Introducing...

Ayden Aliya

Born on September 11th 2006
in Orsk, Russia

Into Our Hearts on
July 18th 2007

Forever
September 18th 2007

Ayden's Magical first Santa Moment...

Ayden had a magical experience with Santa. Garrett loved the company Christmas party. I thought I would freak when I turned around and saw Garrett driving his own car. (He is only 2!!) We are grateful he is not getting his license any time soon. Phew...

Jordan was in her first Christmas pageant. The boys were

shepherds and the girls were angels. Jordan was not sure why she didn't get to choose her costume. In the end, she did a fantastic job and it was a show that brought tears to my eyes.

Like most Christmas pictures, we had a very calming photo session. All the kids sat down looked right at the camera on the first shot and smiled joyously. Yeah right!!! Not even close. Why they call it happy hour.

We are enjoying the "cooler" weather and looking for every chance to put on our fleeces. Decorating isn't the same in the heat, but we are getting use to it.

The kids are all at great ages to enjoy the holiday. We love getting all the family Christmas pictures! It is hard to not be thankful for what we have this year. Have a wonderful holiday!!

Reindeer for sale.

The holiday season is here...

Wow! What a busy season. We spent Thanksgiving up North visiting family and staying with Gram and Coach. What a blast we had in the cold weather and Jordan managed to spend most of her days outside in the leaves. This was the first time that Gram and Coach were meeting Ayden so it was a very special visit. It was COLD! Garrett kept saying how cold it was and then saying, "it isn't funny." We are now home and well thawed.

The tree is up and every morning Jordan is
disappointed that Santa

has not arrived. I am trying to explain to her the season, but she wants to just cut to the chase. (What kid doesn't) I wonder how long it will last that we can use the "Santa is watching" line. So far it is

working.

I realize this year it has been more difficult finding the time to shop without kids. How I took for granted Christmas shopping with them in the cart. Those days are long gone!

Hope this finds you all enjoying the season!!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. I was so grateful that Aunt Gail and Uncle Kevin came down to help out. We had a gorgeous evening to trick or treat and relished in all the sugar once home. It seemed as though Halloween lasted forever. We weren't sure if the weather was going to hold out for us on the big night. Tropical storm Noel had other plans, but spared us the the ghoulish night.

Jordan my not so girly girl would have died to wear a princess outfit. She was the most opinionated on exactly what she was going to be. This costume selection process started months ago. I can't believe how much faster they get at trick or treating with each year. Jordan's focus was all about the candy

Garrett's opinions changed with each second so mom made an executive decision and made him a costume we already owned. I guess in some aspects I should be happy that Jordan is not so girly. Garrett's focus was all about the decorations. With each scary decoration, Garrett would walk away saying, "mom, it's nice... it likes me!"

Ayden went as a pumpkin this year. She had no clue, but enjoyed everyone running around laughing. She is so agreable that nothing phases her. This is all good in our chaotic house. It was great to have her home to share in the celebration.

Trick or Treat. I picked treat... it came in a liquid.

Mom.... You are addicted!

Ok, so I heard this comment and in the moment, I thought... she is onto me. We are talking about Jordan here. As most of you know, there are several things I could possible be addicted to. Lets just hope that she has caught onto one of the "healthy"addiction. What first comes to mind though is wine. Immediately, I thought, I have have to change up the cup and call it "adult" something. Does she really notice the wine??? What the heck! It has got to be healthy... it IS made out of grapes. But, I do have this other "addiction" and we call it face sucking or sucking your eyeballs out. It is something I have always done and can't seem to stop. Jordan is at that point now where she runs. Most moms will let it go, but no... now I run after her. I just can't seem to kiss them enough. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do. So phew... glad to know it wasn't the wine!

A lot of "firsts" going on here and the beach was one of them. The jury is still out. She loved the water. Sitting in the surf and having it move up around her and then leave... but the sand was an entirely new to her and she basically ate it for dinner.

Ayden has developed a new pastime. Frolicking in the pool. This is where she enjoys spending her time and where you can often find her.

A lot of people have asked me how the jump from two to three is. Basically, the bad news is yes... we are always missing one child... the good news is... we always know it is Garrett.

Everyone is doing really well. The adjustment has been smooth for everyone. We are really pleased. It is a joy watching her come to life and develop her character. It is hard to imagine our life without ever having Ayden in it.
And... how about those Red Sox!!!

Quick Update... Look who is coming around!

Garrett has become my morning helper. He loves to feed Ayden and thankfully, Ayden is growing to trust that he will actually leave the bottle in her mouth. It has definitely been the hardest on him stepping aside to his new sister. When you jump from two kids to three, you feel as though you are constantly missing one. He is the one that won't let me forget anyone and keeps track of their where abouts.... including mine.

We did have a big boy week for Garrett. He got his first ride on the tandem and loved it. They grow up way too fast.

Ayden is doing fantastic. She is fitting in beautifully and some adjustments had to come quicker then she would like to have planned. The car seat was not a huge hit in the beginning and now it is tolerable. We are making some progress.

We are so happy to have everyone safe and home. We are having a lot of fun and the house is definitely louder, but in the midst of all the "MINE" screams... we have a lot of laughter (and ear plugs!)

Home a week...

Hard to believe it has only been a week. I can't say that I remember when I didn't have Ayden in our lives. She is such a dream. She is a magnet with her smile and seems to be adjusting better then we could have ever hoped. She hasn't skipped a beat with sleeping. We are tip toeing around her room when I realized that she is probably so use to noises and chaos that it doesn't much matter.

We did not have a lot of time to adjust to home life. Within a couple of days we were heading down to the Keys on a preplanned trip for Chris's work.
Jordan and Garrett loved the time spent with us and were happy to show off their new sibling. Jordan can get Ayden to laugh so hard. She seems to have grown up before my eyes.

Garrett loves Ayden on his terms. I find him covering his ears and telling me that she is very loud. He is extremely gentle with her though and will take the time to lay down with her and hold her bottle. I will often see him kiss her for no reason and he does not leave to do something without saying good bye to her. Hope it lasts!

So far so good... It feel so good to be home!!

Home at Last....

We made it home. What a long long flight, but it was so wonderful to get off the plane and see my parents and the kids. Jordan was over the moon with excitement. She blew by Chris and headed straight for her baby sister. She held her immediately! Thankfully, Ayden is an agreeable child, she didn't care one bit of being tossed around and getting hugged and kissed by everyone. Jordan is taking the big sister role very seriously. She loves her time with Ayden and can get her laughing hysterically. I am going to enjoy it while it lasts...

Garrett was a little different. He decided that he did not want his picture taken and that he sister is "cool" as long as mommy is holding him. It is hard for him to step a side a little and have some of my time taken away. But I know that behind that stoic wall of his, he is pretty happy to have her around. I found him in her room singing to her and he will rub her back when she is crying.

It didn't take long before we were home and Ayden needed to be fed. Jordan was first in line for the duty and as you can see, Ayden was pretty comfortable being in the arms of her sister. We came home to our lawn being decorated with a HUGE welcome home sign from our close friends. It was such an unbelievable moment pulling into the driveway and seeing how much you are thought of.

Ayden is not overly fond of her car seat, but she seems to be getting use to it slowly. I am looking into getting that glass partition installed between the front seats and the back. Why that isn't an option on cars is beyond me. She has taken to American food very well. She has finally gotten to that point where she doesn't need to eat until explosion. She knows it is coming often and seems to be digesting it better now.


It seems so long ago that we were in that very small town of Orsk meeting our daughter again. We have only had her just over a week. It is amazing to see how much they change. Each day we notice that she trusts us more and more. That could have something to do with the endless hugs and slobbering kisses she seems to get often.

It feels so good to be home!!

Embassy.... Check!

We just got back from the American embassy and we are at yet another hotel. The embassy was dead. There were only 8 couples there today. Kind of sad as the last two times we went it was standing room. We had heard there were more couples a couple of weeks ago. (I hope) It was weird being there with so few.

Ayden slept through the entire visit. What a trooper. She remains resistant to cars. We can't tell if it the actual car or the car door. It is Chris's birthday so he insists on using the computer now so I have to give into him considering I have not one thing to give to him as we thought we would be home this past weekend.

What a great gift to get though... a BEAUTIFUL and HAPPY baby girl... with days to come of no sleep. HA!

Enjoying a cocktail right now as you all are rising. I wonder how getting on US time will work for us. For those in my neighborhood. Disregard the red plastic cup on our morning strolls.

Can't wait to see you!!! Can't wait to be home!

Heading to the American Embassy and tomorrow HOME!!!!

We are all packed up yet again. This hotel hopping with a kid is crazy, but Ayden seems to like the adventure. We are heading to the embassy. The last check on our list before we leave. We are so looking forward to seeing our family. It will be such a huge relief to land on US soil.
Ayden is doing great and from what we hear, Nana and Pop Pop are surviving at home. We just can't wait to get there!!!

Picture time...

Hi there all... Thought you would appreciate a few pictures of our newest addition. We had to switch hotels and we just landed ourselves at the Marriott Grand. We have already tested out the pool and must admit, Ayden is definitely a water baby. She had no troubles with the bath and can even get in the shower with us. I really thought I would test her tolerance and I took her in the pool. She was never without a smile. She has come a long way since Monday.

She is not overly fond of cars, but likes the highchair and elevators. The elevators here have mirrors so her love for them is pure vanity. We spent today walking around the Kremlin and sight seeing the nearby areas. I am surprised I had the energy after having the night of the plague.


I thought I would post a picture of one of our Russian meals we had while staying with the host family. The food was incredible. Notice how small the plates are. I guess that is portion control, but not for Chris and I... we filled our plates up 4 or 5 times. It is amazing how hard these people work for their living. We got to see a lot of Orenburg. There is a bridge in town that divides Europe and Asia. There is a tradition to go to the bridge when you get married and make a wish.



Ayden is sleeping very well. It seems that anytime we put her in her crib, she falls asleep. She may squawk a little, but not the troubles we seem to be having with our roaming Garrett at home. She doesn't seem so desperate for the bottle and actually seems to like table finger food better. I think her belly is adjusting slowly to the new food and I think we are adjusting to the explosiveness of the matter. We hope this gets much better before our long flight home on Tuesday.

Jen D... we are dealing with another mullet issue here. Bring your scissors down and help me get this girl in style. Carrie L... do your recognize the outfit!! I told you it would make the trip. She has worn it several times already and gets tons of compliments. Looking forward to seeing you in November.

All in all our trip is going very well.

As I mentioned earlier, we spent the day literally walking everywhere. Ayden is so adaptable and rarely fusses. We are hoping this isn't just a front. We are enjoying our one on one time with her, but are really missing our family at home.

Just another day in Moscow...

We spent the day yesterday walking around Moscow and seeing the sights. We aren't convinced that Ayden is 15 lbs. She certainly felt about 30 lbs after carrying her all over. We finally broke down and bought a snuggle sak. Much better.

I spent the last evening hugging the porcelain bowl. Wish I could say it was from too much good wine, but I am afraid that it could have something to do with the water. The traveling this time seems so much more challenging. As I type this we are packing up to switch hotels. We had thought we were traveling home today. We had only booked hotels for two nights. We are left to hotel hop until we get on our flight on Tuesday morning.

Ayden is sleeping well. She changes each day and seems to be developing a higher level of trust with us. We are very eager to get home.

We are here and we got the goods...

Hey there all... Chris and I just looked at all the comments from the previous post and we have tears in our eyes. Thank you to all that posted. We loved hearing from you. I am sorry for the delay in posting. It was a very long trip to Orenburg and we were staying in a very remote place that we could not access the Internet. In Orenburg, Russia... people stay with host families on trip two. We did this when we adopted Jordan and I was a bit leery as I experienced some haunting stomach thing that nearly put me to death...or so it felt at the time. This was such a wonderful experience. It really allows you the opportunity to see how they live their lives on a daily basis.

Luciana... Jordan was so excited for Nicolas's party. I am not surprised that she was the first one there. Obviously, I did not inherent the "on time" genes from my father. I heard she had a blast. Thank you!!!

We left on Saturday and made a 28 hour travel to Orenburg. Chris and I maintained our tradition and my father drove us to Miami airport early enough that we could get a few margaritas and bloody marys before our trip. Odd tradition, we know, but it has worked. Chris and I would like to think that all that running would help our stamina in the travels, but truthfully, there is nothing that can prepare you for this type of journey.

We landed in Orenburg at 4am on Monday morning. We had a couple of hours to sleep and then we traveled in what we called the "white knuckled" journey to Orsk (3 hours away). Jen C always makes fun of my Enya Cd's and they came in handy with Pete's Karen Carpenter albums I uploaded before I left. (Sorry Pete if this was a closet thing, but we've only just begun....) The calmer the music the better because at any moment, Chris and I thought that the wheels would pop off the car. We literally counted down the journey and we were so relieved to see Ayden's very small town of Orsk pop up among the Ural mountains.

We saw her on Monday. It is a requirement to visit the child one day before court. Our first two trips, she was passive, engaging and simple. Our international doctor that reviewed her was concerned that we did not video any noises made by her. Well, we could have gotten a good couple of hours of straight screaming for their liking. OH MY! The caregiver came out and gave us some insight of her schedule. The translator kept smiling and saying, "she is a little... how you say high maintenance. She likes to eat and she likes to sleep. If you bore her, she will cry. She likes a lot of attention." After a couple of hours of crying, Chris and I looked at each other and said, "we must be boring her." Talk about having a complex! She was so cute though. The screaming didn't matter. I guess that is why they make them so cute.

We kept calling home. Nana and Pop Pop (my parents) were watching Jordan and Garrett. As luck would have it the upstairs AC unit crapped out and thankfully engineer dad was there to save the day. I did get one email that Nana and Pop Pop decided to put Garrett up for sale on our front lawn (don't blame them), but no surprise that there were no takers (even with lowering the price.)
Poor Fester.

We were the first to go to court on Tuesday. What a cool day. Jordan and Ayden share the same "gotcha" day. For me that is a true highlight because it means I only have to make two Russian meals a year. (And yes, we count Russian dressing as a meal.)

Court went great and soon we were the parents of three. They asked us if we were coming back for more. I think Chris nearly passed out. I tell you though, when you are here, it is hard to feel "finished!" Don't worry mom and dad, we are done. You have definitely done your share of babysitting.

Our host mom, Maria, cooked us some fantastic meals. I wish I could remember the names. Ayden came to us shortly after dinner on Tuesday. She was a bit rattled when she arrived with a nurse from the orphanage at 6pm. I didn't blame her. Her first experience in the car was driving at lightning speed. She came in.. screamed, pooped and drank 24 oz of formula. I checked her 3 hours later and her diaper was still dry. When stressed, adopted children either have an abundance of energy or sleep. Thankfully, Ayden slept. Chris and I have spent the last two days enslaved to her needs. She has caught on VERY quickly. After having her for 48 hours, she has decided that her mode of transportation is... carry me everywhere. All of a sudden her limbs are immobile.

It is unbelievably amazing watching the transformation. She went from crying the entire visit in the orphanage to this happy, smiling child. I think a big party of it is that she is offered food most of the day. When we visited her before court, she was so upset. I gave her an 8 oz bottle and she finished it before Chris could turn on the video camera. She has caught on very quickly and food = smiles and giggles = love... and way too many kisses.

We flew from Orenburg to Moscow this morning and with the time difference, landed at the same time as take off. The flight was very eventful. I am not sure with stress or formula change or what, but "Diana" has set explosively in. I have never seen Chris move so fast. Thankfully, our pediatrician appointment was schedule upon our arrival and our got a prescription to help. So far so good.

We took Ayden out for dinner for the first time. She sat in her highchair and kept looking at the ceiling. Full of smiles... I cannot believe how far she has come. I actually miss her when she is napping. She is a petite peanut weighing in at 15 1/2 lbs and 27 in long. TINY! She had to have some blood work done and has the standard diagnosis of rickets that children have. A few morning runs with me in the jogger will remedy this.

Our trip is delayed until Tuesday. I guess the American Embassy has a two business day turnover. While I miss for sale sign Garrett and Jordan... it gives us some quality time with Ayden to bond. You can tell how much different she is with each new day.

I can't tell you how much your emails mean to us while we are here. Please keep them coming. For some reason, Chris and I haven't been able to sleep since we have been here. We are hoping things change now that we are in a hotel and have had a few Russian beers (and yes, Georgian wine Kris... you are right, it is fantastic!!!! Thanks for the tip!)

Mom and Dad... I can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate your flexible schedule. I know how busy you have been and it means a lot that you are with our strong personalities at home.

We couldn't be happier!!! Ayden is absolutely beautiful and loving. This process has been difficult on us and our families. 5 short days and we will be home. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

We are Leaving Tomorrow....

Packing is not going as planned. Perhaps, I could have avoided the pompagranite martinis I had earlier, but to be truthful... those are what got me motivated. What is really NOT helping is the fact that the Red Sox game is on. Thankfully, at this point they are beating the Yankees, but that still isn't helping the focus factor with Chris and packing. Who knows what are in those bags.

We seem to have twice as much as we did when we traveled for Jordan and Garrett. Why is that??? Chris keeps sneaking things into my backpack and I am going to start to do some kung fu soon.

So... tomorrow... midday you can find us at the airport, drinking our bloody mary's at Chilis' (tradition) then making all those last minute phone calls (slurring) to family and friends before we board the endless journey to Orenburg, Russia.

Cannot believe we are heading back there... will post more as we have details.
Love to you all! Rock On!

Busy getting ready...

Why is it that when you bring a new child home all the things you have been trying to do for the past 5 years seem so pressing to get done NOW! Yet, I will spend the morning of our flight frantically packing my suitcase wondering how it could be that this was last on my list. Chris thinking he is the worldly traveler (something I admit, he has been doing a lot lately), has this personal goal of trying to pack his entire stay in a carry on. OK OK, I know we had a bad experience last time where they lost our luggage, but that is all a part of the adventure. So, there we are in the airports... me lugging this larger then life suitcase that is always just on the cusp of being over the limit and Chris in his lunch box size, all about me bag!


This past week, Garrett had some eye surgery. All went well, but I have become the eye rubbing cop. Add it to my list of titles. We attempted to get a sitter last night for what I envisioned as a nice stroll through the mall, holding hands with my dear husband, in search of "gifts" for the judges, coordinators, drivers, translators in Russia. Perhaps a bite to eat... few drinks of course. Well, as luck would have it for us, no sitter. So we decided to make it a family event. We all started out in great spirits. Garrett's eyes are both blood red and definitely get some attention. Most people just look and say, " ohhhh poor fella!" But as the day went on, we noticed that people were actually gasping and saying, " oh my! his eyes are red... did you know his eyes are red!" NO!!! Your kidding! How could I miss that! Chris kept saying...we need to find us a watering hole!



It turned out to be a nice day. We only lost Jordan, 4 times. This is a record. We stopped looking after the 3rd time. She always seems to find us. Garrett was strapped in the entire time for obvious reasons and there is a trail of chicken nuggets throughout the Town Center Mall. Ironically, we got top notch service in most stores. We later realized that most places just wanted to get us the heck out of there. I did not blame them a bit.


So... we are packing up... kids are excited! We are preparing for the arrival of Nana and Pop Pop. It is hard to believe that a week from today we will be in Russia eagerly traveling to see Ayden. Don't worry, by then, I will be pulling the carry on! Soon enough, we will have Ayden home!