Lina's first family portraits

This will be brief- just wanted to share our first family portraits with Lina! These were taken for our church directory- we will be having more done tomorrow at an outdoor location which I'm SUPER excited about.

Also please check out our auction if you haven't done so already- we are up to 63 items! New items keep trickling in, and several items still don't have bids yet- starting bids are LOW!!  All profits are going to the Warm Shelter baby house in Pskov, Russia. 

https://www.facebook.com/WarmShelterAuction

Warm Shelter Auction is LIVE!!!

Giving y'all a heads up- the auction we've put together for the Warm Shelter baby house in Pskov is up and running!! Bidding began yesterday afternoon and they keep pouring in! :)) As of this morning we were already at $480!!  I can't wait to surprise the staff there yet AGAIN with much needed donations! :)

As I wrote previously, the Warm Shelter baby house had a generous donor in Germany who was providing much needed funds for ongoing supplies.  Unfortunately, they have lost this donor and are in danger of closing without continued supplies.  These are good people doing the best they can for these little ones, and it would be so wonderful to continue funds and supplies as we can.  You can find our first round of donations HERE.

We are up to 55 items in our auction!!  Several items still don't have any bids yet- please check them out!!

Sharing our story

I was graciously asked to share our adoption story with a DS parenting group up in York, PA and jumped at the opportunity!  While public speaking certainly is not my forte, I do enjoy sharing our story and how God pieced all this together.  I was also SUPER excited to meet Susanna Musser- mom to Verity and little Katiebird.... AND... I got to meet Katie herself!!  She was such a joy to watch as her mom held her and shared her story as well- we were the only two speakers that evening.  I requested to go first as our story was just a drop in the bucket compared to what Katie went through.  There wasn't a dry eye as Susanna shared their compelling story.

Many commented how they would have loved to have met Lina, but I wasn't feeling brave enough to bring her.  While Katie sat contently on her mama's lap the entire time, Lina would be all over the place! :)  Maybe another time we will make it up to a meeting to introduce her while I don't have to focus on speaking at the same time.

If you are unfamiliar with Katie's story, please go to Susanna's blog: http://theblessingofverity.com/  Her story will move you like no other.

In other news- now that I have my speech out of the way, I am going to start putting together our auction to raise money for the Warm Shelter baby house in Pskov.  We have an awesome assortment of items and I'm super excited!! Big thanks to all that have donated!!  I do need photos for all items ASAP so I can get them all posted and ready to go.  Also, any help with starting bids would be great too!

To give you an idea of what an online auction looks like on Facebook- go check out my friend Jennifer's auction which ends tomorrow- hurry up and bid before it closes!! She has a LOT of amazing things too and is on her way home right now from meeting her two girls for the very first time.

https://www.facebook.com/AuctionForWillisGirls

Happy Weekend, y'all!!

Update on Baby House Fundraiser

In talking with other adoptive mamas who have become real pros at the fundraisers- I'm opting to do an online auction instead of a Giveaway.  I am hoping to get 50 donations to auction off and raise money to purchase items in country for the baby house.  Our same mama adopting from Pskov who graciously brought our donations to Marina on her first trip agreed to do the same when she returns for court in a few months.  She will carry the cash with her and purchase diapers and other baby items in Pskov and meet up with Marina again to hand them over.

So far I have about 21 items- and they are FABULOUS!!  We're not even halfway to our goal yet though, so if you have anything you would be willing to donate- whether it be an outfit your child outgrew before they really got to wear it, or any household items/decorations/craft items in new or like new condition- I'd be forever grateful!!  Baked/jarred items work also- anything you'd be willing to ship!  Please send a photo along with a description if needed to me at kaylinsmommy@gmail.com.  If you have a website to include I would be happy to put that in the listing to promote your business.  Thanks so much!! Spasibo!!

Donations delivered to baby house!

Marina delivered our donations yesterday and sent me this letter this morning:

Dear Amy!
Yesterday in the orphanage everything was remarkable!  I brought your donation and things which were brought by [other adoptive mama].  I made small posters about you.  I placed your photo with the signature about your family.  And nearby I wrote, "For the Warm Shelter! With love from friends!" (you will see on my photos).  As a result on your donation we bought only medicines- we decided that this is most important.  Many children in the orphanage have neurologic and other serious diseases.  Drugs for these diseases are very expensive- almost each packing costs from 1 to 2 thousand rubles, and it is necessary for children constantly.  I and my husband had to go round many drugstores to find it because of the high prices many drugstores don't keep such drugs in a large number.  In some it was can buy only some remained ampoules to collect at last the whole packing.  But I did it with pleasure, and when I said that it is the help from an American family for the orphanage, workers of drugstores became even more benevolent.

In the orphanage just in a corridor workers started to ask us what we bear, and I explained to all that it is the help for them. Sergey, the head, was glad and confused at the same time.  He asked on you, and was touched by that people whom he never met are ready to help, having learned about the need.  He conveys to you huge thanks!  Sergey as the doctor, especially suffers from shortage of drugs.  It is heavy for it when he knows that the child needs treatment, knows the drug which can help and has none.

So, your help is very necessary and timely.  I am grateful to you that I could take part in such good business. The administration of Pskov also transfers you gratitude words!

Elena, the director of your orphanage, already took a part of money too (By the way, you managed to send photos to her?).  While she didn't tell me, on what it will spend.

Now on turn of purchase for the biological family.  But representative of guardianship is in holiday still.  And I don't decide to go to this family alone.  There the difficult situation, people hesitate of they act, the poverty. If I come one, it will be probable unpleasantly for them and can confuse them.  Therefore I wait and I will tell you at once.

And here are the photos of Marina with Sergey- the poster that Marina made of our family, and the donations of medicine:

Marina sent a similar letter to the other adoptive families who donated gift cards for the parents traveling to purchase items and hand deliver them to Marina for the baby house.  Those photos are below:

I am putting together a Giveaway to raise more money for this baby house, as their need will continue and these supplies will only last so long.  If you have any items you'd like to donate- hand crafted items, new electronics, gift cards in any amount- it would be greatly appreciated.  Please leave a comment or e-mail me ASAP- I won't publish your comment but will make a personal note. Thank you!

And I got my own little present from the family currently in region- I asked the mama to speak with the director and ask if she had any photos of Lina from when she lived at the baby house.  She is going to mail me the photo of Lina by herself, but the director had just shown her the other photo, so she snapped a pic of both to show me.

SO CUTE!!! I have asked said adoptive mama to try to find out about when these photos were taken so I can figure out about how old she is in them.  Some of my readers who follow other families who have adopted from this region may recognize the little blondie sitting next to Lina also. ;)

2 months home!

Last Thursday marked 2 months home for Lina!! Woooohoooooo!!  She continues to thrive and bring smiles to our faces daily!  We were extremely busy last week with our Down syndrome camp- you can read all about it HERE and HERE- make sure you read both parts- LOTS of pictures!!  Lina did extremely well, especially with all the animals they had on different days!  It was funny though- as camp progressed, she grew a little more clingy to me each day. By the last day she didn't want me out of sight at all!  She had fun, got to know her buddy, though did begin pressing more and more buttons as the week went on.  She tried to bolt several times, refused to put her shoes back on after the bounce house- little things that mama had to put her foot down on.  We have found that Lina needs firm and consistent discipline.  No, she doesn't need time outs very often, but there need to be clear boundaries, and if she needs correcting it must be done immediately and with a firm voice and stance.  If you are too "nice" about it and are too much of a push over she will walk all over you.  I truly believe she craves the firm boundaries and feels more safe when rules are enforced, and I'm wondering if that is why she became more and more clingy to me as the week went on.  Her buddy was super sweet though, had the patience of a saint, and didn't mind chasing after Lina countless times! :)

Another little update- my friend adopting from Pskov is at Lina's former baby house right now and hand delivered my letter and photos!! She reported back that the director was "so happy" and received my e-mail- hoping she will reply back! :)  Also, tomorrow Marina will be bringing the items purchased from our donation to the baby house in need.  She will bring along photos of our family so they can see who the donations are from. :)  Marina also received a heavy box full of donations from the mama visiting Lina's former baby house- a group of families who also adopted from Pskov sent Walmart gift cards to this mama to purchase items the orphanage needs and handed them off to Marina to be delivered.  She agreed to do this again on her next trip(s) over, but instead will bring cash with her to purchase items in country since it was pricey to bring an extra box on the plane.  I will keep you all posted if you care to donate- and I plan on coordinating a giveaway to raise money also.  If you have any items or gift cards you'd like to donate to the giveaway please let me know! :)

Medical updates- Lina had her appointment with the pediatric opthalmologist and received the all clear.  Doctor said she is far sighted but does not require glasses at this time. He had me worried since he put the little metal frames on her and was putting different lenses in for her to look through- I thought for sure she was getting glasses!  We also heard back from the endocrinologist and Lina does need to begin thyroid medication.  She goes back in a few months for more bloodwork and a follow up appointment to see how she's responding to the medication.

Lina also had her first dentist visit last week (told you we were busy ;) ) and Dr. Kevin was most impressed! She has little to no tartar buildup and no signs of decay!  He didn't do anything more than look in her mouth at this first visit since it was all new to her etc, but she will go back in a few months to attempt her first cleaning. :)

That's about all for now- catch ya on the flip side!

Phone dump :)

Finally got around to uploading pics off my phone so figured I'd share them all with you! :) First a little update about our awesome opportunity- regarding the baby house in need:  I am teaming up with a mom who personally adopted her sweet little cherub from this particular baby house.  She was quite saddened when she learned they lost their funding and are in danger of closing.  We have both been in contact with sweet Marina in Pskov and have received some info with a contact!  Praying this all comes together- if it does, we will be holding a few fundraisers to donate more money for much needed supplies.  Keep your eyes open for more info in the future!

Another little update regarding Lina's baby house- I wrote previously about how I was trying to contact the director there to let her know Lina has a family and hoping to connect some of the dots from Lina's past and how we have no clue where Lina was her first year of life since her parents signed her over at birth, yet she wasn't admitted to the baby house until she was over a year old.  I found out another mommy who is headed over to Pskov within the next couple weeks to meet her little one for the first time (SO exciting!!)- is adopting from this very baby house!! As soon as I finish this blog post I am going to type out a letter to the director of the baby house and mail it to this awesome mama along with some photos of us and Lina to give the director.  I'm praying the director will e-mail me back and provide any info she may have.  Keep your fingers crossed!!

And now, on to the phone dump!!

I could fill my phone each time Lina plays dress up with the laundry basket.  This girl will put on as many clothes as she possibly can no matter who's they are- yes Evan's clothes included.... heck she has even tried to put on her babydoll's clothes! LOL

Dancing with Dollie to Leap Frog Fridge Phonics :)

Yep, more clothes...

Outside fun with the sibs

Trying to get three swinging kids in the same pic is near impossible!!

Trying to catch Lina's smile on cam is also quite a task- she flashes a big smile, but by the time the camera flashes it's long gone! 

Enjoying some leisurely reading in the car after getting 4 shots at the doctor's office :(  Thankfully she got over it pretty quickly! <3

Paka for now!