Thursday, October 16, 2014

First days with Kody

The last 3 days have just been a blur, but will try and write a few lines and hopefully won't nod off mid post! ;-)
Kody was just perfect the first day and slept all night and first I heard of him in the morning was cooing and then laughing! That's about as long as the honeymoon lasted :-/ The next day we had fits.. The food issue is just a rerun of Peyton. Nothing is right and we have no idea if we're not holding him right, if it doesn't taste right, too hot/cold or what?! He's teething so that def doesn't add to the general happiness either. It was kinda the pits yesterday that the owner had mtgs. here all day with different groups of people so we were either holed up in our bedroom or out on the town and that was a disaster big time! We went down to McDonalds and on the way home on an extremely overcrowded bus he decided he had had enough! He got so mad and screamed at the top of his lungs and it was too cold and too far to get off and walk and plus it was getting dark and we are not suppose to be walking after dark and nothing I tried would calm him!!!!! I was about having ulcers and the other thousand people on the bus were not amused either! Was glad I couldn't here beyond the screaming:) I didn't know a 6 month old could scream so loud for so long!!!!!!! :-(( I was next to tears and screaming myself when we finally got off! I guess he worked up enough of an appetite with that little tantrum that he finally ate when we got home. Ate a big bowl of cereal plus drank a good share of a formula bottle. Someone please tell me how important formula bottles are versus cows milk? He will drink the cows milk and when they told me his schedule they said his bottles were either or but he seems a little young to be on straight cows milk only or not? Do I keep trying to get him to take the formula? We had the same stress with Peyton, they claimed they never gave him formula at all there! So he slept all night again, one HUGE plus cause I'm one that NEEDS my sleep and i'm not this sweet googling mother in the middle night:( Today went a lot better. Ed didn't have any mtgs here and we stayed at the house most of the day. He did wake up at 5:00 raring to go but..... It rained here most of the day so made it a lot easier to stay inside. Since it was my hubby's birthday we did walk down to the market to get some groceries for a special supper. We bought a baby carrier and Kody really likes that so makes it easy to walk around and get some fresh air if he's content to ride. Oh yes one minor little detail... we were out of water all day, AGAIN!!!  Folks I will no longer take my water for granted when I get home!!!
Ed was gone all day and just got back this eve as we were finishing supper so he joined us for icecream and presents:) Would have to write a whole blog on him and all his stories and what all he's doing here etc. no use to even start cause there's no short version! :) Very interesting guy!!
Good news came this evening that Kody's final passport will be ready tomorrow so Egor will go pick it up and we will leave on overnight train back to Kiev tomorrow night!!! We have an appt. at American Embassy in Kiev Monday morning and then we will get visa and medical exam and we will be ready to head for good ole US of A!! I'm so ready to be home, but I get this strange feeling when I think about leaving this place where we made so many memories and has become so familiar to us already, but life moves on and hopefully we have made sufficient memories to always remember our 6 weeks in Kryvyi Rih!
Also had sad news tonight... the team called and said under no circumstances are we allowed to leave and go see other missionaries or Tanya! :(( They said they are responsible for us while we are here and Kody is to young to be traveling all over Ukraine! We're not sure what we are going to do now... Legally after Tuesday we would be able to take Kody wherever we wanted, but do we want to stay extra days to go see Tanya and especially knowing the team doesn't want us to and told us we couldn't??? Can hardly stand to be so close and not see her. The other problem we have is that we were going to have our favorite driver from Kiev take us and then would be our translator as well and he was all enthused about it, but he called this eve and said Serge said he absolutely could not so.. what would you do?
Need to be sleeping while my little guy is so better shut this down for tonight. I know tomorrow night won't be no night for sleeping :((( I'm so dreading that train ride!

12 comments:

  1. Oh my that sounds like a stressful bus ride! I would have been in tears by the time I got off I'm sure! I'm so glad he's been sleeping good at night tho. I've always said I can handle a lot during the day if they at least sleep all night!

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  2. What a post... yes, the good mixes with some undesirable too... but I know you wouldn't trade it for anything! How about this for an answer to your questions of what to do: We'll all pray extra hard for you to have direction! And see what kind of doors open. :)))) Hang in there!

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  3. Sorry about your stress. ...just when you don't want them to cry, they normally do. I enjoy your posts a lot. Adoption isn't for the weak, but I think you're doing great! On Kodys bottles, would he take it if you would mix half formula & half cows milk?

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  4. Hey I like that half formula and half milk idea! The biggest reason I hesitate to go all cows milk at that age is that they miss out on all the vitamins and minerals in the formula. There is a very good liquid multivitamin that I can get here in Canada. I Think the brand is Salus and then it's call kindervital. It comes in a dark brown glass bottle. You could try adding that to his milk bottles! I would sure think u should be able to get it in the USA too! I buy mine at the health food store.
    As far as the screaming baby... Don't worry, it's not anything you're doing wrong! Baby's will scream and sometimes for no apparent reason!! We're still praying for you.

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  5. Oh my! Sounds like motherhood at its most stressful time!!! Screaming boy that won't eat!! :-/ we know about the not eating part over here too!! I was gonna suggest what Kara said, half and half. If he's already used to cows milk it Probly won't be too strong... Good luck! And we will pray that you will know what is the right thing to do about seeing Tanya...

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  6. Oh dear! Not fun to deal with screaming babies in public! On the milk I agree 6 mo is a lil young for cow milk althoug my children are on it by 9 mo. If you actually look at the difference in whole milk and formula, the vitamin diff isn't that much. Formula a lil better but if that's all he takes is cow milk I wldnt sweat it! Isn't gonna hurt him! I like Delores idea of adding vitamins... All the best to you on that train ride..hope Kody gives you some more days like the first!!:)

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  7. Hang in there Steph!! Kody WILL get used to your way of doing things, different milk and all the changes he's facing. It'll just take a little time and patience!!:) I would agree with the others and try to get him to take some formula for a few months yet at least but if he absolutely won't then don't stress about it!...will be praying for direction for y'all on your trip plans and can't wait to meet your little man!

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  8. sounds a lil stressful: ( wishing u better days ahead! praying Kodu will adjust and you will have th wisdom to know how to deal with each situation. ... happen birthday bill :)
    Love James & Kari Caleb Jared and Jase

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  9. If you could visit a dairy there in UA, you would try the formula a little longer. :) Jeff was privileged (!) to go to one. He drank little to no milk after that visit. :) Even from "uptown" supermarkets.... All the best!

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  10. So you are going through it! will be thinking of you now as you are getting on that train ride...hope it's not too stressful! And with getting that milk/formula debate figured out!
    Talked to Heidi a few hours ago, she was with Rob's and sounding in high spirits! I know she was pretty much counting on being able to see Kody, but you will have to decide what's best!
    The other day Jeff said "I just wish Peyton would hurry up and come back home" so ya'll are being missed!! =)

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  11. Oh ugh ... I think that must be one of the most frustrating things ... Brayden never did take formula ..... N he seems to be ok :-) don't give the poor wee one too many adjustments right at first .... Just go slow n do whatever it takes to keep you n him n everyone else's sanity :-))) love your updates ... Missin y'all here !!! Happy belated b day Bill!!! Hope you ll survive train ride ...!!!... N bout Tanya , sometimes life ends up making decisions for us .... Prayin you ll "just know" ..... Luv ya !! Joel n Sonya Brayden n BJ

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  12. For what its worth.. a friend of mine thats a nurse told me that a babies liver isn't developed enough before a year to properly digest cows milk, so i guess that would be one reason to do formula! Love reading your blog, steph! Hopefully one day we'll come to AL & get to meet the lil guy! Kristen

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