Monday, June 6, 2011

GOTCHA DAY!

Just arrived in Moscow on the overnight train and have a very short time to blog. Gotcha Day was crazy! I will tell the story later...we had some hiccups in our plans after we got Kirill. Nothing major, but had to chase papers in Pskov and do a lot of running around!

We are getting ready to go to the U.S. Embassy for Kirill's visa. The doctor just came to examine him in our hotel. He is extremely malnourished. The doctor was very concerned about how thin he is, but said otherwise he looks ok. He could not hear any issues with his heart by listening, but said we needed to get him to a cardiologist as soon as possible to make sure that the hole in his heart has closed on its own.

After bath in the hotel room
Gotcha!
So you're my daddy?

Enough with the camera already! I'm trying to eat!!!

He is eating very well though. He LOVES bananas and pretty much any food! He doesn't like to drink much. We have tried every kind of cup and liquid we can think of. This is worrying me a little. I know he is dehydrated because he doesn't pee very often. He only had one wet diaper all day yesterday.

Ok, I've got to run. Please pray for our precious Kirill. He is going to need so much. We are so thankful we got him out of the orphanage when we did. We cannot wait to get him home and fatten him up.

35 comments:

  1. Praying...and praising God with y'all!

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  2. Don't worry too much about the drinking right now--continue to offer a variety of drinks in whatever cups you have. When you get home, you can have an OT assess for oral motor issues. He will learn to drink!

    Kathy Sue

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  3. God bless you!! I am so happy you have your son with you now. Please know that you and your family are prayed for.
    I am excited to see how our Father works in Kirill's life.

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  4. I've been following your story for a while, and I'm so glad that Kirill is finally safe with his Mama and Daddy.

    If you have access to melon, berries, apples or grapes, try offering him those. They have high water content and might help hydrate him some.

    My "ace in the hole" kiddo rehydration tools are shaved or crushed ice, popscicles and jello. Even when my kids are miserably sick, I can manage to get those into them.

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  5. oh that's the post we have all been waiting for! krill welcome home, your mummy and daddy are awesome! xxx

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  6. Wow this is wonderful! Soooo happy for you all. I pray that he fattens us quickly for you.

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  7. How exciting to finally see him with you. Congratulations!

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  8. Thank you Jesus! So very happy for you all!
    ~Amy

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  9. Congratulations! We adopted our daughter from Eastern Europe and in her orphanage they didn't give the kids drinks, only diluted, pureed food. She didn't know what to do with something that was pure fluid, but caught on pretty quickly. Praying the rest of your time is uneventful!

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  10. Praise God! Happy Gotcha Day, Kirill!

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  11. You made my entire morning!! I have been one of your silent followers and we have prayed so much for you, but couldn't stay silent anymore. :) We have been waiting to see him in your arms for so long! Makes us so anxious for our own gotcha day with "Brandon"

    Blessings,
    Sara

    (PS Does he like watermelon? He can chew it but it is full of liquid.)

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  12. I got so excited I tried to comment and then somehow erased it! :) I am one of your silent no more followers. We have prayed so much for your family and are overjoyed that your baby is finally in your arms! Your gotcha video makes me long for our own day with "Brandon"


    Blessings,

    Sara

    (PS Does he like watermelon? He can chew it but it is full of liquid.)

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  13. Now that's what I've been waiting to see!! That sweet boy in your arms! Praise God! ...safe travels home.

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  14. Happy, happy day! Rejoicing with everyone else, and praying for a safe trip HOME! (Oh, I just want to squeeze him. I know he's getting plenty of that, though!) God bless.

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  15. So happy for you. I know you said everything but did you try warm tea with a ton of sugar. Not very hydrating but it is something. My guy would only drink this at first. After about 3 days I bought some local milk and apple juice and he drank half of each bottle in one sitting.

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  16. What an adorable little guy! I'm overhwelmed with joy for you!!!

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  17. LOVE the pics. Get with a good Occupational therapist to work on the drinking if it doesn't improve after you travel home. Will he do Popsicles maybe?

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  18. He is incredible!!! Precious!!! Beautiful!!! So excited for you all, thank you, so very much for taking us along on this journey with you! What a blessing!

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  19. Wonderful, blessed news! I'm so happy for all of you. :)

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  20. Congratulations! Hope everything goes well at the Embassy - it's a crazy place!!! I wouldn't worry too much about liquids at this point - at least he's eating well.....that's great news! Did the orphanage give you a list of what he's used to eating/drinking? I know we were given a list of our son's daily "activities" and meals and the schedule he was used to. Our orphanage used apple juice in bottles - no sippy cups....we had to teach him how to do that. I'm sure he'll catch on to everything just fine!!!

    Congratulations and enjoy your sweet boy!!!

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  21. CONGRATULATIONS again. I can feel the love and joy right through the photos!!
    (Regarding the drinking..my nephew who has Down Syndrome, was on the bottle for a really long time.... and then finally switched to a sippy w/a very flexible spout.)
    GOOD LUCK!! and SAFE TRAVELS!!

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  22. Praying and so joyous that he is in your arms!!!

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  23. We had the same situation with not drinking. We finally had luck with a bottle and cut a larger hole in the nipple. She then started drinking- not alot, but more. I am a speech pathologist as well and I feel this helped her oral muscles immensely having to suck from the bottle. It was also great for attachment.Just my two cents. So happy for you! So grateful to God for you!

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  24. Our daughter wouldn't drink either and I think its just because she wasn't used to it! Have you tried a straw? That or just a very small cup so it doesn't look overwhelming are the two things i've done. She loves juice boxes (I think cause of the straw) she just can't suck enough out of a sippy cup.

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  25. I am so thankful you finally got him ! We adopted our son from the Ukraine and he didn't want to drink much either at first. But now he is doing great and so will Krill!

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  26. we are happy for you guys...try watermelon if you can get it. Or any melon for that matter. The water content is so high he will be getting liquids that way!

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  27. Woohoo! It is so good to see him with you. Congratulations!

    Praying he starts drinking more.

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  28. Yay! Tears of joy streaming down my face just seeing that precious little face, knowing he is with his family now! Such a beautiful boy! --Alicia & Wyatt

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  29. He is just too sweet! So happy he's coming home!

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  30. OH I am just so excited for everyone!

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  31. I was going to suggest Sheryl's "ace in the hole" ideas for hydration. Jello works for us every time. Slushies are also a winner. And once you get to America, Gatorade/Powerade might really help. I don't know if there is Sonic where you live but they have Powerade slushies! That's our go-to place for drinks when the kiddos are sick.

    I am just so glad you're on your way home! He won't lack for food anymore! And with food and LOVE he won't be thin very long either! I can't wait to watch him blossom!

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  32. When we first brought our son home from Ukraine, he would only drink room temperature to warm liquid. This included his water and milk. We had to boil his milk and then let it cool in front of him. It was like he was trained to wait for the milk to cool down in order to drink it at the end of his meal. After a while we slowly introduced cold drinks to him. He wouldn't drink out of a child sippy cup either. He was used to drinking from a cup with a handle, like a coffee mug. We encouraged him with the sippy cup and one day he just got it. These things will come in time. Congrats to your family!! I've been following your story and I'm so glad to see he is finally in your arms forever!

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  33. I love his wave! Praying for your adjustment period and that his needs are identified and addressed in a timely manner! You are doing great! God bless!

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  34. Sent you a fb message about him not drinking, Liam did the same thing, but he was aspirating thin liquids so you just have to rule that out for peace of mind. :)

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