She gave him life, then let us show him how to live

My first born...

While I was struggling with desperately wanting to have children, on the other side of our planet... There was a lady who was pregnant and scared... Scared that she could not afford a child, scared that she had no prenatal care, no way to take care of a kid, she had no husband nor did she know who was the father of her son... 

She did not have the money to buy healthy food for herself. Her water was not pure, clean, or clear. She was in danger of losing what little she had due to this pregnancy. She had no job and was barely getting by.

But she opted to not kill her son.

She could have aborted her baby. Life would have gone back to normal. It would have alleviated some pressure from her life. She could have avoided the stares from peers in public when they heard she was not married or in a relationship. She could have had more time and energy to find a job.

But she opted to give me a son.

On June 19, 1997, she walked into a hospital and gave birth to a boy. She checked out of the hospital the same day. She did return though. She went back and filled out the appropriate paperwork so that her baby could have a chance. She wrote a letter giving the state the permission to find a better choice for her baby (I have a copy of this letter).

Little Kirsonov Alexander Pavlovich was tiny. The nurses felt compassion on him. They knew that as soon as he left the hospital he would get little/no food... They invented things to test him for.... Polio, rickets, ibs, measles, etc. Each test prolonged his stay in the hospital by a week at least. Instead of sending him to the orphanage at three days old, he stayed in the hospital receiving full strength formula until October of 1997. But then they could do no more for him and he had to go. 

The orphanage that he was taken to was a home to 60 children under the age of two years old. He was never given a bottle again. He had no baby food. His formula was given to him in a cup with no lid. Instead of four scoops of formula to a cup, he was rarely given one full scoop. At nine months old, he would occasionally be given cabbage or potatoes- not baby food, just boiled. The orphanage was only given money when a child was adopted... But no one had come in over a year. The women who worked there had not been paid in 9 months. The workers had sold the orphanage van (their only transportation) in order to have money to buy seeds and lights- they used their dirt floored garage to plant cabbage and potatoes and then would padlock the garage to keep their garden safe.

Little Sasha ("baby alex" in Russian), had never tasted meat, fruit, or other veggies... Every Sunday he would get one shortbread cookie with his meal...

He would stay in this orphanage, living in a room with 13 kids total, until October 1998... Until this couple came... The man had a beard that he could not help but stare at because he had never seen a man before. The lady was weird. She was smiling and laughing, yet crying at the same time. He was covered in scabies, parasites, and lice... Yet was the most beautiful little 16.6 pound boy she had ever seen.... 

After visiting him for three days, they took him from that place.... The kind nurse cried as she handed a naked, little boy to her. They could not even spare a blanket because they needed to keep everything. 

I had no idea what my 16 months old would need. We had taken a ton of stuff... Gave most of it to the orphanage... But we took our son, SCOTT ALEXANDER SUBLETT, away from that place in a sweet little 9month outfit that was way too big on his little frame....

We took him to Moscow,feeding him everything we could along the way. After arriving, we gave him his first bath of his lifetime. He ate his first McDonald's. He loved everything he tasted. He slept with me. I clung to him as if he was my life support...

It was a crazy week in Russia... A crazy few months after getting him home... It has been a wild ride over the last 16 years for this kid... His rough start, his transition to an American family, his baby sister arriving just 6 months later, starting school, being diagnosed with some cognitive disabilities (ADHD, OCD, and asberger tendencies), new schools, new churches, and now getting ready to become an Eagle Scout this summer...

But none of this would have been possible

without a kind hearted decision

 by a lady I have never met.

She gave him life, then let us show him how to live..... 

Birthday Princess

My Sweet Girl

 

I can not believe that 14 years ago I was cuddling a sweet little 6lb 6oz baby girl... She was an unexpected bundle of greatness... After so many years of wanting children, Scott and I were graced by two children in under a year. We adopted our first child from Russia only to return home finding me so sick I was sure I was dying... I was pregnant.

 

I woke up at 3:15am on June 8, 1999... I had a weird pain in my back. I tried showering, but that stupid pain kept coming about every 4 minutes... We arrived at the hospital around 4 (Scott drove past several parking places trying to find the best one, and I almost killed him)... I had a natural labor with no medication, but only because I was 8cm when I arrived. I begged for drugs, but no one would give me so much as an aspirin! I decided that it hurt and I no longer wanted to have a baby... then at 7:26, the doctor said push, I pushed, and in one giant thrust Jessica flew into our hearts in one gush. At the time, we all swore she was the most gorgeous thing over... "thing" was probably right... newborns are not cute at birth... only their mothers think so!

 

14 years later, my daughter still holds a special place in the hearts of all who meet her. She is a happy girl. Almost every day is the "happiest day ever" for her. She is a polite kid with a sparkle in her eyes. She loves children and hopes to teach preschool or kindergarten or work in a daycare forever. Her heart is so big that I know she will have many joys and heartbreaks along her way.

 

I could not be more proud of my kid...

 

She makes amazing grades. She has a few very close friends who crack me up constantly. She fills this house with laughter and drama.

 

She will being her high school career in the fall and I still have trouble thinking about that fact.

 

Happy 14th Birthday to the best daughter I have ever had... and the only one I ever want...

none other would be able to compare

so much...

I have thought over the last month... "I need to blog about that"... however, it has been a nuts month and I have had very little time to be able to dedicate an hour to myself and my blog...

 

I had a physical a few weeks ago... although I am no where near the weight I want to live at, I was tickled to hear about my blood levels... She told me about my old levels (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetic)... then she read my new levels - low blood pressure, low cholesterol, normal blood sugar, low resting heart rate... I am healthy. She even told me that if I WANTED to lose more weight, I can - but I do not need to if I am satisfied! Well, I am not satisfied yet, so I will keep on keeping on. But, it was wonderful to have a positive doctor's appointment for the first time in over 20 years. It is a new era.

 

My daughter is having a dance recital this weekend - hard work, loads of fun, and a day full of activities. She is excited! Truth be told, my tail will be sore and I will probably be cranky - but once the curtain opens, I will love each moment of seeing her on stage and will think that she is amazing!

 

My youngest is officially a second grader. We spent this past Thursday having pizza and celebrating with awards and hugs... It was a crowded room with crazy children and proud parents. He was thrilled to be done with first grade. We have been very proud of his successes in school. He loves to read and has had a good year. He will be leaving his present school, and going year round starting in July. We are excited.

 

My oldest completed his 10th grade year. To me honest every year is hard for him. He works amazingly with his hands and could build anything. He is a hard worker in the yard and loves to climb trees or clean out our gutters... but school work is very difficult. We are not all cut-out for book work... I read something once that said, "If we were all judged by our ability to fly, most of us would fail"... it reminds me that we are not all great at school, but God has blessed each of us with our OWN gifts... As his mother, I am trying to help him see his gifts and use them! Yet, this year, he passed each class. Truthfully, we did not think that it would happen... but he surprised even himself by making some B's on finals and pulling grades up. We are finishing his sophomore year with all passing grades... and not by the skin on his tail either! I am proud.

 

My middle child has closed the door on her middle school career. On Friday, she graduated from middle school. She spent five years at Voyager Academy. She is leaving this fall to go back to public school. She has begged for years for me to promise her that she could attend Riverside and perform in their chorus productions... her dream will come true in August. It is hard for me to imagine that this little girl who started kindergarten with pig tails and a big grin, walked through graduation in a beautiful dress, gorgeous face, and is such a wonderful young lady... So much has changed... I love this kid!

So there is a little update... I will write more about my special girl in a minute... today is a special day!