Let the (medical) fun begin!

So I took the kids to their pediatrician last week. Everything looks good on the surface. They are both small for their age - which we knew - but they appear very healthy. A Russian-speaking dentist is high on the list of priorities for Joseph and we will be starting OT and PT with Jonathan on Monday. Both boys go to Riley in a couple of weeks for their international adoption clinic and then Jonathan goes back on the 9th to see their ortho doctor. We will follow it all up with another visit to the pediatrician on the 11th to pull everything together and come up with a plan of attack for Jonathan. We are really hopeful that with therapy he will gain quite a bit more independence. He is only 31 pounds right now so lifting him is not a problem but in a year or two I'm going to have to start training to be a professional weight lifter in order keep up with him. And to be completely honest - if it is possible I would like to get out of having to be involved in the toilet process! : ) We have a child's toilet that he can use but he can't pull his own pants down or empty the potty so...yeah for me, I get toilet duty. For some reason the kid LOVES the bathroom and would go every 1/2 hour if I would let him - so I'm sure he is antsy to be able to go without mom's help as well - then he can go whenever he feels like it.
We still continue to adjust well. The boys are doing great and really starting to understand a lot of English. They aren't speaking as much of it but they pick up a word or two every day. Joseph and Michael continue to be the best of friends which is trying at times. They get very riled up and our house is so small that it just seems to be magnified. Joseph also tends to exclude Charity which goes over like a ton of bricks so we're working on it. Most of the time having 4 isn't much different than having 2. (Just don't ask me about that at dinner time or when I'm folding laundry - again!) I think it helps that they are old enough to do a lot of stuff on their own. They play really well together and are very helpful around the house. They keep us laughing too. I think we're going to have our hands full when this group becomes teenagers.
The other night we went to a chili supper for some friends of ours who are adopting from Ukraine and hoping to travel in May. It was a great evening of fellowship, worship and sharing. Their church has gathered them in and supported them like nothing I have ever seen. I love to see God's people acting like we are supposed to and these people are living it out! Many of the other families that we have met through this adoption journey were at this event as well. Most of the adopted kids (all but one of them are girls) were from Sevastopol and so Joseph recognized a few of them. One in particular had his attention and he had hers as well - I have the "love notes" to prove it! I am SO not ready for this!