Our journey to becoming parents

Gotcha Day

2010-02-08T10:41:00.005-05:00

Two years ago on February 8, 2008, we walked out of the doors of baby home #3 in Novosibirsk, Russia with Bryson Aleksandr in our arms. As I sat here going through all the pictures from both trips, it brought back so many memories and feelings. On one hand I was scared because I just became the mother of a 15 month old in the blink of an eye, but on the other hand, this was the moment I had been waiting for so long. I was actually a mother. To me, the gift of being a mother is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. We were truly blessed to have such an amazing little boy enter our lives and change it forever. I almost can't remember what life was like before Bryson came along. I now know why we had to go through that long, hard path of infertility that eventually led us on the road to adoption. It's because our son was in a crib in baby home #3 waiting patiently for us to arrive. When I watched Dr. Drew interview the girls on Teen Mom last week, he said that there is no love in the world like the love a mother has for her child. It immediately brought me to tears because it's so true. I didn't know it was possible to love another person the way I love Bryson.

When Bryson woke up this morning, we gave him his newest Nesting doll, Bob the Builder and he proudly added it to the shelf of others. After work, we took him to get ice cream and told him many times it was his "Gotcha Day." Then on the car ride home he told us "my gotcha day." Yes, I almost cried again. Motherhood has made a very sensitive and emotional person.

1st trip:

2nd trip:

To watch Bryson change and grow every single day has been both amazing and such a blessing. He went from this serious little baby to this little boy that is almost always seen laughing or smiling. He has so much personality and spunk. I can't wait to see what the futures hold for him! Regardless what his path is, you will always find me by his side. I will forever be his biggest fan!

Life has gotten busy for us and I just don't feel like I can keep up with this blog anymore. I have been waiting for his gotcha day to post our final post. Thanks to everyone who always followed and commented on the posts. I have made some wonderful and life-long friends through this journey.

Favorite Photo Friday #90

2010-02-05T09:31:00.003-05:00

Bryson likes to lay on the ground and watch his bowling ball go down the lane.

2 years ago today...

2010-02-04T15:29:00.003-05:00

A judge in Novosibirsk, Russia said "dah" to us becoming parents of Bryson Aleksandr. A day that changed our lives.

Favorite Photo Friday #89

2010-01-29T07:56:00.003-05:00

Daddy & Bryson watching a show at Disney World this past weekend

Favorite Photo Friday #88

2010-01-22T08:38:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #87

2010-01-15T09:21:00.001-05:00

Bryson doing one of this favorite things...bowling

Favorite Photo Friday #86

2010-01-08T08:08:00.002-05:00

An update

2010-01-05T15:08:00.005-05:00

I suppose it's time for an update. Tonight our social worker is coming for our 2 year PPR. It's really hard to believe that in a little over a month, Bryson will have been with us for 2 years. Where has the time gone?!? Bryson is doing amazing. I truly feel blessed to be his mother. He is the love of my life and I just can't remember what life was like before February 8, 2008.

Potty Training

Well, we have not gotten very far in this department. We attempted it again in November, but did not succeed. He would only go potty (#1) when we put him on the toilet, but not initiate it on his own. We tried M&M's, new underwear, toys, but none of that seemed to work. Last month I gave up on it and plan to try again in the near future.

School

Bryson still goes to school full time, Monday through Friday. He absolutely loves his teacher! So much so, that he asks about her on the weekends. I tell him no Ms. Becky on the weekends because that is mommy/daddy time. He has several best buds in class that he talks about. If he gets a boo boo, he can't wait to go to school to show Noah or TJ.

Speech

Though Bryson is still behind, he has made so much progress. He tries to copy most of what we say (yes even a few curse words). I actually feel like I can have a conversation with him now and they are usually pretty cute. There are still many words he says that only I can seem to decipher. The other day he crawled up on the couch next to me with his bag of cheetos and one of our dogs Angel was laying at my feet. He said "No, no Angel. Cheetos are yucky." I could not stop laughing that he was telling our dogs he cheetos weren't good thinking that would stop her from eating them. I tell Bryson "in a minute" a lot and he has now started telling me it in return. Oh the joys!

Eating

We still struggle in this area. We have been seeing a behavioral specialist for a little over 2 months now. We had high hopes, but have recently regressed.

Every other thing

My son loves sports and anything to do with a ball: golf, bowling, baseball, soccer. We can't say bowling or golf in our house unless we want him to pitch a fit to go do it, so we just spell it. He loves to play with other kids. He loves to go grocery shopping with me so he can get a cookie and ride the car cart. He loves to go to the mall so he can ride the merry go round. He loves to be the center of attention. He is very good natured (most of the time). Someone can take his toy away or knock him on the head and he will still smile or laugh about it.

He has brought so much joy to our lives and being a mother is everything I had hoped it to be and more!

Christmas

2010-01-02T00:21:00.006-05:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas. Bryson was at such a fun age this year and he understood the Santa deal better. All month he has been asking for Santa to bring him a bike. It was a great bribe we used when he wasn't behaving. Now I have to find a new bribe.

School Christmas program

2010-01-02T00:17:00.002-05:00

The week before Christmas, Bryson's school had their annual Christmas program. This year his class song was Jingle Bells. We were so excited to see how he did on stage since last year he really got into and was dancing all over the stage. This year most of the kids in his class just stood there in shock, but it was still cute to watch.

Favorite Photo Friday #85

2010-01-02T00:03:00.004-05:00

Since I haven't been keeping up with my Friday pictures or updates, I thought I would include several of my favorite pictures from the month.

Favorite Photo Friday #84

2009-12-18T10:37:00.001-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #83

2009-12-11T09:25:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #82

2009-11-27T10:31:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Favorite Photo Friday #81

2009-11-20T13:17:00.003-05:00

One reason why...

2009-11-16T20:16:00.003-05:00

To never send your husband and son to the store alone. They come home with the supplies to make putt putt golf.

Family pictures

2009-11-13T08:31:00.004-05:00

We recently took family pictures ourselves, I posted them on facebook, but I know not everyone has a facebook account, so here are some of my favorites.

Favorite Photo Friday #80

2009-11-13T08:28:00.003-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #79

2009-11-06T09:06:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:47:00.002-05:00

Sea World

2009-10-30T09:07:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago we went over to Sea World for their Halloween celebration.

Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-30T08:21:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures that we took at a pumpkin festival last Saturday.

I am still working on the posts from his birthday party. I got busy and forgot to take pictures so I am waiting to get them from a friend and my mom.

Favorite Photo Friday #78

2009-10-30T08:19:00.002-05:00

Happy 3rd birthday!

2009-10-27T09:12:00.003-05:00

Today is my baby's 3rd birthday! It is bittersweet. His growth and development amazes me, but in the process I have seemed to of lost my baby. He is now a little boy and has totally lost the baby face. Where did the time go? I asked him the morning of his birthday party if he was still my baby and he quickly replied "No!" Bryson was so excited to bring cupcakes to school for his birthday this morning. He walked in the door of school very proudly and as everyone told him happy birthday, I could just see the grin on his face. Tonight we are taking him to one of his favorite places, Chuck E Cheese. It should be a great day!

November 2007

October 2009

Party time!!!

2009-10-25T06:32:00.004-05:00

Bryson had a great birthday party today minus a few accidents. We were decorating and Bryson was helping my mother in law put tablecloths on the tables and walked into the corner of one. It split the corner of his eye open and he wore a band-aid for the remainder of the party. About 15 minutes later, he was sitting at the table and flipped through it hitting his head on the concrete. Despite the rough first 30 minutes, he had a great time and got many awesome gifts.

Uncle Garrett pushing Bryson on the swing

The big kids playing volleyball

Favorite Photo Friday #77

2009-10-23T08:17:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #76

2009-10-16T08:26:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today

2009-10-09T09:38:00.003-05:00

I received a call from the director of Adoption Options telling me he had a referral for us. It is a amazing the range of emotions you can get when you receive "the call." He told me a few details and said I would receive an email shortly from him with a picture and medical information. I remember refreshing my email at least a hundred times in that five minute wait that seemed like an hour. I couldn't wait for Shane to open that email and my heart stopped when I saw it in my inbox. I clicked open and immediately scrolled down to the picture before I read anything and at that moment, I fell in love. I thought he was absolutely beautiful and dressed so adorably. I then called Shane to tell him the news and he felt the same way. After that I called both of our moms and asked them if they wanted to see pictures of their future grandson. It's was an incredible day that I will always remember and cherish.

Favorite Photo Friday #75

2009-10-09T09:03:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #74

2009-10-02T07:18:00.002-05:00

Beautiful saying

2009-10-01T12:41:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine emailed me this saying and said she thought of me. It is really sweet.

"We witness a miracle every time a child enters the world, but those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by god's very own hands."

In one month...

2009-09-27T07:49:00.003-05:00

My baby turns 3! It's really hard to believe as I keep wondering where the time has gone. As I look at him it amazes me to see how much he has grown. In just over 3 weeks we will be having his birthday party and we are partying Bob the Builder style.

Bryson is doing amazing and he keeps us very busy! It's hard to imagine what I did with my free time before him. Since he loves water so much, he is currently taking swimming lessons. He has a very busy schedule, with swim lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays and a music class on Tuesdays. He loves to be on the go, on the weekends he tells us he wants to go bye-bye.

School & Speech- Bryson continues to do well in daycare and seems to enjoy it. He has two little buddy's in class, Noah and TJ who he asks about often. He continues to amaze us with his speech and really has come so far, but he still has a ways to go. Bryson's favorite sayings as of lately are "I wanna ride a boat/bike/plane/truck/jet skis" or "I wanna get this/buy this" or "I wanna play football/golf/baseball/soccer." I think we may have a sports player on our hands.

Eating - His eating still continues to be a battle. Though in the last two weeks he has tried something new everyday at school. His daycare is well aware of his issues and they encourage him everyday. At home we have not had much luck with him trying new foods. We have also starting seeing a behavioral specialist for this. We have only met with him twice and he wants to observe one more dinner before he sets a plan for us.

He continues to amaze me every day and I couldn't possibly love him any more than I do. He has also because quite the mommy's boy which I enjoy (most) of the time. We truly have been blessed!

Favorite Photo Friday #73

2009-09-25T07:01:00.002-05:00

Bryson & Pops on his 50th birthday

Favorite Photo Friday #71

2009-08-28T08:39:00.002-05:00

Bryson, GG & Destiny eating popcorn

Favorite Photo Friday #70

2009-08-21T07:01:00.002-05:00

Bryson & his cousin Destiny

This is what I was aiming for...

2009-08-16T07:23:00.002-05:00

with the last post. I saw a picture like this on the internet yesterday morning and decided I wanted to take one of Bryson. So despite the fact that it felt like 100 degrees out, I put him and jeans and out the door we went. He does not like for his belly to show or to have no shirt on (unless he is in the water) so he was not happy about going shirtless. I asked him to walk away from me so I could take a picture and that is how I got the picture in the last post.

I love you even when you do this...

2009-08-15T12:57:00.001-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #69

2009-08-14T08:40:00.002-05:00

Daddy & Bryson

Favorite Photo Friday #68

2009-08-07T08:28:00.004-05:00

Cousins dancing together

Favorite Photo Friday #67

2009-07-31T13:15:00.002-05:00

Bryson & Destiny at Sea World this past weekend (it was HOT).

Favorite Photo Friday #66

2009-07-24T11:49:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #65

2009-07-17T09:36:00.002-05:00

Some Saturday fun

2009-07-13T12:23:00.003-05:00

Saturday we had to attend a baby shower near Grammy's house, so we stopped by afterwards to visit. Bryson's cousin Destiny also stopped by to see him. The kids were playing with these boxes in the house, when Grammy got the idea to push them down the slope in her front yard. They had so much fun, that after at least 30 minutes of playing, we had to take Bryson inside kicking and screaming because he wanted to do it more.

Favorite Photo Friday #64

2009-07-10T07:59:00.002-05:00

Bryson touching an alligator (yes it's real)

Happy 4th of July...belated

2009-07-06T09:41:00.005-05:00

The Disney hotels were having a Florida special, so we decided to book one for the holiday weekend. We headed over Thursday night, put everything in the room and walked around the huge hotel. We spent most of the time in pools, splash area or at the arcade. These were Bryson's favorites. We decided that Saturday night we would head over to Downtown Disney and have dinner at Rainforest Cafe. When we got there, we were seated at our table and just as we were about to order our drinks, the rain and animals started (they go off every 30 minutes) and Bryson freaked out. There is not much this child is afraid of, but this truly scared him. He had me around my neck screaming outside. The waiter then brought us to a seated area outside which overlooked the water. We sat down, he seemed happy then looked over and saw a monkey (though the outside animals didn't make noise) and freaked out again. We just gave in and decided it would be best not to eat there. We had dinner elsewhere and walked around while waiting for the fireworks. Once he heard them, he freaked out again, so we just headed back to the hotel. Other than the that, we had a wonderful mini-vacation with just the 3 of us. Here is some pictures from our weekend:

I love this little boy more than I thought was possible...

2009-06-30T14:09:00.004-05:00

I am taking a camera class with my mom on Tuesday nights. Tonight is the last class and last night I realized I had forgot to take picture for class. Since I needed a portrait of someone, I asked Bryson to pose. For once he cooperated and sat still so I could get a few good shots.

Another weekend at the beach

2009-06-29T20:14:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we headed over to the beach with Shane's family. We do this every year in June. The weather wasn't that great and there was an overcast on Saturday, but despite that, we got plenty of sun. We spent most of the time hanging around the pool because my little fish thought we were supposed to swim the entire weekend. The only way we could get him out of the pool Friday and Saturday night was to tell him the pool broke and we had to wait for them to fix it the next morning. One day he will realize I am telling him lies, until then, I will use whatever excuse I can.

Bryson absolutely adores his cousin Destiny. Anytime he would see her, he would run over to give her a kiss and a hug. They did everything together, including lots of hand holding while taking walks with GG.

They also swung on the swings many times!

Favorite Photo Friday #63

2009-06-26T07:29:00.002-05:00

GG (great grandmother), Bryson and his cousin Destiny at the beach

Favorite Photo Friday #62

2009-06-12T07:53:00.003-05:00

Bryson at his cousin Ava's birthday party last weekend

Favorite Photo Friday #61

2009-06-05T07:27:00.002-05:00

Since Bryson loves water

2009-06-01T11:06:00.004-05:00

We decided to try something new. I broke out the slip-n-slide I bought last summer on clearance. We weren't sure how he would feel about it, but by the pictures below, you can see he loved it! Us adults even had some fun with it.

Favorite Photo Friday #60

2009-05-29T07:13:00.003-05:00

Apparently we haven't taught Bryson how to put sunglasses on

Longer with us

2009-05-28T07:43:00.003-05:00

Bryson spent 470 days in a hospital and baby home in Novosibirsk, Russia. As of today, he has spend 475 days with us. It is a huge thing that he has now been with us longer than he was in Russia.

My baby is now 31 months old and continues to grow before our eyes. He picks up on things quickly which is why we can't do much around him unless we want B to copy us. He loves to inspect things and to see how they work or operate. We might have a future engineer on our hands.

I haven't tackled the potty training yet. I hope to do so in the next few weeks. Every week I say that I will start next week, but it hasn't happened yet. Still trying to decide how I want to go about doing it. His eating hasn't changed one bit. I also plan in the next couple of weeks to just basically offer him an actual meal and if he doesn't eat it, then he goes without food. I know that this will cause lots of tantrums and crying which is right I am not ready to deal with it just yet.

Favorite Photo Friday #59

2009-05-22T06:49:00.002-05:00

Grammy, Bryson & cousin Destiny

Bryson's first show

2009-05-19T20:47:00.003-05:00

Sunday daddy, mommy and Oma took Bryson to see Disney on Ice. I had no idea if he would enjoy it or even sit still, but I was pleasantly surprised. He got a little scared when the lights went out in the beginning, but quickly got into it. His mouth dropped open when Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy came out on stage. Next up was his favorite...the Cars. After they left the stage, he kept asking where the cars went. I think he second favorite was Lion King. He was sitting on Oma's lap and dancing like crazy. It was a cute show and we all enjoyed it.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-15T06:53:00.011-05:00

Once again, I am little late on posting. I had a very nice Mother's day weekend. My MIL got off a cruise at the port near us early Saturday morning, so she stopped by our house for a quick visit on her way home. Later that afternoon we went to my grandparents lakehouse and barbecued with my aunt, uncle and cousins. On Sunday, my parents, brothers and sister joined us at our local water park. We all really enjoyed ourselves and of course Bryson was in heaven because he was surrounded by water. I think he may be part fish. B also got me this wonderful book (courtesy of my mom) full of pictures of him and I only.

This was my second Mother's day, but it was just as special as last years. I feel so blessed and fortunate to be B's mother. All the heartaches of our infertility, adoption bumps, etc are such a distant memory now. I feel like each day my love for him grows and deepens. He truly makes my life complete (though I still want a daughter). His laughs, giggles, faces, moods all bring such joy to my life. I almost cannot remember what my life was like before he was here. He keeps me on my toes every second of the day and his teachers say the same thing.

He is a great example of a mommy's boy, especially in recent weeks. Since we have gotten back from NC, B has been attached to my leg…literally. There is not much I can do without him by my side. He won't let anyone really hold him or do much for him, even poor daddy who is struggling with this. He walks around the house yelling mommy. If Shane even tries to change his diaper, I hear him upstairs yelling "mommy, mommy."

I also want to say congrats to my friends Amy who just brought home their beautiful son LM and Ann who had a successful first trip meeting her son!

Favorite Photo Friday #58

2009-05-15T06:53:00.007-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #57

2009-05-08T06:48:00.004-05:00

Bryson doing what he does best, whinning

Happy belated birthday to me & our trip to NC

2009-05-05T13:53:00.007-05:00

I started this post on Tuesday, but am just now getting around to posting it (Friday). For several days leading up to leaving, I kept telling Bryson that we were going to fly on a plane to visit Sabrina. Friday morning, Shane brought us to the airport and B happily waved good-bye. I let him run around the airport a little in hopes that he would burn off all his energy before boarding. We first sat near the water drinking fountains, so we had to move seats. Then we sat near the snack cart and before I realized it, B had ran off with a bag of peanut M&M's. Right before they began boarding, I pulled out our boarding passes and set them on top of our bag. I turned my head for one second and I guess B thought they were garbage and was off running to throw them away. I tried catching him, but wasn't quick enough so I had to dig them out of the nasty garbage can. I can't tell you how relieved I was to finally board that plane. B did so well on the flight there! I really was amazed. He sat contently in the seat the whole time and occasionally looked out the window. We played with a few toys I brought, he took a 15 minute nap and before we knew it, we had arrived in NC. We just let them play around their house Friday night and once the kids went to bed, we had our late night talks.

Saturday morning, they played on Sabrina's playset and trampoline. That afternoon, we took them to Monkey Joe's which has indoor bounce houses and slides. Sabrina had a ball there, but B was not that interested. He preferred playing the arcade games, mainly the bowling one. We went back to the house and all took a nap. Later that evening we went to the mall to walk around and let them ride on the carousel. As we were walking, a train drove by us. Since they both love trains, we all rode on it. Once we decided to leave the mall, Cam went to get her keys out of her purse and realized they were not in there. She locked them in the car and her husband was out of town. By this time it's 9p and we decided to call a locksmith. After almost 45 minutes of waiting, we call them to find out where they were and they said we will need to call someone else because their guy had been called on an emergency. Our second locksmith arrived after 10p and we finally got back into the car. Despite waiting in the mall parking lot of over an hour, the kids did pretty well. We could do nothing but laugh about it and at least now we have a story to tell.

Sunday we decided to go to Carrowinds, an amusement park in Charlotte. We just stayed in the kids area and rode several of the rides several times, the carousel (Sabrina's favorite) and a cars ride (B's favorite).

Monday morning, I packed and we made the drive back to the airport. We dropped Sabrina off at her aunt's house so she didn't have to make the long drive to/from the airport. The whole drive to the airport, B kept asking where Sabrina was. On the flight back, the novelty wore off and B was much more antsy. He cried a couple times and wanted to sit on my lap for a great deal of the flight. My 31st birthday was also Monday, but it was pretty uneventful as we were in airports and airplane most of the day. I must have caught something on the flight because by that night, I had a cold and felt awful when I woke up Tuesday morning. This is what happens when you have a bored 2 1/2 year old on a plane:

We had such a great visit with Cameron and Sabrina. I can't begin to tell you how well they both played together. Sabrina was so great at sharing her toys. We hate that they live so far away! Cameron said Sabrina has asked where "Dyson" is every morning. She really had a hard time with us leaving.

2 1/2 years old...

2009-04-27T10:28:00.002-05:00

My baby turned 2 1/2 today. It's hard to believe I am a mommy to a 2 1/2year old. Things have been going well here and we have been keeping busy. We have been going to the beach every weekend and B already has a gorgeous tan. I too might have a tan eventually. We are headed to North Carolina Friday. I can't wait though I am a little nervous to see how he does on the plane.

Favorite Photo Friday #56

2009-04-24T08:55:00.002-05:00

I have no pictures from this week, so I am posting this picture my little brother made. He likes to occasionally take Bryson's pictures and play with them in photoshop.

Potty training

2009-04-21T19:56:00.001-05:00

I have decided to dive head first into potty training once we return from our trip to NC. I have no idea how to start or where to begin. Any advice or good websites to check out?

The many faces of Bryson

2009-04-20T07:13:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #55

2009-04-17T06:54:00.002-05:00

Bryson watching Bob the Builder

No, mine and Bob the Builder

2009-04-15T16:32:00.003-05:00

These are Bryson's recent favorites. He has learned the words "No" and "Mine" and oh what joy they are. As cute as he sounds when he says "no", the often used word is not always fun. It is helpful now when eating, drinking are playing because he will tell us no if he doesn't want something or want to do something. He also now uses the "no" word when we ask him if he wants to take a bath, go to bed or to try some of our dinner. Mine, everything is "mine." We can be drinking and he will take our drink and say "mine."

I used to enjoy bragging that my son didn't have any interest any watching the TV. I also used to say that on the other hand, I wish he would watch it for 5 minutes to give me a little break. I was just kidding, I don't need a five minute break anymore. Really, I don't need a break ever if it would mean I didn't have to watch Bob the Builder for hours straight every night. Yes, this is Bryson's latest craze. It all started last week when he pulled a Bob the Builder out of the DVD cabinet and handed it to me. I have put in these DVD many times over the last 6 months or so and Bryson has shown no interest in it, so I figured this time would be no different. Who was I kidding? He sat and watched the whole DVD then told me "more Bob." Please tell me who the genius was that named him Bob so that every toddler was sure to be able to say his name. Now every day when I pick him up from school, he runs straight into the living room yelling Bob over and over. He has to tell Bob bye-bye anytime we go anywhere. He even asks for Bob while we are driving. Give me a few more days and I will know all the words by heart.

This is the joys of toddlers, right???

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T19:13:00.003-05:00

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Bryson awoke to a basket full of goodies left by the Easter bunny. That afternoon we headed over to my aunt's house to spend the day with my family. There was lots of good food and fun games (egg toss, bunny hop race, hat parade and water balloons) that provided LOTS of laughs. Bryson tends to forget that he is only two and tries to do all the games with the adults. By the time the Easter egg hunt started, he was a pro since this was his 4th egg hunt this year. He even spotted ones that most of us didn't see. Since my son LOVES candy, we quickly had to get the basket from him otherwise we would have found him in the corner somewhere with a basket full of empty eggs. He got yet another Easter basket from his Pop & Oma. Can we say spoiled! My aunt Cathie made Bryson (thank you) a choo-choo hat for the hat parade. Bryson even took part in the water balloon fight. Overall, we had a wonderful Easter weekend!

The Saturday before Easter

2009-04-11T19:47:00.003-05:00

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Every year, the Saturday before Easter we go to Shane's grandmother's house for the day. We had a wonderful time and as always, the food was delicious! GG (great grandmother) decided she wanted to dye eggs with Bryson. This was his first time and he really enjoyed it. I am not a fan of getting messy, so I squirmed the whole time. I know he is a boy and I am slowly adjusting to the messy side. Hopefully I don't make him OCD in the process! After he dyed eggs, daddy hid them in the yard and Bryson had fun finding them. He also got two Easter baskets, one from Grammy and one from Aunt Linda, both with lots of goodies!

Favorite Photo Friday #54

2009-04-10T15:59:00.002-05:00

I guess it's time for a few updates

2009-04-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

I'm glad to know that I still have some followers. As the days go on, I find myself slowly fading from the adoption blogs and message boards. By the time I sit down to the computer most nights, I'm too exhausted to follow along. I guess that is what happens when you are the mommy of a very active two year old. Things are going well in our house. Bryson still loves school and continues to do well there. B still receives speech therapy twice a week though she has been mainly focusing on his eating. I wish I could report that his eating has changed, but it hasn't. The only thing that has changed, is we (mostly I) have stopped battling with him. Some may not agree with that, but it's just a battle I have choose not to fight. I figure when he is ready to try "real" food, he will. Despite his mostly snacking appetite, he still continues to grow. He has been holding at 29.5 pounds since December, but has grown at least 3 inches and has officially moved into 24 months/2T clothing.

B is as active as ever, only stopping to sleep, eat and drink. He enjoys being outside and since the weather has been great here in Florida, we have been taking advantage of it. The weather was so nice Sunday, so we headed to the beach for the first time this year. It took B awhile to get in the water, but once he did, we couldn't get him out. He also already has a beautiful tan and it's only April! Every Friday night, we have made a family night at the park and B seems to enjoy that. Last week we also all started walking together. We will go about a mile, I walk fast with our dog, Shane jogs and B rides his motorcycle. B likes to be on the go. Not sure if that is how he really is or if we have transformed him to that since we love to go, go, go. We don't like to sit home often (can anyone tell). My mom always says that B has a busier schedule then most adults. Two different weekends in March, daddy was out of town which made great bonding time for B and I. He loves to be the center of attention and is not quiet by any means.

The excitement of B's new toddler bed wore off by night 2, but he has yet to get out of the bed once since we got it. I think the hardest part for him was not having the bedtime bottle. B has become such a great traveller. What a change this is from the little boy we once had. He no longer cries and instead looks out the window or listens to his CDs. He still doesn't do well in restaurants because he is just not interested in sitting that long, so needless to say, we don't go out to eat often.

I can say that being a mom never gets boring. He is constantly learning and changing before our eyes and it is just amazing to watch. He has molded into our family perfectly. Even after having him home for almost 14 months, I still have to pinch myself to see to make sure this is real. With that said, I have been thinking about a sibling for B alot lately. Shane is an only child and would be completely happy with only having B, but not me. I have always wanted two. Unfortunately right now, it is not financially possible for us to pursue another adoption. I still hold hope that one day we can.

In a little over 3 weeks, B and I are headed to see our good friends Cameron and Sabrina in NC. It will be his first plane ride since Russia and I am a little nervous doing it on my own. Anyone have any tips? Thankfully it's only about 1.75 hour flight.

Some things I've learned...

2009-04-04T20:01:00.002-05:00

Some things that I have learned since becoming a mommy:

I've learned to cook dinner with a child hanging onto my leg.
I've learned to get used to Bryson joining me while I use the bathroom.
I've learned to multi-task while driving. I know it's not safe, but when you have a child screaming in the back for his drink/snack/music, etc, you get what he wants (and quick).
I've learned every song on his music CDs.
I've learned not to open the dishwasher in front of B unless I want him to help unload it (regardless if I am loading it, he is always trying to unload it).
I've learned to take the battery out of his power wheel (since there is no shut off button) unless I want to chase him down the street every night.
I've learned to accept the fact that I will never get to sleep in past 7:30a.
I've learned that I won't be able to do my makeup in peace. There will be little hands reaching into my makeup drawer the whole time. Most times, some of the makeup gets thrown into the tub by B.
I've learned that bribing my child with candy is terrible (but it works).
I've learned that two year olds have an opinion!
I've learned that even though your child owns LOTS of toys, he will most likely prefer the pots and pans (see Favorite Photo Friday #53).
I've learned that it is ok for my son to get dirty or get something on his clothes (ok...maybe I haven't learned that one yet).
I've learned that even though you try to catch your child in mid fall, you can't always catch them.
I've learned that saying "pay attention" will be part of my daily vocabulary (my son likes to look behind him while walking and let's just say, he has ran into many things).
I've learned to cut B's hair myself and have to trim it about every 2 weeks.
I've learned that there is so much more girl's things (clothes, shoes, toys) at every store.
I've learned not to bring my laptop out when B is around, otherwise he wants to bang on the keys.
I've learned not to walk through the center of our mall (where the carousel is) unless I have $2 on me.
I've learned not to take B grocery shopping unless I want to push around the HUGE car shopping cart.
I've learned that being a mommy is the most rewarding job ever!

Favorite Photo Friday #53

2009-04-03T10:47:00.001-05:00

Please tell me again...why do I buy toys?

Visit with the Easter bunny

2009-04-02T08:13:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took Bryson to see the Easter bunny. He hopped out of the stroller and walked right over to him. He did really well and as I sit here and look at this picture, I just can't believe how much my baby has grown up.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately (except for the picture posts). Not sure how many are still following this blog anymore. I mean to post, then just never get around to actually doing it. I will post this weekend with some updates on my crazy little boy.

My baby is growing up

2009-03-30T10:37:00.004-05:00

Saturday night was a huge milestone for Bryson. He still has a bedtime bottle and we planned to cut that out this past weekend. We had also been talking about moving him into a toddler bed shortly. Well, we decided to head over to Toys R Us to look at beds. We asked him if he wanted a car bed or a Choo-choo bed. Of course, you can see what one he choose. My son has expensive taste! We weren't going to put it together right away, but while I was giving Bryson a bath, daddy decided to start putting it together. When Bryson walked in and saw what daddy was doing, he got excited. He got down on his knees to help him put it together. Once they were finished we asked B if he wanted to sleep in his crib and he said no, so we took the crib out and moved the train bed in. He was in such amazement of his new bed and got in it willingly. We decided to take advantage of his distraction and give him no bottle that night. We tucked him in and he told us night-night. As we walked downstairs, I was near tears because it was as if he grew up right in front of my eyes in a matter of moments. We never heard a peep from him all night long. When I walked into his room Sunday morning, he was still laying in his bed. Of course he then got up because he wanted to show me the wheels on the bed and Thomas' face. Last night he didn't go down as easily, but once we asked him if he wanted to sleep in the crib instead, he quickly jumped in his bed. They grow up way too fast!!!

The Russians invade...

2009-03-30T10:33:00.003-05:00

Our friends Kris, Alek & Maks were in Florida on vacation this past week, so of course we drove over to see them and finally meet them in person. Tanya & Oliver drove over as well and we all spent the day together. We hung out at the hotel's pool for awhile and let the boys play. The wind was so strong that day, so every once in awhile the boys had to come dry off and warm up a little before heading back in the water to play some more. After the pool, we went back to their room and changed, then headed over to the restaurant on the patio for some lunch. It was so nice to see them all and chat about our boys and our adoptions. It was also so cute to watch the boys play with each other.

Favorite Photo Friday #52

2009-03-27T08:28:00.002-05:00

Daddy & Bryson playing

* Amy mentioned last week, that this week is #52. Although Bryson has been home longer than a year, I have been posting FPF for 52 weeks now. Hard to believe!

Favorite Photo Friday #51

2009-03-20T07:33:00.002-05:00

Despite the fact he is running in this picture, he was actually helping daddy wash the truck

Happy St Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T19:42:00.002-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #50

2009-03-13T07:20:00.002-05:00

Mommy & Bryson

Favorite Photo Friday #49

2009-03-06T08:17:00.004-05:00

Bryson & his cousin Destiny running

Favorite Photo Friday #48

2009-02-27T12:11:00.002-05:00

What a difference a year makes...

2009-02-26T08:31:00.005-05:00

Picture post

2009-02-20T09:20:00.004-05:00

Feeding a giraffe at the zoo

Taking a bath

Daddy & Bryson

I think he was yelling at me

Doesn't this shirt say it all???

Moments like this made the journey worth it

My boy loves his motorcycle

2009-02-20T09:13:00.001-05:00

Favorite Photo Friday #47

2009-02-20T09:09:00.001-05:00

Pictures from Tennessee

2009-02-17T09:54:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Valentine's pictures

2009-02-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T00:58:00.004-05:00

and Happy Anniversary. Today is not only a holiday, but it's our 6 year anniversary. It was Shane's idea to get married on this day, but I know it was just so he wouldn't forget the date! It has been a wonderful six years and here's to many more.

We don't typically exchange gifts on our anniversary, but this year Shane went above and beyond. There is a camera I have been researching and talking about for months, I just couldn't spend that amount of money on myself. Well, Shane ordered it, had it sent to my parents house and had my mom wrap it and bring it over so it was here waiting when we got home from Tennessee. It was a wonderful surprise. I have lots of learning to do, but so far I love it! My new Canon Rebel XSI:

Favorite Photo Friday #46

2009-02-13T22:03:00.003-05:00

Bryson & Uncle Garrett at the cabin in Tennessee

One year Gotcha Day

2009-02-13T21:32:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday was our one year Gotcha Day. One year ago, we walked out of baby home #3 in Novosibirsk, Russia with Bryson in our arms. That day changed all of our lives forever. This past year has been the most amazing year for my family. Bryson has changed and grown so much before our eyes. I remember that he was a quiet and reserved little baby during both of our trips. Now he has blossomed into a wild little boy with lots of spunk and personality. He truly is the joy of our lives and I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love him. There are still days that I wake up and can't believe I am mommy, Bryson's mommy. He has adjusted well and fits right in with our busy lifestyles. He loves to have fun and be on the go, only taking breaks for snacks and naps. We have decided that every year on his Gotcha Day, we will give him a nesting doll. This years nesting doll was Thomas the train. Since we were at the cabin on Sunday, Cameron helped me bake Bryson a cake. It was yummy!

We got home late last night. Bryson was doing so well in the car, we decided to drive straight home. We had a great time on our trip despite the fact the weather was warmer than we anticipated. As always, it was so much fun to see our dear friends Bo, Cameron and Sabrina. We missed them terribly when they left. My brother Garrett, my cousin Cherice and our friend Aaron were also there with us, We went horseback riding around the mountains on Sunday and I am proud to say Bryson stayed on the horse with me for the whole hour even though our horse kept riding the edge. We also went to a mirror maze, aquarium, many candy stores and the Apple Barn. On Monday, we went up to Ober Gatlinburg to snowboard. Bryson enjoyed wearing the ski boots and playing in the snow for a short time while I went snowboarding. Daddy also put Bryson in ski's and pushed him around, then it was time to switch so Shane could snowboard. I also attempted to take him snow tubing, but he didn't like it very much. Sabrina on the other hand, loved it! It was cute to see how much the kids have changed from our trip last July to Savannah. This trip they interacted and played with each other. Though watch out because when those two are together, they are trouble makers!

Favorite Photo Friday #45

2009-02-06T07:51:00.002-05:00

Bryson & mommy at Chuck E Cheese

One year Family Day

2009-02-04T08:59:00.002-05:00

One year ago today we walked into a court room in Novosibirsk, Russia and the judge announced us parents of Bryson Aleksandr. Hard to believe that in just a couple of days, we will be celebrating our first "Gotcha Day."

I can't wait for Friday because we are headed up to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a week. I'm in need of this vacation. I'm also so excited because our very good friends Bo, Cameron and Sabrina will be joining us there.

Favorite Photo Friday #44

2009-01-30T07:30:00.001-05:00

Bryson was full of static at the park.

Favorite Photo Friday #43

2009-01-23T07:26:00.002-05:00

My wild child...literally

2009-01-22T20:41:00.004-05:00

I start to create so many posts in my head, but can't seem to find the time to type them on here before I forget them. Yes, I have a mommy brain.

At home, Bryson is attached to the hip. There is not much I can do without him wanting me to carry him or him walking on my heels. I can't even go to the bathroom without him coming in with me. Outside of the house (for the most part) is another story. If we are somewhere (Chuck E Cheese, park, mall), I can't get B to stay with me or walk with me. He is usually off running and not looking behind. I know eventually he will look for us, but it's gets frustrating when I see other kids behaving and staying near their parents while my child continues to get farther away as I'm yelling his name. I'm the mother who has to stay right behind their child at all times with fear that if I didn't, he would walk right out the door and not think twice about it. It makes conversing difficult on playdates. How do you do it? How do you get your child to stay close by?

Favorite Photo Friday #42

2009-01-16T07:40:00.002-05:00

Bryson trying to straighten his hair with mommy's iron

Happy Birthday Shane

2009-01-11T06:29:00.004-05:00

Today was Shane's 31st birthday. Where do you go on your birthday...DISNEY WORLD. We decided to take advantage of the free admittance on your birthday and Bryson was free as well, so we only had to pay for me. Shane's mom and boyfriend met us there also. We had a really great time and Bryson was just so amazed by everything. It was so amazing to watch his eyes and reactions to it all. Around 4p, we were standing in line for the Winnie the Pooh ride and I was holding Bryson. He laid his head on my shoulders, next thing you know, he was out. He slept through the whole ride. We walked around a little longer, but it didn't look like he was waking up, so we decided to head home.

Another surprise birthday party

2009-01-10T19:53:00.004-05:00

Today we threw my mother-in-law a surprise 50th birthday party. Since she lives 2 hours away, we asked Shane's aunt who lives near her if we could have the party at her house. So we woke up around 6a, drove there and started setting up. Everyone showed up and we patiently waited for her to arrive. She had no clue what we were up to and that was obvious by the look on her face when she walked in the door. We had a great time and I know she did as well. Bryson went 90 miles a minute the whole party. He was up nearly 12 hours before we finally got in the car to head up and he crashed.

Favorite Photo Friday #42

2009-01-09T07:58:00.001-05:00

Bryson playing games at Sea World on New Years Eve

P.S. I want to say Happy Birthday to the best mother in law that a girl could ask for. Happy Birthday Sandy!

11 months Gotcha Day

2009-01-08T19:22:00.003-05:00

Wow, we are one month shy of our one year Gotcha Day. Bryson continues to be the love of my life and brightens each day. It's hard to remember a time when I didn't trip over toys or didn't hear the footsteps of my 2 year old. I guess it's time for some updates.

Speech
In the last several weeks, Bryson has started babbling which is something he never did before. He never even used to make sounds. It is so cute to hear him try to have a conversation with us (if only we knew what he was saying) and to sing songs. He has also added several words to his vocabulary: ball, book, baby, bye, tree (eeh), boo boo, bubbles, boat, moon. Occasionally he will even try to copy what we say. Guess it's time to watch our mouths!

Eating
As for B's eating issues, they had seemed to of gotten better the first two weeks of the H-pylori and reflux medicine, then he was over it. Things are back to the way they were. We had an appointment with his GI doctor last month. He weighs 29 pounds and is 33 1/3 inches tall. He is growing, so she said not to be too concerned. Because of these eating issues, he qualified for another hour of speech therapy through Early Steps. His previous speech therapist did not have any extra time in her schedule, so she voluntarily gave her time with him up. We will miss her dearly as she was so great with him over the last few months. His new speech therapist started the week of Christmas and she mainly deals with feeding therapy. She said it will be a long road to find what works best with him.

School
B continues to do well in school and seems to really enjoy it. He gives me a kiss every morning and tells me goodbye as he walks in the door without looking back. Hard to believe that this is the same kid that used to hold my leg screaming in the morning only a few months ago. They had a Christmas program there last month. Each class danced on stage to a song in front of all the parents. B's class danced to Frosty the Snowman and he was happily dancing all over. We were proud parents!

Attachment
I never had many concerns with B's attachment, but as I look back over the last 11 months, I see how far he has come. He loves to cuddle and loves affection. He makes great eye contact. We had our one year post placement report tonight and our social worker asked how his eye contact. At that exact moment, he leaned back in Shane's arms and started touching his daddy's eyes and nose. She said that answered her question. He gives kisses without us asking.

Early Intervention
Since we let his Early Interventionist go a few months ago, he qualified for a music class in place of it. We had been waiting for a spot in the night class to open. It finally did and we started these classes last month. We go every Tuesday for an hour and for the most part, he loves it. I do have to say that some of the kids in the class made B look calm (which is hard to do).

Favorite Photo Friday #41

2009-01-02T08:09:00.001-05:00

Bryson & his great grandfather on Christmas