My last full day home

I can't believe it is 12 weeks already, it just went so fast. Today is my last full day home with the boys. The past two weeks I have worked Mondays/Fridays to get Maks acclimated with the school, so Monday it is back to full time. I am bumming. It is hard to picture my morning routine 5 days per week, because just the two is exhausting! I feel like I am dripping in sweat by the time both the them are buckled in their car seats.

So our last day is spent inside again due to the extreme cold here. It is very windy today too, I was hoping we could maybe sneak out for a walk but just walking to the mailbox was hard.
The boys are doing well. Alek is getting over a sinus infection, so he has been a bit of a crab muffin lately. He is doing great with school and really impresses us each day. His newest thing:
Alek where were you born: Russia
Where do you live now: "Nited States"
What street do you live on: "Balley Biew Way"
What state do yo live in: "Bennsylvania"

Alek is off to see Go Diego Go Live on Saturday, we can't wait to see his expression, I know he will be so psyched!

Maks is doing great, he is making different sounds now and has finally said DaDa. He really loves his daddy, it is fun to watch them together, especially during dinner time.
Maks continues to eat well and eat anything. He has his well visit on Saturday morning so it will be great to see if he has gained any or grown in height. He seems a bit longer because the pants are not as long, but then again he could have more belly holding them up!
My dad said he had a Dunlap, I asked what that was and he said "my gut dunlap over my belt".

Poor Maks, I think Alek is the only one around here calling him Maks (actually he says Maks-Jofus), he goes by Fatty McButterpants (thanks Mike), Kevin calls him Meat, and I have many different pet names for him.

So we are enjoying the remainder of our day together. Maks is already sleeping and Alek and I are up next for our naps ( I know come next week I will be dying for a nap in the middle of the day, I am tempted to pull a George Costanza in my office under my desk....)

I finally downloaded some pics and a video of Maks in his favorite spot in the house (his highchair of course!).
We have had really no snow yet, but Alek and Kevin managed to play in the coating the other day. I was looking at last February (pic attached) and can't believe how much snow there was then. But February has just began. It was nice to hear last night that this cold weather which has been coming from Russia (thank you), will ease up this weekend and start to come from Canada instead. We'll take it!
Well time to crawl in bed and snug with the boys!!

Thursday, February 8, 2007

First team sport!!

Yes, Alek is signed up for his first team sport! Soccer!! A local township starts soccer for kids at 3 and best of all it occurs on a weekend (our township has it for 3 yr olds, but of course it is during the week at lunch time, so not condusive for working moms)! Alek already loves to dribble the soccer ball and is pretty good at it ( see movie here) so I can't wait to see him play. He gets shorts and a t-shirt, we provide the shin guards and cleats. How stinkin funny will this be?
Play starts in April on Sundays!

In other news, I have started back work PT (Mondays/Fridays). Maks has done pretty well at day care. He cries when I leave, which guilt is always a good way for mom to start the day, but he seems to have fun and is excited when I get there and pick him up. Alek is the ultimate big bro and checks on Maks during the day for me.

No new pics, I have been slacking due to computer problems. Hopefully I will get on the ball shortly!

Two months already?!?!

Can't believe today is two months home--it went by fast and yet it seems like Maks has been here forever! For the rocky start he had between sleep and being sick, he is doing amazingly well and just seems to have blended right into our family.
He is so easy going and smiley, well except when he wants his food, then you better watch out!
He is walking everywhere now, we call him Frankenstein, because he walks with his arms in front of him, totally cracks us up.
Maks and Alek totally love each other. It is so fun to see each morning when Alek hugs and kisses Maks and Maks grabs him back and coos. At Alek's school, if the other kids try to hug Maks, Alek doesn't like to share him, he steps in and says, "no, thats my Maks".

It is definitely busy with two boys and I can only imagine how much more interesting it will be now that Maks is mobile! I really need to grow eyes in the back and sides of my head!

Alek has truly amazed us on how he has adjusted to all the changes, he is such a sweet and caring little man and truly looks out for his little brother. He seems to cherish the role of big brother. Alek has also started to develop a bit of 3 yr old attitude, so we are trying to figure out the best way to deal with this new part of his personality, the constant, "I can't", "no you do it mom", "cause why", and "I dont like you attitude" can be exhausting some days. But it is amazing to watch him grow and change and become such a little boy, he is definitely not my baby anymore, as much as I want him to be. I just put him down for a nap and said "have a good sleep my baby" and he said, "no you call me your big boy, Maks is your baby".
He has also become Daddy's little helper and loves to get his tools and work side by side with daddy on projects, it is really cute to see, he just wants to be like his dad!

So the past two months have had lots of ups and downs. I have to say this process was so different then the first with Alek. With Alek, it was truly love at first sight for me. I pretty much felt like his mom right away. With Maks, I loved him, but didnt feel like his mom right away, most days I felt like I was watching my nephew. I am glad that so many parents, both who adopted or had bio kids, told me that it could be different with the second, so I wasn't hard on myself. Some days it made me a little sad that there wasn't this instant connection with Maks, like there had been with Alek, but I already see the different a couple months has made. I definitely am his mom and I definitely feel like it now and I am glad I wasn't hard on myself about it. The first month was really rough between the lack of sleep, Maks being in the hospital and trying to find our way, but it has made the good stuff even better and I appreciate it so much more!
So, It is amazing to watch this new little person come into his own and see his personality really coming through. Maks' smile can light up a room and it is wonderful to wake up each day to the giggles of the boys in the next room!



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On the move

Just when we were getting a little worried that Maks wasnt getting the walking thing down, he is up and moving. He has really taken off this week, letting go and walking far, even turning around. It is such a blast to watch!!

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It is official, officially

I know that Maks became a US citizen once that stamp went in his passport, but it is nice to get the official Certificate of Citizenship which came at the end of last week (so not too bad for our government), a little less then 2 months after coming home.
So here it is, our little citizen!

CONGRATS!!!!!

To Chris, Kelli and little Kostya on officially becoming an family, we know the wait was long and hard and we are so happy to hear it is official!!
Enjoy the brisk weather and darkness over there and we can't wait to hear you guys are home safe and sound and busy chasing your little guy all over the place!

Mr. Alek goes to Washington

Last Friday, Kevin, Alek and I headed to the Frank Foundations annual Yolka Festival at the Russian Embassy. This was the second time for Alek and I and Kevin's first. Maks stayed home with Granny during the day and then Grammom and Poppy came up to stay over with him. I know they all enjoyed it.

Alek had such a blast at the Festival, he loved the singers and was mesmerized by the performance. At the end he was out on the dance floor in a flash dancing with the performers to ABBA's Dancing Queen, he is not shy at all. One of them had him on their shoulders. He is truly a trip.
Kevin enjoyed himself and thought it was a really neat event. We hope to keep it an annual trip for our family.
Afterwards we headed back to the hotel for a swim, which of course Alek loved and pitched a fit when it was time to get out. He thought it was neat staying in a hotel and really had a good time.

The next morning we hit the town. We walked on the Mall and went and saw the Washington Monument. While there a big military helicopter flew over us close and then landed at the White House, it stayed for about ten minutes and took off again, flying right above us, it was pretty cool, we were wondering who was in there?
We also walked to the WWII Monument which is beautiful, I hadn't seen that one before and was very impressed. I took pictures for my Grammom of the whole monument, mainly focusing in on the Phillipines and New Guinea where my Pop had been stationed. I am sure she will love them.
Then it was on to the Vietnam Memorial (Kevin had never seen it), he was impressed.
We walked back down the Mall and planned on the Air and Space Museum for Alek, but due to no water pressure the Museum was closed. There were alot of bummed kiddos standing outside. Thankfully Alek is still clueless with that stuff. So we headed home in hopes to beat any Ravens traffic.
It was definitely an enjoyable trip. It was so great to see Maks again and he was all smiles. Next year he will definitely come along for the fun!

Unfortunately the night ended with the Eagles blowing it. Oh well, we are from Philly, we are used to sporting disappointment! There is always next year.....

Monday, January 15, 2007

Andy Reid's mini me?

What do you think?

Everytime we watch the Eagles we crack up, Maks could definitely be Reid's little mini me.
Maybe he is our good luck charm, the Eagles were not doing to well and then Maks came home, and well, hey we just one playoff game number 1!!

The day has finally arrived!!

Yes, after 15 months, the patio is finally done!! It is hard to believe, but the last stone was put in place on the wall on Saturday!! Kevin worked really hard and it shows, it is so beautiful back there now between the pond and the patio-I love it and can't wait for summer to truly enjoy our backyard again! Of course it will be even better when we can finally get a pool :o)!

So great job Kevin and thanks to all who lent a hand and their help, Jimmy, Tim, Nez, Steve and Mike (well help may be stretching it, with Mike, but definitely amusement and probably alot of interference!).

Here are the pics of the work in progress and the final result!

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Is this really winter?

So it is January and we are hanging in the high 50's with some bright sunny days? The kids love it and it is nice to play outside, but it would also be nice to have some snow to play in!
Maks is really starting to blossom now that he is feeling better. We saw the asthma and allergy specialist this week and he took us off the mini nebs and Maks is now on Singulair and Flovent inhaler twice daily. It is so much easier this way then trying to pin him down for 7 minutes with the nebs. They put us on a flow chart of what to do when he gets sick or has a flare up. We were very pleased with this doc and feel a whole lot better about things.
Maks is really becoming more vocal, it is fun to watch him and Alek "talk" to each other in the morning, Maks claps his hands when he sees Alek awake, it is really cute. Alek continues to amaze us in how well he has handled all of this, he is such a little sweetie. Yesterday he was crouching behind the couch and Maks and I looked over the edge at him, he stood up, put one hand on Maks' head and one on mine and said, "I love you guys". Talk about melting your heart. What an amazing kiddo!!
So we will continue to enjoy this warm weather, but hope for a little snow soon, so we can bring out the sleds. Meanwhile here are some outdoor pics and a video of the next David Beckham!
Thursday, January 4, 2007