1 week of freedom....

So.. the girls have been out of the orphanage for a whole week. I am guessing they have had more activity and experienced more new things in this one short week than in the whole rest of their lives. For Yana, being 7, that is quite something to consider.

I am finally feeling almost normal. Jet lag was kicking my butt and winning there for a couple of days. I do believe I woke up feeling almost normal today. :) Praise God! I was starting to get depressed! But I think I am over that now.

What has a week taught me about the girls? What changes am I seeing? How are they doing? What has been easier than expected, what has been harder? How are the other kids, what do they think?

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Let's start with Yana.

She is the "easy" one, out of all my kids! :) She is so happy, and content. And is changing quickly!


(meeting Great Grandma!)

Yana still eats mashed food from a bottle. DO NOT attempt to put anything in her mouth otherwise :). She won't have it! But she is eating very well, and just about anything I think of to mash/puree. She holds the bottle and feeds herself, and will hand it to you when she is done. But if you aren't there quick enough she throws it.



She loves to laugh. If someone is laughing so is Yana. We all laugh with her, and that makes her happier. She loves to watch Tavi being silly and laughs and laughs with her



Now, the BIG changes. She is raising her arms when she sees us to be picked up. She is being more vocal more often. AND she is EXPLORING!!!! Last night was the first time she did more than sit up or lay down on her own without encouragement. She was crawling and rolling around the living room. And today Quincy laid down on the floor and Yana immediately laughed and crawled over to lay on her!!!




She is a so sweet, and I don't know how there was any light in my life without her. What a gift that God has blessed this world with!!!!

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Now for Tavi John. She is doing better and better each day. She is definitely still adjusting, but then so am I. We are learning about each other as we go.


(do all girls like shoes?)


Tavi is eating very well. She can eat a cracker or bread on her own. She doesn't so much pick up things like cheerios, but prefers to hold a cracker and take bites. She does not chew well, so I feed her soft or mashed food like spaghetti, oatmeal, macaroni, canned fruit, bananas and so on. She seems to have a high palate and sticky breads get stuck up there adn that really upsets her. This might be from sucking her thumb, though she doesn't really suck it, just holds it in her mouth.


(She likes to listen to the dishwasher as it runs.)


She is also sleeping pretty well. She has found she would rather that I hold her instead of lay in her bed. But I hold her and we rock and sing till she gets sleepy then I lay her down. She whines but settles down, and sleeps all night. She even gets off her bed to lay on the floor, and then ends up back on it, and covered up sound asleep. :)


(both girls like the dogs which really surprised me..)

I admit I had some preconceived notions as to what Tavi would be like. Being blind, surely she would be a bit unsure, and protective of her space and physical balance. She is protective of her space, not liking Yana in it uninvited, or extra hands or dog tongues ;)... But she loves to have you spin her around, throw her in the air, do flips or sommersaults and big moves like that. She walks backwards, forwards, sideways, jumps, fall down for "ring around the rosie", and just acts like such a typical child. Which she IS, she's just a typical child who happens to be blind.

She is still learning songs in English. She is learning what words mean slowly. I am trying to be consistent in what I say, but with so many other people in the house, she is hearing a lot of things said differently. She'll get there. She is so bright!

A couple of things I've noticed that I am not sure how to handle just yet are that she hits herself and pulls her hair when she spills something, or runs into something, or gets upset. If she runs into something I will pick her up and say "mama kiss it", and then kiss her ouchie and hold her for a bit. She doesn't cry. :( Even when she should.

The other thing is she is obsessive! If you start a game she likes, or do something she likes she wants you to do it over and over and over and over and over. But as you do it, she will get more wired/hyper. I just haven't figured out her signals for when enough is enough until it is too late. She doesn't self soothe very well, but she will let me hold her and sing or I just lay her in her bed if she really needs to calm down.



She definitely takes more time and attention to keep happy than Yana. That is where having so many siblings comes in handy. :) The kids are very happy to shower them both with attention and love. I have to tell you there are few things sweeter to me right now then seeing my sons lavish their new sisters with love!!!!

These girls have so greatly blessed our family. Gods hands in the specific design of families is solidified in my mind and heart. What a tenderhearted God we serve!

Stay tuned! I am sure I will have much to share. But for now, family calls! And well, I have a combined 11 years of having a mommy to make up for! :)