Things are getting easier!

Well things with Andrew have been getting much easier. Wait!!! Did I just say things are getting easier! I never thought the day would come. First of all Andrew has been taking his one nap for longer then when we first switched to one nap. He use to only sleep one hour for me, and now he is sleeping anywhere from 2-2 1/2. Awesome!!!!! He also has been sleeping 9-10 hours strait without waking up at night. I also recently started making him go to sleep on his own and overall he is doing great with that. I have to admit that I have enjoyed rocking him to sleep every night, but the time has come that, that is no longer working, and he needs to learn how to fall asleep on his own. I have seen him trying to get out of his crib and as soon as he grows a little taller he will be getting out, and I need him more use to being in his bed alone and falling asleep. The thought of a bed in his room makes me want to cry. Part of me is excited that he is growing up but the other part wants him to stay my little baby. Then Andrew has been getting better about playing on his own some. Just the other day he allowed me to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes and he never bothered me once. I guess there are no more excuses of not using the treadmill.


We have been still dealing with some issues from the RSV virus that Andrew had. I continue to give him a breathing treatment everyday to prevent the breathing issue from coming back. The Dr. suggested doing it for a year. I'm going to keep him on it for a month and see where he is at with things. I am also looking for a different pediatrian's office because I haven't been happy with his current office. The problem is there is 5-6 doctors in this office and everytime my son is sick he sees a different doctor. Also, none of the doctors have taken the time to learn anything about my son, and to them he is another patient in and another patient out. I feel when you adopt there are some different and special issues that you need to be aware of and I feel it takes a special Dr. to feel those requirements.







We had Andrew's one year follow up since he has been home with the other doctors office yesterday (this is the peditrician's office that deals with adopted children and their issues and not Andrew's regular pediatrician). There is a specialist who spent an hour checking his develpment and she wrote down some expectations she had for Andrew before we got there, and he surpassed all of them. He is right on target for everything aside of his speech of course, but she felt he was at a 18 month level for that, and that was much higher then I thought it would be. That means Andrew is only 3 months behind on that, and he honestly wasn't saying much until October, so you can see how far he is jumping to close the gap. Also Andrew was ahead about 3 months on some of his other skills. That made me feel great. Then we saw the psychologist, and basically at this point we just got to start treating Andrew like a regular little boy. He has surpassed all of his adoptive issues, but that doesn't mean something may not arise in the future, but for now, Andrew is a happy adjusted little boy. Then we saw the pediatrician, and the outcome of that was, we have adressed all of the health issues since Andrew has been home and there isn't much more we need to do. We do need to follow up in February with another echo for his VSD to make sure the whole has started closing up. I guess we will continue to do that every year until the whole is completely closed. I'm hoping that it is completely closed now, because when anyone listens to his heart they can't hear a murmer any more. The other thing we will need to follow up with from time to time until Andrew is caught up verbally is the craniofacial team. They are keeping an eye on the gap in the back of his pallet, but for now there is nothing they can do for him but wait to see what happens once he is talking. The outcome on Andrew has met and surpassed my expectations in every way. Andrew is a fighter, and there isn't anything that seems to hold him back. I'm just sad because he will have no need to go back to this office anymore, unless he starts having some adoption issues, so that is why I need to now find the perfect Dr. to take on all of his issues and not just when he is sick.

Our Little Guitar Hereo !

Andrew has loved playing with his guitar since he got it. Infact, when he first got it, he knew exactly how to put it on, hold it, and play it. He cracks me up! Here is a personal concert by Andrew!

The Little Piano Man!

I heard someone playing piano the other day, so I went into the next room and to my surprise Andrew learned how to get up on the piano bench and was playing. What is amazing about it was that Andrew was playing and not banging. I think he may have a future in music.

Andrew's Gotcha Day Party!

What a wonderful day we had with Andrew. I know he will have no memory of it, but we will have the pictures and the stories to tell him about his celebration of being home for one year with his forever family. The day before Andrew's party we took him to McDonalds play area to play. It is the first time Megan has ever taken him up in there to play. When he got up there and I called his name he looked down at me and started to cry. I think he thought they were leaving me, and he didn't like that feeling. Then Alisha went up there with him and he was fine. I'm glad we had a practice run of a play area because his gotcha party was at the Amazone, which has a play area 4 times as big as the play area at McDonalds. When we first got there with him, he was ready to take off and play. We were there before any one else, and then Grandma and Grandpa Johnson got there and Andrew was so excited. Then more and more people kept coming and then Andrew looked puzzled as to why everyone he knew was at this big place where he was playing and having fun. He is use to get togethers of family and friends being at someone's house. Andrew had a smile on his face most of the night, and I can't wait one day to tell him all about it.

Let's get this party started!

And I'm off to play! I'll see you later mom!



This place is so much fun! I love it!

Wow that is a fun slide! I'm finally getting big enough where I can go down them now!

I love how the video games light up, even though I didn't get any tokens to play any of them. Thanks for taking me around to see them Alisha!

Wow what are you doing here Kylee? I'm so glad you came, were going to have so much fun!

Why is everyone wearing white vest?

I love playing with mommy up here!

Hi Lanny! I'll come down here to your level.

It looks like you girls are having fun!

Hey there, we're just hanging out watching Alisha and Sarah do the dance game!

Time for cake!

What a difference a year makes!

Finally, daddy gives me some cake to eat!

Wow, that play area must of tired you out!

Our day was so crazy yesterday that we didn't even get a moment to take a picture of Andrew and give him his book that I made him, so I had Megan take some pictures before church today!

Here is the book that I had made for Andrew. If anyone is ever over the house, I'll always have the book sitting out so I can read it to Andrew, so feel free to take a look at it.

My Megan on Americas Funniest Home Video!

I wanted to write a quick post to let any one know who sees this before tomorrow evening that my Megan will be on America's Funniest Home Video, on Sunday night Jan. 4 on ABC. Depending on where you live you will need to check your local listings for the time. Here in Ohio it is on at 7pm. It is a video of Megan getting excited and falling after opening her American Girl Doll last Christmas. The funniest part of it to us, is when her sister Alisha was laughing so hard she can hardly breathe, meanwhile Megan was screaming. They may edit all of it out except the part where she falls. Last year this happened a week before we left to go get Andrew. There was one point on our trip when we were in Kazakhstan bored out of our minds, being trapped in our hotel room, with no television, but one channel, and Cain and I just laid on the bed and started imagining this video wishing we had it, then we just started laughing our butts off. It's a keepsake that's for sure!! Megan I'm just glad you are all right from your fall, and we can all laugh at your expense now.

Andrew's Gotcha Day!

A year ago today we got our sweet little Andrew at the Bishkek Orphanage in Kyrgyzstan!

I have included a few pictures here, but check out the video above to see all the changes Andrew has made in a year. It blows my mind how much he has grown and changed! The journey of adoption has been the most humbling, and life changing experience of my life. I'm thankful God placed it on my heart to make a difference in this little guys life. What I didn't know was how much of a difference he was going to make in mine. Some how Andrew has already thanked us for all we did with just his sweet little kisses, hugs, and his perfect little smile. He has turned into one of the happiest little boys I have ever met, and I hope I can always be enough for him!

My First pictures with Andrew. You can tell in the photos how withdrawn and sad he looked!

First picture with Daddy!

Our first picture together back at the hotel!

One year later!

Today we are planning a small get together with family and friends to make this a special day for Andrew. I feel like we never got to celebrate when we got home last year because we wanted the bonding to take place and we didn't want to take Andrew out around lots of people. I will post picture of Andrew's special day later. I do want to do something special for Andrew's gotcha day every year, and this year I decided to write Andrew a story book of his adoption story. I wrote it in a fairy tale way where it would be easy for him to understand. I want to read it to him all the time, and I'm hoping that will help him not have a dramatic experience of when we tell him he is adopted. It has pictures of him and us in it, and that should help him understand. Below is a letter to Andrew. I know he can't read, but one day he will be reading these blog post and I want him to know how I felt when we got him and how I feel today.

My Dearest Andrew,

One year ago today you were placed into our arms as our son. It was the first time we even saw you, and legally on paper you were already ours. No words can describe the feelings I had that day. I was so in love with you before I even met you, but for some reason the feelings were different when they placed you into my arms, then what I thought they would be. I was scared to death when we got you, and you were so much smaller then I ever imagined (you weighed 12 lbs. at nine months old). They gave me your measurements, but the pictures we had always made you seem so much bigger. The thing that was the most shocking was how sick you were. I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to give you what you needed, but God provided everything we needed even in Kyrgyzstan. I will tell you that story one day also.

For some reason I didn't cry when I got you, and I ask myself why all the time? Before we got you or even had the referral of you I would sit in your room, and pray over you and just cry for you. In fact, I would cry of just the thought of you before we got you, but when you were right there in my arms, I think I was just so nervous, tired, overwhelmed, scared, and excited that the tears didn't come. Trust me I have cried of happiness many more times then I want to count since that day.

I will never forget my first day with you, because I kept thinking, when is this little boys mom coming to get him, and then I would remind myself that I was your mom. I think you were also ready for me to take you back to the orphanage after the first couple of hours. Somehow, and someway the bond since then has grown much more then I ever dreamed it could between us. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for you. The thing that has made the biggest impression on me that someone told me was that "God trusted your Dad and I enough to give you to us". That helps me overcome any obstacle we may have, because I know God choose me to be your mom, and there isn't one doubt in my mind that you are not suppose to be with our family.

I will never be able to tell you about your parents because we know nothing about them, but I do know, that if you one day choose to have a personal relationship with God, that will be all the family you will need. God will be the one who will get you through the questionable times, and of course I will be hear to support you through everything as well. This has been the most amazing year with you Andrew, and I can't believe the things you have overcome in it. You are on target with all your development aside of your speech, and that you have been making great strides to catch up with since your surgery in October. I will never forget the first time I read your medical reports when we received you as a referral. Your dad and I thought they made you sound almost dead, but instead you are the most alive little boy I have ever met. I love you Andrew more then words can say. I look forward to what life will bring you, because you deserve only the best. You are a wonderful, loving, fun, little boy, and I'm glad I get to be your mom.

With all my love,

Mom

Happy New Year!

What a great time we had at our friends house Bob and Susan! We have spent new years with them for at least the last 7 or 8 years, except of course last year because we were picking up Andrew. We got some great pictures of some of the couples at our 80's themed party, even if you don't know these people it will take you back to that time, and it's good for a laugh. Andrew did awesome last night. I put him to bed in his pack and play at our friends house and we stayed until about 12:30 in the morning. We then put him in the car and I put him back to bed when I got home. It took a little bit to get him to sleep both times, but he did great and slept the rest of the night for us. It's a wander he was able to sleep at the party because I counted up to 30 kids there. Yikes!

Andrew with a wig on that we borrowed from our neighbors house!

Even my Megan played along with the 80's theme and found something to wear. She picked this outfit out by herself. Good job Megan!

The whole family but Alisha, but don't we look groovy. Alisha had other plans for new years! I guess hanging out with mom and dad for new years isn't cool when you are 17.

Our gracious host and hostess! Thanks guys it was a lot of fun.

Andrew, I can't wait to spend a new year with you!