Updates From Home!

We arrived at the airport Tuesday night a little after 10 p.m. Then we waited for an hour for my bag before we found out that it was left behind in MN. So by the time we got home it was after midnight.

John Paul was so excited when he saw Rick at the airport. He recognized him right away and was so happy to see him! He is attaching so well to both of us. It's so nice!

When we first brought JP in the house he stood there and looked around at everything and then he looked at us and smiled real big. He tried to get up on the couch, but it's higher than the one at the orphanage, and he looked at me like he was confused. I sat him up there and he was happy! Then he saw the cats and his little face lit up! He started babbling at them. He really likes the cats!

After that we took him upstairs to see his bedroom. He walked in and just smiled so big! I haven't seen him this happy the entire time that I have been with him. Then he walked over to his little toddler bed and touched it and smiled real big. It was obvious by how happy he was that he understood that this was his room! So I got him ready for bed and tucked him in and he went to sleep. He slept good and through the night. I was surprised because of the time difference, but he did great!

When he got up I made him some cinnamon and spice oatmeal and also served him some apple sauce. Which he gobbled up with no problems! He seemed to really like it. Then he also drank half of a Pediasure bottle. He really likes Pediasure! I'm so glad that he does! His little belly is starting to get bigger already. I'll be glad when he gains enough weight that his ribs don't show. If he keeps eating like he has been that shouldn't be long! For lunch he ate cream styled corn and I added Tuna to it. I ran it through the blender to knock the big chunks out. He liked it and ate it. I know Tuna and corn sounds weird, but in Ukraine they had seafood salads that had crab and corn in them. While he has never tasted any of that, it gave me an idea. And I figured that the Tuna would be a good source of protein for him.
I wasn't sure if he would eat it or not because he wouldn't eat Tuna baby food in Ukraine. Maybe it was the sweetness of the corn that he liked. And he drank the other half of the Pediasure. Later he had a little snack of Yo Baby yogurt. That was a hit! And for supper he ate spaghetti and meatballs that I ran through the blender just to blend the meatballs down to a texture that he could swallow. He liked the spaghetti! I'll start working another snack in later. He just ate so much for breakfast that he was too full for a midmorning snack. I didn't want him to get sick. His little tummy was so big! He ate less at lunch and supper. He still ate great! He ate what a 4 year old his size should eat. I think he is finally understanding that he doesn't have to go hungry. I will feed him again and he can eat until he is full! He doesn't fuss and cry now after he eats. He'll hold his hand up to let me know he is done. Which is a big improvement from the bowl pushing and cup slapping that was going on. I think he is really beginning to trust us now!

When I first showed him his playroom his eyes got real big! Then he just sat down and looked at everything. He looked like he was scared to go any further into the room. Then he grabbed a stuffed lamb off of the little rocking chair and looked at it. He started standing it up on it's legs. I gave him a few minutes to take everything in and get used to it. Then I started showing him other toys. Right now his favorites are the Little People school bus and the Little People, a Baby Einstein book that plays music, and a ring stacker. He had no problems taking the rings off, but he didn't really want to put them back on. I showed him and he tried, but he kept going beyond it. It made me wonder how his vision is. Or maybe we just need to work more on hand/eye coordination. He'll get it! I put him on a riding toy, but he didn't like it. He started crying and wanted me to hold him.

At nap time we went into his room and he went straight to his bed, climbed up in it, and laid down. What an angel! He went right to sleep last night and slept through the night again! He's doing so good!

Today we are going to Staples to fax the paperwork to get him added to our insurance. And then I am going to get him an appointment scheduled with the pediatrician to get him checked over and referrals to the cardiologist and ENT. I'll start there. The dentist will be in the VERY near future as well. His little gums are red and swollen. They look painful. He's got to get to the dentist ASAP! He grinds his teeth really bad! And his back teeth look almost flat. I can't figure out if it is from the grinding or if it is from his gums being swollen up so high around them. Probably a little bit of both. You know it makes me glad to an extent that Dasha only has two and a half teeth. But I hope that she gets the rest later! I feel so sorry for him because I know his mouth has to hurt.

That's about it. I'll take some new pictures later and post them. Today will be a busy day because I have a lot of errands. John Paul will have his first trip to Wal-Mart today to get groceries! He wouldn't really be American if he didn't make a trip to Wal-Mart. :)

Oh, I forgot to say that last night when Rick came home we met him in the stairway. We were coming down while Rick was walking up. JP didn't realize that he was home and Rick caught him by surprise and startled him a little. JP jumped a little bit and giggled and smiled so big. Then he wanted Rick to take him. It was so awesome! He LOVES his daddy! I know he loves me too, but it is so nice to see the father and son bond that they are beginning to share. Rick is the one he goes to for fun and being bounced and tossed! I'm the comfort lady. :) And it is so nice!