5.20.2005
We're Home - Long Overdue Update
Well, we finally made it back online. So sorry it took so long to update, but we've discovered caring for two babies doesn't allow much time for anything other than giving our two little ones all our time and attention. Here's what's been going on for the past two months...or what we can remember, anyway!
After the loooong flight home which we'd rather not revisit, we were met at Kennedy Airport by a welcoming committee of Rob's mom and brother Mike, and Chris's brother Glen and his wife, Dani, as well as her brother Ralph, and his wife Liz and our little Kazakh nephew Kyle! Poor Paige couldn't stand the excitement and burst into tears and continued screaming throughout our welcome at the airport and through the entire ride home. Justin was taking it all in, but did join his sister's screams when he was loaded into a carseat in Mike's minivan! Even though we were operating on no sleep for over 24 hours and Chris was as sick as a dog, it felt absolutely wonderful to be back home again.
Back at the house it was a thrill to be reunited with Casey and Penny. They both looked great, and Penny was literally jumping for joy to see us again. We never, ever want to leave them for that long ever again. Our family members who couldn't get to the airport met us back at the house, and there was tons of food and the cupboards and the refrigerator was fully stocked with baby supplies. Thank you Dina and Mike! We celebrated for the rest of the afternoon, and into the night, and it felt so good to finally lay our heads on our own pillows.
Justin and Paige are adapting amazingly well in their new home! We learned quickly that the idea that they could share a room was not an option since Paige is on a completely different schedule than Justin. We were a bit frazzled the first few weeks as we quickly moved our home office into the storage room in the basement so that Paige could have her own room!
On April 2 we had the best welcome home shower ever! All of our friends and family came to meet the kids and we were overwhelmed with everyone's generosity. Justin and Paige were so good as they were passed from friend to relative. They didn't cry, or whine, or fuss or anything! We were so proud of them as we realized how lucky we are to have these two precious souls in our lives.
Paige and Justin adore each other, even though Justin is a bit jealous if she gets too much attention. Whenever Chris spends some cuddle time with Paige, Justin is quick to wedge himself between them. He is the most affectionate little guy ever and loves giving his mommy hugs and kisses! Such a far cry from the boy we met in Kazakhstan! He's really bright and understands everything, though he's not ready to say anything just yet. He's walking around everywhere, and even tries to run if he finds himself in an open space. He's an absolute joy and we have to be careful we don't squeeze him too hard!
Paige doesn't miss a beat! She is super alert and also very bright. So far she knows how to throw her arms in the air when asked "how big is Paige? ... Soooo big!", she claps hands, waves hi and bye, and the cutest thing is when she says "uh oh" her little mouth forms an "o" and we just want to eat her up! She's crawling everywhere and stands herself up whenever there's something to grab onto. She's got a deep little belly laugh and we love her to pieces. She cut her first tooth the other day, and the rest are on their way.
The days are flying by as we watch them blossom, and we're doing our best to enjoy every moment of this time of our lives. Enjoy the photos and we'll try to add more in the coming weeks!
After the loooong flight home which we'd rather not revisit, we were met at Kennedy Airport by a welcoming committee of Rob's mom and brother Mike, and Chris's brother Glen and his wife, Dani, as well as her brother Ralph, and his wife Liz and our little Kazakh nephew Kyle! Poor Paige couldn't stand the excitement and burst into tears and continued screaming throughout our welcome at the airport and through the entire ride home. Justin was taking it all in, but did join his sister's screams when he was loaded into a carseat in Mike's minivan! Even though we were operating on no sleep for over 24 hours and Chris was as sick as a dog, it felt absolutely wonderful to be back home again.
Back at the house it was a thrill to be reunited with Casey and Penny. They both looked great, and Penny was literally jumping for joy to see us again. We never, ever want to leave them for that long ever again. Our family members who couldn't get to the airport met us back at the house, and there was tons of food and the cupboards and the refrigerator was fully stocked with baby supplies. Thank you Dina and Mike! We celebrated for the rest of the afternoon, and into the night, and it felt so good to finally lay our heads on our own pillows.
Justin and Paige are adapting amazingly well in their new home! We learned quickly that the idea that they could share a room was not an option since Paige is on a completely different schedule than Justin. We were a bit frazzled the first few weeks as we quickly moved our home office into the storage room in the basement so that Paige could have her own room!
On April 2 we had the best welcome home shower ever! All of our friends and family came to meet the kids and we were overwhelmed with everyone's generosity. Justin and Paige were so good as they were passed from friend to relative. They didn't cry, or whine, or fuss or anything! We were so proud of them as we realized how lucky we are to have these two precious souls in our lives.
Paige and Justin adore each other, even though Justin is a bit jealous if she gets too much attention. Whenever Chris spends some cuddle time with Paige, Justin is quick to wedge himself between them. He is the most affectionate little guy ever and loves giving his mommy hugs and kisses! Such a far cry from the boy we met in Kazakhstan! He's really bright and understands everything, though he's not ready to say anything just yet. He's walking around everywhere, and even tries to run if he finds himself in an open space. He's an absolute joy and we have to be careful we don't squeeze him too hard!
Paige doesn't miss a beat! She is super alert and also very bright. So far she knows how to throw her arms in the air when asked "how big is Paige? ... Soooo big!", she claps hands, waves hi and bye, and the cutest thing is when she says "uh oh" her little mouth forms an "o" and we just want to eat her up! She's crawling everywhere and stands herself up whenever there's something to grab onto. She's got a deep little belly laugh and we love her to pieces. She cut her first tooth the other day, and the rest are on their way.
The days are flying by as we watch them blossom, and we're doing our best to enjoy every moment of this time of our lives. Enjoy the photos and we'll try to add more in the coming weeks!
# posted by kaztree @ 11:55 PM 
