Who ARE these kids and why are they calling me MOM????

Well, we are FINALLY home. When we finally got through customs at JFK and I saw our family waiting for us, I just burst into tears.

Matt literally got down on his knees and kissed the ground. He said the floor at JFK was far cleaner than anything he walked on in Ukraine.

The kids did just great and FINALLY fell asleep on the car ride home, which only served to give them plenty of energy when we got to the house. Our dear friends had the place all decorated with a big welcome home sign and balloons. It was overwhelming for all of us and very emotional. Since my internal clock is still set to UA time, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. I thought this would be a good opportunity to go through the six tons of mail that came in and open our Christmas cards. I also wound up walking around the house just crying my eyes out. I've been so tense during this trip that I haven't allowed myself too much emotion because I've just been trying to endure each day and focus on getting my girls home. Well, it all hit me like a ton of bricks but I needed to just get it all out and have been trying to get some sleep. NOT any easy thing to do when you hear MAMA as soon as you are out of sight for more than 5 seconds :) When I woke up this morning, I just couldn't believe that our girls are home, sleeping in the beds I prepared for them so very long ago. The whole thing still seems like a dream.

Vica and Natasha are doing great and adjusting very well. We've got the usual meal and bed time battles, but it doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary for any 6 and 3 year old, let alone two kids who have been through everything they have in such a short time. We'll be getting them to the pediatrician next week and working on enrolling Vica in school. I think she's going to do just great. I also want to get Natasha enrolled in nursery school for two mornings a week because I think she misses having other kids to play with. Both girls had a lot of structure in the orphanage and I want to keep that going for them at home, plus there is the very important language issue. I'm running out of Russian phrases to use already!!! But the girls are learning more every day, I heard them singing their ABC's last night. Thank God for Leap Frog!!

We'll try to post periodically, I know how much these blogs helped me when we were waiting forever to travel, and how reading them is helping me now that our kids are home. You are so overwhelmed when you get home and if this is your first experience being a parent, well that just adds to your anxiety. So at least I knew some of the things to expect during this adjustment phase and it's helped me tremendously. Shelly Fisher, if you're reading this, your blog should be required reading for anyone even thinking about doing this! The girls will do something and before I can get myself worked up, I instantly remember reading about your first days home and realize it's all normal, and how it really will start to fall into place!!

Like I've said before, I'd do it all again in a minute.........