Well we are starting to get some where with potty training. They are both doing pretty well. The last two days Adrian and I have been home together. We have been keeping them in underwear when we are home or near the house. We have been putting them back in diapers/pullups for car rides. nap and bed time, as well as out for errands. We are trying to still take them when they are in the pullups. We have found with Liam that he will wait until he had the diaper on and go. Then he pees through his diaper and his pants. Should just have kept him in undwear. We just do not want their carseats etting pee all over them. Today we will be venturing out for our regualr friday nigth Pizza Chef night with two kiddos in underpants. Adrian is very nervous. We will just make sure they go before we leave and then when we get there. Stella is a little better than Liam who will pee his pants and protest when ever he needs to try and sit. Other than potty training things have been going great. Liam is doing awesome in preschool and they both really like their new daycare. When I drop Liam off at daycare after preschool, Estella's runs up and gives him a big hug. They miss each other when they are apart. It is so cute. Liam's english is really coming along. Theythink he is doing great at preschool and the speech therapist thinks it is only a matter of time before he is caught up with the rest of the kids. For being home three months he is doing so amazing. He has grown another 1/4 inch and his size six shoes are starting to get a little tight. Yeah. The only problem that we have is that he is a little whinny and cries whenever he cannot get his way. This is pretty typical for a toddler anyway. It is just overwhelming for Adrian and I when both of them are doing it. We are liek silence please. Well hopefully tonight the red sox will win and life will be even better. Thanks for keeping up with us. Thought I would add a photo have some end of summer fun.

I am attaching Liam's first day of preschool. Estella had to dress up too. She was going back to daycare. They both are too cute. Also I am attaching Liam's first day of gymnastics and Estella's first day of Ballet. Liam cried through most of gymnastics and I had to go in and help him and then I tried to leave and he cried so I took him out. We are going to try again. Estella was so excited and she loved Ballet. They are both the smallest in their classes and the only two that have thier finger's in their mouths the whole time. We had a lot fo fun. They go every week. We are trying to potty train. We are going cold turkey in the evenings and when they are home. No more pullups. We are feeling pretty discouraged, but hopefully it will start to come along. We will see. Well I better get going. We need to get them in bed. We are trying to get them to bed earlier since they have to get up earlier to go to school and daycare. Enjoy the pictures. Sarah I am also putting in a picture of my neice Olivia's first day of kindergarten and a picture of Laim with his uncle Kabray, who he loves.

Liam is starting to put words together to make sentences. It is so cute. It is mostly, "I want my daddy, I want go outside." Basically I want everything. He is talking more and more. It is really great. He started preschool on Tuesday. They all think he is so cute and he is defiantly the smallest three year old in the class. He seems to really like it their since he threw a full blown tantum when I picked him up this morning to go to daycare. He did not want to stop playing. But then when he realized he was going to play with more kids at daycare, he was really happy. Sometimes I cannot beleive how well he is doing. We had heard so many horror stories. I know it is only two months but we are feeling pretty blessed for the good times we are having. He had his doctors appointment again on Tuesday. He is now up to 24 1/4 pounds. Which is up over two pounds in two months. He is up to 341/2 inches, which is an increase of over 3 inches and he has gone up half a shoes size. I guess he is going to grow up before he grows out. The speech therapist at school is pleased with his progress and she is going to keep an eye on him. In two months he went from having basically no language to having a few sentences and tons of words. I am trying to get him to say my juice right now, instead he keeps saying I juice. Now he thinks it is funny and keeps saying it. What a jokster. Tomorrow is his first day of gymnastics and Estella's first day of ballet. We are all very excited. Adrian and I are going to take them over. After that I will post pictures of the first day of school and first day of gymnastics and ballet. I can't wait. They are both going to be so cute. Well it is bed time and we need to get them both to bed. Thanks for reading. Sarah

Liam's appointment went great at the eye doctor. He was amazing. It is so suprising to me how well he is doing. Sometimes I forget that he has only been with us for two months. He just fits right in. Him and Estella have been really cute together. They were kissing and hugging yesterday at the grocery store and it was so cute. Liam is such a lover. He loves to give and get hugs and kisses. He is starting to talk more and more. Also he is getting more comfortable wth his grand parents and aunts and uncles. He loves both of his cousins and knows their names. It is so cute when he sees them and says ther names. My oldest neice, Olivia, has been great with him. He just adores her and loves it when she comes over to play. Liam is growing like a weed, more up then out. We are excited for his appointment on the 4th to see just how much he has changed. September is a big month for us. Liam starts preschool and daycare. Estella is going back to daycare after a long haitus. They are only going three days a week. Liam starts gymnastics and Estella starts Ballet. Estella is so excited. She cannot wait. Lets see what else has been going on. Liam has been going to the golf course with Adrian and he loves every minute of it. They think he is so cute there. He rides in the cart and hits the ball with his putter. I was afraid he would just run around, but Adrian says he is really good. Oh how could I forget when went to the Cornish Fair last weekend. The kids loved it. Liam makes Estella more daring. She is normally a little reserved about rides, but with him she just goes right a long. Liam on the other hand has no fear and will try anything once. The went on all of the rides, and did the pony rides twice. They had so much fun. We did not get them to bed until almost 10pm and then they both slept until 9:30 the next day. What a good break for mommy. I am going to try and post some picture if not here, check the other website. Thanks for all that keep reading. Lindsay are you out there? Sarah

We are all starting to feel normal again. I am not sure for Laim, but the rest of us. He is getting a new normal. Adrian is back to work full time and we are making arrangmens for Laim to start preschool and then for him and Estella to go to day care 3 days a week. We are so nervous, Liam does not fully understand danger and is too curious for his own good most of the time. I have explained our situation to the day care provider and his preschool. Today is a big day as we are going to the eye doctor. We are anxious to hear what she has to say. This morning we had all four of us in the bed by 6 am. Very unusual for us, but when I looked over and say my whole family it made me so happy. Liam is making gains every day and we as a family are making gains everyday. He nomrally only cries for Adrian, whihc he call Daddy, but not normally for mommy. But this week he cried when I gave him to my sister in law so I could go to work. It made me really happy. We both feel that he is attaching to our family. Estella and Liam spend their entre day together and when either one of them is somewhere else they other is asking for them. Estella is always saying where is Liam and Liam always looks at me and goes Estella? It is so cute. Liam has been trying to talk more and Estella has been such a good model for him. He will come up to me and rattle off a bunch of "words" and I wish I knew what he is trying to say. It is so cute though. I smile at him and he just goes on playing. Liam is so happy most of the time. He still gets really mad when it is time to stop playing and time for bed. But we just ignore his crying and transition to the next activity. He is becoming more cuddly as well. he is starting to slow down a little bit. I think he is realizing that there is always time to play. He will sit on the couch and cuddle and then get down and play. He is getting calmer and easier to handle. Which has been nice for me, since when I get home from work. I need a few minutes to relax and Estella and I would cuddle, now all three of us cuddle. They are both very cute. Well I need to get everyone up, at least I only have to go to one place.

We just got back form Maryland. This was our first family vacation with Liam. We went down for my cousins wedding. Liam was the hit of the wedding. He danced the night away. He was so funny. We could not get him off the dance floor. We would dance with anyone. It was so cute. We danced him self silly and fell asleep right away as soon as he got in the car. By the end of the weekend everyone knew who he was. We also took him and Estella to there first red sox game. It was so hot, but the kids were good and I am not sure if they really watched the game. But Adrian was so excited to be at a game. Liam loves golf, so Adrian took him with him when we played with Liam's uncles and grandpa. Adrian said Laim had the time of his life. He had his little clubs and loved hitting the ball around and watching other people hit the ball. The weekend did not start off that great. We drove down and the kids where pretty good. When we got to the hotel, Liam with his obsession to close all doors, shut Estella's toe in the door and then the drama began. She hurt her toe pretty bad, but after about an hour was able to put pressure on it and walk. Liam got into everything while we were attending to Estella. He turned the air conditioner to heat, turned on the micorwave and kept putting things in and out of the fridge. He has a hard time sitting still and is very busy. He will not stay in a chair and rarley just sits dwon. He goes all day. Boys have so much more energy then girls. i do not know how he is going to do at preschool. He gets into everything and we have to watch him like a hawk. He will go up to anybody and would go with anyone. He has no saftey skills. If he wants something and thinks that one person over the other will give it to him, he will just go with that person, even if they are a stranger. I am getting really nervous since he is starting preschool and then will be going to daycare, three days a week starting in September. I am afriad that he will wander off. Well I have to go to work. I will post more pictures soon. Thanks Sarah

We are going along here. Liam went to the urologist and is going to have simple surgery in September. We are happy it is going to be simple. The doctor said it will be day surgery. Liam went to PT as well and she said he is looking great. She feels like he has made a lot of progress. We were happy with that news as well. Liam has put on a pound and a half and 2 inches. It is amazing. We have had some struggles. He gets really upset when he does not get his way. He just cries and it is so sad. He is also starting to test. He knows he is not supose to touch my lap top and he will stand beside it and look at me and touch it and I will say and motion to step away. Which I know he understands. He will stand there with this look on his face and wait for me to get up and come over. As soon as I get up he will move away. Then I sit back down and he touches it again. Oh toddlers. Estella and Liam are getting a long great. Tough since Estella is more verbal than him she will say thngs to him, just to be mean. Yesterday we went for a walk and we went by a playground. I said we were not going to go. Of course Liam starts crying. Estella starts saying to him, Liam momy said no, no swings, no slide. Of course he is crying more. I have to tell her to stop, it is amazing that she is just doing it to be mean. I am like who's daughter is this. I never taught her to be mean. I guess it just comes naturally to her. Wonderful. Well other than toddlers being toddlers, things are going great. I do not feel scared to death when I am left with them by myself. I feel like I can handle it. I do not worry when we leave them with a baby sitter as much. Adrian and I actually went to Boston over night and did not see them for 22 hours. It was so hard, but Laim did great, better than Estella who normally wil not go to bed, but eventually she does and she did. Next weekend we are driving to maryland to go to my cousin's wedding. Now that should be intresting. 9 hour car ride with the two of them. We will see.

I seem to be having problems posting. Here is a link to see some pictures of Liam and Ukraine. http://web.mac.com/sarahattwood/iWeb/Attwood%20Family/Liam%20.html

Well we got good news yesterday that Laim's xrays showed that there was no hip displasia (sp?) and no indication that he has had it in the past. That is one les doctor we will need to see. I am going to do my best to get some pictures put on the blog over the next couple of days. I have been reading other peoples blogs and their pictures are so cute. We need to show off our cuties. Right now they have made a race track out of our down stairs and are pushing the strollers around it. They have been getting a long better and better every day. Some days I am shocked wth how well he is doing. The eating is going better. He is trying more and more foods. He decided that he likes rice and raviolis and meatballs. We are excited about any protien that he will eat. Protein seems to be our only concerning area. He actually ate a whole hot dog the other day. Not that hot dogs are the best food, but it is progress. He has been watching what Estella eats and then he will normally try it. We are hopeful that he will start to like chicken and maybe deli meats. Alos he does not like milk and is thinking about trying yogurt. But he eats cheese, which at least gives him some calcium. Well Adrian andI are finding it hard to keep up woth the both of them. The hosue has been looking like crap and we are strugling to keep up wtih the laundry. At the end of day we are both so tired. We have not doen anything without the kids for the most part. We would love to go out to dinner, but I do not see that happening any time soon. Now the kids have moved on from nice relaxing play to pushing and shoving. As well as throwing things. Some times they can be so disructive. Liam throws any thing, food, toys, and any objects. That is so fun. Some times at night I just want a little peace and quiet. Well I have to go Estella wants me to read something to her and it is raining so that will make for a long day. YEAH!!! Crying has started. LOL

Well things are going really well here. Adrian and I getting adjusted to having two kids. It has been a challenge. We cannot seem to get them on the same schedule. Yesterday was our best day yet. They woke up about the same time, both took a nap at the same time, and Liam went to bed with minimal problems and Estella would not go to bed. But at least she slept through the night, which has been a change. She has been getting up the last week every night arond 3:30. Which means I do not get back to bed until 5 am, since I cannot get back to sleep. Estella and Liam are getting closer everyday. Yesterday they were kissing each other and hugging. It was so cute. Liam has started paying attention to the TV and is starting to like Estellas favorite show, Mickey Mouse Playhouse. They will lay together in our bed at night and watch the show together. Liam still gets up a bunch of times, but it is great that they want to be together. Of course they are still fight and doing things to each other just to do it, but hey they are siblings, isn't that the way they are suppose to behave. Liam had an xray on Tuesday. They were looking at his hps to make sure they are inline. We have not heard, so we are hoping that no news is good news. He gained a half a pound nad 3/4 of an inch. We are happy to be moving in a good direction. We have been working on him building his strength everyday. They play outside all day most of the time and he has loved the pool. We also got a sprinkler and they love that. Adrian went back to work yesterday and that went well. Liam was so excited to see him when he got home. We are strugging with post adoption issues, like oh my god how much money did we spend, and how much work did we miss. That has been a little stressful, but I think things are starting to get back to normal. We hope. We are both working and hopingt o get back on our feet. We are thankful that Liam is doing so well it has made it easier for us to get back to work. This will be my first weekend with Adrian at work. I am a little nervous to be by myself, but I have my family. I am sure we will be fine. Let see what else is going on. Oh, we signed Liam up for preschool. We are hoping that he will go Monday, tuesday, and Wed morning to the EEE program in Windsor, and the him and Estella will go to play group at EEE Thursday and Friday morning. A parent has to go on those days. We are also hoping to get him into another preschool Monday, WEd, and Friday afternoons which will have him in preschool almost full time. I think this will be really good for him. Well I got to go the kids are getting up.

Liam had his physical therapy evaluation today. He was so good. I showed the therapist pictures from when we first meet him. She was suprised by the muscle he has gained since we started visiting him. She really felt that he just needs to build muscle and then he should be fine. She thought he was such a smart boy. Se only had to show him how to do something once and then he got it. She was very impressed. Adrian and I are so happy with how great he is doing. Today him and Estella had a great morning. Adrian said they played together so great and were having so much fun together. Yesterady we took the kids with my family to Maine. Liam went in the ocean and he loved it. We went to an amusment park and he went on rides and he loved that too. He cried for about ten minutes when I told him the rides were all done. He was happy when we went into the arcade though. Him, Stel and I had a great time playing skee ball. We were so worried about how things would go when we got home and we know it has only been two weeks, but he is doing so great. Sometimes it is hard to believe that we have only had him for two weeks. It feels like he has always been here. He really took to my brother and wanted him to hold him yesterday and play with him. Josh loved that, finally after three nieces he gets a nephew and he likes him. The fourth was fun. Liam went to his first parade and swam in my parents pool and sw fire works. He had a great time. It was not that hot so we had to get out of the pool. He was upset about that. Even though he was freezing he wanted to stay in the pool. It was the same thing with the ocean. Adrian heads back to work next week for four days. I think he is nervous. I will be home with the kids three out of the four days, but my mother in law will be watching them by herself for one of the days. So hopefully they will behave. So we are excited about Liams doctors appointment on Tuesday. I think we will see a nice weight gain. All his blood work looks good, other then the being anemic, but that is normal for orphans. Well it is almost time for dinner. Got to go.

We have been home just over a week. Liam is doing great. He is making progress with his english and is trying new foods everyday. Adrian and I are both tired. The two of them are running us down. Estella and Liam have there moments when they do not get along that well, but it is managable. Liam went to the pediatrician and that went well. He only needs his chicken pox vacination. He had blood work today and Adrian said he did really well. Friday he will have a PT evaluation to help us with getting him to build some muscle. He is under the fifth percential for height and weight. He has been eating nonstop. We have taugh him some sign langauge and he is using that to make sure we know when he is hungry and finished with an activity. He seems to be understanding us really well. Bed time is are only big issue. He hates to come inside or stop playing when it is time for bed. We have to struggle with him for a little bit, but then normally he settles down with in a half and hour. We just feel bad when he cries. Lets see what else is going on. We hope that Liam is gaining weight. That is our big concern as he is so small for his age. He is going back to the pedi so that they can monitor his weight next week, hopefully we will see some progress. Not much esle to report. Things are going well and we are feeling more adjusted everyday. Liam and Estella are getting used to each other. She pushes him and he bit her the other day and then that was it. They needed a little speration before bed time. We are trying to get them on the same scedule which looks like it will take an act of god and we are trying to get them to understand each other. We try to give them each their own personal time. I am not sure how things will go when Adrian goes back to work and I am alone with both of them on the weekends. We will see. Well I have to go. Estella is getting up from her nap and I need to get some stuff down for my meeting later tonight.

We are all home safe and sound. Monday after we got Liam there was no internet acess at the cafe, due to the hail storm that had happen earlier in the day. So we were not able to post. Well Liam slept two hours on the bus and that was it. We even gave him benadryl. Adrian was a trooper. Estella slept with me and she slept the whole way. When we got to the aiport, they said we needed to go to the office in Keiv. Which made me mad since they had told me I needed to go to the aiport office. So a needless stop at the aiport. Well we went to the doctor's office for Liam's medical exam. Well the docor was tow hours late and we were starting to get nervous that we were going to miss our appointment at the embassy. Needless to say we made it to the embassy fifteen minutes late and we were still able to have our appointment. We were not able to get his visa until the next day though. That was fine. Liam finally slpet when we got back to our apartment. Adrian and I were so tired and I was feeling sick from lack of sleep, but I had to go to areosvits office and then to the grocery store to get some food for the kids. When I got back to the apartment Adrian would not answer the door. I was locked out and he was asleep inside. Adrian sleeps like a rock. We had to go to the office to get the spare key to open the door. when we got the door open, Adrian and the kiddos were all asleep. Well a mini break down on my part and then we made it through the night. On Wed I was picked up with another family and headed off to the embassy to get Liam's visa. After that I headed back to the apartment and Adrian and I were happy for the first time in a month. We were done. We would be able to enjoy the day with our new son and our daughter. We had a great day and even a little rain could not dampen our spirits. We bought some gifts for people at home and took Liam for his first meal at McDonalds. He loves french fries. Well fast forward. We had a good flight home. Liam cried some, but the flight attendants were really great and they played with him and gave him stuff to eat. Estella was great on the plane. When we got to New York, we were so happy to be home. But when we got out of customs, there was no one there to pick us up. Needless to say my parents who are always late, were late. We had a good ride home. estella slept the whole way and Liam did not sleep a wink. He was so amazed b everything. We got home at midnight. Estella who had slept for the last five hours, was wide awake. So mommy was up with her. Liam and Adrian went to bed. Friday was our first day home and we went out to breakfast and did a littel shopping. Liam did great, but by the end of the day he was a little overhwlemed by all of the people, who had come to visit. So we had some down time and then we was of to bed. Since we have gotten home, eery day has gotten better and better. Liam is doing great. He is lering more english everyday and talking more and more. He is so happy and he loves it here. We were just cuddeling a minute ago. Our family has been great and he is getting used to being in a big family. He loves his grammys and all of his aunts. He cannot get enough of playing outside. We had a little party for him and he got presents and he loved all of his new toys. We are very happy. We want to thank all of our friends and family who have been so suuportive of our adoption and who have now been so excepting of our new son. It has been great. We will get up the blog with updates on Liam. Thanks again. The Attwoods Adrian, Sarah, Estella, and Liam

We have a had a hard day.  Today when we wen tto tthe orphanage they stopped us at the door and said that Liam was sick and he had a fever.  They needed us to buy him some medicine and that we could not see him till Sunday.  We got him the medicine.  Which was like six things.  I am was wondering what all of these are for.  When ESteela is sick we give her a little tylenol and call it a day.  He need something for his throat, his noce, cream for his skin, vitams, and an anitbotic.  I doubt he is going to take all of it.  What are we to do.  WE feel so helpless and like we have no rights.  It is really annoying and is hard ofr my controlling self.  Well Angleina has assured us that nothing will affect us takig him on Monday.  He might just be a little under the weather.  Estella was crying that should cvould not see him and she is really ready to go home.  She has been out of sorts the last couple of days and it has been hard.  We tried to take her to the park today.  She would not take a nap ealier and was bouncing off the walls inthe apartment.  So we thought lets take her to the park.  she feel asleep in the taxi and then slept for an hour at the park.  Then she played in the snadbox for five minutes and went on the merry go round.  That was it.  Adrain and i cannot win.  As is she is cryng at me right now.  So I have to go.  hopefully we will make it till the end of our Ukranian adventure.