Baby True Story

My Big Day: 2, a True, and an American

2011-09-15T17:07:00.012-06:00

Today I turned two! Mommy and Daddy took me to the state of New Mexico court and the judge pronounced us a family! I am also a brand new American citizen. The best part of the day is still to come...birthday cake!

Here is our family with our wonderful judge.

Chaos

2011-05-24T14:16:00.007-06:00

Me and the boys Mexico (Feb 11)

My last post was titled 'survival'...now I've moved to 'chaos', in hopes of getting to 'contained chaos'.

Big gap since the last post. Thing is, I was hoping to say this time that Kai had been officially adopted, official American, official in our family...all things official. Seems the New Mexico court system could compete with the Russian court system in terms of laxidaziality. (Yes I made that up).

Things are going so well for us. Kai is doing wonderful and just seems so well adjusted. He's the happiest baby I've ever met. Bodi and he play together for hours. The only thing I could use more of is some English. None yet. Patiently waiting. Hints of a 'dada', just not aimed at the object 'dada' yet .

We were on an airport tram a few months ago being checked out by an older couple. (Getting used to being checked out). The couple looked at us and said, "You do know that you are having the best days of your life, dont' you?" I said, "Really....survival...really?"

No really-- we realize how incredibly blessed we are and thank God for it everyday. May you be blessed as well!

Survival

2010-11-28T12:32:00.004-07:00

Don't know how you parents with multiple toddlers do it, but we're surviving here. Okay, things could be A LOT worse, and my wonderful husband constantly reminds me constantly that things will only get better.

Daddy and his boys

Kai is an easy baby during daylight hours. We are thankful that he was so well taken care of, but there are some cultural differences between Korean parenting and American parenting that have put us at a little disadvantage. I already talked about the walking but there are other things like his inability to self sooth, inability to feed himself, etc. But, baby Kai is progressing quickly! 10 days ago his legs would buckle when you stood him up, but now he's enjoying his new-found freedom. He's always in motion, cruising along, and practices standing (does 'look mom, no hands!'). It is a struggle to find the balance between holding for attachment and letting him enjoy his new out-of-the-backpack liberation. During the night he has terrible night terrors that consist of shrieking and panic-like breathing. Poor little man, the grieving process is sucking big-time. Ryan tells me that Bodi's was much much worse. Oh Lord, in your brilliance you've helped me to forget!

Bodi has regressed about 6 months as far as maturity. Okay, make that about 9 months. He was completely adorable meeting his new baby brother but the novelty has quickly worn off. This too, shall pass!

Thoughts from an extremely tired mommy,
Sandy

GOTCHA!

2010-11-17T22:32:00.012-07:00

It is our pleasure to introduce:

Kai Kenneth True
born 15 Sep 2009 in Ulsan, S. Korea

Proud parents of a little bear

Already mastered the art of the sippie cup

Me n my daddy

...n mommy

Taking custody of Kai was very emotional. You could tell the foster mom was very sad. As we said goodbye, I gave her a big hug and she broke down crying. Ouch, our hearts hurt. So far, Kai is super curious, likes to laugh and is actually napping by himself in a crib for the first time ever. Hmm, too good to be true....?

We can't wait for y'all to meet him. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your prayers for our adoption. Yay God!

See you in the USA!
Love, Ryan, Sandy and Kai

100% Saweeetie Pie

2010-11-15T20:58:00.004-07:00

Anohasayo from Seoul,

This morning we traveled across the city with our social worker to meet our second son at his foster home. He was even cuter than his photos and not shy with us at all. We had a great time playing, eating and laughing for about an hour. Baby bear is 100% saaaaweetie pie, has the cutest little laugh (goes hee hee hee) and is not fussy at all. It seems to be that he's spent a good deal of his waking hours on his foster mom's back, and that's where he goes to get soothed. So, as a result he hasn't built much leg strength and isn't walking yet. I'm sure he'll be up chasing his big brother in no time or otherwise he's going to be a stationary target for him. His foster mom is wonderful, answered all of our questions and gave us a picture book of him and the ceremonial outfit he wore on his first birthday. We'll have GOTCHA day on Thurs and then home on Fri! So far the Korean adoption process is ridiculous -- ridiculously smooth.

Our initial impression of Seoul is that their city is big, clean and modern and the people have a refreshing quiet humility. We're getting ready for a little combat sight-seeing this afternoon.
Ryan just said this post is boring. I asked him what I could do to make it better and he replied, "get out, get some food and some beer". Message received, we're off to explore...

Love, Sandy and Ryan

Got The Call!

2010-10-23T13:53:00.004-06:00

Yes it's true. Baby bear called to say he has his bags packed and is ready for pickup. We were and still are in a little bit of a state of shock. First, it was like a world record in processing our paperwork. We just thought for sure things would unfold slower, more like the process of some other country that we won't mention. Second, holy cow are we really going to double the number of kids in our house? Ryan is still walking around with the deer in the headlights look. I'm wondering if I'll get a shower this winter.

But most of all, we are in awe of God who has chosen us to raise this little guy. We still get all kinds of questions like "You mean you actually might have been able to have your own kids and you CHOSE to adopt??!?!" Well first, these guys are our own and yes! In the beginning I would answer this question with an explanation about how God put adoption and the orphans on our hearts even before we met. And, as it turns out, they are pretty high on His list of priorities. And, how the blessing is truly ours. Talk about the deer in the headlights look.....

So now my answer is simple, and maybe it might appeal to a wider audience......
"Cause if it were me, I'd sure as hell hope someone would come get me."

Much peace!
Sandy

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Bear!

2010-09-19T14:55:00.003-06:00

This week the baby bear turned 1. Coincidentally that day we received a long writtten update with great video of the bear. My he is big a big boy and is cruising around like a champ. Bodi watched the video and seemed intrigued. He's already agreed to take care of him, teach him stuff, bathe with him...but when asked, "Are you going to share your toys with baby bear?" "No".

I feel terrible admitting this but after reading about his life and watching how happy and secure this baby is with his foster family, Ryan and I are a lot more nervous about this adoption. Bodi just craved attention so bad that he was thrilled to be around us (and the fact we supplied food helped too). We can see with the baby it's going to be a lot different. We know that his is actually the better of the two circumstances for any orphan, as he's already been able to attach and can transfer the attachment. But it's going to be a rocky road for us for a little while as he expresses his displeasure with his surroundings (us), no doubt.

Baby bear (sorry still no name, help!) won't be 'officially' adopted until 6 months after arriving in country. Right now we are just waiting on a form called 'I-600' which gives permission to bring an immigrant orphan into the country. All signs still point to a GOTCHA day sometime in Dec, where we will spend a very short time in the country. Are we ready for two? Definitely not!

More news any day now.

Baby True #2!

2010-08-07T14:51:00.004-06:00

Yes!

We have just accepted a referral of a little Korean boy. Wish I could post some pics here, because he's quite adorable. Next month he will be 1 year old. He's got CRAZY hair and big beautiful lips (I am a lip person--weird I know) and lives near Seoul. He is currently in a great foster home and is classified as a 'waiting child' which means he has a medical risk, but after lots of prayer and consideration, Ryan and I feel that we will be well equipped to handle it if it becomes an issue later.

The Korean process so far has proved to be much easier than that of Russia. (not sure how you could make it harder?) We have received tons of information, photos and even video from the agency in Korea. I have told some Russian APs that the entire process seems the equivalent of just the application to the Russian program. In that respect it has been quite nice, on the other hand, our hearts still hurt for the Russian orphans and we hope to be able to return back again someday.

We will travel to Korean in Nov or Dec to pick up this little man. Bodi is very excited to have a baby brother and I think now he is just starting to grasp the concept.

Hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful summer filled with lots and lots of blessings.
Sandy

PS. Please consider buying one of these very cool t-shirts from our friends the Overstreets. They will be traveling back to Russia soon and will use the proceeds to buy much-needed supplies for an orphanage (they will not give them cash, but go to the baby store and buy them theirselves).

1 Year with the Bear

2010-05-14T16:26:00.007-06:00

Last month we celebrated our 1 Year GOTCHA! anniversary. What a difference a year makes.

Here's a pic on the day before Gotcha:

Here we are a few weeks ago after making 'crazy hair'

How cute is this "From Russia with Love" shirt..... I went all the way to the local thrift store to get it!

Bodi, we thank God everyday for you. You are truly a miracle and have the sweetest little heart I have every met. Happy Gotcha and many more! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Little Bear Turns 2!

2010-02-09T00:34:00.009-07:00

Look who is a big bad two year old now.
Bodi continues to be the sweetest little soul that I have ever met. It has been nothing but a pleasure to be this little bear's mama over the last 10 months. I have really enjoyed the bonding process and replacing old memories with new. One example would be that when we used to hold him like a baby and rock him and sing 'rock a bye baby' he would have a GIANT meltdown. (Anyone else have that?) We took it step by step, and now he just falls back into our arms and says 'Daddy's baby' or 'Mamas baby' and loves to be rocked and kissed and stares into our eyes. It's awesome! Ryan and I really could not feel more blessed. As much as we try to teach him and show him Jesus, it sometimes seems like he's showing us much more.

Of course he's practicing his two year old antics. Particularly annoying is the 'no'---- only because I can say 'no' routine. What makes it extra super annoying is that he says it like he has a French accent. A quick little 'noh', like, 'why are you wasting my time with that question'. (Much like the French - no offense to any of you out there: )

We are preparing for our one year post placement! Also in the process we are updating our homestudy because you just never know when God's plan will surprise you.......

Home 6 Months & first PPR

2009-10-20T13:10:00.006-06:00

I am a bad bloggy mom lately. I know, no reason to rationalize it to the rest of you busy moms. Laura, we DID have our first PP report, yaaay! It was a VERY thorough interview (2 hrs) but the report was great and said all the things we already knew about Bodi bear and our new little family.

I feel like I am finally getting down a routine (after 6 mos!) and even getting a little organized. I have been able to spend the better part of the time home with Bodi. He gets less and less clingy every day which is good because I seemed to have developed tendinitis in my wrist from lifting 26 pounds 5,000 times per day. (But my biceps look pretty good :)

Bodi's speech is coming along great, but you can tell he's a bit behind his peers but catching fast. He is blazing through clothing sizes and still eating like a champ. He is really drawn to older men. He'll jump into the arms of any guy that looks like he could be a grandpa and runs from women. Maybe it's because he was around so many women at at the BH and men are a bit of a novelty?

We are soo excited to travel to IL this weekend to see our Russian adoption buddies, the Overstreets! Pics to come.

I am also hapy dancing because I am hearing news of referrals from some of you that we have inspired. I am sending prayers and blessings and GIANT sized hugs!

Sandy

Home 4 months

2009-08-29T14:59:00.006-06:00

Ryan and Bodi went to the Red, White and Brave parade this weekend in Colorado Springs. I love this photo of our little patriot. It's crazy to think how different things would be if he had grown up in Russia. I like to think he already has an appreciation for things American.

It simply amazes me how resilient kids can be. Sure we don't know what or if he has any long term ill effects from being orphaned, but he is just the sweetest and easiest little bear. I could tell that there were people around us who put Bodi under the magnifying glass initially and expected a 'difficult' kid, but ironically those same people comment on what a great little boy we have. He is still clingier than most but we are trying to just enjoy it as we know the struggle for independence is just around the corner....

Home 2 Months

2009-07-08T06:48:00.002-06:00

Or so.. anyway! I am a terrible blogger now. Hmm, could it be that I am contantly running one-handed operations these days?

Bodi bear is 17 mos and continues to improve and is just about (or maybe a little over;) on target for weight. He has actually turned down a food item or two and occasionally signs 'all done' even before all of the food is gone. Here he is with dada on 1st father's day. (Dada jumped out of a plane!) The best thing is that he has finally started to figure out that hugging feels good and gives random hugs when we least suspect it (although it is mostly done with his head). He has also learned to 'lean in' when being held vs. just using our arms as a place to sit. It is the awesome. He is still clingy, but I think normal clingy, not 'I'm freaking out cause you'll leave me' clingy. He says lots of random words like cheese, Jesus, tiger and bra (zebra) but nothing continuous except doggy, doggy, doggy, doggy, doggy....

As of yesterday, I am back to work and Ryan is Mr. Mom and flying one or two days a week until he finishes seminary, then role reversal when I simultaneously retire from the AF in 2 years . For the last three months I have been soo focused on just keeping Bodi alive, attachment issues, etc that I am just lately realizing that I am completely in love with this boy!

Home 1 Month

2009-06-03T07:00:00.003-06:00

Bodi is now 16 mos and is doing great great great. He learns soooooo fast. It's funny how you hear all the stories about how orphans are so delayed and behind cognitively. I submit that when you have to compete for food, attention, and other basic needs, you have to be on your A-game. All of the int'l adoptees that I have met are sharp as tacks.

Medical tests have come back negative so far, although he was carrying Giardia in his system. A few days on meds and he is squeaky clean. This again was something we expected because Heidi warned me about it when Bradyn tested positive. So this is the laundry list for Ussuriysk baby home if you are going there: Scabies, Giardia, and I have heard of two exposures to TB. All curable, but it's nice not to be surprised.

Otherwise, I am getting used to get used to being mommy and have finally been able to settle down to just enjoy the little bear. He has discovered that he can smell. He bends over, sticks his butt out and takes huge whiffs. Usually it is something inanimate like a car or furniture but he still says 'mmmmmmm....' when he is done. Too funny. His only discernable words are mama, dada, and doggie.... and he says doggie ALL day long...

I am trying to decide on when to end our adoption blog. I was thinking perhaps 6 months home- that should give other PAPs a good idea on progression. Ryan and I still think, dream and pray about the other kids we met at the baby home. While in Vlad we decided never ever again Russia. But I have also felt that lately God is telling me that he doesn't want us to be so comfortable. Ryan said he feels the same way. I know there is a reason He had us spend soo much time in the orphanage, and I know we can't deny that the need is incredible......
Thoughts?

Summertime Blessings!
Sandy

Many Firsts

2009-05-16T15:21:00.010-06:00

Mother's Day marked one month since Bodi blessed our family. Here's Mama and her Little Bear:
It was also Bodi's first visit to church. Kinda cool how he is reaching to God! (Or maybe just to the cool lights on the ceiling: ) On Thurs we went to our first Dr. appt. We were happy to learn that Bodi's melon is in the 80th%..! He was poked and prodded and made his disapproval quite clear. He has a heart abnormality (supposedly a good abnormality) and will see a cardiologist later in the month. Otherwise lots more testing and immunizations over the next few weeks.

Other firsts were meeting more family and friends, a WalMart and McDonalds visit and even his first cocktail party! He is starting to show a little independence by wondering the house, which means a little independence for Mama -- amen! The question I have been asked most is how Summit and he get along. Bodi thinks Summit is great. Summit is wondering why Bodi's parents haven't picked him up yet...?

Blessings for wherever you are in your process. Is it all worth it? YES YES YES.

Sandy

Dom Sweet Dom

2009-05-05T14:42:00.005-06:00

Hi All! We are back in the USA with one proud-to-be-an-American boy. Whoever said the goal for the journey home is to survive sure was right! Bodi slept for about 5 hrs of the 28 hr journey. Believe it or not there was a silver lining to this: He was so exhausted that his body clock was completely reset upon arrivihg home and is now on mountain standard time. Too bad Mama and Dada are not!

Otherwise all is well and Mr. Clingy McClingerson still won't give mama a break. Ah God invented naps for the parents I think, not the babies. : )

Meeting my Grandma True

Getting to know my sebaka, Summit

Pinch me -- I must be dreaming! Are all of our Russian reindeer games really behind us? I've heard that much like biological childbirth, you forget the pain...?

More later! Love, the Trues

Ready to say Paka to Russia

2009-04-29T21:16:00.007-06:00

Uh huh, we are still here in Russia! Some issues with our courier but it looks like we will be on our way back to dom sweet dom either Fri or Sat. What have we been doing with our time? Mostly parenting a handful of a little bear : ) and socializing with other families where we make fun of all things Russian, especially adoption (sorry this process and country are getting to us after 24 days). We also took a few trips to downtown Vladivostok.

Waterfront-Downtown Vladivostok

Bodi is such a cute little bear and is doing very well, thank you for your comments and emails. He has exhibited some typical PI behaviors over the last few weeks. Some have already completely diasappeared, and some linger but continue to improve. Food is the biggest issue. He is at least become more relaxed at the dinner table, although he makes his disapproval evident when we are finished. We are working to show him that the food will keep coming and coming and coming, but I think Summit Dog is going to have some competition for scraps around the dinner table. Otherwise he's still attached to mama ALL of the time. Ryan and I have agreed not to set any type of boundaries (or ask for any space) until we are settled back home.

Today our new buddies The Overstreets left and are making their way to Moscow as we speak. Even though Ryan and I have pouted all afteronon about their leaving, we are so happy for them and thankful that God hooked us up BIGTIME by putting this awesome family into our lives. Their little guy, Blake is 3 1/2 and even though he speaks only Russian, you can tell he is quite a character! Yesterday he was being examined by a Russian Dr. and he told her, 'OK, gotta go, I got stuff to do'. Jennifer also became Mama to little Victoria this week. She is so sweet and 100% girly girl. Here is a photo of our gang:

Vlad Inn Families 29 Apr 09

A great part about staying here is watching brand new families walk through the front door. Our group has managed to make it very ceremonious. God's grace is a huge present, and I soooo enjoy watching these children unwrap it, and seeing their lives changed forever by it.

FYI: I have succeeded in being chastised by Russians at least one time per day regarding how Bodi is dressed. For those not familiar, Russians not only dress their kids EXTREMELY warm (we're talking snowsuits on 70 deg days) they also dress themselves very warm. One warm day I told Anna (translator) that I think Ryan is the only guy in Russia w/out a coat on. She said, 'I know, I wouldn't dare..!!' So I deduct that they think that a chill will cause you to catch pneumonia. The interesting part is that anyone can approach any parent and chastise them and tell them how to dress their kid. A guy even drove past me the other day and then stopped, reversed, stopped, rolled down his window and gestured and told me to put a hat on Bodi. (It was about 70 deg and Bodi was in the backpack burning a hole in my back). I usually just say, 'yep, thanks, move it along!' It's kind of fun when they don't understand your language! AND, as Amy would say, 'why don't you talk to me when you start using carseats'?

I think my biggest lesson learned from this trip is drugs drugs drugs. Russian medical care is at least 30 years behind ours. If you are coming to Russia make sure you bring a medical kit with everything, I mean EVERYTHING-especially antiobiotics for your whole family. We have heard some crazy stories about/from Doctors. When Bodi went to the Dr. last week (after two weeks of basically fixing him) I was told that because he is blonde he has skin allergies and (again) not to feed him anything red or orange, and oh yeah, that he MUST be circumcized... huh?

Well, that's it from Russia. Hope to post from the USA next!
Big blessings,
Sandy

Introducing: Little Bear!

2009-04-19T19:40:00.014-06:00

It is our pleasure to introduce you to Bodi Douglas True,

born 24 Jan 2008 in Ussuriysk, Russia.

Little Bear leaving Baby Home #3 in Ussuriysk.....forever.

I like to look in bathtubs, but don't like to get in them.

'BLESSED'

Our new little family is doing very well. Bodi has changed so much in only 10 days. His scabies rash has almost completely disappeared, he's stopped wheezing, and just looks healthier in general. Even his teeth look whiter! We've moved slowly w/introducing new foods and what do you know - no allergies.

Finally we 'snuck' him into the bathtub last night. Thank you all for your suggestions but little bear is sharp! He could see through all of our little tricks...until last night. Ryan played with him in his lap beside the bathtub while I took a bath. Ryan slowly sneaked into the bath, inch by inch. The whole process of getting in took about an hour! Finally, da-da was in the bath fully clothed and Bodi didn't fuss. Turns out he had a very good time playing and splashing.

As far as bonding goes, Bodi wants us to hold him 24/7. He has stopped running to other adults, so I think he's figured out that the Vlad Inn is not one big orphanage. Now he's entered the 'testing' phase where he throws a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants. Good times!

We should start processing paper work tomorrow and my guess is a return mid next week. At least we are now free to venture outside of the hotel area. We have been blessed bigtime to be here with an awesome group of families, including the Overstreets. The best thing about this process besides Bodi are the wonderful friendships and bonds we have made along the way.

Paka for now,
Sandy

Happy Easter from Vlad!

2009-04-11T12:44:00.008-06:00

Hi All and thank you so much for your comments. We feel blessed to have a cheering section full of prayer warriors back home. Before I start rambling I think that I may have forgotten that not everyone has adopted from Russia! Here is the plan: We have 8 more days until our adoption decree becomes legal and then we start processing for Bodi's visa back to the US. He will be a citizen once his little toes touch American soil. We are praying to be out of here on the 25th, but are planning on the 2nd.

Bodi is doing great. He is quite a happy little bear. He is a great sleeper and eater, but not so great diaper changee and bath taker. Any suggestions on the latter 2 would be great (aside from the toy diversion -- has been tried and now those specific toys represent 'torcher chamber time'). I think yesterday was the most active day of his little life. The thought of being able to run in more than a 3 sq' area thrilled him, although he didn't go too far.

So I have to tell a few quick details of Friday, aside from what Ryan told you about court. When we arrived at the baby home they told us that he had been baptized that morning and even gave us his little plastic cross. I wasn't aware they did these type of things in the home, but was happy to hear so. The BH directors said, 'maybe this will be good for you'. So funmy. We went downstairs to claim our bear and witnessed potty time. I am only going talk about this because it gives the PAPs an idea of what happens here. There were about 8 kids lined up and pooping in bowls like dog bowls. After they pooped they would be scooped up and there butts would be washed in a tub. Interesting, is all I'll say about that.

As we were getting Bodi dressed one of the caregivers walked by and asked if he was leaving today. Anna said 'Da' and the caregiver replied,.. 'lucky'... On the way out the BH director and doctor briefed us on the bear's allergies. It was something like this... 'fruit, fruit juice, eggs, milk and anything red or orange'. OK you had me at eggs but...

Bodi has a rash ALL over his body. Thanks to my friend Heidi who adopted Brady from the same home a few months ago, I was fully prepared to treat for scabies. (Thank you Heidi!!!) We checked out WebMD, etc and he had all of the symptoms and he looked like scabies. BUT, now I am all freaked out about the fruit, and all things red and orange (although he ate sweet potatoes and was fine). He also has recurring bronchitis and was wheezing terrible. But, ever since the moment we took him out of the stifling 85 deg BH air he has improved. In my panic on both issues I believe I have successfully panicked both Grandmas to the point that they are ready to hire a private jet and fly to Russia with a pediatric medical team. Sorry Grandmas!

As we put him down to sleep Friday night he was itching his little body to pieces, wheezing up a storm and scared as all get out. My heart broke and all I thought was, 'Buddy, you have
been through the ringer...better days ahead little bear... better days ahead.

And so it was; we had a wonderful day yesterday. He loves to be thrown around, tickled and cuddles. He also likes to go to the mirror, smile at himself and have little Russian baby talk conversations, and loves to dance.

We atempted to go out for some fresh air and walk to the waterfront with him (about a 5 minute walk). VERY STRESSFUL. He had a straight face and frowny eyebrows the whole time. My heart broke for him and finally we had to leave because daddy had a stressed out boy and a crying mommy on his hands. He must have settled down though, because he fell asleep int he carrier on the way home.

We have met some very nice families at the Vlad Inn. Our friend Amy from trip number one and the Overstreets (blog right) will be here this week. Amy's boy, Matvy is from the same grupa as Bodi. It will be fun to see their reactions when they see each other here.

I am off to hide some Easter eggs for the bear! I think later we will try to get some candy and have a hunt outside for the older boys. I hope that you are having a beautiful day full of God's love!

Sandy

GOTCHA DAY!!!

2009-04-10T03:50:00.002-06:00

WOW! The day is finally here.

After 10 1/2 hours of crazy day we finally made it back to our hotel room. We can't thank all of you enough all of your prayers. God was definitely in control all day and showed it.
We went into court a little nervous because we were not sure if we would be able to get our little bear today. Court was a little interesting. Sandy got a lecture about how she is a "hard woman" due to her military background and how she is going to have to be a mom now. I had to explain that the military in the U.S. is a secure job and explain that our house has not lost all of its value (despite what the prosecutor obviously heard from our media). However, after only about 50 minutes in court we were pronounced mama and papa of Bodi True.

When we got out of the building our facilitator asked us if we wanted to go get him now. I'm pretty sure all of Vlad heard Sandy scream YES!!!

We are finally parents with our little bear in our arms. He is sleeping now and we are not far behind. We will share more of the funny stories and horrors of bath time tomorrow.

Thank you all for your support and prayers along the way. GOTCHA LITTLE BEAR!

Guess who is walking?

2009-04-09T00:01:00.004-06:00

Dobredyen from Vlad!

Though the time has dragged since last seeing the Little Bear, it also seems like we just left this little gray town. We are now preparing for court but had a wonderful visit with him today. The bear was quite a bit more timid when we approached him this time, I guess he's old enough to know the difference between caregivers and strangers now. By the end of our visit he was running back and forth between us and would fall into our arms giggling. So cute! This time we were in the main playroom. There were other kids in the room who just stared at our interaction and you could tell they just wanted to jump in. There were some big huge cuties who broke our hearts and we wondered if it was to late to strike a two for one deal. : )

We are preparing for court at 10am tomorrow. Please pray for us, as we find ourselves still emotionally battling at this point. Originally we were told we would pick Bodi up after a successful court hearing but now it appears that is a little up in the air, "we will see what the social worker says" is now what we are told. Deep breath! Love, Ryan and Sandy

Play Area
Ussuriysk Baby Home #3

Even More Good News!

2009-03-28T07:51:00.004-06:00

Well we are very ready to leave next Monday 6 Apr, arrive in Vlad 8 Apr, court 10 Apr. As I posted last, there is a new judge and our agency told us to expect a 'tougher' court process...... After what we've been through already, why would it be easy?

So, here's the good news Vlad parents! Ryan and I are told that we will be picking up the little bear immediately after court and will keep him at the hotel with us during the 10 day waiting period. Woo hoo! I am not sure if they are doing this with all families, but in the last month I have stalked 2 or 3 blogs where they have done the same.

Hope to see some of you there!
BIG blessings,
Sandy

COURT DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-23T15:56:00.012-06:00

Can I get an amen?

Our court date is April 10th!

For all of you Vlad parents out there, our facilitator said there is a new judge and that is the reason for the delays. Keep the faith.

Thank you SO MUCH everyone for prayers and support.
Sandy

Praise You In This Storm

2009-03-04T16:57:00.013-07:00

I decided to post because some of my bloggy pals were getting a little worried and thought I fell off the end of cyber world. I kept holding out because I wanted my next post to be titled by those two beautiful little words..... and I dont' mean 'still waiting'. : ) Word on the street is that the judge has all of our paperwork and "needs more time".

My walk with God has been interesting over the last few months. From a full heart full of praise.. to disconnection, to sadness, to anger to....you name it. I know God is trying to teach me in this journey and I think I am starting to get it. My MIL sent me a CD from Casting Crowns. She was praying for us one day when the song "Praise You In This Storm" played and touched her heart enough to send it to me. A line in the song says "I thought You'd come down to step in and save the day" and, I guess that's what I was expecting. But, He hasn't....

I know that many of you PAPs are in your own storm and have been seriously discouraged over the last few weeks. (For those of you not in the know, Russia decided to ban homestudies from 160 US agencies.. we were lucky that our agency was not on the list). I hope that you can listen to this song and it brings you hope and faith, and as the song says-- you let Him hold your hand and wipe your tears away and then raise you up again. I also hope it gives you strength to continue to fight the good fight. Because if you don't... who will?

Here's the link: Praise You In This Storm

Many Blessings,
Sandy

71 days since The Little Bear

2009-02-08T20:28:00.006-07:00

No new info about our court date. It does appear that things continue to move along because we've had a few paperwork requests from Russia. The last 71 days have been really difficult-- we have had some good days and bad days. But, instead of more complaining I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts:

Thank you so much to those of you who have 'checked' on us over the last few weeks. Sometimes I'll discuss the Bear w/you and your eyes will well up with tears of sympathy. Others have been awesome prayer warriors and some others have checked in and just tell us that they are thinking of us. Even my super-tough fighter pilot coworker sent me kind thoughts to remind me of God's great plan. Ryan and I are so grateful. It feels like we have a whole army on our side praying for the Bear's trip home and are ready to welcome our huge blessing with open arms.

Yaaay for my bloggy friend and new mom, Renae who just brought little Princess Olivia home from Kemerovo City.. So happy for you guys!!!

Still Waiting...

2009-01-14T09:56:00.006-07:00

(From Ryan)
We are doing everything we can to keep busy. We have been fixing up things around the house and have started baby proofing a few things. Mostly moving candles that could make him look like a wax figurine if he toppled them over (You have to start somewhere).

I do ask that you keep Sandy in your prayers. She is having a difficult time waiting. Not that I am not anxious too, but I think maybe guys are a little better at the waiting part. She is already a mommy in her heart and she misses her little boy very much. As all of you who have gone through this know, we need prayer that the process goes quickly and smoothly.

Thank you for all your support, and to all of you who ask about Bodi when we see or talk to you extra thanks.
Ryan

Dossier 2 ... Brain Hurts

2008-12-15T17:51:00.010-07:00

We hit the ground running with only 9 days to get things done, as we were leaving town on day 10. The paperchase for Dossier 2 was excruciating..perhaps it's because we now know what (who) hangs in the balance? Let's just say it was probably the closest that Ryan and I have ever been to going postal. Checking the 'psychological evaluation' box was like pulling teeth. No, not because we are crazy!!! After stringing us along for 8 days, and telling us, "sure, no problem!" the clinic on the AF base decided, that they are not in the adoption business and couldn't help us out after all.

So, I looked up a different psychologist on FRUA. Once again, thank goodness for FRUA because we had that letter in 4 hours. And, when I asked, "how much?" his secretary said, "oh, I think he would just want to see the baby.." It was then that I decided that I need to focus on all of the people who have supported us and cut us breaks to help bring baby Bodi home, versus those who have placed roadblocks in our way.

Sorry for the negativity! Positive: Dossier 2 is done! Our facilitator said if we had our paperwork in by the end of Dec then we should expect court in early Feb. Any prayers you could extend for that would be much appreciated!

Before you doll out the sympathy points, know that we have made our annual pilgrimage to Puerto Rico for work for 2 wks! It is 80 degrees here and I am listening to the waves crash as we speak. Therapy!!

Feliz Navidad!
Sandy

Bodi Douglas True

2008-11-27T18:42:00.013-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Today we leave Russia, but the last two days with the bear have been wonderful. He was still not feeling well, so our visits were contained to the same little couch in a room off to the side of the orphanage. I think I wrote the other day that it was a 'treat' to be able to see where the babies live day to day, but honestly at some point I think it got to be too much emotionally. Ryan and I are pretty drained, but are ready to hurry home to hurry back for court.

The caregivers are the best. You can tell they truly care about these little ones and do so much with so little. Yesterday we got to see the start of 'music time' where there was a caregiver playing piano little ones were in their little chairs (it was like a magic trick the way they just sat still at 2 years old) ready to do some version of the hokey pokey. So cute! We had some attachment concerns during the first two days because the bear didnt' seem to care where he was shuffled to. Until yesterday.... he saw his BH doctor and his eyes lit up, he smiled and reached for her. Good sign for sure.

Yesterday's goodbye was also emotional. Mostly because he was just taken out of our arms and out the room in 5 seconds flat. I think at that time I heard "craaaaack" which was the sound of two hearts breaking into pieces. We picked each other up, and headed back to Vlad.

We praise God for a wonderful boy and a wonderful week. As you can see by the post title, we have named him (surprise Duggie!!) and today we signed our petition to adopt as well as notice to appear in court which should happen in 2-4 months.

Here is a pic of us taking a nice romantic walk/iceskate on the beach. Kholadna! (It's ccccold)

Dasvidanya!
Sandy

Little Bear!

2008-11-25T14:12:00.007-07:00

Privyet from Siberia! We have been blessed! Yesterday was one of the best days of our lives. I am going to start from the beginning, because otherwise I would be doing the PAPs a disservice. We were surprised by nothing so far, only because those who went before us described every detail. If you want to skip my rambling and get to the good stuff, scroll down a few paragraphs.

Our trip here was fabulous. Korean Air rocks it old school. Very comfy and lots of room and lots of food. Much like the 'fem-bats' of Iceland Air (tall, gorgeous scandanavian women) the 'toy soldiers' (as Ryan calls them) were soo beautifully polished and professional. These flight attendants put US aircrews to shame, let alone us military chicks. Big thumbs up! When we arrived in Vladivostok it was a typical E. European type thing where the airport was archaic and everyone was jockeying for position at immigration. Of course we were last because we were just too tired to elbow our way in. Our translator and our facilitator met us as soon as we departed customs. They are wonderful! During the ride to the hotel they briefed us on a few things, but made some keys points: they are on OUR side no matter what, and if something is wrong, please don't keep it a secret and be sure to communicate with them.

We are staying at the Vlad Motor Inn which is very Westernized, run by Canadians. Ry and I really wanted to stay downtown to experience the culture, but the traffic is horendous and the baby home was in the opposite direction. So, we will stay downtown on our next trip and then move to the Vlad Inn again when we get the bear.

Yesterday we departed early for the Ministry of Education interview. First impressions of Vlad is that it is like most E. European towns but adding a splash of color with new building. It is freezing here (who knew, Siberia??). What is weird to me is that everyone walks around with their head down like they are frozen. I was thinking they would be used to it! The MOE appt was interesting. We arrived to some random building and entered an office about 6' wide by 20' long. There were also 3 huge desks and 7 people and smelled like onions. We met with an older, very professional (and beautiful) lady. During our interview she took a phone call for about 10 mins where she was yelling at the person on the other end. "NYET NYET NYET!" she kept yelling. It was interesting and also weird because everytime I looked at her she seemed to be looking at me. Then I thought, OMG...she's discussing our case w/the BH director and something has gone wrong. Then I brought myself back to reality with the realization that things just aren't that organized here... So after the phone call she asked us maybe 5 questions and then we signed a book type registry and we were outy. Our dear translator shuffled us out quickly. She also said she usually asks more questions but she was very busy today. Amen!

Later in the afternoon we drove 2 hrs north to a town I can't even begin to spell. It was cuter than Vlad though. The drive looked like Pennsylvania rolling hills in winter. I had seen this baby home on a few blogs before, I can't begin to spell the name of it either. Hearts were racing and we were excited!!!! We first met with the BH doctor, who is an older woman. She gave us Little Bear's health history. No major concerns there, although she feels he's at high risk for asthma. Well as these things go, you just never know. It turns out he is sick with bronchitis right now, so they didn't want to bring him upstairs, where it is cooler (actually normal). Ry and I got to go down stairs and see the orphanage first hand!!! Very sad but what a treat to be able to explain it later to the Little Bear. We walked in a room that was about 85 degrees to find about 10 babies and 4 caregivers. I looked at all of the little ones and then stopped when I saw the cutest little guy staring me right in the eyes, and had an expression like, "I am RIGHT HERE mama!" He got us at hello.....

We were quickly shuffled off to a room on the side. Let me say first, there are a lot of little cuties in that pack, so if you are thinking of adoption, there are some babies that sure could use families. As we spent time with Little Bear I noticed a few of the other kids gazing in. I felt a little guilty at times because I know they wanted some of whatever he was getting.

Little bear was wheeled in in a stroller. For being sick, he was in a great mood all day. I got to pick him up first and well, I can't even put those moments into words, except for: Yaaay God!Now most of you APs know that because the babies aren't around men, they usually freak when they are held by their Papas for the first time. I thought for sure the little bear would be hesitant since even the BH doctor was even a woman. Nope! I think it was my friend Regina who dubbed Ryan 'the baby whisperer'. Make no mistake, Little Bear is a daddy's boy. He loved him and especially loved his scruffy face. One of the caregivers came in and told us (through our translator) that he looks just like Papa. Our translator said, "Are you sure you haven't been to Russian before, Ryan?" Hmmmm.....

We also got to see feeding time. They took Little Bear out, sat him at a little kid's table and held his head still and shovelled a bowl of porridge it in in 60 seconds flat. No time wasted there...

We had soo much fun playing for what was reported to be 1+45.. (I have no idea!). We reviewed our amateur evaluation checklist from our IA doctor and Little Bear was off the charts. Great eye contact, recognized caregivers, climbing, and ready to walk at only 10 mos! He did not seem to like kisses, as he would push my head away, like, "what are you doing?" but snuggled in a few times. Much to Ryan's shagrin Little Bear's favorite toy was a battery operated toy cell phone. (Ry is anti- those type toys - and cell phones for that matter). He also loved how his plastic picture book tasted :)

Our facilitator gave us huge hugs when we left the BH. We told him he got us a good one! He said, "I know!!" Only 8 more hours til we see him again! We will try to post again tomorrow. Thank you soooo much for your support and prayers.

Paka! Sandy

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the East and gather you from the West. - Isiah 43:5

Trip 1 Travel Dates!

2008-11-11T10:35:00.006-07:00

Hard to believe, but we are off to meet our little bear in only 11 days! Ry and I have been on cloud 9 since Friday, and we are already in love with our little bear. We also received very positive feedback from our IA pediatrician at Univ of Minnesota.

Alas, we still have a ways to go, so we would appreciate being kept in your prayers. Please pray for a smooth adoption process, for the bear's caregivers, and for joy in his little heart.

Paka paka!
Sandy

GOT THE CALL!!!!!!!!

2008-11-07T17:50:00.012-07:00

Today we got some wonderful news of a referral, followed by pictures of the cutest little bear that we ever did see. It's a boy! Thank you so much for your prayers! God is sooo awesome. Lots more info come Monday!
Love, Ryan and Sandy

Just a Little Patience...yaaah yaah

2008-10-21T15:05:00.014-06:00

Today we got news of a paperwork redo. Russia didn't like the way something looked. Sounds kind of simple but for those of you not in the know it can take weeks to reaccomplish one little piece of paper. Ugh. This year my New Year's resolution was to become a more patient person. When I told Ryan, he said, oooh I don't think I would pray for that. I asked why not? He said, well then God is going to give you lots of chances to PRACTICE patience. And so it is....

It is funny how you can watch God's plan unraveling perfectly before your eyes and yet still question Him. As our friend chaplain Ken said at his retirement, how many times do we question God on the engineering of His plan and then afterward think, "Wow God, that was a GREAT plan!" I also think I heard/read Jer 29:11 at least 10 times this week. (My husband even texted it to me!) Do you think God is trying to tell me something?

Probably part of what has made the waiting so hard is that life has slowed a bit. Volleyball season is over but wow did we have a GREAT group of guys and girls. I was also blessed to coach with a super chick who has the same brand of humor as me. Here is a photo of the poor kids that had to bare the brunt of our jokes:
Okay, enough boo-hooing! Yaaay for our friends Heidi and Mike (One Particular Harbor to the left) who are official parents of Brady, also from Vlad! Yaaayyy!!!!!!!!!!

Peace and Hugs, Sandy

Happy Anniversary Ryno!

2008-09-22T14:59:00.019-06:00

Tomorrow marks 2 years since I married the most awesome man in the world! I thank God everyday for giving me a husband who...
... loves Him and seeks Him constantly
... leads our family according to His will
... was willing to follow plan A (adoption) even though we also hoped for plan B (pregnancy)
... didn't even blink when we couldn't conceive
... took my hand to pray FIRST when we faced many adoption 'challenges'
... will be the world's best father and shepherd to our little bear

Happy Anniversary Ry! I love you, Sandal

PS, Still waiting and waiting and waiting.. congrats to our AP blog friends, the Pendergrast's (link right) who endured an arduous process and are finally parents to beautiful baby Luke from Moscow!! Yaay!

BLESSED!!!

2008-08-26T20:41:00.028-06:00

Thank you to my girlfriends and family who threw me the most awesome surprise shower last weekend! I am so blessed to be surrounded by you all. There are days when this process seems brutal and hopeless. I want you all to know how much it means to me to see the excitement in your eyes when you are asking us about our Little Bear. It really helps us to keep our eyes toward God and trust in His plan. The gifts were awesome and very much needed! We are practicing with them on Summit but he always tries to wiggle out of the high chair! With Love and Appreciation, Sandy
Here is the link to the baby shower pics: http://gallery.me.com/tnle#100012

Waiting......

2008-08-12T07:47:00.019-06:00

sometimes patiently...sometimes....not so much! We have done a pretty good job of keeping busy this summer, and now Ryan is gearing up to start year #2 (of 4!) of Seminary next week. In the meantime we are attempting to finish our house projects. (I realize some of you are laughing and saying, "they are never finished") As I understand it, this is near-impossible once there is a little one around. If you have been to our house in the last year, you might be glad to know that we finally have a railing on our stairs! We figure this is a good safety measure since we'll have a toddler running wild soon : ) We haven't started the Little Bear's room yet, in fear that we'll 'jinx' ourselves, but after we get our referral I'm sure I'll be in full-up nesting mode. We are also trying learn Russian. Wow, brainache - don't know how you do it Cheryl. I'm enclosing a map of Russia. Vladivostok is where our hearts, minds, and prayers are these days - you can find it in the far East of Siberia. I pray you are having a blessed summer.
Paka! Sandy

I-171H Received!

2008-07-26T12:58:00.013-06:00

We Received our I-171H today. YEA!!!
This is the document we have been waiting on from the INS. It has been called The Holy Grail of the Document Collection.
Our Request for a little Ruski is now officially on its way to Moscow.
Our Adoption Agency seems pretty confident that we will be registering in Vladivostok. It is the region of Russia that is way down in the South East corner. It is right next to China and N. Korea. Vlad (as it is called) is actually closer to San Fransisco than Moscow - Crazy. We can't even say how excited we are about this little paper. Thank you for all your prayers.
- Ryan

Killin' Trees

2008-07-07T16:35:00.009-06:00

Hi All! Kahk dyela?
Hope you had a summery weekend! We had to cut our camping excursion short due to a Summit-dog injury. We were way out in Buena Vista when he impaled himself with a stick. 6" into his undercarriage! No organ punctures (ptL!) but the litle guy is going to have a long recovery.
On the Little Bear front, we are wrapping things up on the paperwork side-- killing trees and keeping FedEx in business. All that is left to do is a little update to our homestudy and then we should have our stuff on its way to Russia. The last few months were a little brutal in adoption world but I can say that we really feel God's light shining on this process lately. Thank you for your continued prayers!
We are looking forward to a wonderful summer. Ryan and I will be working at the AF Academy Prep School. I as a coach and he as some kind of glorified duty officer. Should be just like summer camp!
Peace and Hugs! Sandy

Switcheroo

2008-06-11T15:48:00.011-06:00

Privyet!
We have decided to switch agencies. There were some yellow (if not red) flags being waived with regard to our last agency. With much prayer and some great advice from other adoptive parents, we made the switch and feel no worse for the wear! In fact, we feel that we will not only receive a referral sooner than anticipated, but we are already ecstatic about the level of service and communication we have received from our new agency.
Seems my last post brought on a new wave of questions about what takes place once we get "the call". We will travel to Russia twice. Once to meet the little bear (about 7 days) and then back about 2-4 months later for our court date/legal adoption in Moscow (10-21 days).

Here are some facts you might not know about Russian Orphans:

730,000 children in Russia have either no parents or have been abandon by their parents

15,000 Russian orphans leave orphanages each year, once they are 16 to 18 years old. Of these, 5,000 are unemployed, some 6,000 are homeless, around 3,000 resort to crime, approximately 1,500 commit suicide, and roughly half the girls are forced into prostitution. After leaving their orphanages:

50% - fall into a high-risk category

40% - become drug users

40% - commit crimes

10% - commit suicide

In Russia, birth control is very expensive, abortions are free - thus the main form of birth control.
Please keep the orphans in your prayers, as well as their caregivers.
Check out the Russian word of the day (bottom right!)

Where to start?

2008-05-30T21:47:00.035-06:00

We wanted to adopt even before we were married, so I guess it was no big surprise when we didn't conceive and have a baby the old fashioned way. Here's where we are in the roller coaster of the process called international adoption: So far we have done all the things to get 'checked out' as future parents. Now we are waiting for the oh-so-coveted I171-H form from immigration that states that we may bring an orphan into the U.S. After that, our dossier (giant package of all kinds of paperwork) goes to Russia and we will be registered in a region. We have asked for a baby boy or girl under 18 months old. Most people, including Russians, adopt girls so the chances are good that Summit Dog will get a brother. Timeline? We are guessing late this year or early 09. Guessing being the operative word here because things are always changing and so out of our control.

We've received lots of questions that I hope to answer:

? Can't we have our own kids? We really don't know... 1 year and 8 months of practice and ......nada. Maybe we are doing something wrong : ) ?? With that said, we know this kiddo will be our OWN kid because it is truly the child that God has already picked out for us. We have already shed many tears over this kiddo and feel him/her growing in our hearts!

? Fertility treatments? (oh yes, people actually ask this)... I received a task list of about 35 things I need to do to find out why we are "broken" but was never motivated to do them because we were so compelled to follow the plan the plan set before us.

? Why Russia? My dad's family was off the boat from Russia..(I guess that makes me 50%) I've always felt very comfortable in Eastern Europe and a connected to the culture..I think I could have talked Ryan into most any country but I know he wanted to adopt from a place where we'd always enjoy visiting later with our kiddo. Many of the other international options are places we've already been with the military, and would not have necessarily enjoyed revisiting.

I never ever imagined this process would be soo stressful and emotional! Fortunately I have been blessed to find a great group of bloggy PAPs (pre-adoptive parents) online that have provided many laughs when I needed them, and have also let me know that I am not alone in my insanity! Thanks to those of you who are praying for us and are just as excited about our paperwork pregnancy as a physical pregnancy. We so appreciate the love, faith and support.
Many Blessings,
Sandy and Ryan