The Scenic Route: Look Whose Eating from a Spoon!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Look Whose Eating from a Spoon!

Michael and Matthew were never offered food from a spoon at the orphanage and took all their feedings from a bottle. Michael is 4 1/2 and Matthew is 2. To make matters more challenging, Michael has a significant tongue thrust that makes food go out instead of coming in to swallow.

They have been home for seven weeks and we have been slowly getting them used to the spoon and the taste of different foods. Tonight we have success. They BOTH allowed Rachel and I to spoon feed them without tears or fears!!!

Matthew has this eating thing down pat. He opens, takes in the food, swallows and gets ready for more. Michael would open and allow us to put the food into his mouth but had no clue how to get the food from the front of his mouth to the back in order to swallow it. We will continue to work on this, but overall he did great just getting to this point! This is a HUGE step for them and I am so proud of them both. Enjoy the pics...

Getting ready to eat!

Michael letting me spoon feed him for the first time!

YUMMMM!

Matthew letting me spoon feed him

YUMMO!!

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The beautiful children above are all available for adoption through Reece's Rainbow and come from a variety of different countries around the world. They are all deserving and worthy. Most have Down Syndrome, some have other needs unique to them. Please consider giving one of these precious children a chance to grow up in a loving home instead of a short life in an institution. Not in a position to adopt? Consider donating to their adoption fund. It's tax deductible and you'll be helping to save the life of a child.

2011 Adoption Timeline

9-9-11 HOME!!!!
8-30-11 GOTCHA DAY!!!
8-29-11 Travel to region via 12 hr train
8-28-11 Arrived in Capital of U-know where
8-27-11 Left for 2nd trip
8-21-11 Home from 1st trip
8-20-11 Headed home for the 10-day wait
8-19-11 11:10am...ORPHANS NO MORE!!!
8-19-11 Court, 10:00am
8-10-11 Received our Court date for Aug. 19
8-5-11 Met Sydney and Sarah for the first time!!
8-3-11 SDA appointment
8-1-11 Arrived in-country
7-31-11 Left Lubbock for trip 1
7-30-11 Picked out the girls names: Sarah and Sydney
7-18-11 Received our SDA appt for 8-3-11
7-8-11 Found out we WILL get to travel soon after all
7-1-11 Adoption Tax Credit received
6-24-11 Looks like we will have to wait to go get our girls until their country re-opens their adoption program in about 3 months
6-23-11 Verbal confirmation that our 2010 Adoption Tax credit has been approved
6-15-11 Receipts sent to IRS
6-3-11 Tax advocate assigned
6-2-11 SUBMITTED!!
5-27-11 Our Congressman's office contacted IRS to help get our ATC refund, to help pay at-home living expenses while Jeff takes FMLA for this adoption, officer assigned immediately
5-27-11 Dossier ARRIVED in country
5-24-11 Dossier MAILED to the girls country
5-24-11, I-171H received back from apostille
5-14-11, I-171H sent for Apostille
5-13-11 noon, I-171H APPROVED!
5-12-11 Neugebauer's office faxed more documents supporting medical expedite request
5-11-11 Officer Williams assigned to our case
5-11-11Visited Congressman Neugebauer's office, they called USCIS to recommend medical expedite
5-10-11 Dr. Med expedite letter sent to USCIS
5-6-11 CSP's and POA's sent to EE
5-5-11 I-600A arrived in MO
5-4-11 All but I-171H Apostilled in Austin
5-4-11 Receipt of I-600A confirmed in TX
5-3-11 Dossier complete & notarized, minus I-171H
5-2-11 DPS background checks received
4-28-11 Marriage Licenses received
4-28-11, I-600A mailed to USCIS
4-27-11 Homestudy Completed
4-26-11 Sent off for new Marriage Licenses
4-22-11 Homestudy UPDATE completed, turns out we needed a whole new study..see above
4-15-11 Mailed DPS Fingerprints off
4-14-11 first Dossier Docs completed
4-13-11 Homestudy Visit
4-12-11 J and D Medicals Done
4-11-11 Paid Committment $$
4-7-11 Announce to the world we are adopting
4-7-11 FSP up and running
4-6-11 First Commitment Papers sent to RR
4-6-11 Committed to Jaclyn and Harper
4-4-11 Inquired about Harper and Jaclyn

** 2011 Adoption Expenses

** WE ARE FULLY FUNDED...PRAISE GOD!
$ 6,000 Second Trip Airfare
$ 15,000 to cover our at-home living expenses while Jeff rescues our girls and takes FMLA and has no income
** $ 200 Apostilles
** $ 200 Homestudy update
** $ 300 Medical fees for the girls in-country
** $ 475 Car Transportation in-country
** $ 500 postage fees
** $ 600 Train Transportation in-country
** $ 700 Food, in-country
** $ 720 I-600 Fee, in-country
** $ 800 hotel/apartment in-country
** $ 808 Visa Application for the girls, in-country
** $ 890 USCIS fees
** $ 1,300 Passports for the girls, in-country
** $ 2,335 Initial RR fees
** $ 2,400 Both Girls Airfare Coming HOME!!!
** $ 6,000 First Trip Airfare
** $ 11,000 facilitation fees, in-country

2010 Adoption Timeline

4-28-11 USA Birth Certificates received for Michael and Matthew
3-24-11 Debbie officially adopts Matthew and Michael in the USA
3-06-10 Joined Reece's Rainbow
4-09-10 Inquired about AJ (Matthew)
5-13-10 First Commitment papers sent
5-17-10 Officially Commited to AJ
5-20-10 Announce to the world AJ is ours
5-25-10 Received Dossier packet online
6-1-10 Applied for passports
6-2-10 Send in first set of documents for apostille
6-6-10 Home study 1st visit
6-7-10 1st set of Appostilled documents came back
6-9-10 POA's and CSP sent to EE
6-14-10 Passports received
6-15-10 POA's and CSP received in EE
6-21-10 18 Documents Notarized
6-22-01 DPS Fingerprints Sent
6-24-10 Physicals done & 3 more documents notarized
6-28-10 Bloodwork done
7-2-10 Medical documents signed and notarized
7-6-10 Local Fingerprints/background checks came back
7-22-10 Home study is FINISHED!
7-26-10 Committed to Michael
8-03-10 I600A sent to USCIS
8-10-10 Sent Both Boys new CSP for apostille
8-13-10 Jeff and I USCIS Fingerprint Appointment received
8-17-10 Second CSP and POA's sent to EE
8-20-10 Second CSP and POA's DELIVERED
8-25-10 Kids USCS fingerprint appointments received
8-27-10 USCIS fingerprints...DONE!
9-1-10 Rep. Neugebauer's office contacts USCIS on our behalf
9-2-10 I-600A APPROVED
9-4-10 I-171H RECIEVED in the mail
9-14-10 Kids Passports done
9-20-10 Release Paper signed inEE
9-30-10 Dossier Apostilled
10-2-10 Dossier is mailed to EE
10-6-10 Dossier arrives in EE
10-13-10 HE Loan Approved
10-21-10 SUBMITTED to SDA
11-10-10 Received SDA Appointment of Dec. 1
11-27-10 Leave for 'The Country' our boys are in
11-28-10 Arrive in country ~ 25+ hours traveling
12-1-10 SDA Appointment
12-3-10 Met the boys
12-10-10 Court/M & M become Hannons!
12-13-10 Home after 1st trip
12-17-10 Second trip begins
12-20-10 Arrive in Kiev for 2nd trip
12-21-10 Gotcha Day!
12-24-10 Michael and Matthew are HOME!

Psalms 139:13-16