Home a few weeks...

We have been home for a few weeks now and are finally settling in. There have been a lot of "first" for Garrett, but he seems to have taken them all in stride. The first few days home, he was pretty content sitting on my hip and hanging out. Slowly he gained his comfort zone and is now off exploring on his own and with his sister. Boy is he FAST! Jordan and Garrett get along great and the transition went better then we could have ever hoped for.

In 3 weeks, he has grown some hair, gained 5 lbs. And is rarely without a smile. We happen to have a Russian neighbor over last night helping us translate his medical report. There was a section on his disposition while in the orphanage. As she was reading, "calm, very quiet...." I looked over her shoulder at Garrett playing with Jordan and some other neighborhood children, belly laughing and blowing slurburts in the air. Without skipping a beat, my neighbor asked, "do you think you have the right medical here?"


The week after we got home, our neighbors put together a "Coming to America" party. It was a wonderful way to show off Garrett to everyone. They couldn't have made us feel more special. My girlfriend in the front made a disc of Russian and USA music and of course we ate russian food... mexican style. (As you all know, I have eaten enough borsch soup to last a lifetime.) It was a fantastic night!

He is very close to walking and I feel fortunate to be able to witness his first steps. As much as he seems so ready to take off, I could use a few more weeks to catch up.

One of the best "firsts" we did this week was go to the beach. We set him in the sand, he looked at us and then after a long pause, he broke into this huge smile and naturally, like most, started eating the sand. He had a blast... Even in the water jumping waves. We are grateful he loves the water... He has been in the pool every day and we plan on starting some swimming lessons in the upcoming week.

Jordan has really loved having Garrett around. She will often be found sitting on the steps outside his room waiting for him to wake up in the morning or from his naps. She is the one that can get him to continuously belly laugh and eat his food. Jordan is very protective of her little brother and has become a great helper to me. It amazes me to see how quickly she adapted to having a new member in the family. I think she is beginning to understand that we did not pick him up at at the grocery store... Something I heard her tell someone the other day. She is also learning very quickly that hugging tight... is good, But not so tight that you want to pop someone's head off. So there is "firsts" going on all around us.

So... We start our adventure of family of 4. I wake up in the morning and feel as though we have been this way forever.... Only now, I have Jordan's right hook across my neck and drool on my face and I hear softly in the monitor... Well, maybe not so softly... Mamamamamamamama!!!

How lucky we are!!!

We have made it home...

After a long day flying on Saturday, we made it to Ft. Lauderdale airport late. Immigration was flawless in New York. So efficient we were surprised as we were very close to missing our connecting flight. We were happy to have made the flight and Garrett had a lot of fun running throughout he JFK terminals. Giggling!




We arrived at the airport to a very happy Jordan and had a wonderful homecoming. Jordan did great with meeting her new brother and was proud to wear her "I'm the Big Sister" T-shirt. Our neighbors put together a surprise for us when we came home. It was so great to be back and such a great surprise to be thought of in such a special way. We are so lucky!!

My parents stayed with us until Monday morning. While I am so happy to see that they have a full social and athletic life here in Florida, it wasn't hard for me to panic a bit with being cut loose so early on. In hindsight though, it was the best thing. Garrett has adjusted beautifully over the past couple of days. He is getting use to his surroundings and thrilled to have so much space to roam around. His personality is exploding with each day and it has been so fun watching him come into character. He is fast and a happy guy. We really couldn't be more blessed.

Jordan is doing as good as to be expected. She loves having Garrett around and seems to be very protective with him when it is convenient to her. She has had to learn "share" pretty quickly and is having a hard time having some of our attention going to Garrett's needs. She has been very helpful with his care and has shown him where all the great hiding places are in the house.



A neighbor of mine was like an angel stopping by the first day we were home. She gave me her double jogger stroller. It was like swallowing a huge post adoption depression pill. With all the additional paperwork required in between trips, I had no time to research joggers. We set out yesterday on our first run and Garrett did great. Gave a new dimension to my runs... it was like pushing a freight train, but we managed to make it around the loop. Jordan struggled with his need to constantly touch her, but I think she is secretly happy to have him around. She is really excellent with him.


We have enjoyed hearing from so many people!! We have loved the support and feel truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our life that have helped get us to this point.

Tired, but happy to start our life together!!!

American embassy.... Check...

Wish I could be on a flight right now back home. All of our in country requirements are done. I have never been through immigration in New York so I hope it is quick and easy. This will make things easier for when we land in Ft. Lauderdale. Bring on that sunshine.

Garrett is practically transparent. I can actually see and count all the veins in his head. His hair is blondish (what little he has) and he has big brown eyes. I thought it would be a bonus to not have him walking, but I really see no advantage.... He is just as fast crawling as he would be in his feet.

Chris, Garrett and I ventured down to the Kremlin on the subway. Garrett is at that age where he can't walk and is too heavy to carry. We put him in the carrier anyway. My back is killing me!!! The subway was so crowded. Russians are pretty unfriendly for the most part. We were waiting for our train and there was a huge crowd. This woman in front of me was really barging through the crowd to the open door of the train. She literally stopped traffic so I could get on with Garrett and then she got on after me. I was completely shocked. Once on the train... Immediately, this one woman jumped up from her seat and let me sit down. This happened on both trips. This truly amazed me! You certainly wouldn't see that in New York!

Not looking forward to the flight tomorrow... But definitely psyched to see my parents and Jordan. I feel like I have been gone for months. Can't believe the time has finally come....

See you in the states!!!