Packing 2 head back 2 Kiev!

This morning we got a phone call from Marina. Mina’s passport will be ready at 1 for us to pick up tomorrow afternoon and then we will be on our way to Kiev. We spent today packing our bags and getting things ready for us to leave. We will get settled in to another apartment once we arrive in Kiev and then Wednesday morning go to the US embassy to do Visa paperwork and her medical. As far as we know Thursday we will go pick up her Visa in the afternoon and then Friday we will be flying home! Yay! Can’t believe it’s just a few days away. We got our plane tickets changed today and we will be departing Kiev at 6:45am and arriving in OKC at 7:19pm on Friday. Crazy to think that full 19 hour flying trip can be done all in one day but once you take in to account the 8 hour time difference it makes sense.

So we decided to try Mina in a sink bath since Myla had already had a shower earlier today and Mina slips and slides all over the big tub so we thought this might be easier on us all. Well here is some precious pics of our girl in the sink splishing and splashing and getting clean then next thing you know our little Myla has once again taken her clothes off and wants to get in the bath with Mina. Well as mommy is explaining to Myla that she has already taken a shower today and the sink is to small for her dad plops her in for the humor of it all. So there I was cracking up taking pictures of our 2 girls in a small sink taking a bath. Of course they didn’t mind & Myla didn't stay in long :)





And here's Myla :)  he he




Mina has been doing great holding her bottle and is doing so much better sucking.  She actually sucks now and it doesn't end up soaking everything in sight.  Yay!

Playing with her stacking dolls!


Mina & Myla playing together on the couch while dad gets a few minutes of shut eye

Sorry about all the naked pics of Myla... she is always taking her clothes off when we are at home. Myla is showing Mina her book and telling her all about the people in the pictures.


Here's our precious girl sitting up all by herself with a big smile!! I love this girl!

And now sticking her tongue out at everyone :)


Another video of our awesome girl sitting up great all by herself and she is feeding herself Gerber Puffs! We are so proud of her each and every day. She has come such a long way in such a short time!

This is the picture of her taken a little over a week ago by Svetlana for the US Emabassy.  I believe this will be her Visa picture but not 100% sure

I am so excited that we are getting so close to coming home and that we have our little angel with us each day. She is such a blessing and joy to be around.  She is livening up more and more each day and is developing her own little personality.  She has been smiling lots more and is also learning patience when it comes to eating and somewhat when she is full.  Before she would cry and cry if she saw any of us eating something and she would eat and eat and eat until her tummy would be bloated as hard as a rock and we knew she couldn't feel good so we had to moderate the amount we gave her at a time and just fed her more often. Now she is starting to get to where she will decide when she is full and she will stop eating on her own and won't get upset when we take it away so that is good! Like I mentioned before she is doing much better with drinking from a bottle and it doesn't spill and run all over her face and clothes anymore.  She has a lot more control of her tongue and is doing a much better job sucking. We are so so proud of her!!

She is also not waking up as many times and crying in her sleep at night.  Before she would wake up every hour and stir and cry and babble and make all sorts of noises all throughout the night.  Now she is sleeping much more peacefully and doesn't usually wake up at all in the night till 6:30 in the morning when she is ready to get up.

Family and friends we can't wait to see you all when we get home and share our little ray of sunshine with you! She is truly a precious precious girl & can't wait till you get to meet her.

If any of you missed my last post (or I should say 2 posts ago) there is several more pics of Mina since she has been here with us in the apartment.

Thank you all for following along and for all your sweet sweet comments.  I look forward to getting on and reading your encouraging words each day!!