Our First Day Together

On Thursday we spent the morning just getting aquainted and taking Misha for a walk around our property. At 2:00 he had his first visit with Dr. Greg Edens. Dr Edens, his wife and entire staff were absolutely wonderful! We spent several hours in his office so that he could give Misha a complete physical. We learned that he had perfect vision and hearing in spite of a bad ear infection. After the visit we picked up an antibiotic and then came home to play with the kids.



Before bed, we plugged into Google's translator and let it interpret phrases for us. The night before, we had discovered that Misha could read and write very well in Russian. This will help our communication process tremendously. He also surprised us all at how wonderfully he could type and operate the computer.

Misha loves David's radio controlled Hummer

We have been amazed at what all he can do. That first night he had insisted on bathing and dressing himself which was a tremendous feat when one considers the twisted condition of his body. His independance demonstrates a courage I find very admirable. The next day, as I helped him remove his shirt, I began realizing that bathing himself properly was an impossible task for him to do successfully. He can't bend his elbows and his hands only have limited motion. His shoulders and arms are semi-webbed together making it impossible for him to lift his arms above his chest. In order to save his dignity, we let him wear his underwear while we bathed him. After we've helped him out of the tub, I carefully dry him and help him into his shirt. We then leave the bathroom and allow him the privacy to change his underwear and continue to dress himself. He does an amazing job. I'm so proud of him!!!

Taking a rest after a full morning