May 20..HOME!

So, we finally made it home as schedule May 14. The flight was long and a bit hard. Julia slept the first 3 hours and last 3 hours of the 24 hour long trip (6 hour layover in Frankfurt). She never really cried, just wanted to play and people watch. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time we got home. But, in retrospect, I was so thrilled to be in the USA, that it did not really matter that I had only slept 3 hours in 48 hours. So, we have been back for almost a week now and Caleb and Julia are doing great and we are loving being a family of four. I am so thankful for the little things in life now, like a dishwasher, washing machine, endless towels, hard wood floors, AC, English, friendly people and the list goes on and on. Thanks to each and everyone of you who prayed us home. The trip was long and trying, but the hand of God was with us every step of the way. I am thankful for the two gifts from Him from the other side of the world and I am filled with thanksgiving!

May 12

I got the official word today that I can leave on May 14. Everything was hinging on Julia's passport being released from the US consulate, and it was! Needless to say I am thrilled to have a concrete, firm, tickets booked departure date. We will be picked up by our driver tomorrow at 11:30 pm, our flight then leaves at 2am, we have a 7 hour flight to Almaty, then a 6 hour layover in Frankfurt, followed by a 10 hour flight to Atlanta, to arrive at 4pm Thursday afternoon. It is a long trip and a little, ok very overwhelming for me to think about. But, it is the last leg of the journey. A very specific prayer request is that Julia will sleep on the plane, so that I can sleep. I am going to try to get a couple of hours sleep tomorrow in the evening before we are picked up, but I doubt that will happen because I am sure I will be busy getting things ready.
Today we went to the "sisters" office in Almaty to fill out forms for the US embassy and for the USCIS. Then, we went to the SOS clinic (international medical) where Julia had a "physical". It was basically a very quick look in her ears, listen to her heart, ok she is fine physical. That has to be done for the US embassy to issue her a visa on her Kazakhstan passport. Tomorrow we have our final meeting with the adoption agency here, then we go to the US embassy where I will pick up her new passport and visa.
Thankfully Julia and I have been able to get great rest here at the Holiday Inn (picture included), it is very quiet and very clean. She slept 14 hours last night and took a 3.5 hour nap this afternoon. I assume that the more rested she is for the trip the better off we will be. I am a firm believer that well rested babies sleep better. Well, that is all for today. I will post once more after we are home. Thank you all for your prayers and kind words of encouragement as we have gone down this 65 day journey. They have been such a blessing to Ethan and myself.

To Almaty

Let me preface this blog entry by saying Julia and I are fine and happy as of Monday afternoon at a Holiday Inn in Almaty. But, the road getting here was a little rough. This was definintly a Mothers Day I will never forget. So, we left yesterday at 1, my driver was late picking us up, so we rushed to the airport and barely made the plane ride. Julia fell right asleep, I was so thankful, as she had decided not to nap that morning (how do kids know when we need them to nap?). So, I was happy, she was asleep, all was well, for 20 minutes. Then, they brought out lunch which was assorted meats and cheese in a plastic container. Well, everyone started popping their lid on and off which caused Julia to wake up. She was then up the rest of the flight. She was ok, just moving and grooving. She only cried and screamed a couple of times. I did manage to take her to the back of the plane and rock her, she had just fallen asleep when the flight attendent came and told me to sit down and that woke her up. She had 2 poopy diapers on the 3 1/2 hour plane ride, which is fun to change in a tiny airplane bathroom. I had to lay her in the sink. Then I looked up and realized my diamond earring was gone. Thankfully, I found it on the aisle of the plane in the floor. So, we land in Almaty and drop off some papers and go to Hotel Kazakhstan. The lobby is big and pretty and nice, so I was excited. Then, they take us to our room which is literally the size of most people's closet. There was a twin bed made for a 4 foot tall person and about 2 square feet of walking space. So, I ask for a bigger room, "No other rooms" they say. So, I say "there has to be a bigger room in this 17 story tall building". Sure enough they came up with a "suite" that was the size of 2 closets for 300 USD. I say, "No way,I'll go to another hotel". Suddenly they find me a regular room with a double bed. Exhausted, Julia goes to sleep quickly and I make some calls to my mom and Ethan and lay down. About midnight I am awakened b/c our room is really bright, sure enough our room is next to a neon Hotel Kazakhstan sign, and we only have sheers on the windows. Then, I hear the music next door start which continues until about 3am. Of course, after that begins the diarrhea and vomiting. So, there I am, 3 am praying that God will let me live and give me a way out of this situation. I finally fall asleep around 3:30 watching the Cosby Show and then little Julia is up about 6am. The first thing I do is call Ethan, then the Holiday Inn and book a room. So, we moved at about noon today. So, thanks to my husband, mom and the Holiday Inn, we are now very happy and settled. We have no appointments today, but tomorrow we go to the SOS medical clinic to have Julia checked out and then I find out at 4pm whether I get to go home on Thursday (pending Julia's passport release from the US consulate). My gut tells me I do, and that is usually right. So, this evening Julia and I are going to go to the hotel resturant and eat. Kids eat free here, that is no small thing with Julia :) Hopefully tonight we will get some rest. Thankfully the new hotel room has heavy curtins and clean floors! I might just sleep without my sleep sack tonight!

May 9 The Sun is Shining!

So, I have to say that I am elated today! Tomorrow I leave for Almaty at 1pm. I am packing and have tears in my eyes, I NEVER thought this day would come. This journey seems so long, even though it has only been 2 months. When we came to Petro, the snow was 2 or 3 feet deep and now, the sun is shining and the trees are starting to bud. Today was Victory Day in Kazakhstan. They are celebrating their(USSR) battle against the Germans in WW2. Everyone was out on the street today. There was food, babies in snowsuits (85 degrees) and of course dancing. Not my little Julia, I had her in a long sleeve shirt and I decided that was good enough. I got a lot of looks, but I decided I did not care, it was too warm for her to be in a snowsuit. So, tonight I am going out to dinner with the American families here for a final farewell, an Uzbekistan meal. I think I am going to go vegetarian. So, we are ready to say good by to Petro and hello to Almaty, one step closer home!
I included some pictures taken around town today. Notice they paint the bottom of the trees, it is purely to make them look "pretty", but they don't ever plant grass?? Oh,and the wedding dresses I found at a indoor shopping area.

Nothing is ever concrete in international adoption...May 7

So, as many of you know I have been scrambling to try to get a flight out of here on May 16. When I first talked to my travel agent there were no flights available. After about 20 e mails of my begging and pleading and a small charge, I was able to get my flights confirmed today to Atlanta. Well, then this afternoon I got a phone call from my agency that is located in Almaty saying that my dates have been changed and they THINK I can leave for the USA on Thursday May 14, but they will no know for sure until Tuesday May 12 at 4pm. As far as I can understand the reason why is because Julia's Kazakhstan passport has to be registered at the consulate and they are estimating that it will be released from the consulate Tuesday afternoon. So, I have sent another e mail to my travel agent and hopefully there will be tickets available for May 14 and she will be able to hold them until May 12. The good news is worst case scenerio now, I will be home on May 15 and the best case scenerio is home May 14. So again, we wait. But, I very excited that I will be home for my nephews birthday party at the Lookouts on May 16 regardless!!! This is the hard part about international adoption, we are dealing with agencies and governments that do not work like those in the US. The rules and timelines are different over here, not better or worse, just different.
Everything else is status quo. Julia is taking steps here and there. She is laughing and smiling all the time. She is sleeping pretty well, but she now demands to be rocked to sleep, it is funny how fast children learn, as I know she was never rocked to sleep in the baby house. We are trying to have two outings a day. She does OK in the stroller, not great, but ok. I can tell she misses kids because when I take her anywhere that other children are, she will bounce up and down in her stroller to try to get their attention. It must be a strange adjustment for her to go from having other children around all the time, to never seeing other babies. That will change soon enough though! She also is seeming to become more secure, for example when other people talk to her besides me she does not scream. Also, Dave and Jocelyn babysat her on tuesday while I ran to the store and she did fine. That is very encouraging. I am spending my time watching romantic comedies, sitcoms, reading and playing cards in the evenings. Ok, well, only maybe 7 more days!

Return home date

So, I finally got my concrete departure date of May 16. I am thankful to have a date and to know when this journey is going to come to an end and a new one begin (parenting 2 kids in the US, not starting another adoption)! Therefore, I have 10 days left in Kazakhstan, I can see the light!

May 5...Waiting

I just wanted to put out a quick update. Ethan and Caleb made it home safe and sound Saturday afternoon at 4pm. Caleb has transitioned quickly to being home and is sleeping mostly through the night. He has been thrilled to be home and see his family and friends. He is now cleaning up his room when asked and sleeping in a big boy bed. Next, potty training!
Julia and I remain in Petro. Her passport came in yesterday (Monday) which was ahead of schedule I think. Today they are filing the passport with the immigration police. I was hoping to have a departure date by now, and for a short while really thought it would be earlier than the projected "worst case scenario" date of May 16. But, as of now (3pm on Tuesday afternoon) I am waiting for a phone call or e mail to let me know when I can leave. Please continue to pray as this last leg of the journey has be frustrating as I am tired and ready to have our family together at home. On the bright side Julia is doing beautifully, she is smiling and laughing all the time. She stands on her own and will take a step every now and then. Therefore, I do not regret my decision to stay with her as I feel it was the right choice. But would like to be home at some point. I will keep everyone posted as to when my departure date will be when I am told.

Finally May!

I was able to talk to Ethan via Skype this afternoon. They made it to Frankfurt and are there in a hotel. Ethan said that Caleb traveled like a champ; he said on a scale of 1 to 100, he was a 100. Also, Caleb has been apparently eating nonstop since he left Petro. I was able to see Caleb in the hotel room and of course I cried when I saw my little guy, but I am so happy that he is doing well and the trip home is going smoothly for them! Their plan today is to go to the Frankfurt zoo and out to eat. They will leave Frankfurt around 7 am (Eastern Time) and are to arrive in Atlanta at 4 pm Saturday afternoon.

We are doing fine back here in Petro. Julia slept from 7pm to 8:45 this morning! We went out today to a festival they are having in the town today with Dave and Jocelyn and then went out to lunch. The day has gone by quickly and we are enjoying our one on one time. Tonight a group of Americans are coming over to play cards. I did hear from our agency that we should know my return home date sometime early next week. I e mailed them yesterday just to remind them that I am still here, in case they forgot. I do have Julia's birth certificate and adoption decree in hand. Even though it is in Russian, it is still nice to know that it is in hand. I have included a picture of those as well as a couple of photos I took around town today. Thank you all for the prayers that are being lifted up on our behalf and the sweet encouraging words. They are such a blessing to all of us.

April 30

I just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know that Ethan and Caleb left at 1pm this afternoon and are currently in Almaty at the Hotel Kazakhstan hanging out with a fellow adoptive dad, waiting to catch their 3am flight to Frankfurt. Though, I will say it was a rough start to the trip, as we were standing in line at the little Petro Airport, Caleb pulled on our biggest suitcase and it fell on top of him as he fell backwards. There were tears and more tears and a lot of Russians looking at us like "Stupid Americans, letting their kid fall". Anyway, I pray that the rest of the trip goes a little smoother (he was fine, just a little "shook up"). It was SO hard to say goodbye to Caleb, but I know it is for the best. Seven weeks in Kazakhstan in a hotel room is enough for a little guy. He was such a trooper, I am so proud of my little guy. So, Julia and I had a peaceful afternoon. I took her to the playground and pushed her on a swing. It is amazing how quiet life is without 50% of the family. One more day checked off the calendar, one more day closer to us all being home.
Oh, one story that I did want to share, yesterday I was on the floor with Julia while Caleb was napping and Ethan was on the computer. All of a sudden, I realized that Ethan had downloaded "Proud to be an American" by Kenny Rogers, I looked up at him and he was just sitting there, solemnly listening to the song staring off into space. I thought to myself, "Yep, it is time for us to go home". Fourth of July will take on a whole new meaning for us this year!

April 29

Today is Ethan and Caleb's last full day in Kazakhstan. There is a sense of excitement today as we know that we are almost on the last leg of the journey. I know I have said this before, but I am so glad Caleb is going to get home, to "old home". I was talking to him about it today a little and I saw a sparkle in his eye as I talked of our "old home" and the things we did there. Ethan and Caleb leave tomorrow at 1pm and will fly into Almaty. There, they will have a 11 hour layover, which they will spend with a fellow adoptive dad who is in Almaty about to leave with his new daughter. Then, Ethan and Caleb will take a 7 hour flight to Frankfurt and spend 30 hours in Frankfurt. This is an intentional long layover to allow Caleb and Ethan time to rest up before the last 10 hour flight into Atlanta. The plan is for them to go to a zoo, park, and McDonalds while in Frankfurt.
Today we are packing. It seems that we are leaving with a lot less than we brought. Definintly no souviners to be bought in Kaz. Plus, we have our souviner, a cute little girl, no reasons for Kaz snow globes or magnets. I have a feeling we will not soon forget the trip! Today we were BLESSED as a fellow adoptive couple who we have been spending a lot of time with offered to watch Julia and Caleb while we went to lunch, during waking hours for the kids! It was the first time since April 1 when I have been without a child. I felt light as a feather walking out of the hotel. I could not beleive how easy it was to walk to the "mall" and have lunch. Thankfully Julia and Caleb did great. I was fearful Julia would cry, but she did fine they said. That gives me hope that she will be ok with meeting new people and being alone with them once we get home.
Ethan and I have decided that it is best for me to stay in our current hotel suite rather than move again. We really went back and forth on this, as the room we are staying in now is obviously more expensive than the small one room that Caleb and I shared. But, we decided it was best, as Julia is a very light sleeper and I am not sure what I would do while she slept besides sit in the hallway. Plus, feeding her in my lap at our table is hard enough, I cannot imagine trying to do it sitting on our bed or the floor, which would be our only options. So, there is some sense of releif that we do not have to move again. Plus, our space is big enough for other adoptive couples to come and spend time. Last evening we had 2 couples over which is really nice. Companionship is not something that can be taken for granted.
I have included some pictures of our play time at the "mall" playground that we have frequented a lot over the last 7 weeks. Notice the stuffed animals hanging from ropes wrapped around their necks. I just have not been able to get over how bizarre this is!
Thank you each for your kind words of encouragment and prayers. They have meant so much to Ethan and me. Words cannot express it!

April 27

April 27
So, we are still here! The last three days have been about the same as the first 46 days. We have really enjoyed the company of a couple from Baltimore who are here adopting a sibling group. They have been joining us in the evening for cards and board games. Julia continues to do better every day. She is evolving into a happy and content baby. We figured out she was not getting enough sleep, so now that we have fixed that problem, she is much less fussy. She continues to eat more that Caleb, Ethan and I combined  Caleb is doing fine, though since his hair cut, he will look at Ethan and me occasionally and point to his hair and say “It’s broke, fix it”. The high light of his day today was he found a stick and we let him play in the mud for 30 minutes. This weekend was really cold and wet, but today has been beautiful and a little warmer.
I would say the hardest part of the last couple of weeks is continuing to deal with a culture that does not like Americans. Almost everything we do in public is a battle. For instance, Saturday we were at the market and Ethan pointed to a cookie he wanted behind a glass case and held up one finger to the lady behind the counter. She looked at him and put a sign up, that we suppose said “closed” in Russian and turned away. Those kinds of occurrences happen all the time. It becomes so frustrating that all we want to do is stay inside but that is not possible with a two year old that is for sure. In addition, as most of you know, the culture is very concerned about kids staying warm, and even though our children are very well dressed for cold weather, women on the street will walk up to us and adjust Caleb or Julia’s jacket or point to them and yell stuff in Russian at us. Meanwhile our kids are literally sweating because we have so many clothes on them. So, honestly dealing with the culture is becoming more trying. I don’t know if is because we are tired, or if we are venturing out more. So, though I will miss Ethan and Caleb desperately when they leave on Thursday, I will be so glad for Caleb to be at home where he can run freely and wear short sleeves!
We still have not confirmed my departure date with Julia, we are hoping to know something by the end of the week. Please, continue to pray that we will be able to leave earlier than May 16, even if it is just a couple of days.

April 24

Today we had another 2 inches of snow. I feel like winter is going to last forever! We buzzed Caleb's hair, and we went to several different playgrounds, both inside and outside. Oh, and we connected with a couple from Baltimore. Julia is sleeping better, and we are thankful!Oh,and Caleb is back on a hunger strike.
That's all!

April 22

We are happy to have moved into our new room. It makes all the difference in the world to be in a bright, large space. Moving yesterday was a bit of a challenge with Caleb and Julia, but well worth it. Oh, and the family from Boston left, Caleb saw them carrying their suitcases out of the hotel and started crying saying “Old home..airplane!”. It was so pitiful. But, he only has about 8 days left in Petro and then he too will get to go back to his old home!
Let’s see, we have taken Caleb and Julia to the playground at the baby house the last couple of days. Julia adores the swing, and Caleb the sand box. Caleb also made some friends with the Kazakh “kids”. Julia is adjusting fairly well. She does cry every time we put her down for a nap or bedtime, but every night it is less crying, so we know we are heading in the right direction. Julia is also eating everything in sight, salami, kiwi, cheese, oranges, yogurt etc…She is not a big fan of baby food, so we just do table food and some formula mostly. She LOVES bath time; she is a crazy girl in the bath tub! One more day is gone and we are thankful for our blessings. Enjoy the pictures of our day. Oh, and notice that Caleb is now back on the bottle :)

April 20 Enjoying life as a family of four

Today we awoke to a beautiful day in Kazakhstan. The sun is shining and the temperature is just cool enough to need a light jacket. We packed the kids up and took them to the playground at the baby house for the second day in a row. There is a “sandbox” there and Caleb spent over an hour both today and yesterday playing. He was just in heaven. Julia slept yesterday in the baby carrier, but today she enjoyed swinging on the baby swing. Unfortunately because it was warmer today and she still has to wear a snowsuit, she was not comfortable in the baby carrier. Anyway, this evening we go to get Julia’s passport photo taken and to get a stroller for her. Both Ethan and I will need strollers coming home for navigating the airports and the long layovers, so we have no choice but to buy another stroller. Then the plan is to make egg salad (we have tried to boil them in the tea kettle) and watch some light hearted Seinfeld.
Tomorrow our travel partners from Boston have court and then are flying home. We hate to see them go, along with their 2 year old daughter who Caleb has enjoyed, but we are getting our suite back that was theirs! This will make our 4th move since coming to the Skiff. We are currently in a 2 room suite, but it is small, only 2 windows and no table. Frankly, it feels very cave like and depressing. So, we are heading back to the suite that was ours the first couple of weeks we were here before Ethan left. We will stay there until Ethan leaves with Caleb and then I will move back into the small room that Caleb and I shared while Ethan was gone. Another advantage of the bigger suite is that we met up with a couple yesterday that just got here who want to come over and play card games in the evenings! So, this way we will have space. I never thought playing cards with another couple would bring this much excitement to my heart, but it has! One thing Kazakhstan has taught me is to never take the little things for granted, like English speaking people.
Julia is feeling better; unfortunately Caleb woke up at 2 am last night with a fever, so he is on antibiotics now as well. I am sure it is likely just a viral infection, but I am not taking any chances here in Kaz with them being sick. The last thing I want is to have to take them to any health care facility in Kazakhstan. Their treatment here for kids when they are sick typically involves getting them in as many layers of clothes as humanly possible and putting them in front of the furnace, as they believe that cold air causes illnesses. I am so thankful that we brought antibiotics for us.
Well, no update at this point on when Julia and I will be allowed to head for home. The last word was a possible May 16 departure date, but I think that will not be finalized until the 15 day wait period is complete after court (April 28). I am still holding out a glimmer of hope for a sooner departure date, maybe a day or so, but who knows. Please keep praying! Regardless of when we get to leave, I am finally starting to see a little light at the end of this long tunnel and feeling encouraged.
P.S. Yes, having sick kids, one of which you have only known for a couple of weeks, in a cramped hotel room in a foreign country is a bit stressful…but this will not last forever. In a month it will all be a memory! Oh, and notice the picture of Caleb yesterday, Ethan is in charge of the laundry 