Two Weeks!

It's been close to two weeks that Octavia has been "home". My little girl ceases to amaze me. Every day, she is showing a new skill.

A few of her newest accomplishments:

- Babble: She used to just "sing" when music was on but now she is talking almost non-stop!
- Laughing: At first, she would just smile when she was tickled but now, she actually laughs. She has such a beautiful laugh.
- Hugs & Kisses: When I pick Octavia up in the morning, she hugs me and lays her head on my shoulder. She will also give those sweet baby kisses that everyone loves!

Even though I am fully funded, I still have my Amazon link. I will be using the funds to help another family adopting from Octavia's country who is currently in process to adopt a boy called Blake. You can find the link on the right-hand side of my blog. To read more about Blake's family, read their RR FSP or check out their blog. As a reminder, using the link doesn't cost you anything!

Today, our translator and driver took us on a short excursion to a few old churches. St Hripsime Church is one of the oldest surviving churches here. The church sits on the remains of a pagan structure and is also the site where St. Hripsime was martyred during the time of the conversion of this country to Christianity.

The second place we went was Etchmiadzen Cathedral, which is considered to be the oldest cathedral in the world. It is believed that St. Gregory the Illuminator had a vision of Jesus Christ descending from heaven and striking the earth with a golden hammer to show where the cathedral should be built.

Outside St. Hripsime Church 

Outside Etchmiadzin Cathedral

Help Lilit Have Surgery!

Lilit is a little girl waiting to be adopted in Armenia, where I am right now.

At birth, Lilit was diagnosed with kyphosis scoliosis with rotation and chest deformation. Lilit was given up by her mother and brought to one of the orphanages here 9 days after her birth. At 6, she moved to another orphanage.

Lilit is now 8 and needs spinal surgery. SOAR-Toronto Chapter (http://soar-us.org/toronto/) has set up a Go Fund Me page to support Lilit. 100% of the money raised will go directly to Lilit's medical bills and whatever it takes to get this lovely girl healthy.

https://www.gofundme.com/5rdjppas

Nobody deserves to be sick, and especially not a little girl who doesn’t have parents to hug her and/or be happy for her. There are no words to adequately express how much your thoughts, prayers and donations will mean to Lilit. Please help us help her.

To the best of my understanding, Lilit first needs diagnostics to see if she is a surgical candidate. The MRI and X-ray images from Armenia are of poor quality and the doctors here in the US could not make a definitive determination about treatment. The surgery which we believe will most likely be chosen for her is a spinal procedure where magnetic rods are placed into her spine. Over the next 2-3 years, these rods are moved further apart to slowly straighten her spine. This would involve seeing orthopedics 2-3 per year for several years.

The raw cost estimate we received from a children's hospital here in the US is $250,000 including diagnostics, surgery, and the follow-ups. We are hoping that professional services can be donated, so that the cost will come down significantly as reflected in the fundraiser.

If you have a few dollars to spare, please consider donating to Lilit's medical fund. Every dollar counts and this surgery will change Lilit's life. 

If you would like more information on Lilit, please check out her profile on Reece's Rainbow. http://reecesrainbow.org/80331/eden-3

Fully Funded!

I would like to thank you for your generosity over the course of this adoption. There have been some trying times but everything has worked out according to His plan.

Here is a screenshot of my FSP. It is SO nice to read that top line. Fully funded. Wow! There were times I thought I wouldn't make it.

Please keep following our story. Even though the adoption is complete, our story hasn't ended. I will be sharing our journey this trip as well as our time together once we get home. 

If you have a few extra dollars, please consider donating to another family in Michigan who are going go get their sweet daughter! They left yesterday and are still $1,836 from being fully funded! Please help in any way that you can! You can donate to their FSP here and read more about their journey here.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Lost

Tonight, as I was rocking my sweet girl in my arms, I couldn't help but think about the children still waiting. Christian, Reese, and Callum especially.

I have met all three. They're wonderful little boys who don't deserve a life in an orphanage (no child does). They deserve a mama who will kiss their boo-boos and a papa who will play catch with them. They deserve a chance to live outside orphanage walls. To go for long walks, to have clothes of their own, to have toys that belong to them. Yes, these boys all have special needs but that shouldn't make them less worthy of a family. Doesn't every child deserve the love of a family?

Callum (almost 6)

Callum is completely lovable and wants nothing more than hugs. He is mild mannered and tends to go off alone and play with a toy rather than join the rest of the group. He's a love bug and very strong, which is surprising given his size! He is friendly and has a beautiful smile.

Christian (6)

Christian's caregivers are very surprised that he is still waiting for a family. He's doing very well and has age appropriate self-help skills. He is verbal, can dress himself, he makes his bed, and is fully potty-trained. He's a quiet guy who plays well by himself and with the other children in his group.

Reese (8)

Reese's smile is infectious! He also has big blue eyes, so pretty! He loves to be a part of the other children's laughter and joy. Reese is verbal. He will often start prayers and has them memorized. He's bright but his current physical limitations hold him back. He would thrive in a family who could provide him with the therapies he needs.

Gotcha!

I woke up to this beautiful site. I hope that I can have an even better view over the next few weeks.

Mount Ararat, believed to be the location of Noah's Ark.

Today, I received the adoption decree. I am now legally Peaches' mother! Peaches is officially an orphan no more!

Peaches is now Octavia! Octavia left the orphanage for forever and she seems pretty happy about it. She is nearly 13 months old and she hasn't let her extra chromosome slow her down. She is sitting up, crawling, and loves to stand when you hold her hands. 

Outside the orphanage gates.

So happy to be home with her mama!

Greetings from Eastern Europe!

I left on Friday at 1:45 pm and arrived here Sunday at 1:20 am. There weren't any problems on any of my flights and I had layovers in Detroit (only an hour), Amsterdam, and Moscow.

Once I got to the apartment, I unpacked everything and went to bed. I slept late because jetlag hit me a lot worse this time than it did last time. Once I got up on Sunday and got going, my translator took me around and showed me where the local market was, where the money exchange was, etc. I'm in a different part of town than I was last time so it feels a bit different. After she showed me around, I ended at the market (the Vernissage) to pick up a few souvenirs. I will probably end up going back next Sunday since there isn't much else to do!

Yesterday morning, I spent some time hanging out with Peaches at the orphanage. She has her first tooth, she just recently started sitting up, she is crawling, and she loves to hold my hands to stand up. I was worried that the clothes I brought wouldn't fit her but they're just the right size for her!

In the afternoon, I had court. It started at 5:00 pm and was done by 5:18 pm. The judge said to come back on Wednesday, December 2 for the court decree. Once I get the court decree, I can get Peaches from the orphanage. What a great day that will be!!!

It's raining today so besides going to the orphanage and out to lunch, I've just hung out at the apartment.

Cannot wait for tomorrow!