Our first Christmas

Yes, this is a bit late, but like most things since I've become a Mom, I severely underestimated the amount of time and energy preparing for Christmas would take! That being said, it would seem that RP had a WONDERFUL holiday!

Christmas Eve was especially wonderful because it marked exactly 10 months since RP and I walked out of the orphanage in St. Petersburg as a family. Ever since sitting on Santa's lap at her Winter concert at school, all RP could talk about was Santa coming to her house, and this year Nana and Papa spent Christmas Eve with us so Santa could make an appearance on Christmas Eve AND they could be here to watch Christmas through her eyes (and help Mommy survive it) as she opened presents right after he left.

Like most two-year olds it didn't take her long to get the hang of opening presents, and not only did she rip her own open, but also "helped" Nana, Papa, and Mommy open theirs. Seems that little RP figured every present under the tree was for her, and we had to stop her from ripping open the gifts that Mommy had purchased for other family members and friends - if it was under the tree, it was fair game! After presents she spent 20 minutes arguing "no night-night Mommy," with me before grabbing my hand (and her pillow) and leading me upstairs where she promptly crashed.

Opening all these presents is hard work...

Christmas Day was spent at a family friend's house, again with Nana and Papa, and of course more presents. This was followed by Christmas Day - Part II with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Chris, and all our cousins at Nana and Papa's house - with more presents. Watching all the kids open their presents together, let alone see their faces when Nana announced their big present - a trip to Disney World in March - was priceless.

We're going to Disney World!!!

I'm pretty sure RP was slightly disappointed this morning to wake up and find that, for the first time in three days, there were no special celebrations to get ready for, nor any gifts to open. We're working on getting back to some sense of normalcy, since nap and eating times have gone out the window these last few days, but already I miss the hubbub of the holiday, only in that it was such a special time for us this year. While in some ways I feel that I actually missed some of the holiday because I was so busy trying to make sure everything was perfect for RP's first, I am comforted in that she had such a great time, surrounded by people who love, adore, and yes, spoil her rotten, and that this was the first of only a lifetime of holidays to come.


I can't wait.

Santa's workshop

Despite my best efforts my basement now looks like Santa has relocated his workshop from the North Pole to just outside of Chicago. I swore I wasn't going to go crazy with Christmas, and even set a budget to stick to when shopping - the problem is that I got SUCH good deals (for whatever reason) this year that I was able to get WAY more than I fathomed I could while using that budget, so Santa and Mommy are going to be VERY good to RP this Christmas.

I might be the only one, but I'm not sure where the year went. The beginning of the year was all a blur to me - the waiting and prepping for my court date, flying back and forth to Russia, then bringing my little RP home. The next few months were a blur as well as we got settled at home and established a routine, which was followed by summer months of school and work. I have NO idea where summer went, and I barely remember fall, but it is freezing cold here, snowing, and we are a mere 17 days away from Christmas, which I can hardly believe.

With all the craziness holidays (and holiday scheduling!) brings I'm not sure when I'll be able to update this again, so please consider this an early holiday blessing to each of you - I hope you all have safe and happy holidays with your loved ones, and that the new year is great for each of you!

Happy Holidays!

Another "one year ago" post...

It's hard to believe that one little year ago my Mom and I had boarded the plane headed to St. Petersburg by way of Germany. I still remember the excitement, anticipation, and yes worry, surrounding the trip. Our travel visas literally came at the eleventh hour, and I had never flown anywhere further than California (despite having traveled to Jamaica and Mexico, I think the distance from here to California is actually greater) and never in my life had I ever had a desire to travel to Europe, let alone Eastern Europe in the middle of winter!

Eleven months had gone by since I first signed with my agency, and three months had passed since I first saw the four referral pictures of my little RP, and this trip was everything I had waited for. Still, I was worried about everything - the plane crashing or getting stuck somewhere in a country that I didn't speak/understand the language, not being met by the wheelchair for my mom in both Germany (which did happen - luckily we were able to hop a "beep-beep cart" to buzz us to our gate just in time to catch our connection!) and Russia, OR not being met by the English-speaking coordinator/translator in St. Petersburg, getting to the Ministry of Education to find that RP had already found another family, or meeting my little girl only to discover that she hated me... you get the idea.

In hindsight, the original trip couldn't have gone smoother. Our flights were fairly smooth and VERY uneventful, the coordinator actually found ME in Russia because I was looking for her so hard that I completely missed the big "EAC" sign she was holding, the hotel accommodations were very nice and most of the staff there was fluent in English, and at the Ministry of Education I saw a picture of RP that I had never seen before (and wish they had given me... but they didn't) along with her medical and personal information, and was given the green light to go and see my baby!

I had so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and am trying to keep myself in check for Christmas (unlike for RP's birthday when it literally took her over an hour to open all of her presents!). I won't lie - single parenting (or, just parenting in general) is WAY harder than I thought it would be, and the worries haven't stopped since those flights last year. I worry constantly about whether or not RP is getting enough attention from me, learning the right things, and yes, does she know how much I love her, and does she love me as well? In my heart of hearts I know the answers to that, and I was kidding myself last year when I thought that once the process was done and we were home I would STOP worrying, and just start enjoying. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy each and every day with my little princess (yes, even the challenging ones), I just realized that the worries won't ever stop - they just change with time - but she will ALWAYS be my little Russian Princess...

November 30, 2009
Our very first meeting

November 25, 2010
Our first Thanksgiving as a family!

Without the love, support, and encouragement of my family and friends I never could have gone through this process, let alone survived it, and while I'm sure it sounds cliche', it was all completely worth it. My life is truly transformed by this tiny little princess who calls me "Mommy," and without the incredible support system I had during the process, and especially now, I wouldn't be where I am today. For all of you, and for RP, I am truly thankful...

One year ago...

As we prepare for Thanksgiving (which I can't believe is less than a week away!) I can't help but to remember Thanksgiving time last year. We left the Saturday after Thanksgiving to trek to Russia for the first of three trips, and to meet the little girl who was destined to be my daughter. I still remember the anxiety and anticipation as I packed the suitcases again... and again... and again - and tried to hold tight to what little was left of my sanity as I waited on pins and needles for the oh-so important travel visas to arrive.

Fast forward a year and I can't remember my life without my little RP. She has blossomed into a charming, silly, chatty little girl - far from the sullen, anxious, and tearful little munchkin that I met on that very first day. While the process was long and hard, I don't regret a single moment of it and truly know that it was my labor of love.

I had so much to be thankful for last year, and it doesn't seem possible that I could possibly be MORE thankful this year... but I am. I truly have the best friends and family on the planet, and in less than a week I'll be celebrating RP's first of many Thanksgivings with her, family, and friends... and despite having been sick with pneumonia for the last two weeks, despite RP having just gotten over a nasty sinus infection, and despite a rash of sad/bad news overall this last week... I truly feel blessed.

How many costumes does one child need?

So, I believe I have mentioned before that I am NOT a big fan of Halloween. I have always hated Halloween, probably stemming from being painfully shy throughout my childhood (imagine that!) as well as having to trick-or-treat for both my brother and I when he was very young (somehow he always managed to get deathly ill for major holidays - especially Halloween!). That being said, I am trying very hard NOT to cloud RP's experience with the fact that I could do without Halloween altogether and not feel like I'm missing anything.

As such, we have had RP's Halloween costume in her closet for almost a month now - a "Disney Parks Exclusive" Snow White costume, compete with official Snow White hair bow headband and sparkly red shoes. I completely forgot about the fact that she would probably have a Halloween party at school, and since she attends on Mondays and Fridays, this will be an event she will participate in.

As much as I love her school I am not about to send her "real" Halloween costume to school with her for her school party/costume parade. As tiny as she is it took me forever to find a Snow White costume that would fit her, and I've seen her clothes after being at school all day - not pretty! Since I had to leave work early yesterday for a doctor's appointment, I swung by Walgreens to check out their costume selections and lo and behold ended up buying her the cutest little busy bee costume. It is technically a baby costume, but it fits her perfectly and will hopefully hold up to the rigors of daycare.

So, for someone who hates Halloween, I have now purchased TWO Halloween costumes for one child. Ahhh... the joys of motherhood! :)

RP's "Busy Bee" Costume for school

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall... Who is the fairest of them all?"

Where is the year going?

We are only a week and a half away from Halloween, and I still can't believe it. Where has this year gone? RP isn't excited for Halloween, although she seemed pretty enchanted with her costume, which I tried on her the other night and am happy to announce that it fits PERFECTLY!!! Of course, she was MORE thrilled with the pink princess bucket that I bought to go with the costumer, and even went so far as to take it from the closet and sleep with it once - I had to hide it until the big day!

I'm still not sure where we'll be trick-or-treating, but there are a few Halloween parties/opportunities coming up that we may take advantage of instead. Now I'm hoping that this costume will still fit in March when we head down to Disney World! Yes, that's right - our entire family is headed for Spring Break in the Magic Kingdom - officially booked as of yesterday.

As the weather turns colder, RP and I have enjoyed some fun at the local pumpkin patches, but like her Mommy, RP is a summer girl at heart. She is NOT thrilled with the temperature change, and seems annoyed with having to put on so many layers of clothes (not to mention having to wear a coat, socks, and shoes after months of going barefoot!). This weekend will be spent breaking down and buying RP her winter snowsuit, and I can't believe it was almost a year ago that I was anxiously awaiting my trip 1 dates and trying NOT to buy everything in sight!

Here's a quick pic of RP and I at the last visit to the pumpkin patch - hopefully one of these days I'll actually get her to look at the camera and smile for pictures! :)

October already?

I can't believe it is already October - where has this year gone? Things have been pretty hectic around here - last weekend RP and I headed to the pumpkin patch to enjoy some fall weather (it was actually COLD - brrr!!!), and this past weekend one of my best friends got married, so it was a full weekend of wedding festivities!

RP is doing well - she continues to amaze me each and every day! She remembers the darnedest things (sometimes things I wish she wouldn't - like every time she yells out "Oh gawd!!!" when something upsets her or goes awry - and in the same tone as Mommy does, imagine that!), is starting to learn to count (favorite number is 2 - everything HAS to be two!!), learning her colors (favorite color is blue - just a coincidence that it rhymes with "two?!?!"), loves to sing and dance (she ripped up the dance floor at Miss Carey's wedding - literally!), and has boundless energy that I wish I could bottle and use myself!

With Halloween only a few weeks away RP's costume is now up in the closet, ready for the big day! She is going as "Snow White" this year, and I can't wait to see how she looks all dressed up. I even found a "My First Halloween" outfit for her to wear for the rest of the day on Halloween, which is pretty ironic considering she is almost 2 1/2 years old now. I just hope she enjoys Halloween and stays in the costume for trick-or-treating, although at this point I'm not sure exactly WHERE we'll be trick-or-treating yet. Ahhh - fun times! :)

More transitions...

Two weeks ago I transitioned RP from her crib to a toddler bed. While she still seemed pretty content in the crib (and I was happy to have her confined so she couldn't get into anything or get hurt), she just seemed "ready" for a big girl bed. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me hers, and within 10 minutes we had the toddler bed set up, crib mattress on it, and RP's entire face lit up as she realized this was all for her! She must have climbed in and out of that bed 100 times during the day, smiling, giggling, and throwing herself on the bed, as if to reaffirm that it really was hers.

For as much as she loved her new big girl bed, actually sleeping in it proved to be another story. She was TERRIFIED to move from it, and she cried and whimpered for over an hour that night before she finally drifted off to sleep, with Mommy in there rubbing her back and kneeling next to the bed to comfort her as she was truly scared of this new transition. The next morning she cried for me to come and get her out of bed, but perked up when she realized she could actually climb out on her own, and from then on she has LOVED her new bed.

We've had a few scary moments in the last few weeks with the new bed. About three nights in, she managed to slide through the bars of the rail and ended up on the floor, under her crib (which is still in there until Papa takes it apart to get it out of the room - I had NO idea that it wouldn't fit through the door!), where she woke up screaming. Two nights later I was awakened in the middle of the night to blood-curdling screams when she somehow managed to get her head stuck in the same railing, which prompted me to ask Papa to remove the safety rails entirely, as I couldn't handle the vision of her choking to death in the bed because she got stuck again but this time couldn't breathe - **shudder**

This past weekend I ordered new "official" toddler bedding for her new bed, and washed up the crib bedding to pack away. I won't lie - I cried when putting that bedding away. It's been six and a half months and she is already growing up way too quickly for me. While I did enjoy the fact that she let me sleep in until 8:30 - 8:45 a.m. this weekend (something I haven't done in MONTHS), I'd sacrifice the sleep for more time with her in this stage of life. She is a bundle of energy, with quite the emerging personality, and I'm trying to soak in and treasure every moment I can, as she is truly growing up way too quickly...

Home six months!

Well, I have to admit - I'm late on this post. RP and I celebrated her being home with me six months on August 27, but time got away from me and I am just now able to update.

I can't believe six months has gone by already. I remember distinctly picking her up at the orphanage on February 24, clothes and diaper in hand (because, as my coordinator so delicately put it, I was picking up a "naked baby" and needed to be sure to bring ALL her essentials!). The minute they handed me my bundled up little munchkin and scooted us out the door was the best, yet most terrifying, moment of my life. Her big brown eyes were like saucers in the van on the way to the airport - she was completely mesmerized by everything she saw and was experiencing, but never once cried.

Fast forward three days. We were bleary-eyed when we arrived at the Moscow International airport and our driver was sweet enough to not only escort us into the airport, carrying bags and barking orders in Russian to everyone around him, but he also pulled strings so we didn't have to wait in the HUGE line to get through immigration. That process seemed to take forever, as not one but THREE different people gathered 'round to examine all her documentation. Luckily (for them or for me I'm not sure - just "luckily") I don't speak Russian and couldn't understand their commentary, but after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, we were released through to our gate, thus beginning 18 hours of travel.

RP hated being buckled into her seat and let everyone on the plane from Moscow to Zurich know it. Ditto for the flight from Zurich to Chicago, but at this point I had been up for over 24 hours and truly didn't care. I just wanted to get home. I have never been SO excited to land and get off of a plane as I was that day, and I couldn't wait for RP to meet her Papa, see her new home, and start our new life together.

I can still feel the sense of relief of walking into my own house, petting my frantic puppies (after two weeks away they were beside themselves with joy at my return, and LOVED RP from the start!), and settling into a routine. Then it dawned on me - what the heck was I going to feed this child, who was completely OFF any sort of regular schedule, had just woken up after falling asleep in the car, when I had been gone for two weeks. Right, wrong, or otherwise, RP's first meal home was oatmeal, and she glared at me the entire time she ate it - still not certain about what was going on around her and terrified that at any given time I was going to take everything away from her... again.

We "celebrated" RP's six month anniversary by attending Open House at her daycare/school. She had a BALL showing off her classroom and friends, and I received a lot of great feedback from the Assistant Director and teachers. While RP definitely has her "moments" she is truly thriving at school and has made significant progress in catching up developmentally with her peers. In the last six months she has grown 3 inches, gained 4 pounds, and has gone from an English vocabulary of zero to chatting and babbling non-stop, with new words and phrases every single day. I don't know what the next six months holds for us, but I'm looking forward to the adventure!

RP's first meal at home after 18 hours of travel - oatmeal!

Being silly for Mommy getting ready to leave for Open House at school

A little bit of bragging...

Honestly, I'm not a bragging kinda mom - in fact, I am probably harder on my 2-year old than anyone else. I discipline her for not listening, throwing her toys or ripping something that shouldn't have been ripped (we've already fixed the pages of several books due to an "oops" rip that escalated into something larger when she realized that ripping paper was fun!), and for not sharing with others. While RP can't yet count, she recognizes the old "1....2....don't make me get to 3...." routine which is probably why her favorite number is 2 - I rarely get past two before she comes running to do whatever it is she is supposed to do. That being said, she has spent countless time in "The Naughty Corner" because she simply enjoyed "Time Out" a little too much to be effective, and she understands what punishment is and hopefully what is expected of her moving forward. (Yep, we DO get past two in the counting game... and with a certain level of frequency!)

Over the last several weeks I have received no less than THREE notes home from "school" because RP was not behaving appropriately in class. The first time she SAT on another child because she wanted the toy he was playing with, the second and third time she was spitting at other kids and trying to hit them because she wasn't getting her way. Then, there have been reports that she has become so angry/frustrated that she attempts to bite herself in an effort to alleviate this frustration. {This is a hold-over from orphanage behavior - she did this on our first and second visits to the orphanage and several times when we first came home. Now it happens much less frequently, but alas, is still happening when she is overly tired, overly-stimulated, and/or overly-frustrated.}

Now, you may be asking yourself, "Um... so THIS is what you are bragging about?" Nope. Not quite. Yesterday I went to pick RP up from school and saw the dreaded "See Comments Below" note at the top of her daily progress report which typically signifies that there has been a behavior problem that day. Lo and behold the notes at the bottom of the page were something along the lines of, "RP had a FANTASTIC day today! She kept her hands to herself, played nicely with everyone in class, and was a BIG helper to her teacher!" I was beaming - I really was. THEN.... I went to pick her up from the pre-school room where the teacher in the room reiterated how well-behaved she was in school that day and that she is always one of the only kids who picks up after herself and often helps the teachers pick up toys and art projects the other kids have left out and abandoned.

My heart was very happy, and still is. I know it's only one day, but I feel that we are truly making progress and hopefully this trend will continue. To anyone else I'm sure this sounds like just what should be expected of any child, and I wholeheartedly agree - and I'm just happy that the efforts both she and I have been putting in to this are beginning to show! Now, if she can only keep it up! :)

One week from today...

Exactly one week from today is the six-month anniversary of the day RP and I arrived in the USA from Russia. On one hand these past six months have seemed to fly by, but on the other it seems like so very long ago that I stepped foot on US soil for the first time in two weeks, exhausted from 18-hours of travel time with a cranky and scared 22-month old. I can still remember that day vividly and how antsy I was just to get off the plane, eat "American" food, and sleep in my own bed - not to mention how I couldn't wait for RP's "Papa" to finally meet his granddaughter. I was also terrified that RP would never fully attach to me, that she would scream, cry, and HATE life in the US, and that we would never be able to fall into a comfortable routine for both of us.

Six months later I can't image my life without my RP and I marvel every day at how far she has come. Does she still throw tantrums? Yep - especially when she doesn't get her way, or when she is overly tired. Do I have concerns about her and her attachment to me? Yes and no - yes, I have concerns, but nothing that "ordinary" moms wouldn't have for their children; no about attachment - some days are obviously better than others, but it would appear that she is a normally attached, healthy, strong-willed child who is thriving in her new life.

I look forward to our next six months and all the wonder, excitement, and yes, even challenges, they will bring. I can't imagine my life without my little RP and can't honestly put into words how much I love being her Mommy - I can't imagine a better feeling in the world, and wouldn't trade it for the world!!

The difference a year can make

Every once in a while I like to go back and re-read my posts from last year. It is odd that the wait and hope and anxiety from last year can feel so fresh in my mind, yet seem like a lifetime ago. It's ironic that last year I had posts from the day before today and the day after, and both make me chuckle.



A year ago I was anxiously waiting for my referral. My file had only gone to Russia a few days before and I was dying for some type of news on when I could expect to receive my referral, and I was convinced that I would become a mommy to a beautiful little Russian prince. A year ago tomorrow I received the best news of my life - I had been matched with a beautiful 16-month old little princess who would soon become my daughter. Even though she looks scared, confused, and even angry in those referral photos (in one photo you can even tell she had been crying) she melted my heart right away and I KNEW I was meant to be her Mommy.



The following six months were no easier - they were fraught with anxiety and frustration in having to spend more time waiting - waiting to be invited to see her, waiting for our court date, then waiting to finally bring her home. It's hard to believe that all of this only took place a year ago, and that she has only been home with me for 5 1/2 months now. In my heart she has been around forever, and I am so thankful and so happy that our story has a happy ending and that she is now, and forever will be, my little Russian princess!

This is the first photo I ever saw of little RP, and I one I stared at for MONTHS before I actually was able to go over and see her in person...

The most recent photo of RP, taken just this past weekend. Not to be TOO cliche', but it truly is amazing what a difference a year can make!

Testing new template

There isn't much new going on here, but I discovered the hard way that "The Cutest Blog on the Blog" or whomever I used to create my old template for this blog removed the background which gave users a lovely "this image cannot be displayed" error throughout my entire blog as you scrolled. Yuck! I'm not thrilled with the new look, but at least that error message is gone, and I now have a bit of motivation to update the look and feel here!

RP is doing well - getting bigger and bigger everyday! Her giggle is infectious and I love hearing it, especially in the morning! This morning she could barely keep her eyes open while I got her dressed for school, but once she realized she was wearing shoes she perked up and immediately was ready for the day (what can I say, the child LOVES shoes!), so much so that she practiced jumping off the step in the kitchen into the family room about 15 times this morning, giggling louder and louder with each jump. It was all the motivation I needed to get through the day, and I can't wait to pick her up tonight for two solid days of RP and Mommy bonding time!

Five months ago today

It seems like a lifetime ago, but five months ago TODAY I stepped off the plane with my little RP. The trek from Russia to the US had us traveling for 18 some-odd hours through Switzerland, and my little RP screamed the majority of the way. I was tired, overwhelmed, and even a bit frightened of what was to come and could not imagine what life would be like once we were settled in - and I kept asking myself, "did I do the right thing - for her and for me?"

It hasn't been easy but I can say without a single doubt that "YES" I did the right thing. RP has blossomed from a seemingly distant, almost angry child (definitely very timid) to a lovable little goofball who loves to run, play, climb, and read stories. She is into everything and sometimes drives me bonkers with her incessant need to be on the go, but when she wraps those chubby little arms around my neck and squeezes tight, then plants a kiss on my lips, all of that goes out the window.

It has been the longest, yet the shortest five months of my life - and I've loved every minute of it!

RP and a friend at his birthday party over the weekend - her first American birthday party (not counting her own!). She had a blast and even though she was half the size of the other kids in the jumpy, once she tried it out she LOVED it - I had a hard time getting her out when it was time to go and enjoy some cupcakes with the birthday boy!

The terrible two's (and other random updates)

When I last posted we were getting ready for the 4th of July and I am happy to say that RP absolutely LOVED the fireworks! She "ooo'd" and "ahhh'd" over a lot of them, although, truth be told, she was so tired at that point that she pretty much remained motionless in my arms during most of the display!

We had our 6-month post-placement social worker visit and it seems to have gone well, although I'm not really sure what I should be expecting of those visits. I go crazy cleaning the house and making sure that RP is dressed cutely and refrains from ripping the bow from her hair until AFTER the social worker leaves, only for her to sit in my kitchen for about 20 minutes, ask me how things are going, take notes on what I tell her, and then leaves. Oh yeah, I also have to provide a dozen or so random photos of RP (alone and with family) to attach to the report - considering I've now taken almost 2000 photos of my little RP the pictures aren't a problem, I just don't get how this is different from the monthly reports I give to the agency, which also include photos. Hmmm...

It seems that after that visit from the social worker the terrible two's kicked into high gear. RP has become increasingly "sassy" (I say that based on tone, since much of what she is sassing about I still can't understand) and throws absolute fits when she doesn't get her way. The past three nights she has gone absolutely crazy at bedtime - screaming, crying, biting herself, hitting at me, shaking the bars of the crib, you name it - as she is insistent that she needs to sleep in Mommy's bed. We have never co-slept so I'm not sure where this is coming from, and I'm starting to wonder if this is a sign that she is ready to move into a big-girl bed. I can say that I am not ready for that move, as I like the security of her still being in the crib, especially with the tantrums that have occurred this week! While the bulk of her terrible "two-ness" has occurred at night, she has certainly been testing her boundaries during the day as well - sassiness, throwing toys or not listening to directions until I start the dreaded counting (she is usually pretty good about listening by the time I get to "2" but I'm already tired of doing it!), and most recently spitting at school and hitting another child because he had the car on the playground that she wanted to play with.

When she ISN'T in the throes of her terrible two's, RP is doing fantastically at home - she, for the most part, is a sweet little girl who loves to laugh, play outside (especially in the water!), and adores her Papa and puppies. While I am treasuring every moment of her being so little, I am more than ready for this "phase" to be over!!!

The Road to my Russian Princess

Hope you enjoy the pictures from my adoption journey!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

First Fourth of July!

I can hardly believe that is is already July 1st - where has the time gone? We are gearing up for RP's first fourth of July, and it's looking like it's going to be a pretty low-key celebration. All the crazies in my neighborhood come out and party like there's no tomorrow (literally - it drives me beyond crazy!) so we'll be headed over to Grandma and Papa's house for some peace and quiet! RP is still too little to understand what the Fourth of July really is, but I'm hoping that she is able to stay awake for the fireworks, and I can't wait to see her reaction (hopefully she loves them!).

We have now officially spent four full months at home and things are getting better every day, although I still worry incessantly about attachment. Is she truly attached to me? Does she understand how much I love her? These are truly questions that wake me up in the middle of the night, and I don't know why. This morning when I dropped her off at daycare RP's "teacher" was there so I chatted with her for a few minutes to see how she was doing, and once again got rave reviews. She is eating more everyday she is there, sleeps fantastically, and is more vocal every day. Apparently, though, there are a few times during every day where she starts to cry and call for "Mommy" which just breaks my heart, but I'm trying not to dwell on it and focus on the fact that she is happy and well-adjusted.

Almost sixteen weeks home

Yes, I have been a complete slacker when it comes to updating my blog - I guess I truly had more time while I was waiting for this process to be over, and now my waking moments are spent either at work, or with my little RP.

Things are going well, if I do say so myself. RP has adjusted fabulously and is getting bigger and more vocal every day. Everyone who has known her from the time she came home can't believe the difference in her - she's like a whole new child: happy, chatty, and full of mischief like any normal two-year old. Those who know that she is adopted but have just recently met her can't believe that she hasn't been here all her life.

I am asked the question, "Was it worth it?" a LOT. While it annoys me (kinda like overhearing the person who, in the office, said that there wasn't any reason to do a shower for me because I just adopted my child), I can certainly understand why the question is being asked. This question is usually followed by, "Would you do it again?" The answers are as follows:

• YES, it was worth it. Through all the paperwork, running around, waiting, redoing paperwork, expense, travel, uncertainty, and delays I now have the child whom I truly believe was born to be my daughter, and born to be a part of my family - it just happens that she was born on the other side of the world. She is my world and my life and I do not regret a minute of the process, especially when I hear her call for "Mommy!" or have her give me a big sloppy kiss and huge bear hug. You will never hear me say otherwise, even on days when "the terrible two's" kick in and there are temper tantrums (hers and mine!), tears, and frustration. She IS my child.
• MAYBE I would do it again - adopt, that is. Would I go to Russia again? No. Not that I don't appreciate the country and the amazing gift I received from there. It's weird and sounds semi-cliche, but even when I was going through in-vitro, and probably even before then, I somehow knew that my family would be created through adoption, and that my child was going to be from Russia. Just knew it - not sure how, but I looked into adopting from either Russia or Guatemala several years ago, before the fertility specialists and before the hysterectomy. I just knew in my gut that my child was going to be from another country, and deep, deep down I knew it was going to be Russia. That being said, I am quite happy with RP being an only-child, but if the opportunity to adopt domestically came up, either through knowing someone or through a foster-situation I would not be opposed to looking into it further. I just am not physically, mentally, or financially able to do international adoption again. RP is truly going to be my one and only Russian Princess!

Like I said, not much to update - RP is doing fantastically and I am in constant amazement as to how she has grown and developed over the last 15.5 weeks (it'll be 16 weeks on Saturday - wow!). Her grasp of understanding the English language is fantastic, she is babbling more and more English words (we're up to about 40-50 now, with more added on every day), and she is running, climbing, and jumping on everything. Most of all she is settled, happy, and comfortable in her family and with our friends, and that's all I could have ever asked for!

Three months to the day...

Three months ago today I brought my baby back to the US. I can hardly believe it has ONLY been three months since she came home - it seems as if she has been in my life forever, and that is a great feeling.

In a relatively short period of time, RP has experienced many "firsts:"

• first airplane ride (she has now been on three, and logged about 10,000 miles before her second birthday)
• first hotel stay (Radisson in Moscow - it was absolutely beautiful!)
• first visit to a restaurant (also at the Radisson in Moscow)
• first word (Mama - of course!)
• first time in a car riding in a car seat (coming home from the airport - can you believe car seats are only suggested in Russia, and most families don't use them?)
• first time owning anything (clothes, toys, everything was communal in the orphanage)
• first time seeing and playing with a real dog
• first time seeing and petting a real cat (and subsequently first time being bitten by a cat - Cassie isn't much for playing)
• first Easter celebration, and first exposure to the Easter bunny
• first time celebrating her birthday with presents and a cake
• first time going to the zoo
• first party!
• first play date
• first kisses and snuggles
• first time going to "school"
• first haircut in a real salon!
• first time swimming (meaning the first time wearing a bathing suit!)

and the most important one:

• FIRST TIME BEING PART OF A FAMILY

Even on the days that things haven't gone smoothly, meltdowns have ensued, and tears have fallen, at the end of every night I thank God for the blessings he has given to me. I don't know why or how I was chosen to become RP's Mommy, but I am thankful each and every day for the opportunity, and am looking forward to the next three months (and beyond...) with my beautiful little Russian princess!

Ahh, memories

So, RP and I have settled into a pretty consistent routine and things are going well. Mondays and Fridays she goes to daycare (aka "school") and Tuesday-Thursday she spends the day with Grandma and Papa. All in all RP is a very lucky little girl - both with her grandparents and at school she is snuggled, loved, and pretty much the center of attention (to this end I think her tiny size helps in that everyone at daycare just wants to hold and snuggle her like a baby, and not necessarily like the fiercely independent toddler she has truly become). The highlight of my day, every single day, is when I walk into the room after a long day at work and her face lights up and she runs into my arms to give me the biggest "squeeze" (our family's name for hugs thanks to my brother and sister-in-law - and I love it!!!) ever. Of course, after that, she tests me to no end - pulls off socks and shoes in the car, tests to see how loud she can truly get before Mommy gets mad, and constantly replies, "NO!" to everything I ask her to do, until she gets home and falls asleep, to repeat the entire process again.

At work today one of my reps was very excited to tell me that she is going to be an aunt, and I naively assumed that her sister-in-law was pregnant. Come to find out her brother and sister-in-law are adopting from Columbia and they received their referral information yesterday - a beautiful little boy! She showed me his picture today and I immediately got all misty-eyed because I immediately had a flashback to the day I received RP's referral information - the happiest, yet hardest, day of my life up until that point. Happy for obvious reasons but hard because I couldn't immediately go and get her, scoop her up, bring her home, and make her part of my family. I hadn't looked at RP's referral pictures for a while but thought I would post them, along with a more recent photo, as I'm still amazed at the difference in a relatively short period of time:

Referral photos (received August 11, 2009)

RP on her baptismal day (April 25, 2010):

I know I am not impartial in the least, but to me she looks so much happier and more relaxed, and that makes my heart happy . . .

Sick baby

I came home last night to a sick little girl, and it absolutely broke my heart. If there IS anything good about a sick child, it's that she still seemed as rowdy and energetic as ever - apparently my child is the "1 out of xxx" that gets hyper when she gets sick instead of getting all mopey/whiny. She was wound tight last night and didn't get to sleep until well after 9, and was thereafter up hourly, with the longest stint occurring between 2-3 when she just would not (or could not!) fall back to sleep.

Needless to say, 5:45 came VERY early for her this morning, and I even hit the snooze button a few times before scrambling out of bed and hurrying to get ready to run out the door. RP is always a trooper in the morning, but her facade crumbled pretty easily today and she was in tears by the time we got to the hallway in her daycare, and full-fledged sobbing by the time we got to her classroom. My heart literally broke when I handed her over to the teacher and she was crying but trying so hard to be brave as she said, "bye-bye" while tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were so heavy due to being sick and being oh-so-tired.

The joys of motherhood... sometimes suck. :(

Back at work - day 2

Yes, I'm counting the days I've been back at work. Weird, but somehow it helps me get through the day (well, that and the fact that I have turned my desk/workspace into a shrine to my child!), as does counting the hours I've been here (4) and the number of hours I have left until I can leave (4.5).

RP was such a brave little trooper yesterday - she spent almost 11.5 hours at daycare and apparently (from all reports) did REALLY well. She started crying when I got to daycare, probably because she was tired, overwhelmed, and hungry, and she was super excited to put on her coat, grab her Princess backpack, and wheel that thing on out the door, yelling "bye-bye" to everyone she came across along the way. The daycare people LOVE her and tell me everyday how sweet and wonderful she is, which is truly both a blessing and heartbreaking to hear - heartbreaking in that I selfishly want to soak up that sweetness and wonderfulness all to myself! She jumped in the car with me and was beyond excited that we were going to pick up McDonald's for dinner, and seriously chowed down when we got home - she ate more than I did for dinner, and for someone so tiny I'm always in awe of where she puts it all!!! We lingered over dinner, then headed upstairs for a bath, brushing of teeth, and a quick story before the day was over. That said, I think I spent a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes with my child yesterday, and that TRULY breaks my heart...

RP wasn't so eager to get up and get going this morning, but the good news was that she got to go to Grandma and Papa's which meant only a quick diaper change, teeth brushing, and a Flintstone vitamin before we headed out the door so she got to sleep in a little AND she apparently went right back to bed once I left her with Grandma (Mommy was smart and packed her clothes and just took her in her jammies this morning - she looked so comfortable that I was jealous!). She was crabby and clingy, especially when I went to leave her with Grandma this morning, but as of the last e-mail report I received she was playing happily, and most likely getting spoiled rotten, so all is well.

This working Mom thing is going to take some serious adjustment, but I'm trying, and it helps to know that the people who are caring for my child while I am gone are doing such a fantastic job. I miss her like crazy and cherish each moment with her, probably a little bit more than I did last week just because I don't take them for granted now. That being said, I still need to win that lottery...

Back to work

Yes, the day I have dreaded for three months has come and I am 80% of the way through it - my first day back at work. The day started VERY early, with me rising at 5:15 a.m. to get ready and getting RP up at 5:45. My droopy little baby could barely keep her eyes open, but I discovered that the benefit to rising her so early is that I don't have to chase her around for 15 minutes trying to get her diaper changed and dressed - she pretty much passes out on the diaper pad and let's me take care of business!

We arrived at daycare about 8 minutes early so we drove around until exactly 6:30 at which time my little RP grabbed her Princess backpack and strolled up to the door like a real big girl! This was short-lived, however, in that 2 minutes later she was crying for me to hold her and hanging on for dear life as I told her "bye-bye" and handed her to the Center Director. THAT was the hardest thing I've had to do yet.

In all the commotion I completely forgot about checking her in, so I called about 30 minutes later to do so and heard that after about 5-10 minutes of crying she jumped down and was busy exploring all the other kids and the Preschool room, so all was well. I have fought the urge all day to call again and check, and now am counting down the minutes until I can leave and go scoop up my little Princess.

I really need to win the lottery, because this sucks.... :(

Playing catch-up

So, in my defense I have attempted to post once before - I actually spent 45 minutes typing up all the details of RP's 2nd birthday, party planning, and 7 and 8 week milestones at home, only to discover the next day that my post disappeared. Crap. Sigh. Moving on...

As of yesterday RP has been home for 9 glorious weeks, which is awesome. I am in awe of her every day and am still trying to reconcile the spunky little girl in front of me with the angry and withdrawn child I met in St. Petersburg. She has grown 1.25 inches since she has been home and is just shy of 22 pounds. Her hair is growing like crazy and her big brown eyes twinkle when she's giggling, and when she's about to try something she knows she isn't supposed to do (little stinker! :) ). She still isn't on the charts for growth but the doctor keeps telling me she is completely healthy and not to worry - she'll either catch up, or she might just be naturally tiny.

This time is bittersweet for me because 9 weeks home means that I have only one week left of my leave of absence before returning to work - and the thought of doing so is killing me. I am terrified that my little girl has not truly attached to me and that moving her on to daycare twice a week and babysitting with Grandma and Papa three days a week is going to create major attachment and emotional issues as we move forward. I have no basis for this fear other than I think it's a fear that every adoptive parent has, especially international adoptive parents as this is drilled into your head from the very beginning of the process.

Outside of her Mommy's hopefully irrational fears, RP seems to be thriving. She is growing and developing and every day seems to bring forth a new word to her vocabulary, a new task she can complete, or a new discovery she has made. Last weekend we celebrated her adoption, her birthday, and her baptism with a big party for family and friends and she seemed to love being around all the people and the attention they lavished on her, and she had a ball playing with the kids who were here. RP is truly where she belongs - home with her Mommy and family and friends who love her like crazy... and no matter what happens, we'll get through it (although I'm pretty sure I am going to have a harder time with the next transition than she will)... :)

Big day tomorrow

Tomorrow my little RP turns two - Happy Birthday RP!!! I can't believe we are already celebrating her birthday, and am truly excited for what the day holds in store for us. Since the weather is supposed to hold out (another 80+ degree day in Chicago in April - unheard of, but we'll take it!) we are headed to the zoo with Grandma and Papa to celebrate the day. I hope RP enjoys it, as well as the mound of presents that await her (and that's just from me - wait 'til the presents from Grandma and Papa hit that pile - I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a new house!) and her very first DQ ice cream cake (what can I say, she doesn't like regular cake!)!

I can't believe how big she is already getting, and how much she has blossomed since coming home six and a half weeks ago. I am also saddened by the stark reality that children do grow up too quickly, and in three and a half weeks I will be returning to work full-time - what am I going to miss???

Until then, we'll live one day at a time and savor every moment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE RUSSIAN PRINCESS!!!

Six weeks home

Yes, we have officially been home for six weeks as of 30 or so minutes ago. Wow - I can hardly believe it has already been six weeks, or that it has only been six weeks.

Today is a bittersweet day as there is all kinds of ruckus going on in the media because a woman who adopted a seven-year old child from Russia last September had her mother escort him on a flight to Washington, where she then put the child on a plane to Moscow alone. She paid a Russian man $200 to pick this child up from the airport and deliver him to the Ministry of Science and Education, and enclosed a note with the child saying that he had "severe psychological problems" and that she could no longer parent him. As horrifying as that is, there is a real concern that Russia is going to freeze all adoptions to US citizens until the investigation is over and changes to the process are made.

This whole situation makes me sad - sad for the child who has been abandoned all over again, sad for the families who are in the process of completing their adoptions who likely will have to wait even LONGER to bring their children home (if ever - who knows how long this could take), and sad for the orphans who wait for their forever families in the orphanages. It is also terrifying to think that if the timing had not been what it was I could have been caught up in this whole mess and waited even longer for my little RP.

What a difference six weeks makes...

We've come so far...

We have now been home for over five weeks (five weeks and two days to be exact!) and it continues to be mind-boggling that the little girl I love and adore is the same little girl that I met for the first time in Russia just over four months ago! While she continues to struggle with having Mommy out of her sight, she has blossomed in terms of her temperament and her personality. She LOVES to babble and is picking up more and more words every day (she now says "puppy" and "Buddy" pretty clearly, although "Annie" is a bit tougher to come by - and she tries daily because two of her favorite things to do are call the puppies in from outside and bawl them out for various reasons throughout the day!), and she smiles more and more frequently and more freely, which is a far cry from the scared little girl they put on my lap in that tiny room just a few short months ago!

Easter was so exciting this year because I could see everything through her eyes. Not having celebrated Easter before, she didn't understand about Easter eggs, the process of finding them, or the goodies that an Easter basket holds, but it didn't take her long to figure it out! She LOVED hunting for eggs and popping them open to find treasures inside, and she had an absolute ball running around with her cousins at Grandma and Papa's house. The cutest moment of the day, however, was when she - unprompted and unexpectedly - ran up to her oldest cousin and gave him a HUGE hug, then proceeded to hug all her other cousins, her aunt, her uncle, and her grandparents (hey, wait a minute - she hugged everyone but ME!!! :( ). Hopefully this is a sign that she is opening up and trusting others around her, understanding what family truly is, and it makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it!

I officially notified work today that I will not be back until May 10 - a mere 4 weeks away. Tomorrow we start the hunt for day care to supplement the days that RP will stay with Grandma and Papa, and the thought of leaving her all day to return to work makes my heart hurt. I know she'll be in good hands, but I missed almost two years of her life already - it pains me to miss any more.

Our very first meeting - November, 2009

Five weeks home - April, 2010

Home four weeks (and other random updates)

I can hardly believe it, but RP and I have been home for FOUR WEEKS as of last Saturday. Wow. My head is still spinning with all that has transpired in 2010 and we aren't even through the first quarter yet! It is amazing to me that RP has been here for four weeks already (and in my "custody" for five weeks as of tomorrow!), but at the same time it seems like she has been in my life forever - perhaps because that is truly how long I believe she has been in my heart. :)

I have had to leave RP with my parents on two additional occasions since my last post - last Thursday for the baptismal class and then again yesterday so I could go to the office for a few hours (and no, I didn't quit my job - much as I would like to and stay home with my little one full-time!). Thursday broke my heart because it was truly the first time I've had to say "bye-bye" to her and watch her become just devastated at the thought of Mommy leaving her, but Monday was worse because she screamed so hard her head turned purple (true story - NOT even exaggerating on this one!) and was so clearly distraught that I wasn't sure I'd be able to go. Long stories short are that she survived, and I survived, so all is well at the moment.

Sunday will be RP's first Easter and the Easter Bunny (from what I understand anyway!) has gone just a little crazy in helping her celebrate it - yikes!!! Couple that with a trip to the outlet mall tomorrow and her birthday and christening coming up VERY soon and I am pretty sure that I will soon need a new, larger house just to contain all her stuff!!!

It's all still pretty chaotic around here right now, but I have to admit - I'm loving' it...

Up and left my baby today

No, not in the way you might be thinking. Today I left RP for the first time in almost four weeks. I ran a quick errand and my parents were gracious enough to watch her so I didn't have to lug her BACK to Target for the second time today.

I didn't realize until I was driving home that this is the first time in almost four weeks that I have left my baby and done something without her since I picked her up at the orphanage (with the exception of the 45 minutes she stayed in the hotel room with my Mom while I finished up some last minute Embassy paperwork with my coordinator in Moscow). Since we left Moscow my little RP has been within earshot 24/7 and going out without her this afternoon was both refreshing and weird at the same time. It was nice not to have to crawl into the back seat and try to wiggle her out of her car seat, then deal with her "squirmy-wormies" in the cart, and her new obsession to touch EVERYTHING she sees, even after Mommy tells her "No..." several times. That being said, it was weird because she is a part of me now, and I missed those big brown eyes that now sparkle when she KNOWS she's about to do something naughty, and that big, crooked grin of hers.

This Thursday I have to leave her for a few hours while I attend her baptismal class, and today's brief jaunt was a test run, for her and for me. When I got home I expected to hear screaming, crying, and have to snuggle and dry the tears, but she was happily playing Strawberry Shortcake with Grandma and Papa (wish I had a picture of THAT - thanks Dad!) and apparently had been a complete angel while I was gone. The only tears that came occurred when I returned home and she realized I was there - THEN she started to cry, ran to me, and threw her arms around me in a gigantic hug, which helped my slightly bruised ego a bit.

Hopefully this means that Thursday will be successful and non-stressful - for both RP and her grandparents!!! :)

RP's bad day

My poor little baby had such a bad day today! First she started off the day grumpy due to waking up several times in the night because of her cold. I made an appointment to go back to the doctor and we struggled through the morning as she was so miserable she couldn't be happy no matter WHAT she was doing - if she was sitting she wanted to be held, if I was holding her she wanted down, if she was in the kitchen she wanted to be upstairs, and well, you get the idea...

We headed to the doctor's appointment early because I had to drop off paperwork for her baptismal class that I am attending on Thursday, so since we had time to kill I let her play in the playground at the church. She seemed to enjoy running around the open areas and swinging on the swings with me (no toddler swings), but didn't enjoy the belly flop she did to the ground while running around ahead of me. No biggie - dusted her off and chose to ignore the grass stains on the pants of what WAS my favorite outfit of hers...

We get to the doctor and get good news - her head circumference is now .5" bigger than it was last time, she has grown an INCH (woo-hoo!), and has gained several ounces (not quite a pound, but we're working on it!)! THEN I find out she has to have several vaccinations AND go at the end of the week for blood work - youch! She was NOT happy to have received four vaccinations (two in each thigh) AND get a TB test (needle in the forearm) but all was forgiven when the nurse brought her a sucker (although I was worried she would never return from the shade of purple she turned during shot number four - she put the chick from "Willie Wonka" to shame!).

We had to run to the store where she was remarkably giddy, laughing and playing in the cart - playing which included rocking back and forth and smacking her head into Mommy's arms, during which time I warned her it was really going to hurt if she missed when WHAM! - she slammed her mouth into the handle of the cart because I had moved my hands to grab something off a shelf. Luckily no broken teeth and no blood, and several kisses from Mommy seemed to be just the remedy for this most recent run of bad luck of the day.

When we got home RP was bound and determined to play outside with the puppies, so we headed out into the backyard to enjoy some nice weather and fresh air. RP then decided that she wanted to walk out front, so we went through the fence gate and started a nice stroll down the block when RP got the idea to run away from Mommy (luckily for me she can't run very fast yet AND she stayed on the sidewalk), which lasted all of about 5 steps when she tripped over her own feet and took a header into the sidewalk. My beautiful baby now has scratches all over her nose and cheek AND a huge lump on her noggin. Snuggles from Mommy and a few M&M's later and she seemed good as new, albeit banged up.

Hopefully tomorrow is a better day and she starts to feel better - she is sleeping peacefully now and I KNEW it was a bad day when she went to bed tonight without so much as a whimper and was asleep before I even left the room. Ahhh.... now to hoping that this doesn't mean she's up and at 'em at 6 a.m. tomorrow!!! :)

Some of my favorite pictures from these first three weeks

The morning after one of our first nights home

She loves snack time (and meal times too!)

One of the first genuine and spontaneous smiles I saw!

Not entirely sure what to think

She hated baths in the tub but LOVES them in the sink!

Watching the world outside

She is equal opportunity with the thumbs - when she gets tired of one, the other goes right in!

It's totally self-serving that I love her jammies here!

Snapped this candid moment in the car - she was NOT happy about being in the carseat, or about wearing those glasses!

Enjoying some rare 60+ degree weather in March

More spontaneous smiles

Jumping on Mommy is fun - or so SHE thinks!!!

Three weeks home

Yes, we have officially been home for three weeks now and while we have a long way to go, the transformation in my little RP has been amazing. She smiles more, giggles (which I heard only once while we were in Russia!) all the time, and is becoming more comfortable in her own home. I have figured out that when introducing her to new people it's best to let her come to them - if they fawn all over here and make a big deal about her she retreats and only wants to suck her thumb and hide her head in my shoulder whereas if they say "hello" and engage her occasionally she will be more open (aka curious) about them, and more comfortable overall.

While this makes perfect sense to me, it is so hard for those who have waited, hoped, and prayed with me to bring her home - they want to cuddle and kiss her and show her all the affection she missed for those first 22 months of her life - it's only natural. She is still very clingy and needy with "Mama" but it seems to be getting better, and hopefully will only continue to do so.

In the interim we have continued to venture out places like the bank, grocery store, McDonald's, and today - church. She was FANTASTIC in church, thanks in large part to the great deal of people-watching that church offers as well as the stash of multi-colored marshmallows that Grandma smuggled in (and were gone before the first reading even took place!).

Still don't have my taxes done, haven't started on a presentation that is due on Friday, the house is mess, and the laundry needs to be done, but if my little RP is making progress with me, my friends, and family, the rest of that can wait!!! It's amazing how quickly, and concretely, your priorities can change.....

Three weeks ago today...

... was our Gotcha Day! I can't believe it's been three weeks already, OR that's it's only been three weeks. RP is doing pretty well, although she is having a rough time adjusting to Daylight Savings time, which had impeccable timing since I had JUST gotten her onto a schedule, only for it to be thrown completely out of whack.

We've done a LOT in these three weeks - we've travelled across the ocean to her new home, she has met two puppies and a cat who share our home with us, started bonding with Grandma and Papa, met an aunt, uncle, and four cousins, and been on several trips to the store - all without major incident (knock on wood!).

The temper tantrums had seemed to subside but are back in full force since she is overtired and stubbornly refuses to go to sleep, but I'm hopeful that this too shall pass and we'll become more adjusted in the next few weeks.

Technically I am supposed to head back to work in April, but the closer that gets, the less likely that date becomes. I still need to get RP acclimated to me and to her grandparents (who will be watching her sometimes while I am at work), find daycare for her, and plan for her second birthday AND her christening. While there are days (or more so times of the day) that I can't wait go back to work, I also know that I will someday long for this time and as such am trying to cherish every minute of it.

Wonder if I can just win the Mega Millions and never have to worry about heading back to work again???

Our trek home (in pictures!)

Gotcha Day - February 24, 2010

Literally steps from walking out those doors forever!

St. Petersburg Airport - headed to Moscow!

Moscow Radisson - our first night as a family!

February 25, 2010 - First time in a restaurant!

February 26, 2010 - Headed to Red Square, then the US Embassy in Moscow

February 27, 2010: Welcome to the USA!!

First meal at home!

March, 2010 - Still getting used to things, but doing alright!