TB check and tubes next

Maddux has been doing well, he is fighting a cold now.
We tested him for TB, wanted to make sure he didn't have, and was not a carrier.
Went today and all looks good, we were glad.

Maddux has had ear infections since he has gotten home so Dr. recommended tubes. He gets them next week. They think it will help with picking up more words too. His hearing was tested and all is well. They said he probably hears muffled, it would be similar to us wearing earplugs at night.

We went ahead and Maddux circumcised the other day, it all went well. Day 1 was hard but after that he just cried when his diaper was changed. But that is nothing new, he hates his diaper being changed!!

Will post some recent pics!

Jenny

Baptism

Maddux was baptised on Sunday. It was a nice day and after the ceremony we had a lunch at our house.
We took pics with Mark and Andrea, his Godparents, the day before and they came out super cute. I can't wait to get them back.
Maddux looked very cute in his white suit!

In other news, had his 18 month appt the other day. He has grown some, now in 25% in height. His weight is still low, only in 5% but he has gained some. Dr. said he is just tall and skinny! He has another ear infection so think he will need tubes, we find that out 3-3.

Maddux has his surgery for his circumcision on Monday. Hope that goes well!

I go back to work soon, we found a daycare we really like. We think it will be good for Maddux to be around some younger kids again.

Posting some pics from the baptism...

Jenny

Snow Days!

We have had a lot of snow here in NE lately. I am wondering why we don't live somewhere warm! At this point I am dreaming of a beach vacation somewhere and waiting for spring!

Maddux has been doing good. He had to go in last week to get his hearing tested. He has had ear infections, in Russia, and then constant since we have gotten home. He hasn't learned that many words. He says, Momma, Dadda, sometimes Nana and that is about it. So our Dr. wanted to get his hearing tested just to make sure everything was ok. We went Friday and he passed his hearing tests so that is good. Turns out he may just be ignoring us when we call his name. Ha. He did have some fluid still in his ears so he goes back in a month and if it's not cleared up he will have to get tubes. I hear that is no big thing, my cousins had them, so if he needs them it will be ok.

Maddux's baptism is next weekend so preparing for that. We chose Mark and Andrea to be his Godparents so we are excited they are coming back and it should be a fun day.

I am still not working so Maddux and I get to spend a lot of time together during the day. We have looked at a few daycares and have one we like when I am ready to go back. I have started kind of looking, but taking it slow. We will see what happens. I have a few leads, just need one of them to pan out...

Posting a few pics of Maddux in the snow!! I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it yet.

Jenny

Goodbye Grandma Barbie

My Granny, as I always called her, passed away last week. She was 93, she lived a good, long life but it's always sad to say goodbye. I am very glad Maddux got to meet her a few times. We never did get a good picture of them, but have a few that came out ok which I will post.

I have so many good memories of my Grandma, I was very close to her growing up. I loved going to my GM and GP house when I was young. She would give me big bottles of Pepsi. I claim now that she started my Diet Pepsi addiction! :) She was the best cook too, no one can make cheese roll like she could (although Terri has almost mastered it). She had the best stew, gravy, and baked goods! I will always remember our family holidays and all of the food and all of the family gathered together.
I remember staying up late and watching tv when GP would go to bed. One night the movie "What's Up Doc" played and we laughed until we cried. I have a poster downstairs of that movie, it's a nice memory. And of course there were the yearly festivals! She lived right across the street from the church so we would stay all day and go back and forth. What fun times!
In later years we would go to KFC for lunch and I would stay over. GM was always there to talk too and would pray for me in my tough times. She would cry with me when I was sad or upset. She will be missed greatly but I still have all of my memories and know we will see each other again. I take comfort that she is now with my GP and George and my father. And I hope they are having a good time up there, laughing and doing things they couldn't at the end here on earth!

Goodbye for now Granny, until we meet again...

Jenny

Maddux update!

Jenny and I have been meaning to get on here and update everyone, but with Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas season, it's been hard. I have a little time tonight before Maddux and I settle in to watch the Jayhawks play while Jenny is out with her family at a Tastefully something party. I guess it's like Pampered Chef? Either way it was good for her to get out of the house, and good for the boy and I to have some bonding time watching college basketball. He is, after all, going to play for the Jayhawks someday! :)

Maddux is doing better than we both expected. He's so much like us it's almost hard to believe. He loves to eat, he loves to sleep. When he gets bored he wants to get out and go shopping. He love his Little Tikes basketball hoop that his Uncle Dan and Aunt Stephanie got for him. His best friend is Solly, our cocker spaniel puppy. He can do ANYTHING to that dog and it doesn't bother Solly one bit. I have a feeling they will grow up together and become even more close. Physically he's doing well. He lost a little weight at first, like a pound, but seems to have gained it back. Might be all the McDonald's fries or donuts that he eats?! He knows I'm "da da", and we are trying to teach him "ma ma". No luck yet though. Rylee and Scarlett, his half sisters, adore him. The bonded the first day they were here with him. They were here with us over Thanksgiving and were a HUGE help. They played with him pretty much the whole time. The antibiotics worked for the ear infection. Now he has a cold that's been lingering for a few days. I expect that to be pretty normal though. I remember Scarlett having colds all the time. He has another dr appointment next week, just a check up with a few more immunizations. I'm sure he'll love that!

All in all, it's been great. I've loved him since the day we met him back in July, and can't believe that he's home with us now. It's like he's been here all along. Jenny and I got lucky...amazingly lucky. I look at this little bugger and wonder who the hell wouldn't want him!? He's perfect. He's the son I always wanted and never thought I would have. I said it before and I'll say it again. If you are in the process and frustrated, do not give up. I was there, it's hard, I know. But there is a reward at the end more special than you can possibly imagine. Stay strong!

We'll probably update again around Christmas. Santa pictures to come!

Rich

Home Sweet Home

We have been home for almost a month now, it's been so good to be home!

Maddux is doing well, adjusting great. He is a wonderful sleeper, got to love that!
He normally sleeps 12-13 hours a night and then takes at least a 2 hour nap during the day. He is a great eater also. His favorite foods are doughnuts, chicken nuggets and pizza. He LOVES fries, those are probably his favorite.

The only issue we really are having is he likes to bite. He must of picked that up at the orphanage. We have struggled with it some, we had kids over at Thanksgiving and he kept going to bite if they were playing with his toys and stuff.
We just put him in his crib for a few min and he hates it, hopefully that will solve the problem soon...

We were at the mall today and went to see Santa, it was unplanned but no lines. He didn't really know what to think of him. We will have to take him back when he is dressed up and hopefully get him to smile so we can get some pics!

Attaching some updated photos!

Jenny

Heading home!

Tomorrow will be 30 days in Russia, and our journey back home begins. At 8 am young Vladimir picks us up and takes us to the airport. From there we we fly to Washington DC, then to Chicago, then finally to Omaha. I think it's kinda of fitting that all the paperwork for Maddux was done here in Moscow, and then we fly into Washington DC. Although we are only there for an hour and a half...hopefully enough time to clear customs and such. We got all the paperwork today and packed most everything, we think. I'm sure there is something we are forgetting. I guess we'll find it in the morning?

Thank you to everyone that followed our little story. It felt good to write down my thoughts as the process went on. I hope that we helped future adoptive couples with our advice, insights, and direction. Russia is an amazing place, but it takes some getting use to. I'd like to come back some day, with Maddux. Show him where we were, walk the same streets we walked as we waited for him. Take him to the places that he's only seen in the pictures.

So if you are in the process of adopting, good luck and keep the faith. It might seem like it'll never end or the light at the end of the tunnel never gets closer. Trust me, as a former doubter, it will. The reward in the end is more special than anything in the world!

Rich

The Kremlin and Lenin's Tomb

Today we visited the Kremlin and Lenin's Tomb. They wouldn't let us take our cameras in, but it was totally worth the experience. You enter on the far end of Red Square and walk down the wall. There are a number of black and gold plaques on the wall memorializing cosmonauts and scientists that died. Vladimir, our driver told us that many cosmonauts died because their "space program wasn't that successful". I thought his comment was funny or sarcastic...he didn't. As you enter the tomb, there are guards at every turn. Each one of them direct you either around a corner or down the stairs. The tomb itself is amazing. Lennin looks like he's made of wax. It's very quiet, very respectful. When you leave, you proceed down a row of former Soviet leaders memorials, with Stalin being the next to last. It was a crazy, amazing experience that I thought I would never have in my life. Thank you Jenny and Maddux! It was like I was in high school studying soviet history all over again. I'll remember today for the rest of my life. No way in a million years did I ever dream I'd be there.

After that we went to the Kremlin. It's like a little city. Vladimir said that Stalin wanted to build a tram from one end to the other, but died before he could make it happen. Walking from one end to the other took a little while, but was totally worth the trip. The churches there amazing works of architecture and more amazing on the inside. It's worth the 350 rubles a piece to see.

Many people commented before we left that it was "dangerous" or "crazy" for us to come here. I think it's a generation thing. We saw the wall come down. We saw capitalism invide Russia. Jenny and I ate at a McDonalds yesterday in downtown Moscow. McDonald's! The very symbol of the modern western world. The Russia we have experienced is more like America, and nothing like what it once was. I stood in the very spot where Life Magazine in 1969 put the fear of God in the western world. I stood in that spot with my son today and smiled as my wife took our picture. I'd encourage anyone that had the chance to do the same thing. It's something you'll never forget!

Rich

Visa done!

We spent the day at the US Embassy. Nothing like it looks like in the movies by the way. There is no clearly marked front door. There isn't a big US Government seal welcoming us in. No US officials. It's a building just like all the rest of them, drab colored and not remarkable at all. We couldn't take our phones or cameras in, but I'm sure that's pretty normal with any embassy. We made our way to the "adoption" area, which was pretty clearly marked. Aftering paying the $404, we were addressed by a very American sounding woman. She went over a few key points about why we were here and what we should expect when we entered the United States again. Maddux will be a dual citizen at least until he reaches the age of 18. Then he can decide to either renounce one citizenship or the other, or remain both. There is a catch though. If he is still a Russian citizen and he returns to Russia between the ages of 18 to 35, he could be drafted into military service. Then again, that's 17 years in the future, who knows how things might change between now and then.

After the embassy appointment, our driver took us to the Moscow Zoo. It was a nice day, not very cold at all. The zoo is super nice, they have a ton of animals. We really enjoyed the two hours we were there. Maddux seemed to enjoy it too, but fell asleep at the end. No nap today, but he did great.

Yesterday we ventured down to Red Square and paid 300 rubles for what we thought was a museum. Turns out it was some kind of Russian Orthodox trade show/gathering. Lots of stuff for sale, lots of priests talking to old ladies about Orthodox stuff I'd guess? There was this odd, building looking thing in the middle of the floor with a long line to either light a candle or kiss a picture of something on one of the walls. Jenny was very curious, and stood in line. In the end she kissed the picture along with the other people in line. We still have no idea what it was all about. There were a ton of people waiting though.

Tomorrow we're going back to the Kremlin to see if we can find the entrance and do a little sight seeing. Maybe Jenny can find another picture to kiss?

Rich

Almost done...

It's Tuesday morning here in Moscow, and raining again. It's been cold and rainy on and off since we got here. Yesterday we spent some time down in Red Square again. Can't figure out the entrance to the Kremlin though. Maybe tomorrow we'll go down there again and try to get more pictures.

I chose the picture at the top of the page for one reason. Jenny and I waited so long for a child. Most of you all know all the stuff we went through. For a while there, it seemed like it would never happen. It was hard on both of us. Then our turn finally came, and here we are in an amazing city half a world away with our son. I don't know how it could be any more perfect. This entire experience has changed my life.

Today we are heading down to the US Embassy to sign paperwork. I think we get his visa either tomorrow or Thursday. Then, weather permitting, we'll go to the Moscow Zoo.

Rich

TGI Fridays!

Just a few blocks over and a few up from our hotel is something very familiar. TGI Fridays! We've eaten there twice now actually, and the food is very good. Maddux likes grilled cheese and fries. The balloon was a hit too. Moscow is fairly easy to get around as long as you have the map pointing in the right direction! Red Square is only a few minutes from our hotel, and there is a grocery store just around the corner. So far its been a great stay!

Pharmacy Adventures

Today is rainy and kind of cold here.
The Dr. came and evaluated Maddux. He has a perforation in his ear drum. We suspected that due to the fluid coming from it. We asked in Kemerovo and were told to wait until our Dr. visit. We looked it all up on internet and suspected a perforation. It doesn't hurt him now so that is good. He just had an ear infection in the orphanage that wasn't properly taken care of. Anyway he is just on anti-biotics for it and will heal. He also has a cold so was prescribed some nasal sprays and cough meds. Amoxicilin (sp?) and all meds was over the counter here.
Besides that the Dr. said he was a healthy boy! We were glad to hear that!

So we asked where the nearest pharmacy was and told it was close. Well we got lost and kept making our way back to Red Square somehow. Good thing is Red Square is just 5 min from our hotel, it's super close. We just kept wandering for about an hour and finally found a pharmacy (not the one we were looking for, but it worked). Afterwards, we ate at a McDonald's. It was SOOOOOOOO good! Normally I don't eat it but man was it tasty! Maddux loves fries now, at first he wouldn't eat them but that all changed today! He is a big fan!

So we were heading back to hotel and low and behold there was the pharmacy, like 1 min from our hotel. We aren't sure how we missed it and walked right past it!!!!!

It's the holiday's here so people were out and about today...

Loving our hotel!!! Bed is so comfy!

Well that is it for now! Hoping tomorrow is nice so we can go explore!

Jenny

PS posting a pic of Maddux, he is missing NE!!! Of course he got tons of juice on his shirt, but oh well...

Made it to Moscow

Well, we made it to Moscow yesterday, the last leg of our journey. The flight was horrible. Bumpy, uncomfortable, and long. We had to circle Moscow for at least an hour, so our 4.5 hour flight actually took 5.5 hours. Maddux actually did better than us! He was awesome actually, didn't fuss that much at all. We were very proud of him. Once we arrived we waited 1.5 hours for our bags. Our driver was there, waiting patiently though. I figured the drive to the hotel would only be an hour, turns out I was wrong about that! Traffic was HORRIBLE. It took us three hours. There was a point where we traveled about two blocks in a half hour. If I never made that drive again it'll be too soon. Both of us had problems yesterday. My stomach was a mess, and Jenny almost passed out at the Kemerovo airport. It was probably one of the worst traveling days either of us have ever had.

We here though, and the Marriott is awesome. Jenny really scored with this Marriott Visa card and points thing. It was probably one of the best decisions we made during this whole process. The doctor came this morning and gave Maddux the once over. His head is in the 25th percentile, and his height/weight is a bit low but proportinal. He agreed, being at the orphanage is probably to blame for some of that. Otherwise he's a health boy. He wrote us a prescription for his ear drainage and runny nose. We're heading down to find a pharmacy here shortly.

Overall, I think we got lucky with Maddux. He's a great kid. He only gets mad when we miss a meal or don't feed him enough. Kinda like his mom! :)

Rich

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Smith family!

We didn't do much today, just went and got a stroller from Walmartski and ate at Traveler's Cafe.

Thought I would post some pics of today and Maddux in the pumpkin set we got him.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Jenny

First night

Our first night with Maddux went well. He was super good.
We had a little "Gotcha Party" with the other family. We had cake and some gifts so boys had a good time.

The hotel where we are staying in Kemerovo doesn't have a crib or anything for Maddux so we had to sleep with him last night. Well he is a bed hog! :)
I didn't get much sleep. My husband however never seems to have a problem, it's pretty annoying!

I did something to my back yesterday. Well I think it's a combination of sleeping on the springs of the bed, our mattress is beyond terrible, car rides and carrying him. I thought I was going to pass out my back hurt so bad last night, I think I really pulled something. So taking tons of Advil and trying to fix it. Boy am I getting old or what?! We are buying a stroller today, not waiting until tomorrow.

Well posting some pics of the boys sleeping. Yes, Rich can ALWAYS sleep, and I thought I slept a lot! :)

Jenny

Gotcha Day!!!

Gothcha Day is finally here and we are so happy.

We picked up Maddux today around 11:00. We really think he knew he was leaving, he looked kind of sad. He cried when one of his caregivers said "paka paka" to him.

He did wonderful on the car ride home and we took him to Walmartski this afternoon for formula and stuff and he did great there. He is very curious about everything!

Well going to finally post some pics!


We are so happy and he was definitely worth the wait for us!

Jenny

Wheel of Fortune

So here we are on Day 10 and it's so hard for me to believe Maddux will be officially ours tomorrow!

During this 10 day wait I have been thinking a lot about a conversation my Grandfather Stickels and I had years ago. I was waiting to write about it until the end of our 10 day wait. My Grandfather has been gone now for several years but I have never forgotten this story and being here reminded me of it again.

So on my Dad's side of the family I was kind of the 'odd ball' to them. I was in my late 20's and then 30 and wasn't married and had 0 prospects. I never really dated a lot and brought no one around. Almost everyone else on that side of the family married early and had kids. They were from a small town and that is what most of them did. So I got teased a lot, called an "Old Maid" all of the time and would always be asked when I was getting married, why I wasn't etc. My family would do this a lot, but they liked to tease. I knew I was just on a different path. I bought my house all by myself in my 20s, I traveled, I worked hard and took a leap into consulting which really paid off for me. I just wasn't at that stage yet, but the teasing did get to me at times. It bothered me, especially by the time I turned 30 because I would get down about not having anyone special.

Anyway, so one time when we were back in IA my Grandfather could tell all of the teasing was really getting me to that day. I could tell he felt sorry and bad for me so he started to talk to me about it. He said "Jenny you know you remind me of one of those Son's of B's (that is how he talked and it was funny, his style) on that game show your Grandmother watches all of the time, the one where they spin the wheel (yes Wheel of Fortune). He said "you are the sap everyone feels sorry for the whole game. When it's your turn, you always get 'lose a turn' or 'bankrupt'." He said " I always feel so bad for that person and low and behold at the very last minute that person somehow ends up winning the WHOLE DAMN JACKPOT! He/She wins the whole darn thing. He said "that is you, one day you are going to win it all, the whole jackpot".
I have never forgotten that story and wondered if it would be true. I also liked his comparison of life to a Wheel of Fortune show!

Fastforward to now and my gosh my Grandfather was right. I had to wait awhile but in the end I married a great guy who is my best friend and now we are blessed to have a son who I already love so much.

So looks like my Grandfather was right, I ended up winning the whole darn JACKPOT! :)

Jenny

Sushi in Siberia and Day 10!

Today is Day 10! At close of business today the waiting period is up, and hopefully everything continues to go according to plan. We are leaving Saturday morning at 8 am to pick Maddux up from the orphanage. I think we are both a bit nervous, but in the end it will all be worth it.

The other night we went out with Kevin and Denise, the other couple that is here finishing their adoption. There appears to be two Japanese resturants on the main street, and we ate a the better one according to those two. I have to say, even in the places where they don't speak a bit of english, everyone has been very nice to us. The cashier at the Walmartski still scowls at us when we ask for a plastic bag though. Oh well. You can get a long way just pointing at the pictures on the menu!

I'm sure tomorrow we'll have more to say, and pictures of our boy of course! Jenny got a very funny one with his tongue sticking out and looking all goofy. I'll make sure I post that one! He just happens to be wearing a Cubs shirt too...that wasn't an accident. :)

Oh, and a special thanks to Grandma Carole for taking care of our dogs! They are a handful sometimes!

Rich

Days 8 and 9

We are almost there. Saturday still seems like a lifetime from now, hopefully it goes quickly. We're trying to relax as much as possible during these last few days, because once he's with us everything will change.

I wrote something to Maddux back in July, the day we met him. I don't even think Jenny knows about it. I saved it on our netbook so when the time came, I could share it with both of them.

7/22/2010

Maddux,

Today is the first day that I met you. You were just about a week away from your first birthday. I'm kind of lucky, not many fathers get to meet their son on such an adventure. The country in which you were born is very nice. There are many things similar to the United States here, and likewise many differences. As I sit here this morning and wonder how today will go, I can only hope that you and I are starting a wonderful journey together as father and son!

What's strange is you are there at the orphanage now, probably eating breakfast or playing, and you have no idea we are coming. However, your mother and I have dreamed about this moment for a long time now. In about three hours, both of our lives will change forever. I like to think I'm a strong person, but knowing that I get to see you finally has be excited and terrified at the same time. What if you don't like us? What if you want to stay in Russia with your friends at the orphanage. What if you resent us for bringing to you our country. I pray none of these things are true. You are what we have waited for, you are our son.

Your mother is almost out of the shower, and she'll be ready to go eat breakfast soon. I thought it would be nice for you to someday read my thoughts before the day we met. Someday we'll share with you the wonderful journey that brought us together. I love you already Maddux, and always will!

Dad

Day 6 and now 7

We have made it through days 6 and 7!

We didn't do much yesterday, the weather has been really nice here 40s, so higher than usual. So we took a walk near the river and stuff.

We found out yesterday our "Gotcha Day" will be this Saturday the 30th! Yeah!
What a fun Gotcha Day, right before Halloween. Glad we brought a little pumpkin outfit for him.

We went to the orphanage today for our last visit! Maddux REALLY liked the basketball and liked putting the ball in the hoop. I think he may like basketball more than baseball, sorry Rich! :)

Maddux was good though and had fun playing ball with Luke.

We also tried on Maddux's cubs shirt, took some pics of him in it. He looked very cute!~

On the way home we say lots of stray dogs. I couldn't live here, I would try to rescue them all! One of the dogs was a pretty black with white paws and he was in middle of nowhere. He was walking down the road, staying right by the side to avoid traffic, he looked like he was trecking to the next town.... Poor guy. I hope he makes it there and finds a home... :(

Well Saturday is the big day for us! We can't wait!

Jenny