Smiley Sunday!!

Thanks for all the compliments on the new blog background! The credit goes to Jenny Morgan...Mommy to the stunning Roxanna, adopted in Kostanai in the winter!!) She did it for me..she's so talented! Thanks Jenny!!!


It’s a GORGEOUS Sunday evening in Kostanai. The weather is sunny, warm in the sun, just a tad chilly in the shade. It’s PERFECT!! We had a later visitation with lil miss smiley today because it’s Tatiana’s day off and Eugene had the other 2 families at Rudney and us at the Delphin ( or is it Dolphin baby house? I have seen both, but I’m not sure) So, we slept LATE and went to visit Leeza from 1-3 instead of 11-1. She was on the potty when we got there, and gave us a big smile!! It’s so cute to see all this lil munchkins on their potties. They were all in a circle, just chatting away with each other.
We had to find someone with a key to the visitation room, then communicate we needed the key, then open the door with the key. We are such challenged American’s..but we were successful! Leeza was ALL SMILES today with us. We had such a good visit. She played the entire 2 hours, and was just happy and full of energy. I even changed her clothes today. I put her in a 6-12 month Old Navy outfit and it fit JUST RIGHT.{excuse the mess on her shirt..she had the hiccups so we gave her water out of our water bottle and it spilled on her shirt} I think she might be more comfy in 12 month though, cuz I was worried the pants were a big snug on her tummy, but she didn’t seem to think so. She was crawling, rolling, and walking all over the place today! She loves to walk with us holding onto her hands. Joe was hanging on to her hands and walking behind her, towards me, and she was just SCREAMING with excitement. Today was the most noise she has ever made. It was really adorable!! Her nose is still raw, and it was runny today, but it didn’t seem to bother her. She was just a happy camper and we all had fun!! She was crawling all over her big brother banging her stacking cups on him. Her face just lights up when she plays with Sean..it’s pretty adorable!!! Her other favorite thing to do today was sit in my lap and play with her toy or book, then throw it. Then, she would wait for Joe to get up, and pick it up and hand it back to her. She’d wait until he sat back down, then she’d laugh, and throw it again. It was cracking us up. Sean got a great video of it. (Yes, the things that drive you nuts that lil ones do, we are gushing about it and taking video….)
The caregiver came down and told us it was time for “cushat and spot” so we got her back in her baby house clothes, and I took her upstairs while Joe locked the door and returned the key. I got to feed her some yummy milk and cookies! The cookies were in the cup of milk, and she “wolfed it down”. It smelled really good. I was wanting a sip myself, but she was not SHARING! I do think I’m going to give her a bottle though when the day comes that she comes home with us. They stop feeding the babies out of bottle her at 9 months. They just seem thirsty all the time, even though they drink pretty well out of a cup. I just want that cuddle time with her too-and I think giving her a bottle would be good snuggle time for us. I remember when Sean turned a year and my pediatrician was very strict with “off the bottle”, but I think Leeza can be on the bottle a lil bit longer. I do have a sippy cup with me I should probably let her try too.
After our visit and Leeza went down for a nap after her warm milk and cookies, Eugene took us to meet the other families at this really cool place to celebrate Abel’s (one of the other families adopting here, has a son adopted here 4 years ago!!)“Gotcha day” 4 years ago. It was a really cool place, outside, and we all ate “shaslik” around a low table sitting “criss cross applesauce”. It was DELICIOUS! We had chicken, and lamb. It was so much fun and such a gorgeous day! The place reminded me of Sean’s church camp…it had a pool, hammocks, swings, and little cottages that people can stay in. There was a birthday party going on and they had “Mickey Mouse” come out , which was this chick dressed up in black tights and mouse ears. It cracked me up!!
We had a great time and I am still full! I got a lot of protein today! Eugene just called and asked me if I wanted to go to the gym with him but I declined. He called me a lazy American! I agree—I have not worked out in over a week! I’m such a slacker, but maybe I’ll feel like it later. I have to update my blog and let my shaslik digest before I can go to the gym!!