To remember...

A couple of things I want to remember and this is how I'm doing it. Serik's blogging baby book. His latest thing: when you pick him up to hug him he snuggles his head into your shoulder, wraps his little arms around your neck and pats your back. Yup - pat, pat, pat. Then it's a few squeezes for good measure. Not quite sure where he picked that up. Maybe pats on his back to help him burp or to loosen up chest congestion? Hmm. He's also randomly pirouetting. Tonight he did it with one arm in the air and his head against said arm. Kurt and I just crack up. He loves sitting down on the floor in front of us - between our feet or legs and getting 'jiggled'. Daddy does it best; jiggling his feet fast so that Serik kind of vibrates. While this is going on he does the 'ahhh' noise - comes out like when you do the 'pow wow' over your mouth. The other fun/amusing thing he does is this loud inhale/gasp. He and Kurt take turns making the noise. Serik has now combined it with a giant flop on us in bed. So first it's the eek/inhale/gasp and then it's the plop - either on his butt or forward (bellyflop style ) into our outstretched arms. Cracks himself up. I'm sure there's more but at least wanted to get these down for my fading mom memory.

By the way - probably tmi

Have I mentioned how much fun it is to clean #2 out of a bath? Little man has graced me with this twice. I say me because it's happened when daddy was out of town - both times! So fun. He also has had fun peeing (for lack of a better word) in the tub, outside of the tub right before he gets in- or as was the case the other night - after he got out of the tub and was in his room waiting for a new diaper. It was a bit amusing since he was standing in front of me and started a stream like a race horse. Daddy and I both went 'OH' and he stopped mid-stream. Have to admit it was pretty amusing. What else can you do but laugh and clean it up. Also - you might notice the knot/bruise in the middle of Serik's forehead. That's from a few spills he's taking since he's been running around the house. Knock wood we seem to have gone at least a week without one so hoping he'll have his normal forehead back soon.

May Update

Okay, okay...I know that it's been too long since our last update. It truly is amazing how busy your life gets with a little one running around. After our trip to Miami we settled back into the routine with the only exception being that it seemed to change frequently since our little man is growing by leaps and bounds. He decided just after daddy's big 40 birthday party in April (and Serik's 13 month) that he needed to be walking all the time.

He's so pleased with himself and loves to play all sorts of games. For instance - before bath time it's in and out of the bath room running between Kurt and I giggling madly the whole time, before finally being corralled into the bath. He still likes the bath but is not a fan of getting his hair washed so the bath time has gotten quicker as he's afraid he'll get his hair washed (which by the way is maybe once a week).


His vocabulary has expanded (along with the amount of teeth he has). It's now: ball, car (thanks to Jeff for teaching him every high end vehicle in Miami), 'hi', cracker, bath, book, dada, mama, nana (for banana), bye-bye...you get the jest.


He's also gotten two more teeth - bringing the total to 10 in - with 4 more erupting as we speak. The kid is a total drool monster - no wonder.

On Mother's Day I had a nice relaxing day - lolling about. We then went to meet up with Nana Hammond, Aunt Missy and Uncle Russ and cousins Lissa and Isaac at the Como Zoo. Ever think it would be a good idea to go to a zoo/park deal on Mother's day - yeah - well apparently so did everyone else! Besides the crowds it was fun though and Serik got a kick out of his cousins and the animals at the zoo and went on his first merry-go-round.




Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie Caryn came from New England over Memorial weekend to spoil the little man. It was great to see them and we are planning on heading east in July.



We started landscaping on the house this week so now it is almost completely finished - just a few punch list items left - phew. Enjoy the pics.

I know, I know... way over due. Man, this kid thing wears you out and keeps you pretty busy - go figure!
On March 29th our precious little boy turned one. The actual day of his birth we had a mellow evening - just the three of us. On Saturday the 31st was the shindig. Wasn't planning on anything big - said no gifts (people don't listen by the way) - but things got a bit bigger than we had originally envisioned. It was fun with family and friends from nearby - probably had 40 people drop in with their kiddos during the 3 hour span. At one point Serik decided that he had had enough of all these people ands kids hanging around and he went and sat under the kitchen table for some 'alone time'.
He tried the icing on his cake but wasn't very interested in that or the cake itself. Should we have starved him first? I mean if only to get the obligatory cake smeared everywhere pic - hmmm.
The next big thing was a trip to NH to see Grandma and Grandpa Wachs, Aunt Caryn, Uncle Mike and Aunt Maggie for Easter. First off - my folks house is soooo not child proofed. In fact it's filled with antiques so there wasn't much for little man to bang around on. Grandpa did pull out his old glockenspiel and Serik had a grand old time making earsplitting noises on it.
Grandma pulled out the old rocking chicken for Serik to ride (from my childhood) and she stocked up on all sorts of good baby food for the little man. The 'extended' Bedford family threw a get to know party for Serik and he received many cute clothes, a red wagon, and a car to drive.
He was doted on and spoiled but sleep was a hard thing that weekend. Apparently sleeping in a 'port-a-crib' from 1970 isn't all it's cracked up to be. That and the strange surroundings made for an exhausting weekend for mom, dad and Serik.
We got to see Grandma and Grandpa's new house (which is almost ready to move in to) and catch up with the family so that made it all worth while.
Then it was off to South Beach - Miami, FL for a little fun in the sun with mom and dad.
Kurt had a reward trip for work and we stayed at the Loews which was nice and completely accommodating for kids (for future reference).

Serik loved his first time in the pool and had to literally be dragged away from the edge if he wasn't in it.
The beach took a little more getting used to - waves and sand and all - but he ended up giggling and smiling as he was dipped in.Our little man was a hit with the ladies - especially a 12 year old French girl who after meeting him the first day spent the following days seeking him out at the pool so she could play with him. It was like we had our own little Au pair.
Dinners out were a bit of a trick with Serik - the first night we ate early to try and keep him on schedule. No such luck. The whole sleeping in a strange place kicked in and he woke up at 4 a.m. - yeehaw. We got him back down but the next couple of nights he would invariably end up screaming at some random time and it made for some tiring nights. Of course the one night he slept was our last night there and we literally had to wake him out of a sound sleep to leave for the airport (6:30 a.m.) - couldn't he have done that earlier in the trip?
The other dinners were a bit later (7:30) so Serik didn't get to sleep til 9:30 ish EST (I know, I know - bad on us)... which brings us to a painful reentry in Minneapolis.
Got home yesterday and he slept brilliantly last night - basically 7 to 7. Today - not so much. Naps - hmm don't think so. Going down without wailing - nope. So we'll see what today brings.

As far as updates - Serik continues to make the cutest and funniest new faces, he's really getting the hang of walking and we expect him to forgo the crawling completely soon. He'll stand and drink out of his sippy cup without holding on to anything. He holds on to a wall and then lets go and walks to mom or dad. He's making new sounds and adding to his vocabulary on a daily basis but at the moment it's still a lot of ba,ba and da,da and ga,ga and th's.

So much to fill you in on - don't really know where to begin. Things have been busy around the Hammond household. Our little man is growing by leaps and bounds. It seems every week there is something new. Where to start? Activities - Serik and I are in a ECFE class (Early Childhood and Family Education) on Tuesday mornings - it's basically a 'mommy and me' class. We enjoy it - Serik gets to play with other kids and we sing songs and talk about mommy stuff. We've also signed up for a music class that will begin the week after Easter. Serik loves music and is always bopping up and down to tunes. For the song 'Happy and you know it' instead of clapping at the part where it says 'clap your hands (obviously)' he says 'ba ba' - very cute.
His vocab is increasing and we get a lot of: ba ba, da da, ga ga and now some th sounds. He lets us know what he wants by - 'ah' ing with an outstretched arm (like to go to the window or for more food). If he wants to know where we disappeared to - usually just out of his line of sight (we're good parents really) he starts crawling rapidly to us and saying 'ah' like a high pitched siren.
He has, as of yesterday, actually taken a few steps. He lunged for daddy and took three steps before falling into his daddy's arms. We're sure the running around the house is soon to come as he's already cruising up the stairs...

Serik also got to meet his Aunt Sara and cousin Ellie this month. They came to visit from Colorado. His Aunt Sara and Aunt Missy had an open house for Serik and he got to meet more of the extended family on the Hammond side. We also made a trip to the Children's Museum to catch up with the families from our fertility group. It's amazing to see all the moms and dads with their kids - who everyone worked very hard for. It is a great thing to see it all come full circle.
We also applied for a social security card - tax time you know - and will soon be doing the readoption in MN so that Serik can have a US birth certificate (makes it easier for school) and a middle name.
No - our child does not have a middle name yet. At the moment it is just Serik Hammond since mommy has a little decisiveness problem. Possibilities include Bekbolat or Cooper. We'll see - but it has to be done soon as it is part of the paperwork for his adoption post placement reports.

In two weeks our little man will be one year old - can't believe how time has flown. We'll be taking our first trips with him (excluding the trip home obviously) in April. First to visit Grandma and Grandpa Wachs and Aunt Caryn, Uncle Mike and Aunt Maggie for Easter. Then it's off to South Beach- Miami for a long weekend with mom and dad to soak up the sun and try out the ocean and pool for the first time. We should have some great pictures of that.

A couple of things we love: the unbeatable feeling of our little man's arms around our necks holding tight, the huge grin and laugh he gives us when he sees us after we've been gone for a while (like when daddy gets home from work), how when he hears the water running in the tub he sprints in there laughing all the way and immediately starts trying to climb in, how every day he discovers new things...

One month home

We've been meaning to update the blog but things have been a bit busy. First of all little man has been sick for the past couple of weeks. At first they thought it was bacterial pneumonia but after his course of antibiotics didn't kick it we ended up back at the doctor today. They think it's bronchitis but aren't sure if it's viral or not. So... it's back on the antibiotics. Hoping that it works because the poor little guy sounds like he's going to cough up a lung. Besides that though he's in great spirits. I have somehow managed to get a sinus and ear infection and have also been on antibiotics. Thankfully I'm on the upswing.

Serik got to meet his Uncle Mike and future Aunt Maggie from Boston the other weekend. We did a tour of the city: Walker Art Center, Guthrie Theater and some good dinners. Of course - we're eating at 5:30 with every other family or blue hair in the area - but the wine still tastes good at that hour.

This past Thursday we had a surprise visitor - Lisa Peck flew all the way from China to surprise us and meet the little man. We couldn't believe it! It's rare that we're totally shocked like that - but she succeeded.

Nana Hammond has been helping out three days a week and that has been great. It's allowed me to continue to work uninterrupted for a few hours here and there - as well as to try to get my bootie back in shape. Need to - have my brother's wedding in October (which Kurt and I are both in) and my 20th high school reunion this fall. Nothing like a little motivation.

A few things I'm thankful for:

1. Coffee - Kurt asked me if I was addicted to coffee the other day. Ahhh yup. Need that kick start in the a.m.

2. Concealer and Eye Cream - Went to California to visit my college roomie in September before we left and spent a ridiculous sum on eye cream and concealer. Little did I know how much I'd need both!

3. And of course my boys!

Look ma no hands!, Me and Grandpa Hammond, Me at the Guthrie on the Endless Brdige

10 Months Old!

So actually the little man turned 10 months old yesterday but I didn't manage to get around to updating the blog. I can't believe that we've been home for 3 weeks and that we've known him since he was 7 months old! Time does fly. Parenthood is everything everyone said it would be: rewarding, joyful, challenging and exhausting!

When our adoption coordinator told us that we would forget all about the wait once we got our baby I didn't believe her. Turns out it is true - but no one could have convinced me of that at the time.

At night I think about all the different things that I want to write on the blog but in the light of day I forget all of those witty remarks. Bedtime comes a lot earlier than it used to - I'm in bed by 9:30 at the latest. Kurt still pushes it but it's painful for both of us in the morning especially when Serik has a bad night - which are thankfully few and far between. Serik was under the weather and took a few long naps and was down for the night at 6:30 tonight which allowed me to have my guilty tv viewing pleasure in solitude (since Kurt isn't due back from his work trip 'til about 8:30). That's another thing that has changed - the tv addict that I was (several hours a night) has been reduced to viewing tv about 4 hours a week.

Every day Serik keeps developing - and has stood unassisted a few times (though for seconds at a time) and always wants to walk (with some help). No more sitting still for this guy unless he's got some challenging puzzle in his hands.

Our house is coming along - we're down to punch list items now which is a huge relief. I've gotten back to work - slowly but surely - finishing manuscripts, getting in new scouting submissions and auditioning for different projects. Kurt is back on the road but tries to only be gone for one or two nights max.

We've been keeping in touch with our travel partners the Brabsons as well as the Lloyds in Texas. It's great to hear how their little ones are doing and progressing. The weather here in MN is supposed to be below '0' from Friday evening until Monday a.m. - 60 hours of some very cold weather - reminiscent of our time in Astana, KZ.

Kurt and Serik (happy after a few tears), Serik with the Stansberry kids, Serik with Lori and Cam

Clean Bill

I've been meaning to update the post for a while now but somehow life gets in the way. We had our appointmnet at the International Adoption Clinic at the U of M today and Serik passed all of his developmental tests with flying colors. Turns out he's achieving milestones that most kids achieve more toward 11 months. Our little overachiever!

He's standing and only holding on with one hand, walking holding our hands and pulling up on anything and everything he can get his hands on.

Thought I'd post a few pics of our homecoming and of Serik with his friends Isabel and Emmett.

Doesn't Serik look like one of those animated Rankin Bass Christmas characters (the one in the high chair)? Like maybe from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'?

One week down - 18+ years to go

What a week! To say that it was exhausting would be an understatement! It took a good 5 days for us to get to feeling 'normal' after we returned home. I was very thankful for the help of Kurt's mom and then my parents and sister who came to visit. Got some of the-all-impotant things taken care of: hair colored, facial - you know - the important things. Well important for my sanity anyway.

Had an audition for Becker Furniture World and am on hold for it - which means I'm a definite maybe. Trying to get back into the swing of things - work and social life. It's a bit of a challenge mentally and physically to get up, showered and dressed so consequently the showering and dressing has pretty much fallen by the wayside. I make it into sweater sweats but that's about it. Did get into jeans a few times to try and head out and about with the boy. First was after we'd dropped my folks off at the airport - funny though - shops don't open until 10. Don't they know that i have a baby to work around?!

Did manage to get a calendar for 2007...will see how filled (or unfilled it is) for the coming yea. Serik has been great and has been sleeping from 8-6:30 or as was the case over the past two nights 7:30-7:30 - the problem with this is that he naps once from 11-1 and is an insane man by about 4pm. UGH!

Today we hit Costco so that I could get the oh-so-useful jumbo packs of diapers and wipes. Turns out they also have huge boxes of organic baby food and children's tylenol - whohoo- hit the jackpot. Guess the Costco membership will finally pay off. Can't believe i'm talking about Costco after all the exotic excitement of Kazakhstan....ah well.

Serik thought it was great fun riding in the cart and wanted mom to go faster and faster. The fun, however, quickly wore off and by the end of the trip he had had enough of all the bulk crap and just wanted to be held and get out of dodge. Kurt played in the national pond hockey championships and I was mighty glad he got home when he did. He called as Serik was melting down (no nap remember) and couldn't understand what the problem was - mind you he was calling from the 'beer garden' at the championships so he was in no real rush to come home. I - on the other hand - was like, 'get your butt back here and stop asking silly questions.'

Since Kurt has been on the road for the past three days it falls on daddy to put him to sleep tonight and I am able to update the blog. It's nice to be home, nice to be getting back on schedule (both us and Serik) and nice to be seeing all our friends and family.