Finally an Update!!

Sorry for taking so long to update. If anyone does not have time to read all of this...there are new pics at the bottom and one video clip. Don't forget to stop the music from playing before you watch the video. Now back to what I was originally saying, I have been really busy. I was sick and then after I started feeling better both kids got sick. Rick usually gets home from work at 7:30 p.m., so I have some long days during the week and have been working my buns off trying to balance everything. Then he has Army drill once a month where he is gone the whole weekend. The base is a pretty good distance away so he has started staying in a hotel, compliments of the Army, on those weekends. This weekend is that weekend. That's kind of a bummer because it would have been the perfect weekend for a family outing, due to the awesome weather. We'll still find something to do close by anyway. I can't wait for late spring when it is warm every day!! I'm thinking about maybe taking them to the train museum to ride the train, if they are open this weekend.

Getting used to two children, after only ever having one at home at a time, has been a big adjustment. It has been a wonderful adjustment though! John Paul and Dasha are starting to play well together now. At first JP didn't seem to know what to think of her, but now he has warmed up to her. Although he wasn't so sure about her sitting in his high chair. He has been upgraded to the booster seat now that he is feeding himself and Dasha took the highchair. The first few times he wouldn't eat and kept staring at her in his highchair and giving her mean looks. I had to hold my laughter in and get his attention back onto his food and then he ate. Now he could care less about her being at the highchair. He seems to like eating at the table with the big people. :)

They are starting to interact with each other a lot better. They will play with each other and then go separate ways for a while. John Paul loves to show Dasha how toys work and how to stack blocks. Dasha loves to throw the blocks. lol! She has stopped pulling his hair for the most part. JP started to push her back gently and it appears that she has gotten the picture, that and I have told her "no" a lot. She's lucky to have a patient big brother with a gentle soul. They really do seem to like each other. I caught them sitting face to face and holding hands one day last week. They were smiling at each other. They are starting to imitate one another's facial expressions too. JP makes this face where he scrunches his nose up and Dasha looked at me today at did it. It was hilarious. She is crawling pretty well and is all over the playroom chasing after JP. She likes to be where the action is. She is pulling herself up and walking along furniture. She even learned to get herself down off of the couch. She learned that by watching JP. Both of them have become more vocal now and it is great to hear!

Today we took a walk around the neighborhood. It was so beautiful outside! We stopped off at the swings. JP LOVES to swing! Dasha got scared and is actually a little too small for the swing. I tried to put her and JP back to back in the same swing, but he was not having it. He shoved his back all the way against the back of the seat of the swing and would not budge! I guess he figured he would share a lot of things, even give up his highchair, but the swing was off limits! lol! Then we went over to the slides and I held JP's hand as we climbed the stairs going to the slides. There are two slides (not high slides) side by side and I usually hold his hand and we go down together. We did this twice, while Dasha hung out in front of the slide in the stroller. We were the only ones out there so it was okay. The next time I took my hand back from him to see if he would walk up the steps without my help and he did! I was thrilled!! He walked up to the slide and sat down like a big boy! Then he looked around to make sure I was coming too. I sat down beside him, but I gave him a little push to go down without me. I just like him to know that he can do things without me too. The slides are slow so there was no worry of him sliding off at the bottom. He looked back at me and smiled. The next round we took Dasha. She sat in my lap and and I held his hand and we all went down together several times. The first time Dasha didn't act like she was too sure about it. But after that she started to smile and babble. A good time was had by all. :)

Both of my children LOVE water and baths! They both cry when you go past the bathroom with them if it is not bath time. lol!

Dasha has learned to pick finger foods up and eat them. She is chewing pretty well and she LOVES to eat. Every time I sit her down and she sees food or drink coming toward her, her eyes light up and she starts laughing and smiling. It's so wonderful to see her so happy. She is just sunshine, pure sunshine! You can tell that she really loves it here. A lot of times she will start laughing and then JP will look at her and chime in. He seems happy to see her happy. We have been blessed with some great kids!!

Next Wednesday John Paul and Dasha both have appointments at the E.N.T. to see the audiologist to have their hearing screened. Then on Monday, March 16th, Dasha is going to the cardiologist. It was the earliest appointment that we could get with the doctor that I know and trust. They told us at the Embassy medical exam that Dasha's orphanage records show she has an ASD. The dr. said she could hear a murmur. I don't know, but we will find out. They said JP had an ASD too, but it turned out that he doesn't. Prayers will be greatly appreciated! We also have the service coordinator that we used with Chloe coming out on Monday. She is going to get John Paul transitioned into preschool and didn't feel there will be an issue with him having a full year of preschool next year before he starts kindergarten the following year. Next week I am going to work on getting Dasha evaluated for Birth to Three. I am also going to take them to get their blood work done one day next week. I put off taking them because they were sick and also are supposed to get another round of vaccinations when they go back. I wanted to give their immune systems time to get built back up after being sick before I subjected them to that, that and the stress of getting stuck with needles for their blood work. Plus my double stroller arrived this week, so it will be a whole lot easier for me to take them now. And they both like riding in it. :)

That's about it for now. I am going to post a video of Dasha on the airplane. This was as the plane was going down the runway leaving Kiev, Ukraine. When the plane lifts off the ground she puts her hands in the air. I thought it was absolutely precious!

Also, some pics from NC and home! The pics are out of order. The newest pictures are at the top and the older ones are at the bottom.