Sunday, February 8, 2009

Home sweet home

We are home! Sorry for the delay...but we have a very energetic 2-year old in the house who is busy discovering her new home and testing us at every turn! We are all (even Simon, our cat)learning to adjust...

Our flight home was excellent. We left our apartment at 3:00 a.m. and arrived in Toronto at 12:30 p.m., which was 7:30 p.m. Kiev-time- which meant that we had been travelling for 16 1/2 hours! And despite the fact that Ziva only slept for 1 1/2 hours on the plane, she was in pretty good spirits. She was good as gold on the plane, she is such a trooper. Within five minutes of arriving on the first plane, she figured out how to undo the seat buckle and then she got her finger caught...but that was the only time she cried the entire trip!

Once we were off the plane in Pearson, we think the stress of the trip finally got to her. She screamed when she saw her Uncle Kevin and Uncle Darryl (sorry, guys!). When we arrived home, she also did her fair share of crying. She was just so overwhelmed and overstimulated by everything and all the changes. She was quite excited to meet our cat, Simon. She kept saying, "meouw, meouw, meouw" over and over again and laughing and crying at the same time. We know this is the first time she has ever seen an animal up close and personal.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activities. Two months worth of mail and bills to open...Scott lining up work...unpacking our huge suitcases...groceries to fill our empty fridge (yes, we had to do take-out our first night and we had to have oatmeal for breakfast)...buying necessary items for Ziva (strollers for me and clothes for her...could you believe we took her out on Friday wearing her pj's? We only had 3 outfits for her and they were in the laundry!)...and most importantly, running around after Ziva, helping her learn what she can touch and not touch. (Thank goodness for baby gates!) So far she has learned that she shouldn't touch the cat because if she does, she will get hissed at. We are not sure who is more stressed out-her or Simon (Simon has been the "baby" for 12 years and so far, he is not impressed...).

Tomorrow will be our first "regular" day as a family. Scott is off to work and I will have my first day of "parental leave". We will see how we both do, being as sleep deprived as we are (no, Ziva is not sleeping well either (hence, why we are sleep deprived), and we have a contest going to see who has the biggest bags under the eyes...).

Thank you again to all of you who have faithfully kept us in your prayers. One journey has ended and yet another one has just begun! Please continue to pray for us as we bond together as a family; please pray for Ziva as she adjusts to this new life, new family, new home. I will try and post some more photos soon.

3 comments:

Barb said...

Welcome home Scott, Doreen and Ziva!! I have enjoyed reading about your adventures and loved all the photos. Ziva is adorable and you both look so happy and proud. I am glad your prayers have been answered. I will continue to think of you as you settle into your new lives and look forward t the day we can visit.

John & Diane said...

Welcome home! Thank you for keeping us updated. We loved reading about your experiences and we will continue to pray that God will be gracious to all of you as you continue to bond as a family. We will also pray that Ziva will adjust quickly. God has truly blessed you all. He is our Faithful Father.
Looking forward to reading more when you have the time to write.

John & Diane DeGier
members of CrossPoint CRC

The Warchols said...

I followed your blog and loved every minute. It was like I was reliving our adoption of Olena. Congratulations and try everything in your power to keep yourself together and rested. The next few weeks will be tough and the sleep deprivation will only continue to get worse while you all adjust. She is absolutely adorable and I can't wait to see more pictures. Take care and bless you all.