Happy Halloween, Happy Kairat

CELEBRATIONS

Halloween marked the 1st year anniversary of our accepting custody of our wonderful son, Kairat. It seems amazing that it has been an entire year since he left the Delphin House and returned to our little apartment in Kostanai. Reading my post for that day makes it feel like it was just yesterday. Not only do I feel thankful for the wonderful child that we have been blessed with, but also for the people who kept us sane as we prepared for this journey and while we were there. You can’t imagine how much the emails and comments meant.

HALLOWEEN

We weren’t sure if trick-or-treating was to be on our list of events for this special weekend as Kairat has yet to have any candy (that we know of) and the wearing of a costume didn’t really seem to be something of which he had any interest. Maybe he just liked saying the words, “Trick-or-treat,” or perhaps it was the idea of wandering around in unusually warm October weather with Mama and Papa. Either way, a haunting we did go.

Stopping only at certain houses on our quiet street to say, “Hello,” to neighbors and friends and then wandering into the much busier downtown area of Freeport, ME was our determined route. Riding on Papa’s shoulders, getting down with his bag and knocking on doors, and waving to people passing by was great fun for Kairat. He excitedly showed his “loot” to anyone that would look, even though I don’t think he actually knows what it is. An apple, from our neighbors, was his prized possession. We had a great time and were glad we headed out into the night.

One Year Anniversaries

This post was written on September 7th and I’ve just now had time to revise and post.

Like any parent, time with our son has flown. This week has been an emotional one for me as K has not only started daycare (three days a week at an establishment with the other two at his grandparents), but this week also marks our one year anniversary of when we arrived in Kazakhstan and met our son.

I can only imagine that parents who have given birth go through the same sentiments remembering the joy when a new child entered their lives. For them, it is the child’s birthday. For the adoptive parent, there are many milestones in the steps to become a parent and it is sometimes hard to decide which day is the one that stands out in significance. Either way, at some point, the pain of childbirth and frustrations of pregnancy are long forgotten just as our struggles to adopt and the years it took (three for us) to finally become parents seem to blend in with teething issues, potty training, and the thrill of seeing the world for the first time through the eyes of your child.

This blog has been an incredible tool in which to record our journey to parenthood. As I look back over  entries written in Kazakhstan I’m reminded of how much I actually “sugar coated” the reporting of some of the difficulties that we encountered. Not being sure of who was reading my blog at the time, I didn’t want to record anything that may have interfered with our process while in Kostanai. There are still things I need to write about before they become another faded memory.

But, as with most adoptions,  and as I have said in many, many, posts and probably will again, somehow fate is working in your best interest and you are blessed with a child that is meant for you. We truly feel that way with Kairat.

Kairat turned 19 months on September 5th. It doesn’t seem like he can already be that old yet every day I’m amazed at his new feats of achievement. For instance, he began clapping his hands in excitement the other day as we were driving home at dusk. When I asked him what was so thrilling he pointed his little arm repeatedly and shouted, “Moon! Moon! Moon!” Because he goes to bed around 7 p.m., the moon isn’t something he has had a chance to observe other than in his books. Without ever being shown in the “real world” setting he realized what it was that he was seeing and, obviously, loved it!

K is walking, running, and climbing on everything. Fixing dinner or doing dishes is now done with my little assistant who insists on pulling his toddler sized chair to my side and standing on it to get a better look. Yesterday he mixed eggs for scrambled eggs while perched in his typical viewing area. He loves being given jobs and does great with follow through.

Counting to three and recognizing the letters “O” and “E” are recent achievements and his vocabulary blows me away. It is as if we are living with an almost three foot parrot who repeats the final word of every sentence. K is also constantly coming out with words that I had no idea that he knew. A few days ago he was playing in a bucket of water outside with some of his toys when he came up to me with one item and said, “Dry.” He wanted to dry it off. Amazing. I’ve also become, “Mummy,” instead of, “Mama,” which I think is so cute. Speaking in two word sentences, “More, please,” versus a one word demand and filling in the words in some of his favorite books are also recent developments.”No!”, however, remains his favorite phrase at this point in his life.

Trucks, cars, and motorcycles seem to be some ingrained male interest. However, we spend a lot of time identifying the natural world and studying trees, the sky, flowers, bugs, and many other outdoor phenomenon. Kairat loves being outside and we are there as much as possible. Coloring, trains, building with blocks, and helping “Mummy” sweep or clean also tend to be high interest areas at this time right now. Of course, books and balls are still obsessions. Kairat loves to read (Baa, Baa, Black Sheep is a current favorite nursery rhyme/song) and he is actually getting pretty good at catching a tennis ball, adding to his skill in kicking and throwing.

Slow to teeth (at one point we didn’t think he was EVER going have teeth), K’s bottom chompers are finally coming in with a total of six fully formed (that’s on top and bottom) with another six poking through his sore gums.

Our son remains incredibly social in large gatherings, yet a little fearful of strangers in more familiar settings such as home or at a relative or neighbor’s. Last Wednesday I took him to the annual 6th grade cookout at my school where I teach. It is an event to welcome the incoming 6th graders and their parents to King Middle School and takes place in the front driveway/yard of the school. We parked in the back and walked through the building to the where the celebration was taking place. As we exited through the front doors and saw the throngs of parents and children, Kairat began clapping and bouncing in my arms with excitement. He instantly wanted to get down to run and play in the crowd. Through my gregarious son, I met more students and parents than I typically do at these events. He attracts attention and loves it!

Life is fun and Kairat is wonderful but we are also beginning to see what can be described as the “Terrible Two’s”. Stubbornness, throwing, swatting at people, occasional tantrums (mostly when he has to come inside), and testing limits will not pass us by. Like all parents, we’re reading books, talking to friends, working on strategies, and figuring out what works best at this stage. Overall, however, we can’t complain. Kairat is such a good little boy…most of the time.

I’m finishing this entry before Kairat awakes. (6:30 a.m. is his typical rising time with a 7 p.m. bedtime.) Today looks to be another busy day with grandparents visiting so I have some time to help with the insulating of our addition.  A walk around Freeport and playing with my son, laundry, and then an evening of lesson planning before going to bed as early as possible will round out the day.

Throughout out most of the next few months I’ll constantly be thinking about our time in Kazakhstan and where we were in our adoption process. This fall will certainly be reflective of what our past year has brought us and constant realizations of the fact that, LIFE IS GOOD!

Time to go…I hear my son singing in his bed.

One Year Ago Today

It is amazing to think that one year ago, September 1, 2008, we were on our way to Kazakhstan. Little did we know what we were about to encounter and little did we know how much joy our fears, frustrations, and struggles would lead to. So much has happened in the previous 365 days that I couldn’t pass this date without a little writing.

We are truly blessed!

August 1st Update

I can’t believe I haven’t posted a thing since May. Oh well, that’s just the way it goes with a busy 1 1/2 year old and a Maine summer. Those of you that  live in Maine understand the need to capture any chance you have to be outside

and enjoying warm, sunny weather. Despite the fact that we’ve had the coldest, rainiest summer on record, Kairat and I have managed to keep busy and be out of the house as much as possible.

A summary of summer events include:

• Visits to Winslow Park, in Freeport Maine. If you live in Maine or are visiting, this is a fantastic park for kids and adults! We love it there.
• Bike riding (K loves his new bike seat) and many, many walks.
• Playing in the rain…of which there has been A LOT!
• The breaking up and re-pouring of our new basement floor in our addition. No vapor barrier was initially put down and the new basement was wet.
• Our yard FINALLY shaped, sloped, and seeded with grass after the 4th of July… all necessary due to the major construction started in October of 2008.
• A small gathering on the 4th of July. We had planned to not have a party this year (we usually have an annual event) because of the lack of a yard and a large tractor for the lawn work that had been sitting in our driveway for over 3 weeks. People came and we loved being able to host guests in our new barn during scattered thunderstorms.
• A week stay at a camp (cottage as non-Mainers would call it) on a great pond in western Maine with two other families and their kids. Fun for all.
• Camping in the Berkshires (North Adams, MA) with our friends from Moorestown, NJ. A good meeting spot and a great area to explore.

Kairat is growing up so quickly it amazes me. He has many words, is running everywhere, and loves to climb. Personality wise, he keeps us laughing with his entertaining antics. He really is quite a charmer and loves to wave to tourists as we bike and walk down the streets of Freeport, Maine.

We’ve been visiting his soon-to-be daycare, frequently (Ready-Set-Go in Freeport, ME) in preparation of my returning to school. Each time we go he becomes more comfortable.

Today I am driving to my parents in Mexico, ME where Kairat has been for two days. He’s done well and Mama and Papa had a little break that included a nice evening out with drinks at our favorite watering hole, Brian Boru’s, and dinner at Five Fifty-Five in Portland, ME. Kairat has been doing great with Mimi (my mother) and Bampi (my dad) during his visit but I’m anxious to see him and will be on my way shortly. Once there we’ll attend a family reuion and then rush back to Freeport to ready ourselves for a picnic at Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth where a group of friends are gathering this evening.

Images of summer, thus far:

It’s May Already? Wow!

GOALS FOR MOMMY: WRITING, KNITTING, AND EXERCISE/ GOALS FOR KAIRAT: SLEEP
My online time tends to be fast and furious right now, as my darling 15 month old has been keeping me quite busy. Nap times tend to be housework time and by the time he goes to bed, I’m ready to follow soon afterwards or would just rather do nothing. However, I’d want to be a bit more productive in the evenings and I think chores are going to take a lesser priority so that I can start doing at least a couple things I’m missing such as writing in my Blog and knitting.

Exercise is also a major goal. Kairat went through a bit of separation anxiety for about three months and “Mommy” was his main focus. With that waning a bit, I can hopefully start leaving him at the gym daycare again while I work out. We’ve gone in just to play a few times and he seems to be enjoying it and forgetting that I’m there; a good sign. I typically enjoy my physical activity in the early morning around 5:30 a.m., but with the onset of a couple bad colds for both he and I, mornings have been tough. K’s sleeping has also been off and he’s been getting up anywhere between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. I think we’re on the tail end of this last bout of stuffy nosed ailments so hopefully K will begin coughing less, breathing smoothly, and sleeping later allowing Mommy to get back in shape. (Of course, that’s assuming I was ever fit to begin with.)

ALL ABOUT THE KID
Fifteen months old. It is hard to believe that Kairat is growing and developing so fast. I was warned about the toddler stage where walking means trouble but I swear I absolutely love the fact that K is mobile and exploring. Of course, we’ve done some major baby proofing around the house and there are still some challenges, but I find it so much fun that he can and run around it greatly outweighs restacking books on the bookshelf or trying to figure out what his button pressing fixation has done to the TIVO machine.

Kairat took seven steps a few days after his first birthday and never turned back. Not much of a crawler to begin with, he worked incredibly hard to gain his balance and move out on his own. All K wanted to do was have someone “walk, walk, walk” him around the house until he finally reached some independence.

Peek-a-boo has moved on to a new level where we now chase each other around the house, crouch beside chairs, spy around corners, and actually try to surprise the other in our one-on-one search.  We’re both having fun with that!

[K is hanging out with the neighbors.] This child is verbal and really wants to communicate. Of course, I can understand quite a bit of what he is saying but he is starting to get to the point where others can too. For instance, at library hour last week during the reading of the story, Kairat walked up to the librarian in the middle of the book, made the sign for “more” and at the same time said, “more cookie”. Now, I know his “cookie” isn’t clear but she knew exactly what he was talking about and told him he had to wait. (The kids get Graham crackers while being read to.)

He also impressed the librarian this week by his ability to focus on a “longer story” typically meant for the “older” kids. There are two sessions for library day: the first half hour consists of books for children under three while the second session is for children who are a little older with a longer attention span. There are breaks in each session with a snack. We typically sit through both sessions and K loves hearing all of the stories read by someone new.

Kairat is addicted to cookies (and grapes). Mind you, he doesn’t get a lot of sweets but once he had one of Grandpa’s molasses cookies, he was hooked. Every time we read a book and he sees a picture of his favorite treat, he signs for (and now says) “More, more?” He does the same for apples and bananas only with those; he pretends to eat them off the page. Have I mentioned what a good eater he is?

Kairat is now saying “please” and “thank you” in his own way. It is pretty hard to refuse a 15 month old something when he looks at you and does sign language for please and says, “plaaa?” However, K has also learned the meaning of, “No.”

Some of the words that he can say, or almost say and/or sign for are: Papa, Mama, Mimi (my mother’s name for him), grandma/grandpa (they sound the same), Emma (our cat), Mini (our neighbor’s cat), ball, balloon, baby, kids, cheese, apple, banana, cookie, cracker, more, please, thank you, no, bread, grapes, book, down, up, truck, stuck, bike, Pat (as in Pat the Bunny), rabbit, diaper and animal sounds for a rooster, cat, dog, elephant, monkey, cow, lamb, and lion, as well as a good car imitation. He also likes to try to sing with some “la, la, la’s” and “ladida, ladiday” from an old song my mother sings with him. Of course, I have a mother’s ear when it comes to pronunciations but he is trying to repeat almost everything he hears and if he can’t say it, he repeats the intonation of word’s syllables so it almost sounds like the word.  It is remarkable how his vocabulary seems to grow every day.

Being outdoors is our favorite place to be and swinging seems to be K’s favorite activity. [This pic is of him being pulled by Aunt Kerri.] We’ve strung a baby swing up in the new barn for his pleasure and it is a constant request. (He can almost say, “swing”, too.) Riding in his wagon, pushing cars and trucks, playing in the dirt, mud, and puddles, walking in the woods, and exploring flowers, the grass, rocks, and anything else he can get his pudgy little hands on are also favorites. (Natascha, he loves motorcycles!)

We love being active and getting outdoors without having to wear a snowsuit. I’m looking forward to even warmer weather and a chance to garden and do yard work with my busy helper who loves to rake and dig things with his shovel. As long as he isn’t digging up freshly planted seedlings, we’ll do just fine.

A Long Overdue Update

Looking back over my Blog I’m amazed to find that I haven’t posted anything since the 30th of January. The past three months have been full of gatherings, appointments, child-care hunting, home renovations, attempts at dog relocation, being a mom, and everyday life. Despite always seeming to have something to do, a strong sense “cabin fever” has dominated and claustrophobia has set in.

Perhaps it because snow came early while we were still in Kazakhstan or the mere fact that I don’t get out quite as much with a little one to bundle up and nap times to consider that has made this winter seem so long. The constant noise from the construction (that finally ceased about three weeks ago) and not being able to leave our anxiety stricken dog during the day certainly hasn’t helped either.  I actually think a combination of above with the fact that I was in Kazakhstan for almost three months (half of it alone) is to blame. Although I was free to explore on foot and interacted with friends there, the experience was a bit isolating and incredibly boring at times.  Whatever the cause, I, like most people in Maine, am anxious for consistently warmer weather and am dying to get outside more!

We’ve had glimpses of spring ranging from a couple beautiful days in the fifties to snow melting downpours. The overall weather has been downright dreary for days and after poor weather forecasting last weekend left an expectant state without the one sunny day it was hoping for, all are looking forward to parting clouds this Sunday morning. I want to go outside and play!

Kairat turned one year old on February 5th and took his first real steps two days later. It is so funny to watch him practically run with his Frankenstein-like gait. Carrying toys from room to room and chair to chair seem to entertain him much longer than I could ever imagine. He loves to rock his collections in the adult rocking chair in his bedroom and then will cross the room to rock himself in his miniature version.

Mud (of course) is quite the fascination and we’ve already spent some time playing in it. The local consignment shop was a great place to pick up extra “play clothes” as being outside, at least at this point in the season, means being covered with mud upon our return to the indoors. Prior to the mucky season, Kairat LOVED being pulled in his sled through the snow. The faster, the better, which was good exercise for Mama. Riding in his baby backpack has also shown to be a tolerable outdoors activity although I’m sure K would much rather be running around on his own clumsy little legs.

I’m amazed at K’s verbal skills. At a recent doctor check-up he was declared to be performing on an 18-month level with his animal sounds. Large felines are obsessions right now and K prefers all creatures to have a roar like a tiger or lion, even when he knows that isn’t the sound it makes. I have to admit, he’s got a pretty good imitation but it just doesn’t sound right coming from a duck. Actually, anything he isn’t sure of (as far as sounds go) becomes a tiger. “Roar!”

Kairat identifies numerous body parts, clothing, home items such as doors, windows, etc. upon request along with characters, food, and other things found in books and his alphabet placemats. I’m starting to move from object recognition to number and letter identification. K points to the objects he wants to know repeatedly and I just give him the unknown information over and over again.  He really enjoys it so I’m happy to help.

Hours are spent reading books in his bedroom, on the couch, and especially while sitting on the potty. We’ve continued the toilet training started in the baby house, often to the shock of family and friends. Most people don’t expect a 1 year old to be ready to sit on a potty but, frankly, I can’t get the kid off sometime. He’ll sit and we’ll read book, after book, after book until I finally decide it is definitely time to move on to other activities.

Of course, we spend plenty of time listening and dancing to music (oldies, classic rock, classical, jazz) and singing and acting out the typical “kiddy” songs. It is really amazing how all children have such a natural love of music and dance. They’re like little sponges and I already love how much fun it is to help my little sponge soak up everything he is interested in.

Aside from his walking, Kairat really seems to be very coordinated fourteen-month old. He is doing very well eating with utensils and is drinking from a regular cup rather than a “sippy” cup. Along with dining coordination, though, also comes dining messiness and playfulness. The messiness is fine with me and all part of the learning process but when that little bugger takes a piece of food, looks at me out of the corner of his eye, and then throws it across the table we then work on some simple mealtime manners while I try not to crack-up laughing.

If this child doesn’t grow up to be a soccer player, I’ll be surprised. Before he could even balance on his own, he would hold our hands in order to walk around the house and kick his balls of various sizes. Now that he is walking on his own, he’s continued this practice with surprising success. He is also obsessed with trying to bounce a ball. I’m not talking about a bounce in a pass to someone else. He’s been doing that for months. No, we’re talking about bouncing as if he were bouncing a basketball. Once his aim for that second bounce becomes more accurate, we are going to have a bouncing fool on our hands.

For anyone reading this Blog post, you can probably tell that I’m a bit biased and in love with my incredible son. It is so amazing how your child becomes a perfect little being in your mind, incomparable to all others.  Then again HE IS the most talented, charming, handsome, intelligent fourteen-month old ever.  Well…. at least I think so. (-:

Day 73 in the United States

Monday, January 26, 2008 was significant in our adoption adventure in that it marked Kairat’s 73rd day in the United States and our days at home now equaled my stay in Kazakhstan. Upon reflection, the passage of time since our departure in September to our current standing seems completely surreal. Countless pictures (actually, about 1,000 or so) help to keep our Kostanai experience fresh in our minds and to remind us that, yes, we were there and we did adopt our son in this wonderful little city.

I’ve been mentally strolling the streets and markets where so much time was spent walking and interacting with locals. The smells, sounds, and smiling faces of the baby house staff and children are also still with us…especially the children. If there had been any way possible, we definitely would have adopted another while there.

[October picture of K at the baby house.] Despite the fact that we traveled and lived in Kazakhstan and that we’ve been a family for not even three months, the reality that seems most bizarre from the entire experience is that K is actually adopted.  I don’t mean, “adopted,” in that we actually made home with him. I mean, “adopted,” in that he seems like he has been with us forever, that he is our natural child. This feeling isn’t something that took long to develop, either. Before he even left the Delphin Baby House, my motherly instincts had already kicked-in. But now, now that we are home, it seems like this is where we have always been and that the three of us were meant to be together.

Today is an incredibly quiet day in our home. With a sizable snowstorm already falling, our builders have taken the day off and there is no construction going on for the first weekday since our return in November. In celebration, I’ve turned off the typical background noises I utilize in attempting to drown out the nail guns, air compressors, saws, and other various decibel-breaking devices that go along with building. No TV, radio, or music today. Just silence.

Next week will be K’s 1st birthday and he has already outgrown some of his size twelve-month clothes. With his growth rate and chubby little cheeks, you wouldn’t think that I would be worried about his eating habits. However, for a week or so, K seemed very difficult to please at the table so I started reading Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense, jumped right to the toddler section, and began implementing some of the strategies and advice mentioned. Mealtime has once again become pleasant. I highly recommend this book and plan on reading it in its entirety. There are great suggestions for not only feeding but parenting, as well. (Kairat’s third tooth is beginning to appear; a top central incisor to join is lower.)

Kairat is such a funny and sweet little boy. We are truly blessed. He continues to charm and intrigue those that he meets and passes in the grocery store and on outings. He loves visiting with his grandparents (both sets) and squeals with excitement whenever he sees them. Our wonderful neighbors are quickly becoming his third set of grandparents, which was proven by a very successful babysitting session yesterday. When I returned home, Kairat merely smiled at me and went right on playing with his new friends.

Walking seems to be a focus of our little one. He loves to stand and receive applause and, “Hoorays!” from anyone within view. K still isn’t quite up to the hand and knee crawl on a consistent basis but will try it out once in awhile. He definitely seems intent on pulling himself up to a standing position and seeing where he can go from there.

Verbally, Kairat attempts to repeat words and sounds that he hears and although his vocabulary may seem to not vary to others, I can tell the difference between his “ball”, “bottle”, “puppy”, and other words he constantly attempts. When reading a vocabulary book the other day he quickly repeated the word “banana” with a “manana”. Really!

I know I’ve said it before, but Kairat is a wonderful, easy going, sweet baby and we love him dearly. Each day is a new and exciting adventure for us all!

Winter Update

Like most of the northeast and many other parts of the United States, Maine has been experiencing a bit of a cold spell. I woke up Friday morning to the thermometer fluctuating between minus thirteen and fourteen degrees. My suspicion is that it was a tad colder because Doug’s car thermometer, which tends to be pretty accurate, reported an additional deficit of 5 degrees upon his return home the previous evening. Either way, it’s not as cold as the thirty-two degrees below zero reported in Fort Kent, Maine. Now THAT’s cold!

Despite the chill, we’ve been making our best of the winter weather. Kairat, Kineo (our dog) and I get in at least one walk in a day. With our snow refreshed just a week ago Sunday, the sleds have also become a popular mode of transportation. I’ve included a picture of Kairat in his welcome home gift from Grandma and Grandpa and one of him in Papa’s homemade sled, both of which cruise quite well over Maine’s blankets of white.

Winter is a fun season and no excuse to stay indoors. Of course we need to temper our outdoor explorations when temperatures fall too low but fresh air in every season is important for parents and children a like. I’m already looking forward to next winter when Kairat is walking and I can slap a pair of skis on his little feet and begin to teach him the wonderful sports of downhill and cross country skiing.

The snow today will be a fun excuse to get out and play tomorrow. There’s nothing like the fun of freshly fallen snow.

Wow! It’s January 7th!

Snow and sleet is the weather here in Freeport, Maine this morning but it was still warm enough outside for a morning walk with our dog, Kineo. Ahhh…my poor little boy was so tired that he slept in his carriage on our stroll and didn’t even wake up when I stripped him of his snowsuit and put him into bed. Believe me, that NEVER happens! His curious little eyes always become alert as soon as he is jarred from any sleeping position. Kairat has been a busy little boy and missed his afternoon nap yesterday and, although he went to bed early last night, today will serve as a “catch-up” day for sleep. [Susan, I had to post these pictures for you as they are a total contrast to your sunny Florida images starring Leeza. Believe it or not, there IS a child under that protective covering.]

Blogging hasn’t been high on my priority list as of late. Basically, I just haven’t had the interest, time, or energy. With the holiday season coming to a close and as I’ve begun to reflect on the past month and a half that Kairat and I have been home, I’ve realized that our lives have been a whirlwind of activity centered around visits from family and friends, holiday gatherings, last minute shopping, and the big day, Christmas. Oh, did I also forget to mention feeling a need to catch-up on what I missed while away for 2 1/2 months, that we’re having an addition and barn being built along side our living quarters, and that we are new parents who are discovering all of the joys and complications of that position? Life has been moving at high speed and we’ve been doing a pretty good job keeping up. That is until the week of Christmas. [Here is a picture of K in his new snowsuit from Mimi and Bampi.]

A number of people have kindly stated that, “Oh, your Christmas must have been wonderful this year with your new little one.” To be honest, it was pretty darn stressful. Of course, having Kairat did make this holiday even more of a blessing. He was our true gift! However, juggling the newness of parenthood with trying to keep our usual pace that occurs this time of year proved to be a little much for me.

It wasn’t until mid-December that I realized Christmas was only two weeks away and I hadn’t purchased a gift, let alone even thought of putting up a Christmas tree and decorations. To make matters a little more tense, as Doug and I were frantically trying to finish up last minute shopping and prepare for family celebrations, Doug came down with a very nasty case of the flu that laid him flat out from the eve of December 23rd to December 26th. The poor guy missed all of Christmas. [Yes, we did manage to make room for a very small tree this year.]

While Doug made trips from the couch to the bathroom, Kairat and I had Christmas Eve dinner with Doug’s parents and then spent Christmas Day in Mexico, Maine with my family. By the morning of the 26th, Doug was feeling a little better and we celebrated our holiday followed by a Christmas at his parent’s in Yarmouth. So, yes, while our Christmas this year was full of blessings it was also a bit of a struggle handling it alone for a few days and a bit lonely not having my husband nearby to share all of Kairat’s Christmas celebrations.

Admittedly, I felt a little worn down and discouraged over the holiday but once I began to think about all we have achieved since the beginning of September and how well we have acclimated ourselves to home life, baby schedules, and even having some personal time, I began to feel much better. Sometimes I think that I expect too much of myself (and maybe others around me) too soon.

With that said, it was wonderful to see all of my siblings at home together for the first time in more years than I can remember. Now that we are all married (Tom and Steph were the last in St. Croix, November 2007) it seemed even more special that we could all be together, which made me miss Doug even more on Christmas day. We did hold up his Christmas stocking in his honor during the family picture. [I love this picture of my brother Joel "chasing" Kairat through my parent's house.]

Although it was only family, we still had a house full with Kairat finally meeting all of his aunts and uncles, having time to play with his cousin Connor, and engulfing himself in wrapping paper instead of gifts. My dad, known as Bampi to his grandchildren, proudly donned his Kazakh hat along with his newest grandson. It was a wonderful gathering and even more wonderful to be with my entire immediate family (minus Doug) all under one roof. Below are pictures of my siblings and I (I’m in red on the right) and siblings and our growing families. (My brother Joel and his wife are expecting in April.)

So here it is, January 7th, and I’m just getting back into Blog mode. I’ve missed writing and am going to try to give myself a little more time during the week to skip housework and enjoy the things I love. Other pastimes that need some attention are exercise and knitting, both of which I’m craving! I’m sure the exercise will come today with snow removal (shoveling is such a good workout) but I’m looking forward to more yoga and visits to the gym. And those mittens that I was going to learn to knit in Kazakhstan? Well, I plan on getting those started tonight!

Happy Holidays

I have three or four posts that I’ve started but some how haven’t had the chance to complete so I’m writing a very, very quick post. Please forgive my lack of editing on this one. [Here's a little apres bath photo.]

The holiday season is a busy and this year is no exception. It is a fun kind of busy, though. Attending holiday festivities, baking scrumptious delicacies, searching for that special gift for a certain someone, and spending time with friends and family are a sample of the activities that I love this time of year. Of course, having a little one makes everything even more special and meaningful.

Kairat continues to amaze us every day with how much he understands and how many new skills that are developing. His favorite game is putting objects in containers and taking them out, dropping things, pushing his ball or stacking cups out in front of him and chasing them, walking around the house while holding on to our hands (he can stand alone for a quick second or two),  and trying to feed himself with a spoon.

The other day he climbed off the couch to a standing position and was found sitting up in his crib when I went to get him yesterday morning, proving that he is becoming much more mobile and stable in his movements and positions. “No” and “nyet”  are words that he definitely understands (and even listens to) along with many other comments and commands. Of course I could go on and on as these little achievements are what impress us parents who carefully watch their children grow from day to day. [Here Kairat is trying SO hard to reach the dog who is just out of his reach. Good dog!]

Christmas is close at hand and I’m sure Kairat will be more fascinated with wrapping paper and ribbons than any gifts. Whichever it may be, it will be a joy to experience this day of thanks with our little one who is already enriching our lives more than we can imagine

WISHING ALL THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS!