16 months old today

It has been 5 months since Audrey and I got home.  Unbelievable.  Impossible to imagine life before her.   She turned 16 months today and is totally amazing!  She is starting to walk and it is just the best.  I love watching her do the Frankenstein across the floor to me.  So cute!  She has this great personality - very funny and really spirited.  She has found her voice and loves to use it.   We go back to the pediatric opthamologist in mid June for her left eye which will be a relief for me.  Other than that, we are all happy, healthy and full of love! We just had our first post placement report and all is just perfect.  Clare and Audrey continue to adore one another and I just love being their mommy!    Enjoy the pictures!

How do you not just fall in love with this angel?
Check out that mouth full of teeth!

Playing with their Easter eggs.  Silly girls!

Sisters sharing a popsicle!!

LOVE!

Almost the 3 month mark

Audrey has been home for almost 3 months now.  Time sure flies!  It is impossible to imagine life before her.  Just feels as if she has always been with us!  She is doing so well.  Now full-on crawling, pulling up to standing and eating regular foods.  She had small pieces of cheese, turkey and pasta with sauce for dinner last night.  The idea of the sippy cup is still coming along - slowly but surely!  Looking forward to that so we can exit the bottles!

From a medical perspective, it was an interesting February.  During Audrey's one-year check up, our pediatrician thankfully gave us 2 referrals - one for a pediatric opthamologist and one for a plastic surgeon for her skull.  Let's start with the skull.  Head circumference is just fine but it is quite long and narrow.  We wanted to get it checked out to make sure one of the growth plates hadn't fused prematurely.    That involved a CT-scan at the children's hospital.  Well, to have a CT scan on an infant, they need to be sedated to ensure they stay still.  We went in that morning and they were unable to sedate her.  She was recovering from RSV which is a respiratory infection and they were concerned about sedating her when her lungs weren't 100%.  The options were to wait 2 weeks, which wasn't appealing to my type-A, no patience personality - or to see if I could get her to fall asleep and then remain asleep while we strapped her down on the bed for the CT.  Well - miracle of all miracles - about 90 minutes later, Audrey fell asleep and after a couple of tries, she was on the CT bed, awake but groggy and eventually fell back to sleep so we could get the test done. We had a long week awaiting the results and the final consult with the doc but thankfully her growth plates are all open and her skull shape is probably just that way from too much time laying on her side in the crib at the babyhome. No skull surgery!  Hooray!!   If she was younger, he would have had a helmet molded to help reshape her head - but because of her age, he didn't think that would make much of a difference so Audrey's head will be perfectly imperfect.  Thank goodness for long hair!

Now, on to the pediatric opthamologist.  The primary concern was her left eye which has a tendency to veer outward.  She has what is called exotropia which is basically a weak eye muscle.  We are monitoring it until June to see if it strengthens on its own and if not, probably a relatively standard surgery on that eye muscle.  The bigger concern is the potential for Audrey to have congenital glaucoma.  I am sure you have all noticed those big brown eyes of hers.  Well, apparently eyes that are that large are an early indicator of congenital glaucoma.  For infants, they can only do the glaucoma pressure test when they are under general anesthesia and then if the test is positive, they immediately do surgery as well.  Because they don't just willy-nilly put infants under general anesthesia (thankfully), we are in a holding pattern.  If she ends up having surgery for the exotropia based on our June visit, then we will handle the glaucoma test (and potentially surgery) then as well.  If she doesn't need the eye muscle surgery, not sure what happens then.   Not sure if they think it will be serious enough to put her under to do the glaucoma test or not since we really don't know if she has glaucoma or not at this point, other than the huge brown eyes - no cloudiness and really no excessive tearing.  So - we wait until June... thinking positive thoughts that her big, brown eyes are just naturally big, beautiful, and most importantly healthy eyes.

Other than that, things are just perfect here.  Audrey and Clare are the best of friends and I love being a mom of two.  They light up my life and just fill my heart.  I am so lucky to be their mommy.  What fun we are having as a family of 3!!

As usual - I am bad about pictures right now.  Here are a couple at the very least...

Kathy

My Picasso in training at her school this week.
Finger painting turned quickly into body painting!

Just hanging around on a Saturday morning.

Happy 1st Birthday Audrey

So, I am about a week late but Audrey celebrated her 1st birthday on January 20th.  We have been having a great time getting to know each other.  We have been home 7 weeks together and things are going so well.  Audrey weighs 19bs and is 29 inches long.  She is catching up on her vaccinations and her TB test was negative.  She is doing the army crawl, has started experimenting with self-feeding, loves to clap her hands, and make funny sounds so mommy will laugh.  She and her big sister Clare are adoring each other and we just couldn't  be happier!  Just a couple of quick pics from the last few weeks - mostly from Audrey demolishing her chocolate birthday cupcake.  Too much fun!

How wonderful to see this sweet girl finally smile!

Doctor Clare checking Audrey's vitals

New Years!

We have been home 3 weeks now and everything is going just great.  We had our doctor's appointment and are awaiting results of the bloodwork but all seems to be good.  Audrey is just about 17lbs and almost 29 inches.  She continues to army crawl and can sit well when placed there - still not strong enough to get into sitting on her own but that will come.  She is starting to really smile and laugh more.  This girl loves to have her clothes off and have her feet tickle under her chin.  Belly laughs!  So fun.  As for eating, until Christmas, we were still on lips-lockdown and she wouldn't eat anything but her bottle.  I mean serious Fort Knox if a spoon came anywhere close to her.... And then - a Christmas miracle.  Christmas night, I was attempting to feed Audrey some pureed bananas - with no luck of course.  Then, out of the blue, Sweet Monkey Clare asked "Mommy, can I try?"  I thought - sure - what the heck!  Guess what, Clare picked up that spoon like it was a golden key and Audrey opened wide for her, ate a whole thing of bananas for her big sister and has been eating like a champ ever since - for me!  Can you even believe it?  I was in awe.  Clare asked - ?Mommy, am I your hero?"  My response - "Uh Yeah! Totally!!"    So, as you can imagine, Clare and Audrey are already becoming the best of friends and I love watching it.

I am just so happy!  It has been a great holiday and I am so looking forward to 2012.  My life is blessed beyond words.  I have definite 2nd child syndrome with poor Audrey so not a ton of pictures.  Oops!  I will try to do better.  We are going to Wisconsin for Audrey's baptism on the 14th so that will be a good time to get lots of good shots.

At the Honda dealership, trading in our CR-V (which I loved)
for a largerHonda Pilot (which I also love)

Clare helping feed Audrey her bottle on one of our first nights home.

Christmas Eve - Me, my mom, Clare,
my brother David, and sweet Audrey

Big sister Clare helping Audrey open one of her gifts.  Too sweet!

December 12 - We made it!

Hey everyone!  We are home and are doing great!  Audrey and I both survived the 24 hour en route transit and that is all we can ask, right?  The flight from Moscow to London was easy, breezy, beautiful but the flight from London to Chicago - not so much.  Audrey was so exhausted and, as I quickly learned - is quite stubborn about falling to sleep when she is overtired.  Every time she started to doze off, she would shake her head, cry and keep herself awake.  It was agony (for her and for me and for the guy next to us who I will thankfully never have to see again).    Anyway, as I said - we made it and are back in Nashville.

Audrey and Clare are both adjusting well.  Audrey is sleeping and eating better than expected (still no solid foods though).  Her 2nd night at home, she slept from 7pm-6:30am with only a quick 2am bottle feeding - which I thought was terrific.  She is enjoying the sights and sounds of home and particularly has taken to her big sister.  She watches her all the time.  So sweet.

As for Clare, she has been awesome.  She helps me feed her and change her diaper and even helped this morning with Audrey's first bath.  I am so proud of her!  What a big girl!

We will see what the rest of the week brings for me as a new mother of two!  I have so much to say about how in love I am with both my girls and all the blessings in my life and how amazing our trip was - but honestly - I am still exhausted from the flight and of all the Reardon girls, I am the one sleeping the worst right now so my mind is complete mush.

I don't have a ton of pictures yet but I am sure those will come.  A few cute ones below.

Thanks for following along.

Audrey relaxing at the Moscow airport
before her first airplane ride

Resting on the way to London...
Hooray for an open seat next to us!

Totally cashed out in Chicago before the final
leg of our journey home to Nashville.
What a sweet little angel!

First night at home with her big sister, Clare

Clare, my Kazakh princess, modeling
her new Russian outfit for us.
What a total doll, right?

Audrey trying out her new high chair, adorned
with a yellow hair bow.

Clare and Audrey getting to know each other!

Dec 9 - Last day!

Wow!  Rough night last night.  From about 9pm-1am, Audrey really struggled.  Waking up, screaming, about every 15-20 minutes.  Thanks to advice from family and friends, I regained my sanity eventually, after my own new adoptive mother roller coaster and decided she was probably teething and gave her some tylenol.  She slept for about 4hrs, woke up again, gave her some tylenol and got another 4hrs.  We have stayed on the 4-hr tylenol cycle and all is much better.  Well - not really Tylenol - Walgreens Infant Pain Reliever.  Anyway, much better today.  We spent about 2hrs walking down both New and Old Arbat.  It is 30 degrees and not much wind so the weather is nice, although a bit gloomy.  Tanya should be here in about an hour to drop off my final paperwork.  She and Gregory have been out and about all day, working on our behalf.  They are so good to me.

Audrey is taking her afternoon nap now.  Once she wakes up, we will probably play for a little bit then go out one final time.  I need to buy some more formula.  I am unfortunately probably going to be about 3 bottles too short.  Ugh - so close yet so far!  I brought a whole thing of Similac but because she is only eating from the bottle - still no solids - I wasn't anticipating going through the whole can in 5 days!  Wow.   A lot went down the drain the first few days too because I was making whole bottles and she only handles about 5oz at a time still.  

As for what is next - we have about 12hrs left in Moscow.  Gregory and Tanya will be here at 4am to pick us up for the airport (that is 6pm Friday night Nashville time).  We have 24hrs ahead of travel, through London and Chicago and land in Nashville at 6pm on Saturday!  Hooray.  Our luggage is almost all packed, except for the things we need for tonight and tomorrow morning.  So looking forward to seeing my monkey, Clare.  I know she is anxious to meet Audrey and give her a kiss in person, versus over Skype.

Hope all is well back home.  Thanks for following along.  I will post again from Nashville!  Not many pictures today - just a few.

Kathy and Audrey

Just lounging around this morning after a rough night.  

Hanging on the couch after her bottle

This is New Arbat.  Our apartment is the first
high rise on the left.  We are on the 22nd floor.

Asleep in the elevator after our stroll today.
Isn't she just the sweetest thing?  Love her!

Dec 8 - Embassy Day

Today was our day at the American Embassy.  Tanya picked us up around 10:30 and we were off.  The embassy interview is much ado about nothing but fun nonetheless.  I think there were 5-6 other families there.  I met 3 of them.  One family was from Smyrna, TN if you can believe that (small world) and was adopting a beautiful 3-yr old girl, another family from DC with a handsome little boy, and a 3rd couple from Florida who adopted sibling girls, ages 2 and 1.  We were all so excited as you can imagine.  So, when we get there, the first thing we do is pay at Window #4 and get a receipt.  Then you wait for Window #1 to open.  Once Window #1 opens, you give them your invitation and your receipt, then you wait again.  Eventually, a nice guy, today named Michael, comes out and talks to the entire group, explaining what will happen next, what will happen when we depart at the airport, and what will happen when we reach immigration in the USA.  I had gone through the same process with Clare from Kazakhstan so was pretty familiar.  No real differences.  We waited again after Michael's speech.  Eventually they called my name, up to Window #2.  Asked me a few questions, gave me Audrey's birth certificate, adoption certificate, and a few other official papers then waiting again.  About 15 minutes later, back up to Window #1 to receive Audrey's passport, with visa included this time and a sealed envelope, to be opened by US Immigration.  Done!  Once we land on US soil, Audrey will be an American citizen.  USA! USA!  Go red, white and blue!

After the embassy, we had intended to go to Red Square and take some pictures. Well...  not sure what you are hearing back in the states, but Sunday's election has caused quite a mess here.  Lots of protests!  Putin and his party won with about 50% of the vote, but people believe the results were rigged - thus the protests in all public squares.  One family I met at the embassy was barred from leaving their hotel yesterday because of the riots.  Thankfully, on New/Old Arbat, where I am staying, there are no major public squares right nearby so no protests and no police.  All that being said - we didn't go to Red Square today.  SHOOT!  Instead,  we quickly jumped out of the car, near Red Square and took a picture (with a sleeping Audrey and snow starting to fall) on the sidewalk in front of St. Basil's. Tanya should stick to being a translator, not a photographer.  Not the best pictures but a great memory nonetheless!  All the quirks of the adoption journey are a small part of what makes it so special.

Then we were off to the office to get some paperwork Tanya needs for tomorrow to register Audrey at the Russian consulate.  She will be a citizen of Russia (and now the USA) until she is 18 (unless she decides to renounce it) so they want all Russian citizens, living abroad to be registered.  Finally, it was time to say goodbye to Irina and Svetlana.  Being the human water faucet that I am, of course I cried.  Saying goodbye to women who helped find your child, knowing you will most likely never see them or probably even speak to them again, is difficult.  They have played such a pivotal role in giving me one of life's greatest treasures and I have no way to repay them.  These beautiful, caring, smart, brave, pioneering Russian women are forever a part of my life story and a piece of my heart will always be with them.  There are just no words for it.

Now, we are back at the apartment.  Audrey is settling down for her afternoon nap before we Skype with family back home.  Later, we will probably venture down to Old Arbat for dinner.  Maybe Hard Rock Cafe.  We will see.

Hope all is well back home.  Thanks for following along.  Enjoy the few pictures from today.

Kathy

Snow falling, Audrey Sleeping,
in front of St Basil's on the side of the road.  Ha!

A shot (sort of) of Red Square

The KGB Building

My Russian Friends - From left to right:
 Irina holding Audrey, Ludmilla, Tanya and Svetlana