Day 7 with Jakob

Day 7 with Jakob

So today was pretty uneventful and very much indoors! We spoke to Annabelle last night (wife of the family we were going to have dinner with) and we’ve rescheduled our dinner for Tuesday as she has 1 sick kid at home and wants to make sure Jakob is ok being around him.

When we woke up, Wayne was really feeling a cold that had started the night before. He was absolutely miserable. Luckily, we have some medicine that is helping. Then, we opened the blinds and it was nothing but snowy and dreary outside. So, we decided it would be an indoor day (mind you, we’ve already spent 7 days in this hotel with him so it is not like we have not already explored every nook and cranny).

We had breakfast and then played in the room a bit. Then, we decided to take him down to the indoor pool to see how he would do. Wayne got in first and realized it was a bit cooler than even we’d prefer, but Jakob was already to go splish splash, so there was no turning back. Jakob got in and did not seem too bad. I think if the water would have been warmer, we would have been there all day….he LOVES the water! We stayed down there for maybe 15-20 minutes before heading back up to the room.

Once in the room, Wayne wanted to take a warm bath as he thought that might make him feel a bit better. Little did he know, there was no way he was getting in that bath alone! First came Jakob, then came Mama as Jakob wanted me in there as well. We could not believe that he liked the warmer water that we take our baths in. We ended up in the bath letting him splash around for another 20 minutes (again, he could have stayed there all day).

After that, we played and ordered room service. After lunch, it was nap time. It has been so easy getting him down these past couple of days. He will usually do something he is not supposed to just before I’m putting him down as he knows it is coming (i.e. touch the lamp cords, phone…something he knows he is not supposed to). When I tell him “Nyet” (no) he just keeps doing it until he gets a little pat on the hand and taken away from it. Then he does his “crying” (I say it like that as it is not true pain trying, but more ‘I did not get my way’ crying and I don’t want to go to sleep) and lays down with me to go to sleep. I don’t think it has taken me over 20 min. to put him down for a nap or bed lately! Of course, we will get this all down pat here and then we have to head back to Houston and his time will be completely off!

During his nap, we slept as well. It was just one of those days that makes you tired!

When he woke up from his nap, he played a bit more and then I decided to take him out in his stroller as the sun had come out and it had warmed up a bit. It is amazing how quickly the temperature changes and the snow melts away here. Wayne stayed behind to say out of the cold. We had a good stroll in the park and he enjoyed watching a little boy feed the birds. I had him on a swing one time, but there was a huge puddle below and all he wanted to do was splash in that (which the water was coming up over his snow boots), so that did not last long.

After the park, it was back to the room (ugh) for more playing. We went out of the room about 5 PM for free appetizers but they were less than appetizing this evening. Jakob seemed more tired than normal this evening and was getting very cheeky. He does this thing where when you tell him “Nyet” he does a little “Nyet-type” motion back to you. It is actually the funniest thing we’ve ever seen, but you can’t let him know that. It is one of those sort of sarcastic looks back (I’m sure I never did that…right mom?). We tried to feed him some dinner, but he did not seem very hungry. Yes, that is right. This kid’s appetite is normalizing! We have been giving him a snack in the afternoon that is this really thick milk with crackers in it that Olga said they eat in the orphanage and it seems to fill him up quite a bit. Apparently, that was all he would have in the evening. We are giving this to him for now as we don’t want to waste the milk that the other families donated to us and it seems to be the only milk he is interested in at the moment.

So, after his cheeky mood, we went back to the room (ugh again) where he played a bit more. I guess he is used to just being cooped up in the same place all the time so it does not bother him as much as it does us. We let him play and then gave him a bath (yes, 3 times in the water today), let him play a bit more, then put him to bed about an hour earlier than normal as he could not stop rubbing his eyes.

We hope and pray that Jakob and I do not catch Wayne’s cold. It will be hard, especially with us all being in the same room. Wayne also has a hard time remembering to cover his mouth when he sneezes (didn’t we all learn that as kids…ha ha).

Jakob continues to make us smile and laugh. He is so cute! I call him my little monkey as he just has that look about him (except when he is in his snow suit and I call him my little marshmallow…since he is so fluffy and smooshy). One thing we’ve noticed is that he is actually focusing on things more. I think when he first got here with us, he was just so overwhelmed and over stimulated that you’d give him a toy or something and he would play with it, but not really focus on it. Now, he holds his phone, pushes a button, and actually looks at the lights flashing and will wait a little bit before pushing another one. He will actually let us read a book to him. We also showed him videos of himself on the computer and he sat there watching them (which he had not done before). He continues to copy everything we do. He wanted his shirt off all day (which normally it is his pants) because in the room Wayne had his shirt off. At dinner, I had my legs crossed, so he crossed his. It is so funny!

Tomorrow, we don’t have much planned except to meet Olga at 9:15 AM downstairs to give her our documents to take to get the Russian registry done. We will have to see how the weather is and how Wayne is feeling to determine our plans. I do know packing will be involved…which sadly, we are actually excited about.

Lastly, I have not mentioned this in other blogs, but I’m sure you know…I MISS THE BEAGLES LIKE CRAZY! Our family is just not quite complete since they are not with us. They have been our “sons” for almost 5 years now and I hate being away from them this long. I can’t wait to see Jakob’s reaction to them. We showed him a video of them again today and he seems very interested in them (which by the way, when he saw me in the video waving hi to him, he waved hi back…so cute).

Until tomorrow…

Courtney, Wayne and Jakob

Well, not quite finished. It is Wayne getting a word in here! (waiting for some dude to get off the computer so I can hook up so need to kill some time!!)
I just wanted to add a couple of my own observations.
Firstly, Courtney has taken to caring for Jakob fantastically. It is amazing how attached Jakob has grown to Courtney in just a few days. If he is with me doing something and Courtney is coming, I will say where’s Mama and he looks and races to her with his arms up to be picked up and hugged. He likes to play with me and hang out and will come to me but there is no replacement for his Mum! “Unfortunately” he won’t let me put him to sleep yet - bummer!!

As Courtney alluded to – we will be so glad to get out of here! The hotel is really nice and we are on a great level which has some great amenities but we just want to get home and get on with it. Of course we have a wonderful 10 hour flight in between all this!!

I think it is amazing at how quickly Jakob is learning new things – words, actions, etc.

Also, just so everyone knows – I am teaching him all the bad habits I taught your kids over the years plus a few extras! For example, opening his mouth to show his food, banging, and yelling hello out the window from the 12th floor to everyone walking on the street – oh and splashing like crazy in the bath. Natalie – I haven’t taught him our latest Jonas trick yet (the leg etc) but, you’ll be happy to know, I did work on teaching him the one Courtney was teaching Jonas when you were in Calgary. If anyone has any requests we have a little time to work on them… Stephanie and Ed – I can’t remember what other ones I taught Ben?
I have tried playing aeroplane with his food but it was a bit wasted because he eats everything anyway – although he thinks it is funny!

On the going to sleep part, I think once he is in a routine he will be easy (hope I am not jinxing it) because he knows that once in bed he is not allowed out – I think they must have enforced that pretty big at the orphanage.

Oh, the Military museum we went to yesterday was excellent. They have fantastic displays. I think because of all the reduction and disarmament that went on there was so much surplus that they had great stuff to display.
For example, outside where all the planes and tanks were there was a SU-27, a Foxbat 25, several Mig 21’s and 29’s plus an array of the stuff you see in all the cold war footage – missile launch vehicles – huge! Also, there was this huge tank with the barrel that was huge – never seen anything like it!

Anyway, have fun. I can’t think of anything to top off the Soviet Military comments. (I added a couple of photos for those interested!)