Picture Day

Today we took Pete to get his passport and visa pictures done.  Tomorrow we will receive his passport and will head to Moscow to finish up the rest of the process.

Pete is almost 16 months (about 11-12 months developmentally), and he's a lot of fun to watch.  He loves to squish bananas in between his fingers and smear it in his hair.  He had his first taste of peanut butter today on a small piece of bread, and he seemed to like it.  He is a really good eater and looks somewhat like a mini Sumo wrestler.  I almost want to put him in cloth diapers.  He is (still) sick with some sort of congestion, but we've been giving him a probiotic in some apple juice each day, along with giving him a few sprays of saline solution in his nostrils, and feeding him chicken noodle soup from the restaurant.  It seems to be working, and hopefully he will be cleared up by the time we leave so that his ears and sinuses won't be hurting him during the flight home.

Here are a few pictures I took today, along with one we received by e-mail from one of the social workers at the orphanage (dating back to April).  It's one of my favorites - he looks like he fed himself his morning kasha.

I love this one with Travis

Pete loves this musical card

The Happiest Birthday

Today at noon we went to Teremok orphanage one last time.  Pete was waiting for us upstairs, wrapped up in a blanket, naked.  It was again, a sign of stripping off the old and putting on something new.  To me, it's the most significant part of taking a child out of a Russian orphanage, because it's at that moment, they change!

We left behind a big suitcase full of winter clothing, diapers, and shoes our church members at Parkway graciously donated, and several musical CD's that our friend, Kindermusik teacher Christy Dixon, had given as well.  Pete said a "Das Vidanya" to the social workers (one with tears in her eyes), and we left, waving goodbye to the orphanage from the iron gate outside.

Ten minutes later we arrived at the hotel, and we helped Pete walk into the room.  We spent all afternoon playing and exploring.  Peek-a-boo is his favorite game.  He loves looking in the mirror and having his hands kissed.  He's saying two words that sound like Dada and Hi-ya.  Pete was laughing and making all kinds of happy noise, not even noticing that he missed his 1:00 nap.  I can't explain it, but they seem to know that life just got better.  If a child can recognize that life gets better having a family, then it's all the more reason to value the family we have.  I turned 40 yesterday, and there is not a birthday I've had since nor will I ever have that is more memorable than this.