Finally home!

Okay, okay, I hear you all! I know it has been too long!!!!!


I am so sorry it has taken so long to write about Kaydee’s home coming, but we kinda took a detour. (I'll explain down below). I have actually tried to post what I did log off line for 7 days now and for some reason have had nothing but problems with my internet connection. And since the pictures are on our lap top, I have no choice but to access from there, so it has taken longer than necessary.

I have tried to post the most relevant pictures of Kaydee and the family, but as I have said before Kaydee does NOT like the camera, so a good happy shot of her is hard to catch. Also, you will note many pictures are with her daddy. That is because #1, I hate my picture taken :) #2, I am usually the one holding the camera, and #3 , over all she prefers him most of the time :)

BUT-I am so very in love and in awe with this little Princess who has touched our hearts and lives. Each day is like Christmas morning, and I cannot wait to see her rosy cheeks and hug her tight!


Kaydee in front of the airport at drop off...at the lovely hour of 3:30 in the morning - YAWN!

Okay, so the return home. Many other new adoptive parents have stated this leg of the adoption journey will remain forever blocked out of their minds. I cannot say ours was THAT bad, but I deffinately do not wish to repeat it :) Our flight was L-O-N-G. We decided to approach this part of our post-delivery ‘drug’ free and left out the often mother recommended 'travel sleeping remedy' of Benadryl. Now it is not that I agree or disagree on its usage (Some children don't need the extra emotional trauma that comes with the long trip home - I think it is an individual choice how you decide what is best for your child) we just felt that she would do okay without it. For the most part she did. The only thing that was really a problem was the evil ‘fasten seat belt’ sign. Kaydee absolutely HATED (Note BOLD lettering!) the seat belt and would cry at the top of her lungs the whole time she was strapped in. The staying power of this little girl was probably her saving grace in the orphanage as she is like the Energizer Bunny…she keeps going, and going, and going - Till someone either gives in, gives up or does what she wants. (Post note - THAT has changed since getting home and having a better environment for NEW training) The plane was not the perfect place to challenge her.

Kaydee liked looking out the window and was fascinated with the other planes on the tarmac.

Running through the play area and burning up some energy!

During our lay over in London she liked the play area in terminal 5 and did a good job of stretching her legs out. We boarded our plane for the 10 hour leg home with no issues…until take off. Seat belts again. At one point it got so bad that a lady in the back of the plane yelled “Won’t someone do something to help that baby”? Yeah, Kaydee cries like a baby...no high pitch screaming, more like a wailing, wailing, wailing, Thank goodness for that part. She has a throaty cry. It seemed like that evil sign word NEVER go off, but after a while the fasten seat belt sign did go away and we sighed in relief - prematurely. Nope. Now she was REALLY mad and totally inconsolable. The lady next to us thought she was being kind and offered me a Dramamine. O yeah, that will work. Let’s TOTALLY drug her with over the counter drugs for ADULTS into ‘no mans land’ and see what happens. (She must not have children, 'cause no one in their right mind would give a 2 yr old that stuff.) Needless to say the ‘well meaning’ lady in the back started yelling out again to do something about ‘that baby’. Then came the Steward asking if there was anything he could do to help. I told him unless he spoke Russian or had a special way with little girls that kept 'em quite that I was not aware of, then no. He was a very kind guy though. After the folks around us found out the situation at hand they were all very nice and tried to help out anyway they could. Quit giving us dirty looks and moved on with head phones tight to their heads. Kaydee was showered with potato chips, crayons and paper, and a few walks around the plane. By the time we landed 10 hours later I was physically and mentally exhausted. Kaydee had only slept maybe 1 total hour the whole trip. I 'm pretty sure I don’t want to EVER go through that AGAIN.

At LAX we went through customs and immigration with no real issues and were on our way home in no time. Alas there was no fan fare to welcome Kaydee as most of our friends were away at Dinky Creek camping, and gas is too expensive to drive two hours away to meet us.

So, we stopped by Nanny and Papa’s house which was on the way home and had a nice visit. Kaydee was true to form and went right to her Papa – this girl LOVES men! Unfortunately I could not get my camera out fast enough for a good shot with him, but here she is with her daddy afterwards and that tongue out...which means she is being fiesty!

Nanny gave her a sweet cabbage patch doll baby with it's own home made blanket and showed her the 'Nanny playroom'. We took a few pictures and then were once again on our way home.

Princess Kaydee is home! Note the true 'Russian expression' with no smile...

Upon pulling up to our drive we sighed in relief, took showers and a bath (Kaydee) and then were all in bed.

We were excited that the timing allowed us to repack our stuff and head up camping with Bryce, Carrington, Aidan, and our friends - so we left the next morning. It was super to have the boy’s meet their sister, and for Kaydee to meet her extended family. We played in the water, went to the lake, rode on jet skis, roasted marsh mellows, and generally had a terrific time bonding. It was a great move on our part as there were no outside influences to disturb us, and Kaydee got to bond with everyone a little of the time, and us a whole lot of the time. I highly recommend it.

Kaydee with Uncle Mike ...

And Nan... ... And Uncle Kevin with Clayton

All has not been fairy tales for our Princess. A few days into the trip we did get to witness the aggressive and disagreeable Kaydee. She really took the job of pushing the line to see what she could get away with pretty seriously. Nothing major, but little things like not wanting to sit or stand or walk...you get the picture :) Happily it was very short lived .

She did a number of fun things like when she got really talkative and pointed to herself and saying “I Tanya-Kaydee’ (Pronounced with out the ‘D’. She hasn’t quite got the hand of that yet) and then to the trailer, ‘Dome”, and the car, “Machina-car!”, and finally to me and in the sweetest voice ever said ‘Mamma”. She is very smart!

Having fun swinging the ball. Note the camo to please Daddy. Her hair bow, frilly white socks and camo ballerina shoes were to please Momma :)

Watching a video in the trailer with big brother Carrington

Kaydee is very much a ‘girlie girl’. She likes her hair done, loves bows, and getting dressed in anything. She likes her shoes and lines them up nice and neat. She likes to be rocked and held – constantly holding her arms up to be picked up. Her favorite foods are cucumbers and sliced tomatoes. She has a great appreciation for fruit snacks and they have become quite handy in stopping what would be a fit dead in its tracks. She will go to just about any man, or at least smile cute and hold out her hand. Dd is still #1. She is quite attached to him. Myself? I’m just the Mommy…and when Daddy is in the room no one else exists but him. My turn will come soon enough. In the mornings when he is gone she is Mommy's little girl.

Her room is coming along. I still have a few things to do, along with the hand painting on the walls. She seems to like it well enough. She naps easily, yet hates going to bed at night. Go figure. The bed we have is working well, we just need to work the bugs out of the getting her in it :)

All in all, we have been blessed with a very beautiful little ‘Princess’. It feels like she has been here longer than 2 weeks.

Yes, we have been blessed in deed…Like in real birth I am already forgetting the 'pain' of the labor: The mounds of paperwork, endless document searches, and the frustration. As with the words from Little Wonders from 'Meet the Robinsons". (If you have not already viewed this awesome video, I would encourage you to do so). "Let it go, the hardest part is over. Let your clarity define you. We will only just remember how it feels. In these small hours, these little wonders, twists and turns of faith, I cannot forget the way I feel right now.

Hmmmm, and right now I would say the Queen Bee is very happy!

Chao...more later.....:)