Update on the boys...

I have an update on Lukey, we saw the G.I. this week, as matter of fact, Ryan's G.I. :)  Lukey has no known obstruction issue (Thank-Goodness) its just severe constipation :(  Poor kiddo!  So, we left there a bit more knowledgeable about constipation and a regiment in hand...hopefully it will work.

This past week I was semi-watching the nightly news as I was making dinner, which I never do watch the nightly news.  Anyway, they had an interesting piece on stuttering and famous people who have stuttered.  Were you aware that Marilyn Monroe was a stutter?  Or (I will state this shocked both Ron and I!) that James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) was a stutter?!  Apparently, nightly news stated that geneticist have found a gene that determines whether or not you will be a stutter.  This is fabulous news, b/c as many of you know that we are in the process of making the difficult decision to switch Ryan's seizure medication b/c of the impact that the side-effects are currently taking on his body...i.e. stuttering!  What would be wonderful is that if we could find out if Ryan is predisposed to stuttering or could it be his seizure medication he is currently on?!  I will let family and friends know what we find out b/c DuPont actually has Ry's DNA and I have a call into his neuro. dr., we shall see :)

BTW, we attended a Birthday Party the week after Lukey's Birthday Party at The Flyers Skate Zone and can I just state this party rocked and by far blew ours out of the water!  It was incredible, they even had face painting, which the boys adored!!!  Of course, they also had the full attention of their party host, which I will say it was much, much better compared to our party hostess who literally ran between our party and the party in the other room of 30 people :/  And, at this party they did not have the same issue with the Zamboni
:(  Currently, I have a call into The Flyers Skate Zone but they have yet to call me back, as time passes I just get more and more steamed about the whole issue.  I suppose I am getting grumpy in my old age :(

I have more video of Lukey ice skating with a hockey stick and a puck again :) I didn't think it was possible BUT he has definetly improved and again, YES, I'm biased-sorry :)

I adore the one photo of Ron holding Lukey at ice skating rink with his hockey helmet and skates on, b/c it just shows you that he is STILL a little boy, who loves to be held but in that same thought I'm thinking to myself he's starting to play hockey come January 2011...what a great wonder!


Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

Hockey Player in the making...

I am totally amazed that my son, and YES, I am biased, is coordinated enough to ice skate and today was his 1st time out on the ice with a hockey stick and a puck.  And, you know what he is good :)  Again, I can be biased, right?  LOL!  My Dad claims its b/c he is Russian, there must be some sort of truth to that statement.  I originally thought my Dad was being sterotypical but now I'm thinking he may be on to something :)

Enjoy!

Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

4 Year Check-Up PLUS Pneumonia?!

Well, I now know why Lukey was incredibly miserable and had at least two meltdowns at his Birthday Party yesterday...we were at the pediatrician's today for his 4 year old check-up, the dr. listens to his chest and asked me if I was aware that he has pneumonia?  Was he kidding?  Apparently not :/ Great parenting skills, huh?!  He has had a cough/cold but absolutely no fever, which is a huge indicator that he usually has some type of infection going on, not this time.  We came home with antibiotics, Thank-Goodness and a dr.'s note :)  He won't be going to Preschool at least for the next two days, poor little guy-he's so bummed about not being able to go :(  I keep on telling him he is SO lucky b/c he gets to spend the day with Mommy.  He then asks, "when can I go back to Preschool?"  As a matter of fact, the dr. even suggested he could go back tomorrow but I think he *MAY* go back on Wednesday.  We shall see :)

A funny story about today, we were on our way out of the pediatrician's office and Lukey has been fascinated with Jesus lately and the fact that Christmas is his birthday. Well, the questions start, such as who is Jesus, why can't I see and touch Jesus, and where is Jesus? I start telling him that Jesus is in your heart, he asked, MOMMY WHERE IS JESUS? I'm thinking he needs actually proof, so I tell him he is up in Heaven with Nanny (my Mom) and without skipping a beat he asks, CAN WE GET A HELICOPTER TO GO THERE?...out of the mouths of babes! I couldn't speak for 5 minutes b/c I was laughing so hard!  Even with pneumonia he is still the little comedian :)

The photos that I've attached are of Breakfast with Santa on December 4, 2010, and the boys :)  It was a pancake breakfast given by the Lions Club of Voorhees.  The boys were impressed that Santa knew their names, as was I...until Ron told me what was going on :/  Enjoy the photos :)


Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

Lukey's 4th Birthday Party

We officially celebrated Lukey's 4th Birthday Party on December 5, 2010, at the Flyers Skate Zone.  Lukey had such a great time, minus a meltdown or two :/  Most of his classmates were able to join him, along with two of his friends from his Tots on Ice class (he has taken the class since Jan. 2010).  In January 2011, he will be in hockey class...I still can't believe he's as good as he is out on the ice, let alone the fact that he will be starting hockey class in Jan. 2011?!  He's my baby and always will be :)

I will state that as a whole the party was OK, but it all started with the cake...I ordered a cookie cake with hockey sticks and a hockey puck, well the night before, as we were at Dickens Village Festival (in Medford), the cookie cake bakers called asking us "what is a puck"?  Were they kidding?!  They never did put the puck on the cake :/  It was downhill from here, our party hostess, tried her best to manage our party and a 30 person party...apparently, that day another hostess called out and was suppose to be the hostess for the 30 person party :/  And, don't even get me started about the Zamboni and the fact that we were taking Lukey's picture, as the kid who cleaned the rink, was literally cleaning the ice out of the machine.  We couldn't even get a full shot of Lukey due to this and the fact that the Zamboni was half open.  Will we have another party at the Flyers Skate Zone...I don't think so :(  Then again, am I getting grumpy as life progresses?!  Probably!  But, what matters is that Lukey and all of his friends had a great time out on the ice.

Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

Our "Turkey Baby" turned 4 years old!!!

Our baby boy, who we brought home (oops, I mean Ron brought home from Russia, while Ryan and I joyfully anticipated their arrival), at the tender age of 18 months old has turned 4 years old on "Turkey Day".  When did this happen and why?!  I remember just watching Lukey at the airport that fateful night that he and Ron arrived from Russia.  I also remember Ron telling me (b/c we were held up the night Lukey arrived at the airport due to the monsoon season outside, does everyone remember that post?!) about Lukey and how he ran off that plane, as if to say, "America here I come"!  He has not looked back either, its full-steam ahead for him...ALWAYS :)  Now, he is 4 years old, he has been home for 2 and 1/2 years...it was the best thing we have ever done, aside from adopting Ryan, of course :)

What's extremely ironic, is that Lukey and my Mom share the same birthday, imagine that?!  Its as if her hand was guiding us to Russia, specifically to this little boy-our Lukey :)  I can recall being told many, many times about the circumstances surrounding my Mom's entrance into this world...it was Thanksgiving, my Grandmother went into labor but my Grandfather was at a football game with non-other than my Grandmother's OB/GYN, can you imagine?!  Unfortunately, I don't have a cute, funny, little story to tell Lukey about the day he was born BUT I do have the ability to tell him how he has spent his birthdays since joining our family and that he shares the same birthday as my Mom, his Nanny :)

This was the second year in a row, on Turkey Day, that we didn't go to my in-laws, due to time restraints.  Instead, we were invited to Melissa's (my sister) boyfriends parents house-the Allens :)  What wonderful and inviting people.  The boys had a great time and keep on asking when are they going back :)  The Allens prepared a delightful homemade meal and it was delicious!  We rolled out of there at about 11 pm, and I do mean that we "rolled" b/c we were extremely stuffed! 

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving :)

Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

A moment in time...

With everything that's currently going on in our lives I almost forget to stop and enjoy little moments in life.  Well, as I was folding the wash or making dinner (honestly, I don't recall what I was doing?!), I stumbled upon Ryan reading to Lukey it was the most precious moment I have seen in awhile or rather that I've taken notice to in awhile (bad Mommy!) :/


Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

When it rains it pours...

Not only are we dealing with Ryan and his break through seizures but it is believed that Ryan is having colossal side effects :(  It was comical how I stumbled upon the side effects-his resource teacher wants to know what she should look for, what type of side effects would she be dealing with, etc.  Well, I was sending away for a mail-order script when I looked at the side effects, haven't honestly looked at them in years...low and behold-the medication he is on, to help him with his seizures, can cause speech and language processing disorders!  It was right there in black and white!  Maybe, just maybe, I was at the root of his stuttering issue?!?  I immediately called his neurologist, the neurologist told me the biggest concern with this medication is that the patients are always tired and this is what *usually* causes the speech and language delays.  Neuro. did also state that if Ryan was having more symptoms of side effects that we (Ron and I) could decide if we want to take Ryan off of this particular med?!  Ryan is currently experiencing many of the side effects from this particular medication.  I realize we have to step out of our comfort zone but honestly, I'm scared :/  Wouldn't you be?  A friend told me I owe it to Ryan b/c it will impact his social development.  She is absolutely correct but what if his seizures get worse?  They do have an impact and are pretty horrible right now, but what if he tries another med of choice and has even more side effects or gosh forbid his seizures get worse?!  My worse fear is the seizure activity stays with him through out his entire life :/

Then, there is Lukey :(  Oh this poor child!  He has such an issue with constipation that I wish I could take it all away and make it better.  We have tried everything from raisins to prune juice and everything in-between and nothing works.  I called Lukey's pediatrician and asked him what do I do for him, he's in pain!  The peds. dr. suggested we try a GI, perhaps they can help, at this point it may be a medical issue :(  On a funny note, I believe the other day, I may have OD Lukey on miralax (a laxative), b/c he was on the potty from sun up till sun down-poor kiddo!  One extreme to another :/

Only our boys :)

Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)

Halloween 2010

We had an Iron Man and a Lightning McQueen, aka Ryan and Lukey :)  During the month of October the boys really put use of their costumes.  We went to a FACES (an adoption support group we belong to) Halloween Party, Halloween in the Park (here in Voorhees Township), the boys each had their Halloween Parties in school (Lukey's was on Thursday and Ryan's was on Friday) and then we actually had Halloween.  I'm getting exhausted just writing about it now :/  Needless to say, I want to hibernate till Spring time!

Lukey was invited to a Halloween Party, on Halloween Day and boy did he have a WONDERFUL time!  This little girl in his preschool class invited him and he was thrilled!  It was his first party that he has ever been invited to outside of family and friends that we know, it was his first girl/boy party :)  At this party, the host family actually had a fire truck and the fire truck gave all the children rides, I kid you not!  He had the time of his life but was disappointed b/c he was going to be a fireman for Halloween but at the last minute decided he wanted to be Lightning McQueen.  I told him maybe next year :)

Ryan was invited to go Trick or Treating with a friend from school :)  I'm SO glad this year he is finally making friends!  After, Lukey's Halloween party we met up with Ryan, Ron, Ryan's friend from school and his Mom and we too went Trick or Treating with them.

Love & HUGS,
Jenny, Ron, Ryan, & Lukey :)