The Latest and Tons of Pics...

Sorry it has been so long since an update. I am going to pick up where I left off with pictures...Easter!

John Paul and Dasha are doing great. John Paul really enjoyed Pre-K and he will start back for the summer program on July 1st lasting the month of July. He's doing really well with potty training and is pushing his pants down on his own now. He still needs some help getting them back up. He can get the front up, but they get stuck on his little rump. He's started to walk down the stairs by just holding onto the wall with one hand instead of having to hold someone's hand. He's getting stronger. :) He's still eating great. They just went to the pediatrician on Monday and he is now 32 lbs. and 39.5 inches tall. He's still growing really well and at a nice steady pace. He wears a size 7 shoe now. He wore a 5 when he first got here. He's wearing 2T's and 3T's now. It's almost been a year since we brought him home. It has really flown by! I am so proud of him and the progress he has made.

Dasha is now 22 lbs. and 29 3/4 in. tall. She has gained 4.4 lbs. and has grown 1 3/4 in. since she came home in February. Now that's a lot of growing! :) She's wearing 12 to 18 mos. now. She wore 3 to 6 mos. when she first came home a little over four months ago. At her first dr. visit she didn't even register on the DS growth chart. Now she is at the 4th percentile for height and weight. :) She's still a tiny little bean, but she's really sprouted since Feb. She eats and drinks really well and isn't picky about anything. She's crawling really well now and has learned to crawl up the steps fast! She's doing great with sign language. She knows milk, more, eat, mama, daddy, cracker, bird, cat, juice, banana, and baby. She likes to hold dolls and rock them when you say baby. I've got to get some video of it. And when you ask her if she wants to eat, she will start signing eat. She'll head for the stairs and crawl up them to get to the kitchen. She'll stop every few steps and will sign "eat" again and keep crawling until she reaches the top. It is so funny, cute, and sweet all at the same time. John Paul will walk up the stairs beside her and he will stop to wait for her to catch up to him. Such a sweet big brother! Then she'll crawl over to her high chair and sit and sign eat. She usually smiles and laughs when you put her in her high chair. She LOVES food and it makes her SO happy. The good thing is that she will eat healthy foods with no complaint at all. JP does too. That's a really good thing because they can both can really put some food away!

The pictures are from Easter. We were at my grandparent's house. John Paul and Rick are missing from some of the family pics because they were outside swinging. There is a picture that shows what happens when you get JP off of the swing set. lol!! We have had a birthday party since then, in May. John Paul turned 5 on May 14th and Dasha turned 3 on May 25th. My nephew, Ethan, turned 7 on May 17th and my dad's birthday was May 20th, so we just had one big party for their birthdays. JP and Dasha had their own personal cakes that they both thoroughly enjoyed! It was so wonderful to have them both here for their birthdays. I will post birthday party pics on the next post because there are a lot of them combined with the Easter pics.

Thanks to everyone that is still following us even though I have been a bit behind on updating the blog. I appreciate your patience and dedication in continuing to check for updates. And we ALWAYS appreciate the prayers! The kids keep me busy. :) I'll get the birthday pics on soon though! And if anyone reading this has sent me emails, I am working on getting back to everyone. It's been a busy last few months with traveling and birthdays, etc. Plus, I've been doing spring cleaning and packing out grown clothes up in the attic. I just about have everything organized, in bins or storage containers, and most things labeled! I can't stand not being able to find something when I need it and Rick and I have different ideas about where things should belong. lol! So, that's what the labeling system is for. Boy, will I be glad when it is done. It's tough to get cleaning (outside of the regular housework and that's enough) done with the kids. I mostly have to reserve my nights and weekends for that. I feel guilty if they don't get the majority of my time during the day. The neglect they endured is still apparent at times and it really pulls my heart strings. They will play independently well and together also. They just prefer more time with me and Rick. Rick commutes and doesn't get home until 7:30 p.m. So it's mostly me and the kids during the week. Its almost their bed time by the time he gets home. But they make up for it on the weekends. :) It's just really important to me that they know how loved they are and know that someone is there for them. If that means cleaning at night and on weekends, then so be it. Thanks for your patience.

Me, Dasha, my mom, my brother Shane, and Ethan (my nephew). JP and Rick were outside swinging.

Me, Dasha, and mom
This is what happens when you take JP from the swings! He LOVES to swing and play outside. He cries every time you bring him in.
Swinging and happy! :)




wGetting tickled.
JP loves my brother!
Allie, Dylan, Dasha, and uncle Cliff. Dylan is giving Dasha a hug. Awww. :)
The cousins: Ethan, John Paul, Dasha, Allie, and Dylan peaking out from behind Dasha.






Dasha got dirty on the playground in the nursery at church, but I wanted pics in her Easter dress before we changed her. Dirty or not, it was her first Easter at home. :)




Making music, a favorite past time.

Playing at grammy's with the cars and the city.
OH NO, the giant baby crushed the town!
Dasha LOVES mirrors!

Sweet baby Dash! I know she isn't really a baby, but she's my baby. :)