LIFE with LEXIE

I feel so bad that I haven't posted anything on this blog basically since I got back home with Lexie. It has been just a wonderful, exhausting and crazy time adjusting to her in my life. I really can't remember what it was like without her. She is doing so well in every way that I can't begin to express how grateful I am for this sweet, funny, smart, charming little girl.

She just turned 18 months and we celebrated our 6 months of knowing each other on Oct 25. For all the challenges that were involved in the trip to Aktau to get her, it now seems like it wasn't so bad (maybe I need to read the blog again to refresh my memory) and it seems like a very long time ago. Of course, we have only been home a little less than 4 months so I guess it hasn't been all that long. She has really just blossomed and watching her become more confident in herself (and her choices) has just been amazing. The hardest thing for me has been going back to work. I really don't want to go and I try to do as much as possible from home. Then I get distracted by her and don't get much done. Luckily she still takes two 2 hour naps a day and doesn't get up until around 9am and goes to bed around 9-9:30 at night, so there are a several hours a day I can work while she sleeps. So life is VERY good.

Physically, she finally cut her first two front teeth in Sept on the bottom and her top two front teeth just at the beginning of Nov. They are still coming in but the two on either side of her top teeth just broke through this last week. Hopefully she'll have a mouth full by her second birthday. She drools like crazy but doesn't really get very fussy. Again, I am so lucky. Now she also runs not walks whenever she can and loves stairs and is amazingly fast on the way up (much to my fear.) I have gotten her to slow down and go down on her tummy but I won't be comfortable around stairs for several more years I'm sure.

She weighs 22.5 lbs, which is about 5 more than when I meet her and is at least 1 inch taller. I'll have to measure her to find out if she's grown more since our last check up. Both her IA & regular pediatrician say she's doing just great and I couldn't agree more.

She helped me celebrate my birthday - the 29th again of course. That's her in the yellow bib with chocolate all over her face. She was hands down the best present I've ever received! Lexie also went to her first Blackberry Festival - that's the pictures of us in front of the shooting water fountain in the post before this one. She still loves water and has no fear of it what so ever. She actually fears very little. We also go to the park as much as possible and you can see her on her first slide and swing (also in the previous post.) She's all about speed so the slide is her favorite. And as you can see her hair is growing like crazy. I've had to cut the bangs twice but the rest just gets longer and curlier. I hope she keeps the curl in her hair as it keeps growing since it looks so cute.

We went back to Houston for the birth of my nephew, Blake Colton Wells, on Oct 2. He weighed 9 lbs 11 oz at birth and now at 8 weeks he weighs 14 1/2 lbs. Yes, he is one big baby. You can see him proudly held by his new big brother and sister. While we were there I took Lexie to her first soccer game to watch Cody & Mackenzie play. As they were playing hard so was Lexie!! It was still warm enough so we got to swim too. She truly loves the water and I had to drag her in the house after she turned into a prune. Oh my little bathing beauty.

We got back in time to take a few drumming lessons (thanks Uncle Jim for the musical instruments!) and then we worked on her Halloween outfit. She was the cutest Pink Poodle in town. She wasn't scared at all and had a great time. People would give her candy and she would give it right back. She is learning to share and thought this was another lesson. So we didn't have much candy in her bucket but she had a ball. The picture with her and the little lamb is Hannah the 7 month old baby of one of my friends at work that we went trick-or-treating with. They both completely ignored each other. I think Lexie actually just couldn't see Hannah because of her floppy ears.

Something else Miss Lexie likes is hats. They are her passion. One of her sitters knitted her a hat which she wares around the house all the time. So now she has a bit of a hat collection. As you can see she wares them well. I think the fuzzy pink pimp hat is my favorite so far.

And yes we went back to Houston for a third time in 4 months for Thanksgiving. Angie didn't want to fly with the new baby and who can blame her. Lexie has been a great little flyer so far and I hope she keeps it up for Christmas, as we'll head back down south for that as well. She really LOVES playing with her cousins and they are great with her. She helped Mackenzie bake one morning (the girls are a study in pink for this shot) and visited Cody at lunch in school one afternoon. Then Brooke got to hold her for the group picture on the couch. I've never had so much help except, of course, with the poopy diapers. Then they run as fast as they can away from her. She really knows how to clear a room and make her mommy proud!!

We also had a pre 7th birthday party for Mackenzie since we would have to miss her REAL birthday by a week. There's a picture of Lexie with the birthday fairly princess. Then Lexie really got into the cake - literally!!

Later we actually managed to get all the kids dressed up and take pictures of them in Angie's back yard. I think Angie got the best on her camera (which I don't have yet) because Lexie didn't think it was necessary to sit for so long and I was running after her more than I was taking pictures. But these aren't too bad. Then I put her in a couple of outfits I had but never got a chance to put on her in Washington because it got too cold. I love her in the sailor suit. As you can see I'm still taking a lot of pictures of her and luckily she's very photogenic. I'm not sure how much longer she'll put up with it so I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

That's about it for now. We are getting ready for Christmas which should be amazing. My mom, sisters and I had gotten some shopping done after Thanksgiving and had even gotten most of it wrapped while the kids were napping or playing outside. Once Lexie was up and exploring Angie's house in her usual fashion, I hear rrrrriiiipppp and sure enough. Lexie had opened her first present. Never mind that it wasn't for her and a month too soon. So Christmas shall be very interesting. I'm not sure if there will be any surprises left under the tree but it sure will be fun.

Thanks everyone for your interest, love and support for me and this wonderful little girl that I have the joy of calling my daughter.

Yeah whooooo!!! Mom & I are free to leave the house without masks and people crossing themselves after we walk by. It really is the little things in life that you learn to appreciate. Both the skin test and the chest x-rays came back negative so we are relieved to know that we are free of TB. Lexie has started her TB medications, so all should be well in that department. Now it's time to get on with our lives and try to figure out this whole working Mommy thing. That should be interesting and fill my days. I'll try to give updates as anything interesting happens and add pictures from time to time. I thank everyone for their interest in our story and I'm happy to say that it's just beginning and oh what a beginning it was. I hope the next few months are a little less exciting.

Here's some pictures of Lexie playing at home. I'm so lucky!!

Hi All. I still haven't had the chance to "catch you up" on all the went down after I got Lexie out of the Baby House but I will. But since we've returned to Port Orchard things have been nuts. We got home at around 2am Friday Aug 3 but didn't get to bed until 3am. Then I had to be up at 6am so I could drive Lexie to her appointment with the IA (International Adoption) physician in Seattle. Of course it was SeaFair and if anyone has been to Seattle during that weekend then you know it's crazy on the roads and wouldn't you know it, I had to pass the I-90 floating bridge which they shut down so the Blue Angles can practice flying over. Lucky me!!

Anyway, Lexie charmed everyone until they gave her 4 vaccines and a TB test, then an X-ray of her hips because one leg is shorter than the other and next they tried to take 7 tubes of blood. Three technicians and 6 tries later they only had 2 tubes but poor Lexie had had it. In two and a half months I've rarely seen her cry and even then it's very short lived and never a big deal. But drawing blood was the last straw for her and she was screaming bloody murder. I felt so bad for her and of course they made me hold her which really sucks. Why should I be the bad guy? Luckily she passed out on the way home and woke up her usual happy self.

After we got back I ended up going to see my doctor since I was itching worse than ever and the scabies seemed to have spread. She informed me that I was allergic to the cream that I had spread all over myself to help kill the scabies. GREAT!!! At least I saw her before I did the second treatment which we all were supposed to do that night. So when I put it on Lexie I put on gloves and just held her while Mom put on the cream. Since it was all over her, including her hair, hands and face, I still had some on me but at least the pills helped the itching somewhat. The problem with the pills is that it makes you VERY drowsy. In fact I sleep most of Sat and remember very little of it. Of course you can't itch if you are sleeping but it sure doesn't make for a very productive day. My doctor was also not convinced that the problem was scabies either but she wanted me to stop itching so they could tell if it is something else or not. Whatever. At least I wasn't rubbing up against the walls when I'd walk down the hall. I'm going to see a dermatologist next week to find out what's really going on. And you thought I was done with Kazakhstan and it's problems. HA! I just brought them home with me.

Unfortunately by Monday Lexie's TB test had come back positive, so Tue we went back to Seattle for chest x-rays and to finish her blood work. She does have TB but it's Latent which means she is not contagious and will just have to take some medication for 9 months then the bacteria in her lungs will be dead. Now she will always test positive for TB because the bacteria doesn't leave the body but if she's ever exposed to TB again they can take chest x-rays to see if she has ii. It sounds scary but she should be just fine. But Mom & I may have been exposed to the person that had Active TB and gave it to Lexie (remember we can't get it from her since hers is Latent) while we in Kazakhstan, so we have to be tested. They didn't tell me that until after I stopped at Baby's-R-Us on the way home and ran into a friend and her baby. Luckily I was still being careful and I never coughed around them or even touched them. What are friends for right?

When we went in to be tested on Wed, they immediately made us put on masks. Lexie thought I was playing peek-e-boo and tore mine right off. The nurse didn't think it was funny but hey she's one, what do you want from her. Since Mom and I have both had coughs for over a month, we were given chest x-rays as well as the TB test. So once again we're looking for a few more prayers and good wishes that we don't have it since I understand that we would be contagious for at least 2 weeks after we start taking the medication. I'm not thinking those negative thoughts right now, so wish us luck in the TB department.

I've been so busy running back and forth to doctors that we are barely unpacked and the house is not even close to being baby proofed yet, as Lexie continuously shows us when she grabs something she shouldn't. She is loving her room and the living room which are the only two fairly safe places in the house right now. We've taught her a couple of cute tricks (yes, I know she's not a dog but these new "skills" aren't going to change her life but they are really funny.) She will give you a high five and also clap while saying yeah - kinda. Then she'll raise her arms about her head and screech. It is the cutest thing and she is so proud of herself that she does it a lot. I will have to put the good crystal away if she gets the pitch much higher but I still crack up every time she does it. I can hardly wait to have her do it for everyone, if I can just be allowed out of the house. We have not seen anyone since we have been home a week now between the scabies and the TB. I don't understand why no one has come over! HA!!!

The pictures are with her cousins since I haven't taken any since we've been home. The one is of Jim when we left him with the kids so we could do a little shopping. What a good sleeper, I mean sitter he is. Thanks Jim!

Well that's all the "me" time I have right now. This whole Mommy thing sure takes a lot out of you and leaves very little time for anything else. I'm loving every minute of it of course and can't wait until she wakes up to help me rediscover the world as she shows me something "new."

Yes, it's true. We made it back to the states and almost home. Since my sister Angie is 8 months pregnant and can no longer travel, she & her family and my other sister Lynn and her 7 year old daughter Brooke all meet us at the Houston airport so they could meet Lexie and welcome us home. We are staying for a few days and should be in Port Orchard some time next week. Unfortunately, Lexie & I brought some extra little friends back that we didn't know about and so we spread the love. Yes, we have scabies. It's pretty common for children in orphanages to get them and since I've been scratching almost since I got there, I thought I might have them but the doc at the Medical Center in Almaty said that we didn't and travel was no problem. Well he was wrong!! Now Angie, Jim, 8 year old Cody, 7 year old Brooke, 6 year old Mackenzie, Lynn, Mom, Lexie and I have all just done the treatment last night. The International Adoption Physician I took Lexie to said we should no longer be contagious after the first treatment but to do one more a week later to be sure since I have one of the worst cases she has seen (lucky me.) But Angie's OBGYN said we could be contagious for a week or more so her suggestion to Angie was to kick us out and for us to go to a hotel. A little extreme but Angie can't take the stronger medication to get rid of them. There is no danger to her or the baby she'd just be itching without relief until the baby is born. So anyway, of course we stayed but after doing the treatment we have now scrubbed the house, cleaned the carpets and the cars are being detailed. Everyone in Port Orchard is actually luck we took this little detour. We'll find out on Monday if the treatment worked for Lexie and I or if we have to wait until next Friday to do another treatment since you can only do it once a week. The itching isn't as intense so I'm hoping all those little critter are dead now. Our homecoming was more eventful then we'd hope but it's GREAT to be back in the land of clean water, good food and English.

Lexie was just great on the planes. Our first flight left at 3am so we were at the airport at midnight which meant she was up most of the night. We luckily got the bulkhead with the bassinet and once she did fall asleep I could put her down and save my shoulder. The first flight was a little over 7 hours and then we had a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt but with bathroom breaks and saying goodbye to Rosa and Irene then having to go through security again where we had to meet US standards which meant we had to throw away a couple hundred dollars worth of products since we were told they wouldn't be checking again and in KZ you don't have any liquid size restrictions for your carry on. I thought Mom was going to cry when they started throwing her face cream and moisturizer away. Anyway, the second flight was 11 hours long and we were in the 4th to the last seats in a very full plane. We had a great flight attendant that talked two men in the last row who had one of the few free seats left on the plane between them into switching with us, so Lexie had her own seat. It made the long flight so much better. In the 24 hours it took us to get to the states she only sleep about 6 hours but she was so good the rest of the time. Even the people in front of us were saying how good she was. She was so cute when she'd flirt with all the people that went by. Of course we were all exhausted when we landed and between customs and having to go to the "special room" where Lexie was officially declared an American citizen (yeah whoooo) and then retrieving our luggage it was 2 hours from when we landed until we found Angie, Lynn & the kids waiting for us. Alexis had them all in the palm of her hand in a matter of seconds since she put on her biggest smile and hugged them all. They took us to lunch which was wonderfully eatable but Mom and I could barely eat since we were almost asleep in our plates. After an amazing clean, warm shower we napped for a few hours and then they had a belated 1st Birthday Party/Shower for Lexie. As usual, my family went overboard and I truly love them for it. She got lots of toys and useful equipment and cute outfits. My brother-in-law Jim made sure we got lots of big loud toys to pay me back for all the big loud toys I have gotten their kids over the years. He's warned me there were more to come. Bring them on.

Then we went swimming the next day in their pool and Lexie is a total fish. She loved her bath but she really LOVES being in the pool. She isn't afraid of anything, even being splashed by the kids and she puts her face under the water and comes up laughing. Of course, Mommy doesn't think it's funny but we had a great time. So we are resting up, de-bugging and should be home in Port Orchard some time next week. It's up to the doc to let us know if it will be Wed or next Sunday but I'm SURE none of you back home want to experience Scabies first hand. I'll be happy to share my experience with you if you are curious. As soon as we get the okay we'll be seeing everyone in Washington soon. Once I get home and have some time, I'll add a post to fill in the blanks between when she left the baby house and we we left for home. Did I mention that I had Lexie's portrait drawn by a street artist and oh yeah I rode a camel. Look at those feet!!! Just a little teaser for what we did in Almaty.

Thanks for all your support and interest. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be back with Alexis in my arms.

Sorry I'm not keeping up with the blog but without internet in the room or even at the hotel it's really hard to find the time to get here. Then once I'm at the internet cafe Alexis and Mom don't find it very entertaining to watch me type. The quick version of our status is that the Kazakh Passport is hung up in Astana because they no longer accept the Power of Attorney I was told to sign, notorize and Apostille in the state. They wanted one from here so Flora had one drawn up today, I signed it several times and so did Zina for some reason I don't understand. Then they rushed it to the airport so that it could be flown to Astana. Hopefully it will meet up with Alexis' Kazakh passport tomorrow, get registared - whatever that is - and then flown back her on Wed. The bottom line is we are still in a holding pattern until it get's back here.

Lexie is just such a good baby I feel blessed with any time I get to spend with her even if it is in a cramped little hotel room or driving around in a hot little car with Mom, Lexie, Rosa, Irene & myself stuffed in the back seat or walking the streets of Almaty looking for some great local treasures that I can give to Lexie on each of her birthdays. I have done fairly well with that project. I have 13 of the 18 gifts I want for her birthdays which I plan to give her so she can have something from her birth country each year. Of course I will also be bringing home at least one more suitcase. Hey that can be for her 18th birthday when she's going off to college. I'll just get a KZ bumper sticker and slap it on it. Now I only need 4 more gifts. See life is good in Kazakhstan.

I'm getting the evil eye from Mom so it's time to wrap it up. I hope everyone is doing well and I'll try to bring my flash drive with more pictures next time.