Growing up.....

Hi! It's been busy week, and I've been fighting a yucky cold, which I'm happy to say is almost over. I haven't posted on Harry's progress, as Aunt Pat has started a blog of her own to keep everyone posted: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QDh_BeUherK6jFS17r5J Please feel free to visit the blog to keep up with their progress, and thank you to all of our friends who are praying with us!

It has been an emotional morning for me. I hadn't expected such nostalgia to hit me when we turned the crib into a toddler bed today! I would like to keep him in the crib forever, but it was getting a little crowded that way. And since he's almost two, it's time for him to start learning how to stay in his own bed. He has shown in recent days that he fully understands most simple instructions and is able to recognize what we require of him. We decided that he is up to the task and that the time has come. (sniff-sniff).

As an example of his understanding of rules: The other day, he had apple juice from Sonic that was in a cup with a lid and straw. Because he wouldn't let me put it in a sippy cup, I told him he had to keep it in the kitchen, on the tile floor and couldn't cross onto the living room carpet. He walked right to the edge of the carpet and started creeping his toes to the very edge and looking back at me, testing to see exactly where the line was. Once I said no, he figured that out immediately. So he then set down the cup, walked over and started inching toward the line again to see if he had to stay because he was holding the cup or if I just expected him to stay in the kitchen, period. It was such fun to watch him testing the waters, trying to discover exactly what I intended and why!

The Christmas decorations are all up. Garin is enjoying the music of the season as much as we do, and this Christmas promises all the joy and fun that toddlers bring to the celebration of Christ's birthday! Garin finds the candy canes adorning the tree to be irresistable. He has eaten more than a couple and comes out of each experience and sticky as flypaper, head to toe, but boy he is having fun!

We got our official letter from Buckner today, saying, "We understand and support your ideal preference of adopting the sibling group of K and D as long as they remain available for adoption in Russia." Feels good to see it in writing! Of course, the journey is far from over, but one small step after another...

Blessings to you all!