Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Wordless Wednesday - April 28, 2010

A few words this week but from Max and Roman!!


Check out their new shades!!







And a few our our furbabies :-)





Oh and remember the child who was petrified of the dogs ... NOT anymore!!!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The decision to be parents or to be pregnant.....UPDATE

April 19, 2009 .... UPDATE .... I started this post while I was sitting in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport on my way to Cabo San Lucas,Mexico for the weekend. I wanted to make sure it had the post date of April 15th to show support for future Russian adoptions and to show our successful story. Since I was posting on my blackberry I could only write so much ... but here is the rest of our story!!!

April 15, 2009 ... Our Russian adoption story:

Today families who have adopted from Russia have been asked to blog about their success.I want to be sure to show our support for all waiting families who are praying that Russia does not suspend adoptions for the USA.

Stephen and I first decided to stop infertility treatments and explore adoption on March 18, 2008 after our 2nd failed IVF attempt. We asked ourselves what we wanted more, to be parents or to be pregnant.... Parents was the answer we both said so it was off the infertility roller coaster and on to the adoption roller coaster that would hopefully end with us having children to love.

The ironic thing about our decision on March 18th is that Maxim, our youngest son was born the very next day ... March 19, 2008 ... they say everything happens for a reason and every adoption tale has some "weird" connection for parents and their children and this was just one of ours!!!

Once we returned from our Florida vacation on March 19, 2008 we found the information packet for Wide Horizon for Children in our mail! We were excited it had come while we were on vacation and we were quick to fill out of application and start the adoption process ... we attended our very first information meeting with WHFC at the end of March ... who knew one year later we would be making our first trip to Russia to meet the boys and accept our referral!!!

One of the best things about adoption for us was knowing that no matter how long it took ... the end of our journey would mean children for us... something no one could GUARANTEE with infertility!!! What a roller coaster ride our adoption journey was at times with explanations to employers, paperwork for NOT only WHFC but for Russia but in the end we are now a family of four ... six if you count Happy and Lucy and our lives have changed in ways we couldn't imagine before we met Roman and Maxim!!!


First Family Photo with Roman ... March 2009


First Family Photo with Maxim ... March 2009


A Family at Last ... November 11, 2009 ... first family photo leaving Baby Home #6!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Monday, April 5, 2010

Happy Easter - April 4, 2009

We celebrated our first Easter together this weekend!!! On Saturday night we colored eggs together to get ready for the Easter bunny and on Sunday morning you were both wide awake early so we headed down to see what the Easter bunny had left for each of you!!!








The we were off to Massachusetts to have dinner with Grammy and everyone up there!! You got to enjoy your first egg hunt and if the chants of "more" from Max were any indication you both had a great time and really enjoyed your first Easter!!!

One Year Later....

Dear Roman and Maxim:

I know I'm a few days late with our 12 month letter but we have had a busy weekend celebrating our first Easter together and enjoying all that the Easter bunny brought you at home, at Grammy's in Massachusetts and from Grandma and Grandpa Pupek!!!

It's hard to believe that a year has already passed since Papa and I first met you in Russia and then left to come home to New York to complete paperwork that would allow us to return to Russia for trip 2 ... the trip where we would go to court and "officially" become your parents. We felt like your parents since we first got the call about you on March 5, 2009 but the 2nd trip would allow us to bring you home with us forever!!!

It's been an incredible year with LOTS of ups and a few downs and the most important thing is that you are now a part of our lives EVERY DAY and you continue to make us laugh, smile and shower us with all the love that two little boys can have for their Mama and Papa!!! You are also becoming great friends as well as brothers. You enjoy playing together and if the giggles coming from your room or the back seat of the car are any indication you crack each other up and just have fun together!!!

You continue to amaze us with all that you are learning and the new words you are able to say each day!!! Roman ... we recently found a dairy product you probably enjoyed in Russia "Kiefer" ... you LOVE LOVE this drink and we can tell from the smile on your face that you remember having it in the baby home ... so for you it's been a little taste of Russia brought to New York"! Maxim ... you are becoming such a big boy and very independent.... you have learned how to give hugs and kisses and you aren't stingy about sharing them with your brother Roman or with me and Papa!!! You enjoy playing outside More now that it is getting warmer and you just love "tasting" the outside ... you are always trying sticks, mulch and rocks!!!

I can't believe how fast this past year has gone and I'm so looking forward to exploring with you now that it's warmer out ... we are going to have so much fun this Spring and Summer and trying new things together!!!

Love,
Mama and Papa

Pictures from the past year ......

Roman referral picture - March 5, 2009


Maxim referral picture - March 5, 2009


Max and Mama - trip 1, March 28 - April 3, 2009


Roman with Mama and Papa - trip 1, March 28 - April 3, 2009


Brothers together - June 2009


Max - August 2009


Roman - August 2009


Brothers together on April 4, 2009 .... Easter Sunday!!!