Purple Folder Adventure

Here it is Friday evening.  It’s been a long two weeks.  It’s been a long two years.  And we’re almost home.

Two years.  Two long years.  Some of you have been with us since the beginning.  You have supported us and encouraged us, you have held our hands, provided shoulders and helped shed tears.  You played name games with us, you treated us like we were… having a child.  You remembered, asked and never forgot the journey we were on.  It hasn’t been easy, it has been long.  Many did stop asking.  You never did.  You always asked and checked in.  You “couldn’t wait” along side us.  You shared in our ups and downs and the endless, boring, tiresome waiting.  What a treasure to us you are.  We are thankful beyond words.

We are bringing home our baby tomorrow.  We bring her home to your open arms, your sweet valued friendship and offer her love back to you.  She will love you as we do.  Because you have loved her like we have, from the beginning.

It’s Thursday evening here in Moscow.  Guess I don’t have to keep telling you where we are.  We’re still here. 

We had another wonderful day thanks to complete strangers.   We had a late breakfast and a walk around the neighborhood and dinner with our new friends.  Seth, Sally and their new son Sasha (Ivan is waiting at home).  They were a breath of fresh air to us.  It was nice to meet and be able to talk about important things like raising a family, bonding, and just being silly together as well.  When we parted, we happened to both bring things to give each other.  They, since traveling home Friday morning, gave us their extra rations of cheerios, bread, water and baby food.  We tied little bows to some children’s cookies, a packet of gummy bears and a hotel bottle of lotion.  Little silly things.  No cost involved, but how they came from the heart.  Small tokens of thinking of the other.  Wishing each other congratulations from knowing hearts.  Caring strangers.  It will always touch me.  It doesn’t take much to show someone you care.

Show someone special that you care today.  Let’s all pass it forward.

Home soon.

The longer I am here, the less I can think of to write.  Can you tell by my boring titles?

We continue to make our appointments and they go very easily.  Today it was our turn at the American Embassy.  It has changed over the years and we were happy to tell them we thought they had improved the process nicely.  They were happy to hear our words and congratulated us on our new family!

We met a very nice adoptive family there.  Since they are at our hotel we decided to have dinner together.  What a nice treat to have someone who speaks english AND knows exactly what we are going through right now.  Dinner was nice and the fact that they had what we like to call “adoption humor” only topped off the very nice evening together!

We awoke to about 3 inches of snow.  Nothing to interfere with our daily appointments, but enough to make it seem festive and ready for the holidays.  Seems like it’s time for Christmas here.   But that would mean missing Her Sweetness’ birthday and we wouldn’t want to do that now, would we?  Of course not.

What else is there to write?  Our newest member is still singing and dancing and has begun testing us.  What happens when I throw a toy on the floor again?  Mama don’t play that!  She does however continue to need to be put to sleep in my arms and wake up and come into bed with us during the night.  Some might “tisk-tisk” at this.  But, as you can see, it has worked well with us… our children have no bonding issues.  I just don’t know how I’ll keep this up when they leave for college, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Bill and Isabella have now fallen asleep, they are a cute sight.  I like to update and get my “love” from home, so here I sit.  We came very very close to coming home a day early.  Alas, there are no seats available from Amersterdam to Boston on Friday.  They were even going to waive the $1,100 extra fee to change flights!  So close, yet so far.  I know it is only three more days, but when you add in the miles, multiply times the days away and increase 2 fold for each child not seen… well, it still seems so long away.

Waiting to come home.

Tuesday Morning in Russia:

We are doing well,,, still.  Her Sweetness is growing up already.  Or perhaps it is she who teaches us that she knows more than we thought.  Bill was the brave  one that let her hold her cup and let her drink from it herself.  I was happy to wait until we were home with a washing machine closer by.  She did wonderfully! Being handed a spoon for breakfast was a bit messier, but very fun!

Today is Tuesday and after a rough night of no sleeping, we took a restful two hour nap.  Helped us all!  After lunch we look to venture out to get some soveigners (harder than it sounds, not much interested in taking the subway here, I’m such a whimp!).  Will keep you posted on this excursion.

Have I told you enough about Isabella?  Dada calls her “Giggles”.  We have our daily laughables.  Peek-a-boo, Bore-a-whole, tickle the dolls toes, tickle each others toes, knock the princess off the dresser, funny faces and sounds… They all illicit giggles and belly laughs.  My personal favorite is, “Kiss Mama.”  The sweetest in the world.  She now even plays “Kiss Dada.”  And, of course, there is always dancing to be done!

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Tuesday Evening Update:

We did end up going out today further into the city.  It started snowing and the wind blew, making it colder for anyone sitting in a stroller.  We only spent a short time out.  Since we’ve come back, the snow has started to accumulate more.  A cold day here.  Tomorrow is to be more of the same.

We can’t wait to be home!

Does that mean five days for you?  Hmmm.  I’m all mixed up since someone gave me 1.75 pounds of cards, some of which count backwards and some of which count forwards, to the day we leave.  Tuesday = 1, Wednesday = 2, Thursday = 3, Friday = 4 and Saturday = coming home!!!

This morning we were picked up and brought to hospital.  Her Sweetness weighs in at 19 pounds.  She had to have blood work done, so not fun.  The Doctor is someone we remember from the other times.  Funny to know the routine and remember people from years ago.  All is well.  Isabella will probably end up with a bruise on her arm (but they didn’t have to take the blood from a vein in her head like they did for Madi!). 

Today we ventured out for a walk around the neighborhood, but it was real cold and the wind made it colder (thank goodness for Aunt Nini’s blankie to help keep her warm).  Even had some snow showers.  Brrrr!

Tuesday we have a day to ourselves.  Our translator will go herself tomorrow to get an appointment for us at the US embassy for Wednesday.  Thursday we are to go to the Russian Consulate to register Her Sweetness.  That’s as much as I know now.  We’ll try to make it to Red Square and to pick up some trinkets while we’re on our own.

Isabella is quick to pick up words, sometimes without necessarily saying them herself.  Some words she understands that come to mind are:  bunny, shoes, cookie, mama, dada, duck, quack quack, cow, moo-moo, beep-beep, and milk.  She loves to put on her hat and shoes (something that means she is about to go outside).  But she hates the bath, although last nights try showed much improvement as I even got her to splash!  When she sings, it sounds as if she’s imitating me singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  It is very precious.

We’re missing our family at home.  Last we heard they were having fun with cats in the camper.

We’re also missing free refills on coffee.

Oh, and the internet access is not free at this hotel.  We can pre-pay for 1 hour at a time.  So we’ll probably only be doing this once in the evening to give you our updates and check on comments and emails.  Sorry, everything here is bloody expensive!

More tomorrow!  J

My intension is to write a post each day.  So sorry to have missed a couple, I’ve been unable (until meeting up with Bill in Moscow) to get on the internet in St Petersburg.

We are all three now safely in Moscow together, another step closer to home.  As I write, both Bill and Isabella sleep soundly.  I, of course, am not sleeping!

As we parted my children’s beautiful birth city of St Petersburg today, tears were shed.  I could hardly keep them away, even now.  What an amazingly important part of their lives this city has been.  How special the people there that helped bring us together.  When I said good bye to Viktor today, a man that I believe took a special liking to us, who doesn’t speak english, all I could do is look at him and say “Thank you” and give him a kiss.  He said “Thank you, good luck.”  We smiled at each other, that awkward, I don’t quite know what to say, but want to say a lot, kind of smile.  And off we went.

With heart felt thanks to our Russian friends, Galina, Viktor, Natasha, Viktor, Olga and Alexander.

And if your eyes are dry and you want to read more… you’ll just have to wait until tomorrow, because I’m crying and typing in the dark again.

We are doing well.  Trying out what to eat and playing.  We sing, we dance!  Today she got out the patent leather shoes and explained that she wanted them on.  Once on, she started to dance!  Now how did she know they were fancy dancing shoes?  Smarty pants! 

At the moment, she is navigating the stroller around the room.  With dancin’ shoes on of course. 

How did I get TWO shoe crazed girls?

Hi Everyone.  We are here, we are doing well!  I don’t know where to start.  Isabella and I are together.  We’ve joined forces just fine. 

When we finally got to the orphanage about 1pm.  They brought out “Olya”, but it was the wrong one.  I was in shock.  Then one minute later they brought me my daughter.  Whew!  That was totally weird!

We all went into a small office and I was told I could change her (into our clothes).  Poor baby, she cried.  It was then that I discovered my first present from her… a poopy diaper.  Well, what can you do but dive in!  They offered to get her cleaned up for me,  but I had it under control so fast (no thanks, can’t take her away from me that quickly!).  Everyone “oohed” and “ahhed” over the handmade sweater and hat from Babushka Boppie.  It is so darling and she looks like a doll in it!  During the car ride Isabella cried when the hat fell off, she loves it too!

We went to get her picture taken for her passport.  What a fine picture she takes.  Wish my passport picture was that cute.  During the car ride we talked.  She likes to learn and is very curious.  When I started to sing to her, she took over and sang to me.  It was the sweetest sound in the world.  She continued to sing.  Then I tought her a new song, with “La-la-la’s”, she knows that one too, so she sung it back to me!  How precious!  We heard all the “beep-beeps” which she liked (until she heard them from our hotel room and now is scared of the traffic beep-beeps).  And we enjoyed all the lights everywhere.  We shared giggles and laughs.  What a fun car ride it was (it lasted forever as the traffic was horrible).  I was quite surprised that she didn’t seem scared at all during this time.

When we got back to our hotel, finally, I thought there was nothing stopping us from dinner in the restaurant.  At this moment, she got very clingy and insisted on being on my lap, front and center, facing me holding on for dear life (the baby monkey pose).  So, room service it was.  Do you know how hard it is to eat with a baby strapped to you?  I had forgotten.  After dinner we had another play, giggle and laugh session.  When I put her in her crib she let me know that wasn’t going to work.  So, like we’d been doing it for years, I scooped her up and she and I fell asleep in bed.

Luckily I woke up to update this here blog for you.  Isabella is now sleeping by my side (way over on my side, a sliver of bed left for me!) and sounds and looks peaceful.

So, we’re stuck like glue, Her Sweetness and I.  Gotta love her!

My last day without Her Sweetness that is! 

Today is Tuesday here in Russia.  I woke up (with the help of a wake up call) in time for the breakfast buffet.  If you don’t recall, this is THE most important meal of the day for a few reasons… 1) it’s included in the cost of the room, 2) it’s huge, and 3) meals are quite expensive here so we skip lunch and do an early dinner.

My flight seemed the longest ever.  A 5 hour layover in Amsterdam was hard.  The gate for my next flight was not open until a half hour before the flight.  This meant taking the chance on falling asleep somewhere else in the airport in hopes of not sleeping past my next flight.  And, being one of those people you usually walk by wondering how in the heck did they fall asleep in that position.  But I was delerious, couldn’t keep my eyes open for the life of me, there was no choice.  It is just crasy weird to wake up with all new people around you!  Twice!

So, today I have the day to myself.  So far, I’ve been blogging and returning emails.  Must fight the desire to take a nap for fear I won’t sleep tonight, my last night alone.  I should try to get a good night sleep tonight as from now on, I’ll be taking care of Her Sweetness full time (I say with  a smile).  I might venture out shopping.  Although I have no need to be, I am timid to do this without Bill.

 I have a crib in my room already.  It is a nice one stocked with a baby bathrobe, slippers and toys.  I am waiting until later to decorate with our things for Her Sweetness.  One must pace herself on a day of her own so far away.

On the plane ride I thought of many profound thoughts about becoming a new mother again.  About flying into this special city for the last time.  About this being our last child.  The special people here that have helped us create our family, and how tacky any gift could convey thanks that would compare at all.  How all these thoughts bring tears to my eyes.  Happiness and saddness all mixed together.  So many emotions. 

Now comes the cry.  You know the one I speak of (some of you do).  The ugly one.  The tears that I have been trying to hold back for 2 whole years.  The tears some of you have witnessed being held back at times even though you’ve said it’s okay to let them out.  I must let them out today since I don’t want to scare Isabella to death tomorrow.

I mourn.  Mourn the loss of the “mothers” my girl has had in her life and must leave.  Mourn the loss of family members somewhere nearby that are unknown to us and the greater distance now to come.  I mourn leaving this city for so long as all my precious children where born here at it is forever special. 

I mourn the children still here in orphanages that need not only the love of a family, but so much more.  It is hard to not have them all.  Wish I had Oprah money.  I would make a home large enough for so many more of them and give them a mothers true love. 

More later, I can’t see the keyboard at the moment.

Hello once again, from Russia this time.  I have arrived safely.  The trip was the longest one yet.  I left my home at 12 noon on Sunday and got to my hotel room here at about 10:30am Monday (CT time).  I have arrived by myself for the first week in St Petersburg and will forever have Her Sweetness as of Wednesday.  We will meet up with Bill in Moscow on Saturday (he leaves the US on Friday).

I kept thinking of all of these nice profound thoughts to update you with during my ride here.  Truth be told, I need to take some Advil and go to bed right now.  I am tired.

I have Tuesday to myself.  I’ll “talk” to you then.

Nite…