First Christmas as a Bowen!

Christmas was such a blessing for our family this year.  As you can imagine, it was amazing to watch him experience getting gifts and celebrating new traditions. We also had a special Christmas bonus: SNOW! It began snowing at noon on Christmas and we enjoyed a white Christmas!  The blessing of Nik being with us this Christmas was really highlighted to me by the very sad news that Russia has made a sudden and unexpected decision to suspend all adoptions to the United States effective immediately.  Had Nik's adoption been delayed at all, he might never have become a part of our family.  This news breaks our hearts, as we have seen first hand the children who are waiting for a family.  We are hugging Nik a little tighter...

  Here are few pictures of Nik's first Christmas! 

So happy to be all together this Christmas!



Giving a gift to Grammy!

Nik learned to open gifts quickly!

Pumpkin bread by the Christmas tree... a family tradition!

Mr. Potato Head was a hit!

Playing with wrapping paper!

SNOW!  Nik immediately walked up to it and made a big snowball
to throw at us!  He clearly has lots of experience with snow!

Awesome big brother

Out for a Christmas afternoon walk

Nik was COLD! We aren't as good at bundling up in
Texas as they are in Russia!

 

2 months!

Two months have passed since the day Nik was united with us at the orphanage in Russia.  It is amazing to think of all the ways his world (and ours) has changed in these two months.  Nik seems to understand most basic English that we say.  He is also speaking many English words and gradually beginning a few English phrases.  I eagerly anticipate when we can really converse with him in English.  Very often, I find myself wondering what he is thinking, and I am ready for him to be able to tell me! 

As you can imagine, this time of year has been a beautiful time with Nik, full of a lot of great memories. He has had so many new experiences.  If he could explain to me, I think he would say his favorites are meeting a real camel at a live nativity and discovering the joys of cookie decorating (and eating!).  Nik was in a musical performance at his preschool, and, to my amazement, stayed on stage the entire time, waving to me in the audience.  We dedicated Nik at our church last Sunday.  Our church family has been very supportive of our journey to get Nik, and it was wonderful to share his arrival with them.  We selected the following verse, Isaiah 43:1-3, as part of our dedication for him,

 "But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Last year, we hung 5 stockings above our fireplace, knowing that across the world, a child who belonged with us, was waiting. This year, the same 5 stockings hang, but they will all be filled! I cannot wait to see his reaction Christmas morning.



Nik's baby dedication at church...



At one of my races, Nik experienced his first giant slide
 (with the help of mom who got a giant scrape out of the whole experience).
 He was scared at first and was screaming for more by the end!



Trying to figure out pedalling the bike...

Nik loves crafts!

Happy Boy!

Nik met a horse for the first time.  Despite horses being his favorite animal by far
when we are looking in books, he was pretty scared and didn't want to touch the horse. 
He constantly talks about meeting the horse, though.  I can't wait to take him to the zoo. 

On the other hand, the camel at the live nativity was an enormous hit.
Nik was amazed at the camels and
did not want to leave their side. 

1 Month!

I found it very fitting that Thanksgiving day represented the one month anniversary of Nikita joining our family.  The day we picked him up from the orphanage seems like a lifetime ago to me (Ann-Marie).  I wonder what it seems like to him? I've sat down with him several times to look at photos of the orphanage and some of his caretakers. I wonder if he misses them. I wonder what he thinks of his new life here.  By all indications, he seems happy and is full of smiles. We are very blessed. 

It is amazing how much we have gotten to know him and how much he has changed in just one month.  He understands most of what we say now and is using quite a few English words. He has gone from being a great eater to a picky eater (I blame his picky eating brother and sister for the example on this one...).  We have learned ways to work with him and discipline him when necessary that seem to be working pretty well; overall, he is much calmer than one month ago.  He no longer gets car sick (hallelujah!).  And, he has developed a lot physically; he runs more and climbs more at the playground.  He loves to pray and sometimes prompts us to pray and loves to shout "AMEN" at the end of prayer time.

In just one month, Nikita has experienced his first meeting with a dog, first plane ride, his first restaurant, his first trick or treating, and his first thanksgiving.  Sadly, he also had his first emergency room visit the other day, after an accident on the back porch involving acrobatics with the patio chair. Most activities, from running errands to a visit to the library, involve a "first" for Nikita. It has been so fun to see the world through his eyes. 

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks.

 

Yummy! Thankgiving Dinner! 

Pioneer Day at preschool. 

Out to eat!



Duck Pond! You cannot imagine how excited Nik was to see the ducks. 

Looking at the pond with Dylan...

Emergency room! Poor Nik flipped out of his chair while eating lunch
on the patio. After lots of bloodshed and tears, Nikita was given 5 staples to his head and is on the road to recovery. 

 

Flying by...

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since we arrived home with Nik!  Time is flying by and life is full of adventure!   I won't lie and say everything has been a walk in the part.  Overall, Nik is adjusting very well and truly is a part of the family.  But, adjusting to having three kids (we are now outnumbered!!) is a challenge on all of us, but we are making progress every day in figuring things out and trusting God for wisdom moment by moment.

Over the last couple of weeks (since our last post), Nik has continued to get used to his new life!  He met Brent's parents, started preschool, and has gone to church with us twice.  Last Sunday, when we pulled in the parking lot, he yelled (in English), "CHURCH!".  That was fun to hear. He has met many of our friends and generally takes to new people pretty well, as long as we are nearby.  He loves Maddie and Dylan dearly and has a lot of fun with them. 

Here are a few pictures from some of the highlights of the last couple of weeks...

Going for a walk to the park...

Learning to swing!

First day of school! Nik is doing great at Legacy Church Learning Center!
We are blessed to have them taking care of him for 2 to 3 days a week for a few hours!

Ready for school!

Looking through our folders after school. Nik is obsessed with his backpack
and doesn't like to take it off.  He puts it on and runs to the garage when I say "time for school!"

Mimi (Brent's mom) was a big hit! Nik loved playing with her.

Loaded in the car, heading to church!

One Week Home!

We arrived home exactly one week ago. In one way, its hard to believe its already been a week and in another way, it feels as if Nik has been here forever.  He really has fit in well with his new family; his playful personality, silliness, and stubborn streak (that we have witnessed in a few of our "tough" moments) make him the perfect Bowen.  God put him right where he needed to be. 

It has been a great week.  Watching Nik experience things for the first time has been beautiful.   Communication is hard at times, but gesturing goes a long way and we are figuring it out.  He appears to be embracing his home here.  One of the sweetest moments of the week happened the other morning. Brent walked into his room to get him dressed and he was repeating to himself (in Russian) "This is my house; this is my house." 

Here are a few pictures of Nikita's first week in his new home:

Playing with the neighbor's flag. Welcome to America, Nik!
 

First haircut!  Ironically, Nik is less obsessed with hats after his haircut.
Maybe, the poor guy was just self-conscious.

Enjoying an apple after the haircut.  He seriously prefers
apples over candy and eats the ENTIRE thing. The only thing left
when he is done is the stem and a couple of seeds. 





Nik loves to cook...

Playtime!

Nik loves to color. 

Overall, Nik is a happy little boy! 

 

Airplane Rides and New Home!

Sorry for the delay in posting! As you can imagine, we have been busy at home getting adjusted to being a family of five.  So far, things are going fabulous! Better than I would have expected. It is so amazing to realize we are living the reality of something we have been working on, praying for, and dreaming of for nearly 2 years. 

We flew home on Thursday, the 25th.  I won't lie, flying home with a 3 year old (plus 2 other kids) on a 12 1/2 hour flight isn't fun, especially when he doesn't speak your language. That makes it hard to explain the need for seat belts and other airplane safety. But, we survived and learned to swallow our pride with the not-so-nfun looks we got from other passengers.  After a long wait in customs, Nikita was declared a United States Citizen and we drove home from Houston with three kids sleeping in the backseat. 

Nikita seemed at peace immediately when we got to our house. I think he recognized his room from pictures and had a look of pride on his face as he took it all in. I think he understood on some level that his room was his room: something he has never experienced before. I checked on him about 20 minutes after putting him to bed that night and he was sitting in bed, holding a picture of Brent, himself, and me in one hand and a book the orphanage nurse gave him in the other, grinning with a look of total joy.  This brought big tears to my eyes. 

This morning we attempted to go buy him some shoes. The pair I bought to take to Russia did not fit and he has been wearing a pair of Dylan's old shoes since we got him. They are worn out but he is so attached to them, he insists on wearing them constantly, even insists on sleeping in them!  The shoe store ended up being a pretty crazy experience. He was upset to take off the shoes and refused to try on new ones.  And, of course, we don't have the words to explain to him that he can keep the old shoes. It ended up being fruitless anyway, because the store was out of shoes in his size. So, for now, he is wearing Dylan's shoes and I'm ordering online from now on! 

 Watching Nikita experience life is so much fun. He squeals with joy and claps at bubbles, something my other kids had lost interest in by the time they were his age. He experienced the first Bowen "family movie night" involving pizza and Madagascar 3. He is enthralled with all the toys in the house, and especially loves the play kitchen. And, he has been smiling almost non-stop since he came home. Seeing the joy on his face brings me such joy. I know without a doubt God sent him to live here and be a part of our family. This is where he belongs.

Our biggest challenge is the language barrier but we are making progress. He is already picking up the language some, mostly repeating things Maddie and Dylan say.  We have also been using sign language, which he appears to already know.  He calls me "Mom" now, instead of "mama" and Brent is "Dad" instead of "Papa".  Maddie is usually "Maddie" and Dylan is either "Dylan" or "Brat" (the Russian word for brother, which we find very funny!)  He also has learned "all done", "more", and can say "Sasha, come here" when speaking to the dog. 

Here are a few pictures from life so far, since leaving Moscow. 

The whole family, leaving for the airport in Moscow!
I love seeing all of us together.



My attempt to get a picture of the 3 kids in their big sis,
big brother, little brother shirts at the airport.
Couldnt get them all looking at the camera.

Nik is pretty attached to water bottles, so major drama occurred
when he had to throw this away in airport security.  We had no way
to explain to him the problem or that we could get him more water
after security.

Airplane!





Sleepy car ride home from Houston...

Special surprise waiting for us in the garage when we got
home! Thank you to the Jones Family!

Discovering his new home...



Bedtime story for his first night in his new room!

Meeting Sasha, the dog!

Meeting grandma!

Thanks for the cool hat, Lora! I love it.

Three kids having breakfast!

This kid loves to eat!