grandmother Gigi, his Nonnie and Pop, Aunts, Uncles and tons of cousins. Jeff's sister was so gracious to host this big crowd at her home. Complete crazy chaos with lots of love. That's how I describe it. The kids had an awesome time playing and stayed up until 11pm. They were so excited to see their cousins. Best of all, Bryant got to meet his cousins Natalie and John who were adopted from Russia 13 years ago and played a significant role in our decision to adopt. It warmed my heart to see Natalie holding Bryant. Two amazing children  given up but found by people who love them to pieces. Hopefully they will share a special bond.

 Bryant has continued eating better and we are super thankful. Not significant weight gain but baby steps in the positive direction. He continues to get in to everything and has started having melt downs in which he puts his hand on his forehead, sighs and drops to the floor. We then call him a drama king and he gets mad. He walks around putting headbands and bows on and brushing his hair. Jeff hates it but I know he is just modeling the girls behavior. It is funny though.  He has started putting words together. His latest is "Mon Mimi" (Come on Amelia) funny thing he says it with a southern accent. Ha Ha.

Having a great summer and loving my son even more every day.

Bryant and Cousin Natalie

Brings a smile to my face. I even think they look alike

Bryant at the party

Playing ball with the boys

Loving is boy cousins. He must be thinking "finally some boys with real boy toys"

The girls with cousin Margaret who I think looks a lot like Bryant

Loving cousin time

Jeff and his brother Joey and sister Melanie (missing brother Brett)

Can't get enough of this boy time