Dedicated with love

This past Sunday, February 21st, Lucas was dedicated in our church. We were joined by 2 of his grandma's, Kalima and Yaya, for a beautiful ceremony.

First we were asked by what name this child would be known...Lucas Dmitry...Lucas meaning "bringer of light"and Dmitry being one of his given Russian names. Then Paul and I were asked to affirm our commitment as parents with a kiss to Lucas, followed by this Irish blessing that we chose which I read in Russian and Paul read in English (thanks Anna for helping me with the translation!!):

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home and may the hand of a friend always be near. May green be the grass you walk on, May blue be the skies above you, May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you.

Пусть дорога вытенется перед тобой встречая тебя. Пусть ветер всегда дует тебе в спину. Пусть теплые лучи солнца греют твой дом и пусть рука друга будет всегда рядом. Пусть будет зеленой трава, по которой ты ходишь, Пусть небо будет синим над твоей головой, Пусть истинной будет радость вокруг тебя, Пусть искренними будут сердца которые тебя любят.

The grandmas were up next. They were also asked to affirm their committments to Lucas, sealed with a kiss. Kali then read this beauty of a poem, which she wrote:

Lucas

Eight months ago you waited in my arms
as we stood in a crowded airplane,
tired passengers on cell phones
all around us,
serious faces arriving
from Moscow by way of Amsterdam.

You looked at the man behind us
and blew him a raspberry.
I ducked, mortified adult,
and laughed, tickled grandma.
A hundred faces grinned back at us
sharing a moment of fun.
A grandparent couple two seats away
nodded a bond and smiled.

That day has brought us to this day
to name you, our bright-eyed boy,
a thousand grins and tears
and astonished moments later.

I wish for you a life you can fill
with innocent mischief, arms
to hold you when you
need them, the reflection
of your own bright grin
in the faces of everyone you meet,
and the knowledge that you are loved
with enthusiasm that mirrors your own.
May you always know
that you are treasured
in this, your family,
your community and your world.

Then came Alexander's part...he had written a few sweet words in response to my question a few weeks ago of how he could help his brother as grows up and what his brother meant to him. Alexander got quite shy and retreated behind me. Luckily, we had planned for Yaya to assist and she wonderfully read Alexander's words. Alexander did must up the courage though to come out from behind for the "kiss".

The actual dedication part was next, where a white rose (symbol of unfolding life) was dipped in water (symbol of purity) and then touched to Lucas' forehead. We concluded with this blessing and ringing of a bell that I purchased in Russia to be given to Lucas on his naming day:

Give us the spirit of a child
Give us the child who lives within:
The child who Trusts
The child who Imagines,
The child who Sings.
The child who receives without reservation,
The child who gives without judgment.
Give us a child's eyes, that we may receive the beauty and freshness of this day like a sunrise;
Give us a child's ears, that we may hear the music of mythical times;
Give us a child's heart, that we may be filled with wonder and delight;
Give us the child's faith, that we may be cured of our cynicism;
Give us the spirit of a child, who is not afraid to need; who is not afraid to love.

I held Lucas in the Ergo carrier throughout...I wasn't sure how he'd react being in front of our congregation in light of the fact that he has developed some anxiety about new situations recently. But he did great...especially as he munched on grapes throughout! We came home, laid him down for a well-deserved nap, and then had a wonderful party with family and friends afterwards. It was a lovely day.

Now onto his 2nd birthday this Sunday!

Snuggles and reading books

If I had been Maria (in the Sound of Music) these would have been a few of my favorite things...

Every day it becomes more and more evident to me, and to those around us, how different Alexander and Lucas are. Isn't that usually the way with siblings? We've been doing a lot of reflecting on this lately as Lucas is now the age Alexander was when he came home over 3.5 years ago. Lucas usually can't stop for long enough during the day to sit through a book (he does at night though) while Alexander could (and still does) read for hours. Lucas is already quite comfortable with strangers (as long as we are nearby) while Alexander took years it seems to say hello to friends. Lucas usually doesn't budge when we try to get him to stay away/put down/get down from X/Y/Z while Alexander would have been nearly in tears from a raised voice.

But one area they are same, for now anyway, is that my boys love to snuggle. Alexander to this day still likes to hold of our hands to his mouth while he sucks his thumb, climb in our laps for books and have us "snuggle" with him for a few minutes before he goes to bed at night. Lucas recently has become more comfortable and interested in sitting in my lap just to sit and relax for a minute. When he's hurt he'll typically find me and get into the cradle position sucking his pointer and middle fingers or rest his head on my shoulder. And tonight, as I changed him into his pajamas he said he was cold, came into my lap and took my arm to wrap it around him. I said "aw snuggles" and then a few minutes later after he was done brushing his teeth with Papa, ran back to me saying "snuggle, snuggle". Bliss.

And even more bliss...Alexander read me a book today! It was a short, simple book, but a book nonetheless. He has read sentences and passages here and there before but not a whole story without any help. I'm amazed at how far he has come...only 5 months ago he could recognize maybe a handful of words. I give huge kudos to Alexander for his attention and persistence but also to his fabulous Kindergarten teacher at Ayers. I see him in a new independent light now but hope he still wants me to read to him for a long time to come :). Oh and yes, there have been more deep questions...how long has the earth been here, why do numbers keep going (how DO you explain infinity to a 5 year old?!?) and how did the earth get made? Which led me somehow into trying to explain the infinity of space...

And not so bliss...Lucas has developed a couple pretty intense fears. One oddly enough is to bathroom stalls. For some reason the last couple times I have had to take him in with me he just starts screaming and crying and trying to get me to get him out. I am not sure of the trigger as he has not been affected by loud noises (1st time I turned on our vacuum he tried to ride it) or small spaces (goes into dark closets here and everywhere all the time). Needless to say I will be waiting to use the facilities wherever possible. Another though is very understandable...last week he was in the basement with Paul and decided to see what the red switch on the wet/dry vac did. The vac was still plugged in. Yup...loud, loud, loud noise. Paul said he literally jumped back 2 feet and then fell onto some other noise-producing item. He cried so hard he was shaking. When I later took him into the basement to change laundry he was fine until he saw the wet/dry vac......Poor kiddo.

Laura

Two little monkeys

OK so I'm not posting as soon as I would have liked after my last, but hey at least it hasn't been a month :). I guess I thought a couple weeks ago that once the holidays were over life would get back to normal. But I think I was deluded in thinking what normal was. Normal is kinda crazy around here and the pace seems just as hectic as before the holidays. At times I don't think we're doing that much but then once I add up work (albeit part time but still), school for ALL the boys including DH in 2 classes this semester, Alexander's swim class, Lucas' gym class, Early Intervention, DH teaching Sunday school and leading Youth Group, organizing a couple projects for our church, organizing a local green group (a Transition Initiative), attending PTO meetings, adoption group, baking it seems daily for some event or another, etc, I guess I shouldn't wonder why we're a little busy.

My two little monkeys are doing great. My banana-loving Alexander is really growing up. He is asking some really deep questions...today's was 'how did the 1st person ever get born'. Wow. So I tried to explain evolution in 5 year old terms...kinda hard! But he seemed to think descending from apes was pretty cool. (Technically from a common ancester with apes but too much info). And then he went from that to how do starfish eat..... I knew it was something unusual but couldn't remember and had to look it up. Did you know they turn their stomachs inside out through their mouths and digest their prey?? Yup, find your fun Kindergarten facts right here folks.

Alexander is also doing fabulously in school...I'm surprised daily at his math skills, the words he's able to read and his handwriting is beautiful. I for sure didn't have such nice handwriting at age 5.5. Go Ayers! His K teacher is awesome and doesn't take too much nonsense. Not that Alexander gets into too much trouble...he has always been very obedient in school...the 'worst' so far this year is that we got a note home from his teacher saying he needed to be a bit faster with getting in and out of his snow gear. A little practice and all's been good.

Now the other little monkey will be a different story...I can tell already. He is a true monkey...he is into and ONto everything. Should have named him George (as in curious george). He hasn't met a surface in our house that he hasn't attempted to get on. Luckily bookshelves don't seem to interest him...yet. And with Alexander, if you raised your voice even slightly, he'd listen. Lucas I think has already mastered selective hearing. And the times I have used my stern voice he doesn't seem phased in the least. I think he'll be experiencing a lot of lap-time once he's 2...

Lucas' determination and curiosity have paid off though in some ways. We had our 6-month evaluation for Early Intervention and he went from testing at a 10mo level for speech to 24mo in just 6 short months! Most other areas improved significantly including...you guessed it...gross motor at 27 mo (I could of told you that!) There's one area that didn't progress as well so we're going to continue services for a few more months.

And one other item of note....to date we haven't left Lucas with anyone except for his teachers at school. At church one of us has stayed with him in the nursery and, well, there haven't been any dates for Paul and I. Earlier today we went to a function at our church where they had babysitting and thought why not. I told Lucas I was going upstairs but would be right back. He started his usual clingy monkey routine complete with the whines. Didn't look promising but then I saw a bowl of snacks and sat him next to it. He loves his snacks! Next thing I knew I was heading upstairs and he was fine the whole time! Who knew I just need to leave some snacks....maybe there is a date in our near future!

Laura

Christmas squared

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Haha - yes, I know I am QUITE behind the ball here. I usually don't do resolutions but I think I will make it a goal to blog a bit more frequently :).

It feels like the Christmas season started Thanksgiving weekend and didn't stop until yesterday. Between the decorating of the house, holiday parties, school events, church events, making (and some shopping) for gifts, baking, Dec 25th Christmas, New Year's and then Russian Christmas, it's been literally non-stop. But even though it seemed to race by, we had a wonderful holiday...made extra special this year with the inclusion of little Lucas. The joy on his face seeing the lighted tree, opening his Ernie doll on Christmas morning, staying up late (9:30!) on NYE and playing with his cousins this past weekend was priceless. Alexander had a blast as well - being the 'big' boy and helping decorate with the 'nice' ornaments, staying up late (11:30!) on NYE, several playdates during the break, and mostly living for his next frosted sugar cookie.

We celebrated on Dec 25th and then with my (Laura's) family for Russian Christmas (Jan 6/7). I grew up Russian Orthodox and even though I don't practice the faith anymore, many of my family members do and it's just ingrained as part of my life and, of course, our boys lives. It's great to be able to pass on a tradition that is very meaningful for them and as they get older to have a springboard for deeper conversations.

I'll post more on the boys soon (I swear)!

Laura

Christmas morning...Ernie..I love you...

Alexander and friend Mia as Spider..er...people...

Russian Christmas dinner

A portion of the family...

Six months loved

Six months ago today Lucas awoke at 3am to begin the day-long journey of leaving his birth country and flying to his new forever home in the US.

Every moment of that day is still very clear in my memory...from not sleeping at all the night before; the eerily quiet and traffic-free trip in the pre-dawn from our Moscow apartment to the airport; nearly passing out when the ticket agent said we did not have a correct passport for Lucas and waiting for the customs official to slowly review all the adoption paperwork and deem it allowable for us to go; being teary-eyed as the plane lifted off the ground (teary-eyed now too); eagerly awaiting any service on the plane, not because we were hungry but to provide new 'toys' to occupy a 15-mo old; holding Lucas close as the plane touched down in Boston and he officially became a US citizen; being wonderfully welcomed by friends and family; watching the sweet first meeting of Alexander and his new brother; and finally arriving HOME!

I really can't believe it's been 6 months. In some ways it feels so much longer...hasn't he always been here? And in others we are still doing the dance of becoming a family of 4. Although it seems Lucas has always had an easy-going, go-with-the-flow and calm personality, there is an amazing and definite difference from 6 months ago. Of course, he is older and bigger! 21 months now and has grown 2 1/2 inches and gained almost 6 lbs. But he is also much, much more expressive - both when happy and not! Before he wouldn't make a peep...rarely did he fuss (except for obvious ouchies and going to sleep). Now, he is quite insistent when he wants something and we are really working on losing the 3rd language he's picked up - whining. He laughs so much more easily and frequently now...sometimes I'll catch him sitting on the floor with a toy cracking himself up. His language has also exploded recently..he's using 2 words together now and picking up new words almost immediately. In the past week he has also started saying his name and really recognizing himself in pictures. He pulls on our legs and says 'come' when he wants to show us something...and he turns his head to make sure we're immediately following him! He's a cheeky one too...he has definitely learned to put on his charms and bat his eyes when he wants something and has mastered the fake cry and scrunched up face since he knows the real stuff usually has me hooked.

As far as attachment, he's exactly where he should be. He knows we're his parents, comes to us for comfort and loves, hesitant with strangers, etc. These have been there for a while but what has changed in the past month or so is that he has definitely relaxed into this...no longer does he struggle or cry at bedtime...he's content most of the time to snuggle and rock for a while...wants to be picked up more than let down and is always seeking us out to play and read whereas before he seemed to be a bit more comfortable to play on his own. Which has made dinner preparation in the past few weeks literally impossible unless he's in the ergo on my back! And speaking of reading, I am thrilled to say he is finally sitting through a short book now AND asking to have it read over and over again!! For the longest time he would just flip through the pages and look at pictures but not really interested in the words...but now I can't even count the number of times I've already read "Moo, Baa, Lalala". "Barnyard Dance" is a close second :).

Alexander is still adjusting...it's been a huge change for him...but now that Lucas is communicating more I am starting to see a difference in their relationship. Alexander can ask Lucas something and he'll do it (uh oh huh?) and they love running and chasing after each other.

I can't even begin to imagine what changes and growth the next 6 months will bring and I can only wish that the time passes slower than the last 6. We love you Lucas and so thrilled that you are part of our family!

On the plane leaving Moscow....

Landing in Boston...
And now...