Two months home!

It has been 2 months since we returned home with Ziva and it is amazing how quickly the time has passed! We can tell that Ziva is getting more comfortable with us and her new home. Like most children, she craves routine and consistency; if we don't do something "just the same as before", it bothers her and she is quick to point it out to us (sounds like some of my grade one students!). Her sleeping has gotten so much better; she now falls to sleep within a few minutes with very little crying and sleeps most nights straight through. Her eating has take a huge turnaround as well; she eats and eats and eats...it's incredible how much she can pack away! Maybe a growth spurt on the way?

Her language is still a huge concern for us. When she wants to, she can say a perfect "more", but that is still her only word. Our speech therapist gave us tips on how to encourage Ziva to communicate. For example, when playing with her, do not give her a toy if she just points and guestures for it; she has to verbalize something (anything) before you give it to her. The challenging thing we are finding with Ziva is that if she is "forced" to communicate in order to play, then she would just rather not play! So following the speech therapist's tips have been mildly successful.

We are also finding it hard to curb her indiscriminate friendliness towards everyone. Because of her developmental level and her lack of communicating, we are finding it difficult to teach her who a stranger is (people who get handshakes only) and who are the people she can give hugs and kisses. We know that this lesson will take a few years...

Going for our weekly swim has become one of Ziva's favourite things. She absolutely loves the water! And although she would prefer that I do not hang on to her (she wants to be in control), it is teaching her that she needs to be dependent on me.

We are still easing Ziva slowly into new situations. We have done a slow transition into church nursery, and last week (as we watched Fireproof) she was apart from us for the first time in 8 weeks! I think it was harder on me than it was on her! My family threw us a beautiful shower last week, and we finally made a visit to my school, where Ziva met the 24 students I "left behind" last December.

In the past few weeks, Ziva has become a big "hugger". She has always been quite free with her kisses, but now she loves to hug too. When she says good night to me, she will give me the biggest hug, it is just the sweetest! And just a few days ago, while I was doing up some buttons on her sweater and she standing in front of me, she spontaneously gave me a bear hug. And then another and another...

This past month, I have been able to connect with some other moms who have adopted toddlers and were faced with some of the same challenges that we are (as far as developmental delays, language delays, attachment, etc). Their advice and encouragement has been so helpful.

We would continue to covet your prayers for Ziva and her progess and development. Until next month...enjoy the photos!

Ziva on March 27, 2 months from Gotcha Day. Twenty-five pounds (she gained one in the last month!) and 83.5 cm tall (she grew 1/2 cm). Oh, and you'll notice that her hair is finally long enough for me to try a few "hair styles"!
Playing with her new stroller at the shower.

Ziva loves to "help" unpack all the groceries. When she saw this box of macaroni and cheese, she started to shout and jump up and down...I think she was trying to tell me something!

Choosing what book to read.

Ziva had her first visit to the park! The swings are her favourite.

New sunglasses!

Ziva, the Canadian

Yes, it is official- Ziva is now a Canadian citizen! We are very excited...mostly because this now means that we can obtain a health card for her and we don't have to pay for doctor's visits and tests "out-of-pocket" anymore! We still find it appalling that the Ontario government can be so discriminatory towards adopted children.

We have spent much of the past few weeks going to doctors and other various appointments, as well as making many phone calls trying to get assistance for Ziva. We finally found a doctor who specializes in post-adoption check ups; he is not able to be Ziva's pediatrician, but at least he was able to see her and order bloodwork and tests. (The hunt for a pediatrician is still on...) We have also joined the ranks with many other parents who are on waiting lists for services for their child. Ziva desperately needs help with her speech and development, and yet we have to wait 5-10 months before we can receive any help. Not feeling we can just sit around and wait, we have decided to pursue private speech therapy. We are praying and hoping to hear Ziva's first word soon!

Amongst the appointments, Ziva continues to take everything in stride. New things still overwhelm her; when we go somewhere new, she spends the first while just staring with her jaw dropped. We took her swimming for the first time! After the initial shock wore off, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. Swimming with Ziva is great for us too, because it helps to foster attachment- we have never had Ziva cling so tight to us as when we were in the pool! Another exciting "first" was meeting all her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was a bit awestruck (and scared!) of her 4 boy cousins (3 the same age as her) who were much bigger, louder, and rougher than her!

Please continue to keep Ziva in your prayers. She is significantly behind in development and speech acquisition; almost daily we discover more things that she has not been taught or isn't able to do. It has become quite clear to us that Ziva received very little stimulation or instruction of any kind in the orphanage. So...we have a big task ahead of us and we pray God's blessing on Ziva as she adjusts and develops.

For family and friends who are still following this blog, you may be wondering if I will keep the blog going. (I know, I haven't been very consistent since arriving home...) I do plan to keep blogging, but only about once a month around the anniversary of "gotcha day" (January 27th). So stay tuned for updates and new photos monthly!

One month anniversary of "Gotcha Day"; 24 lbs, 84 cm tall. Not much change yet-she still looks like the same pudgy baby to us!

Helping mommy in the kitchen.

Hanging out with a few cousins.

Playing at her grandparents' house.

Settling in

Hello, everyone! It is amazing how "soon" becomes two weeks for me these days! We have had our share of experiences in the last few weeks...

All things considered, we think Ziva is settling well into her new home and family. Although we think she may still be adjusting to the quietness of this house, she is happy and enjoys "exploring" her new surroundings. And by "exploring" I mean "testing the limits on what she can and cannot do"! We are amazed with how much English she is already understanding; we will say something and next thing you know, she is following our instruction! We are having to rely on pointing and guesturing less and less.

We have had our good nights and our bad nights as far as her sleeping goes. Overall, though, she sleeps from 8:30 to 8:30 and takes about an hour nap in the afternoon. (I am quite pleased with her sleeping schedule, since my ability to do anything revolves around it!)

Her eating habits have changed even in the short time that we have been home. I have tried a variety of things for breakfast, but oatmeal wins, hands down. At supper, she has become a bit of a finicky eater (typical toddler!). It is as though she only has so much room in her stomach for the "main course"...but oddly enough, she will find room for yogurt, cookies, applesauce...so her meals often become a smorgasbord! We have also discovered that she has a sweet tooth- there is always room for more pie, ice cream, chocolate pudding...

Ziva has experienced many new things these past weeks. There was a doctor's appointment (just a meet and greet, the "real" appointment is today), meeting her Pake and Beppe (grandparents) for the first time, a haircut at the hairdressers, eating a dill pickle (yep, I will try everything), getting a ride in the jogger stroller, brushing her teeth, shoveling the driveway, going to the mall (where we always seemed to bump into someone we knew!)...just to name a few!

The photos show you a few more...

Ziva receiving her first Valentine's day cards.

Her first ice cream cone! (starting her young...) And yes, that is a scratch on her face from our cat. Another lesson she learned rather quickly!

Making a cell phone call.

Ziva still loves taking a bath- and it's even better with toys and bubbles!

First experience with chocolate pudding- I just had to let her touch it!

Ziva in need of a haircut...

Her first haircut...went pretty well until the woman next to her started to get her hair blow dried and Ziva did not like the noise (no, I do not use a blow dryer). The rest of the squirmy cut took place in my arms.

Ahhh, much better! Now we can see those beautiful eyes again!

First time playing in the backyard...with a fresh snowfall.

Posing for a home "photo shoot".

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.

Ziva's visa (try saying that 5 times fast!)

We are coming home!

Everything went so smoothly today in regards to getting Ziva's visa. The driver left with the passport by 9:00 a.m., arrived in Kiev by 1:00 p.m., and we were at the Canadian Embassy by 2:00 p.m. After filling out the proper forms, we were told that we could return at 4:30 to pick up the visa. It was as simple as that!


I cannot find the words to accurately express how excited we are to be coming home. We have been gone just short of 9 weeks. It seems like such a long time ago that we left home with the anticipation of adopting our child. We have seen much, experienced much, survived much, and WAITED so very much! We left home as two but, praise God, we are returning as three.

We have a very early flight tomorrow. We are getting picked up at 3:00 a.m.! So if you try to call us on Thursday, chances are we will be sleeping...

Keep posted for "home news" soon.

A quick update on our plans

This may be my last blog entry until I am back on Canadian soil! (By the way, stay tuned for some blogs after our return home...more info to come...)

Today we found out that Ziva's passport is a day behind schedule. (They are still blaming us for the fact that she has two middle names...) So, to speed things along, we have hired a driver to deliver our passport to Kiev; he should be arriving in Kiev between 1:00 and 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. We have a 2:00 appointment at the Canadian Embassy where Ziva's visa will be issued. Usually, you need to go to the Embassy before noon in order to get a visa the same day...but a few phone calls were made and we have been told that we will have Ziva's visa by the end of the day. That means that we can still fly out Thursday morning (at 5:30 a.m.!).

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray that the driver will arrive safely in Kiev on time. Pray that everything is fine with Ziva's passport, especially because of the name "issue". And also pray for our appointment at the Canadian Embassy, that things will go smoothly and we will have a visa by the end of tomorrow. Pray also for our flight...if Ziva behaves like she did in the car, we will be very happy!

Thank you, as always, for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We hope to see you soon!

Passing the time in Kiev

I have a funny feeling that I have used that title for a previous blog...because here we are again, waiting in Kiev. I must say that this time around, things are much different because of the recent addition of a 2 1/2 year old in our life!

We have gotten into a routine the past few days to help pass the time. We go out every day for a walk just to get out of the apartment...to the mall, the supermarket, or just around the block. Other than that, we are trying to keep the same schedule Ziva had at the orphanage as far as eating and sleeping is concerned.

Ziva is happy and in good spirits. We are amazed at how well she has adjusted to the huge change that has occurred in her life. She is such a joy to us and we are so enjoying getting to know her. We laugh a lot!

Ziva has been eating everything we have given her; this has been a pleasant surprise for us because we know she did not get a lot of variety in her food at the orphanage. When we eat salad for dinner, she gets a "salad" too- a little plate with cucumbers, feta cheese, and black olives- and she loves it!

Naptime and bedtime have been our biggest challenge so far; she doesn't get to sleep too easily. Ziva is used to a crib (there is no crib here) and we think that the "freedom" of being able to get up and out of bed is just too exciting (and tempting) for her. We have a crib waiting for her at home and we are hoping that will help...

We have had to (again) get creative with our play with Ziva. We have our few toys we brought from home, but they have gotten "old" very quick. Scott vacuums every day just so that Ziva can have a ride on it (sometimes the vacuum isn't even on!). We use water and milk bottles and cereal boxes as toys, and sometimes hats. And since Ziva loves the bath so much, we give her a bath two times a day. I can say with confidence that we have washed the awful "orphanage smell" off her!

In the last few days, Ziva has started to do the funniest and cutest thing. Because she is from an orphanage, she is a very tough and independent child. When we would play with her in the playroom, she would often fall very hard, but rarely would she cry. She would simply get up and keep running. We have been doting on her for weeks and whenever she did have a tumble, we would make a big deal of it, comfort her, and "kiss it better." Well, she ate all that attention up and she is loving it! Now, even if she has the slightest fall, she will "fake" cry, rub the spot where she got "hurt", and come to us for comfort and a kiss. That is not even the funniest part. After she has bumped herself and received the comfort and kiss, she will go back to the place where she got bumped and, on purpose, she will ever so lightly bump herself again just so she can "fake" cry and come to us for comfort and a kiss. She will sometimes do this 10 times in a row! It is so hard not to laugh when she does this. To watch her brush her head against the wall or the chair and then come for comfort over and over again is so sweet. We, of course, are thrilled that she wants to receive comfort from us...even if it is staged. We think she may have a future in acting...

We are awaiting news from our facilitator regarding Ziva's passport; please continue to pray that it arrives here in Kiev Tuesday night. We have rebooked our flights for Thursday morning and are really hoping that we will be on them!

Enjoy the photos of our girl!

Ziva and her baby blues. Did she get those from her mommy?

Going for our daily walk through the streets of Kiev...Ziva with her coat that is too big and wearing Mommy's scarf (we haven't found one for her yet!).

Look at Ziva's legs in this photo. She is a big copycat. When Scott was going to take the photo, I crouched down to get to Ziva's level... and what did she do? Copy me and crouch down too!

Ziva, fresh out of the bath, sporting her new "going home" outfit.

The washing machine intrigued Ziva. She even helped load it!

Ziva loves to read....anywhere!

Playing in the kitchen cupboard...it was Mommy's turn to go in next!

Water bottle sword fight with Daddy. (Also, notice the bib...it has replaced the sippy cup...she loves her bib and would be content to wear it all day!)

Riding the vacuum cleaner at Kiev's Wonderland.

This is a Honey Nut Cheerios-loving family...the crown is the proof.

Ziva decided she would like to read my book...and look, she is almost finished it!