Elijah Alexander

endings and beginnings

2008-12-30T19:24:00.002-05:00

As 2008 comes to an end, so does our blog. Now that we are beginning our life as a family of 4, there is not much time to blog. In 2009, we're going to be focusing all our energy on Eli and Claire. We're trying to give Eli as much attention as we can, because we're still working on his attachment, which right now is not as strong as we would like for it to be. At times, he still pushes us away. We want him to feel safe and secure, and to really trust us. We love him so much.

This blog was meant for Eli, as a record for him of our adoption journey, so it has served its original purpose. When I can find a moment, I'm going to have it printed as a book for him to have and read when he is older.

I'll still be reading other blogs when I have a chance. Thanks so much to everyone who read this blog and shared their comments with us. The love and support meant so much to us, especially when we were in Moscow and again when Claire was born.

Best wishes to all for a very happy and healthy 2009!

she's here

2008-12-11T13:50:00.004-05:00

Claire Elizabeth

Born Sunday December 7 at 12:34am (by unplanned c-section)
8 lbs. 2 oz.
21" long
We thank the Lord for blessing us with such a healthy and beautiful baby.

(This photo was taken today, at 5 days old.)

less than 12 hours now

2008-12-05T19:09:00.002-05:00

We're going to the hospital in less than 12 hours. My labor induction is scheduled for 6:30am. My mother picked up Eli at 4:30pm. He's only been gone for a few hours, but I already miss him terribly. It's too strange without him here. I won't see him again until Monday (when I come home from the hospital if I don't need a c-section). Since he spent the first 3 months of his life in a hospital, we decided that he wouldn't come to the hospital to visit me. He gets so upset around doctors and medical settings, and we don't want to cause him any additional trauma. R will see him Sunday afternoon, when he and my mother switch. He'll come home to rest and spend time with Eli, and my mother will come to the hospital to see us. (It's amazing to think that the baby will be here then!)

Please pray for Eli, and that this experience doesn't affect his attachment to me. I've been worried about that. For the last 2 weeks, he has had a strong preference for Daddy. If R is around, I don't exist. Intellectually, I understand attachment, but emotionally, it's SO hard. It's frustrating, because I want to snuggle him and hold him and kiss him, and he doesn't always want that from me at this point.

God has taken care of us all during this pregnancy. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as we welcome our precious daughter.

this weekend

2008-12-01T23:33:00.005-05:00

I had my tests today. The baby is ok, but I still have not dilated, so they scheduled an induction for first thing Saturday morning. I will be past 41 weeks at that point. R and I are not thrilled about the induction, but we are relieved to know this pregnancy will be coming to an end soon and that she will be here with us soon.

not yet

2008-11-26T20:15:00.005-05:00

Still no baby yet. I'm 40 weeks now, and I went to the doctor this morning. I'm having contractions, but they're not regular, and I'm only the tiniest bit dilated. She has not completely dropped into position. The doctor thinks it will be another week or so. My due date is tomorrow, but it looks like she'll be making her appearance in December. On Monday, I'm having yet another ultrasound (my 4th) to check the amniotic fluid level and a non stress test to make sure she is ok to keep waiting for labor to start. (I requested that they not induce my labor unless the baby is in distress.)

Even though I'm exhausted and my feet are really swollen, I'm ok with waiting. I want her to come when she's ready. I know the timing is all in God's hands.

My sisters sent me a diaper cake today! It is very cute, and I really like it!

(The little pink elephant says "I love my mommy"!)

Tomorrow is Eli's 1st Thanksgiving. We are so thankful that he is here with us, and that we were given the opportunity to be his parents. He is such a blessing to us, and we love him so very much.

Christmas for orphans

2008-11-25T22:17:00.002-05:00

This is something that we support, and I wanted to share in case anyone else was interested:
http://www.christmasfororphans.com/

almost time but not quite

2008-11-19T12:51:00.002-05:00

I'm 39 weeks pregnant today. I went to the doctor this morning, and nothing is happening so far. The baby has dropped, but only a tiny bit. She's not in the birth position yet. I haven't dilated at all. So, it looks like we'll make it to our due date of Thanksgiving Day or even a little beyond. That would be great for us. It is much easier for R to take time off work after Thanksgiving than before, so even though we know the timing of her birth is completely in God's hands, we're hoping I can carry her for another week or so.

Please keep us in your prayers, especially the baby.

some firsts

2008-11-04T19:58:00.002-05:00

Eli's boo-boo has healed quite nicely. In only a week, it's almost gone. We were so pleased and relieved to see that his immune system is working so well, especially since it's still coping with the latent TB infection/INH medication.

He had some more firsts this week:

~ Sunday night, he had his first overnight stay. He spent the night with my mother. I was not ready to be apart from him overnight, but we had to try it before the baby is born, since my mother will be keeping him while I'm in the hospital. Even though he has stayed with my mother before during the day, I wanted to make sure he would feel comfortable overnight. He did amazingly well. She kept him on the same schedule that we follow at home, and when he came home the next day, he smiled when he saw me. He didn't get upset or melt down later that day or the next day, as he would have 3 or 4 months ago. I'm glad that he feels more secure.

R and I enjoyed our time together. We drove out of town and met my sister A. My last outing before the baby comes! We did a little Christmas shopping, and bought our first Santa Claus. Picking out presents for him and for the baby was so much fun. We had dinner together too. We had a great time, but it was strange to be out after dark! Even though we had a nice day, I missed Eli so much.

~ Today was Eli's first election. We took him with us when we went to vote this afternoon. His eyes were wide, taking it all in. He doesn't feel comfortable around people he doesn't know, and always cries, and today was no exception. R was about halfway through his ballot when Eli started crying. He stopped as soon as we left the building though. Even though he didn't understand what was going on, I'm glad that he still had the chance to see his parents cast their votes. It is exciting to think he is a citizen now, and will one day cast his own vote.

~ He can now point with his index fingers on each hand. He has been pointing with his whole hand, but now his fine motor coordination has developed enough that he can point with one finger!

I went to the doctor today. I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow. Getting close to the end now. Soon Eli will be a big brother! My uterus is still measuring a little large, which means I still have excess amniotic fluid. I'll be having yet another ultrasound next week (the 3rd). They want to measure how much fluid I have, as well as see her size and position. She has been extremely active today, with lots of movement. Please pray that she continues to be healthy as we wait for her arrival in a few weeks.

owie

2008-10-26T19:49:00.004-04:00

Eli had a full day today. R took care of him all day so that I could sleep. (He is a wonderful husband and father!) I'm 35 1/2 weeks pregnant now. I have huge swollen feet, and I'm exhausted all the time. Mobility and energy are very limited. When I was upstairs resting, I heard Eli laughing and laughing. It turns out he was playing soccer for the 1st time! They were kicking the ball around, and he thought it was wonderful. Eli had played ball before, but just rolling on the floor or throwing. He had never used his feet to move the ball before.

This afternoon, R took him outside, and they were kicking the ball around in the grass. Eli fell, and scraped his upper lip. He cried, but calmed down when R picked him up. He really loves his daddy. R carried him inside. He was no longer crying and was calm. R and I were a lot more traumatized than he was! We cleaned the blood off his little face, and gave him lots of hugs and love. We got the Boo Boo Bunny out of the fridge, but he only wanted that for very short time. He held it on his lip himself, and that was adorable. We gave him some Motrin for the pain, and then he was ready for his bath. I was glad that we were able to comfort him.

He is very bonded to his daddy right now. Because of the pregnancy, I'm not able to do as much with Eli as I wanted, like getting down on the floor to play or running around outside. Every day, R takes care of him in the late afternoons and early evenings. They go for a stroll around the neighborhood, run around the backyard, sit on the floor and build towers with blocks, and R gives him his bath every night. They have fun together, and Eli loves being with his father. It's amazing how God's plan unfolds. If I had not been pregnant, R and Eli would not have had as much time together alone, and their bond would not be as strong as it is now. It makes me happy to see how close they are. Eli completely trusts his daddy to take care of him.

Eli is teething right now too. He has 2 teeth coming in on the bottom, one on each side. I know it has hurt, but it hasn't slowed him down much. We keep offering him the teething ring from the freezer, but he'll only use it for a minute or two. He doesn't like the teething biscuits at all. He does like the baby toothbrush, and will chew on that. He has been trying to say "teeth" for the last few days. It comes out "tee" but we know what he means!

Ouch! You can see the scrape above his lip. My poor baby!

His adorable Halloween pajamas! His left hand is blurry because he's waving at Mommy!

6 months home

2008-10-22T21:47:00.003-04:00

6 months ago today we came home with our beloved Eli!

He had his 1st late night tonight. Since we've been home, we haven't been anywhere at night, especially since he normally goes to bed around 7:00 or 7:15pm. We had an appointment at 8:10pm to have our picture made for the directory at church. It was the earliest appointment we could get. He did really well, considering how sleepy he was. The only time he cried was when the photographer suggested that he sit on a table instead of on my lap. He wanted one of us to hold him the entire time, which is a positive sign of attachment. The pictures turned out pretty well, and were our 1st formal photos as a family, which was a nice way to celebrate being home from Russia for 6 months.

Eli was so cute riding in the car. He looked at all the lights while he sucked his thumb. As soon as we got home, we put his pajamas on and put him in his crib. He was asleep immediately! It was almost 9:00pm, so I hope he sleeps well and doesn't feel tired tomorrow.

leaving the orphanage in Kolomna on April 15, 2008

6 months later, a much happier baby!

the word of the week

2008-10-09T20:50:00.002-04:00

We finally have a word! Eli has said "mama" and "dada" and "hey" but now we have our 1st real word. For the last 3 days, he has been saying "up" when he wants to picked up! He had said "up" before, but not consistently and not in the right context. Now he'll say it when he wants us to put him on the couch so he can look out the large picture window in our living room. It is so cute! We are giving him lots of positive reinforcement when he says it, to keep encouraging him to talk more. When we were doing our home study, our social worker warned us that it might take him longer to talk because I would be meeting his every need, and he would have no reason to talk. I think that has happened to a certain extent. He communicates so much to me without having to talk. I'm looking forward to when he does talk though, and can share more of his thoughts and feelings with us.

Today he had his 30th dose of INH (the medication he is taking for his latent TB infection). Only 48 more doses to go! All things considered, he is tolerating it well, but it does cause his appetite to be less than it normally would be. We were worried that he had lost weight, but when we weighed him, he was the same, thank goodness. I'll be so glad when he doesn't have to take this medication any longer.

Every night, before I go to bed, I go in and check on him. He always looks so beautiful. I stroke his hair and rub his back a little. Seeing him lying there in his crib, with Mr. Snuggly, sleeping so peacefully, it's hard to believe that he was ever in a Russian orphanage. He is our precious miracle, and we love him so very much.

6 random facts about me

2008-10-02T11:54:00.002-04:00

I've been tagged by Kar! So now I have to pass along 6 random facts about myself. This is harder than it looks!

1. R and I got married on the 19th anniversary of our 1st date. It was definitely God's plan for us to be together, but it took us a few years to understand that and work out the details!

2. I love being a SAHM! I never knew I would enjoy it so much. I love spending time with my son.

3. I once met Lyle Lovett! Many years ago, I was working as a front desk clerk at the Holiday Inn in Athens, GA. He was in town to play a show, and was staying at the hotel. I only had the chance to talk to him briefly, but he was very nice.

4. I have a severe allergy to tree nuts. If I eat one, I have an anaphylatic reaction, and I've ended up in hospital ERs twice. I don't really enjoy going to restaurants, because I have to be so careful about what I'm eating.

5. I don't like to watch a movie unless I know it has a happy ending. My family has really teased me about this one!

6. The biggest fact (in more ways than one!) about me right now is that I'm pregnant at age 43. This is my 1st time ever to be pregnant, so it was quite an unexpected surprise and a little bit of a shock! Both of my children are miracles.

Now it's my turn to tag:
Sinziana
Carrie
Heather
Emily
Rob and Dede
Dana

If I tag you, here are the rules!!!
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random facts about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged.
6. Let the taggers know when your entry is up.

16 months old

2008-09-30T16:06:00.006-04:00

Eli is 16 months old today! It's hard to believe he's that old already. The time has just flown by. I went to the doctor today, and there was a woman there with a 7 week old baby boy. Every time I see a baby boy, I think about Eli at that age, and the fact that we weren't together. I wish that Eli could have been with us when he was that young. I wish we could have loved and held him every single day since he was born.

Attachment is going very well. He has been home 5 1/2 months now, and in the last 2 weeks, we've really noticed a change. He and I have built a relationship. We have gotten to know each other, and have a genuine bond now. He'll put his head on my chest and snuggle against me. When I carry him, he'll hold on to my arm. He'll cry and put his arms out for me, wanting me (and not just anyone) to hold him. Because it didn't happen instantly, I think it means more to me. It is so special.

He was so traumatized when we first brought him home, so afraid and unsure. Now his real personality has emerged, and he is an absolutely amazing boy, a true delight and joy. He is loving, gentle, mellow, smart, and overall, happy. He smiles and laughs often, and has a great sense of humor. Considering what he has been through - 3 months in the hospital and almost 8 months in the orphanage - there is no reason for him to be any of those things. God was with him, and now we feel so blessed to be his parents.

I had a 2nd ultrasound today. The doctor was concerned that the baby might be big, because my uterus measured larger than it should have. Turns out she is fine. They estimate she weighs 3 lbs 12 oz, which is 45th percentile for her weight for this stage of pregnancy. (I'm 32 weeks now.) The reason my uterus was larger is because I have more amniotic fluid. I'm still in the normal range, but at the upper end. (21, and anything over 25 is a problem). It happens when there is gestational diabetes, but I don't have that, so they're not sure what the cause is. Since I'm 43, it could just be my age. The extra fluid explains why I felt so huge for the last few weeks, and also the swelling in my feet and ankles.

My blood pressure was still low, 102/60. Otherwise, the baby is healthy, and the doctors think we're doing fine, thank God.

Most of today's ultrasound was done in the regular 2D, but the tech did a short 3D segment at the end of our session, and we got some fabulous pictures of our daughter's face:

She is so beautiful, and the Lord has blessed us beyond belief.

thanks, sbp

2008-09-27T19:43:00.002-04:00

This is my 150th post! Amazing! Eli spent the day with his grandmama, and had a wonderful time playing outside and getting muddy. R and I actually went to the movies. We saw Fireproof, and it was awesome! We highly recommend it. We completely enjoyed it, especially since we hadn't been to the theater in several years. We even splurged and got popcorn, sodas, and raisinets, which we never do, and that was fun. The baby was very active during the movie. The sound was loud, and I think she was responding to that. After the movie was over, we had an early dinner of Greek food. Yummy! We had a nice Saturday.

And thanks for the card, secret blog pal! :)

post placement report #1

2008-09-19T16:01:00.004-04:00

We had our visit with our social worker this morning. She reminded me that it had been almost a year since she came to our house for the first visit for our home study. Our lives have completely changed in a year's time!

She thought Eli was just adorable and beautiful (which he is), and she also thought he looked healthy. Normally Eli doesn't like strangers, but he didn't cry today when our s.w. talked to him. She asked her secretary to come in and see how cute he is, as well as the 2 women who work in the office next door and a man who works in an office down the hall! The proud parents didn't mind showing off our beautiful and amazing son at all either, especially since he wasn't upset by the attention as he usually is.

We were only in her office for 20 minutes. We gave her the labeled pictures, and a check for $500. That was not fun. After all the money we've already spent on his adoption, I would much rather have been able to spend that $500 on things for Eli to enjoy, and not on MORE paperwork! She gave us the information on how to file the paperwork for the domestication of foreign adoption, so we can obtain a birth certificate for him in English. She told us where to get the forms and how to file them ourselves with the family court. That will save us some $$$. She also gave us the name of a lawyer, who is familiar with the process, but I think we're going to try to do it ourselves first. She also reminded us that we need to get his social security number.

She was surprised by my pregnancy, but gave us lots of congratulations. She said the same thing had happened recently to another one of her clients. She said I looked great, which made me feel good because I've been feeling huge lately!

It feels good to have that first post placement report done and out of the way. It didn't take as much time as I expected.

Here are some of the photos from our report. He smiles so much more than he did 6 months ago.

visits to the doctor for everyone

2008-09-05T00:49:00.002-04:00

Eli had his 15 month checkup on Tuesday. He received the Hib and the DTaP shots, and now he is caught up with his immunizations. I am so thankful that he won't need more shots for a while. It is so scary for him. He spent the 1st 3 months of his life in the hospital before he was transferred to the orphanage, and we wonder if going to the doctor reminds him of that time. He always gets so upset. He cried and cried, and didn't stop until we were almost back home.

He is doing well. He is 24.5 lbs and 32" tall. He has grown 2"! He is still around the 50% percentile for height and weight, which is fine.

Then the next day, I had my checkup. I'm 28 weeks now. The baby's heartbeat was strong and regular, and the uterus was the right size, so she's growing. She is very active now, especially at the end of the day. I am so thankful she seems healthy.

It has been challenging for me. My feet and ankles are very swollen, and I'm exhausted all the time. If the timing had been up to me, I would have chosen to be pregnant after Eli had been home for at least a year. Being pregnant for the 1st time and not feeling well physically at the same time as bringing him home and adjusting to being a new mom has been the hardest thing I have ever done. When we started our adoption process, I had a different vision of our 1st months at home. The only thing that has gotten me through is the knowledge that this is God's plan, and I trust that He knows what is ultimately best for us. Right now, I don't know why this was His plan, but someday I will fully understand why things happened this way.

Then R goes to the doctor next week, and hopefully, his checkup will go well too.

15 months old

2008-08-30T20:09:00.005-04:00

Our Eli is 15 months old today!

This past Thursday (Aug. 28) was R's birthday, his first as a father. Since he had to work, we just had a nice celebration at home. It also marked 1 year since Eli entered the orphanage in Kolomna. We hate that he had to spend 8 months there before we were able to bring him home. We are so thankful to God that he is no longer there, and that he is safely home with us.

We have been home for 4 months now (as of Aug. 22), and he continues to adjust. Some of my favorite moments are when he laughs (he has an amazing laugh) and when he puts his head on my chest for a snuggle. He'll only do that for a few seconds at a time, but he is initiating it, and that is so huge. We love our precious boy so much!

He's been walking for 6 weeks now. His balance is much better.

Love that smile!

Playing with Daddy

The Karen Katz books (with the flaps to lift) are his favorites right now.

This flag that was flown over the capitol the day we came home from Russia and he became a citizen, April 22. (I'm so glad that I requested it from our congressman's office.) We ordered the case, and I love how it turned out. We put it in his room, and it looks so good.

He has started using a spoon to feed himself, which is right on target for his age. And notice, he's using his left hand. Our son is left-handed!

1st taste of chocolate cake!
We were celebrating my sister Allison's birthday. He seemed to like it ok, but wasn't crazy about it.

slavic gospel association

2008-08-14T22:42:00.002-04:00

Normally, I don't post anything political to this blog, but in this case, I decided to make an exception. This evening, I received an email from the Slavic Gospel Association regarding the conflict in S. Ossetia.

(We have been supporting SGA for the last year. I was originally drawn to them because of the work they do in orphanages. We wanted to do something to help the children who would be remaining in Russia and who would not have a family. )

Here is more information on the SGA's aid efforts in the region if you are interested.

attachment progress

2008-08-12T20:25:00.002-04:00

This afternoon, we had a family trip to Walmart. Eli was riding in the cart, and R was pushing. Eli enjoys the cart as long as you keep moving at all times and don't stop to look at anything! We tried to keep the trip brief, but by the time we were almost finished shopping, Eli was definitely ready to go. He started fussing, and then crying.

The best part was that he wanted me to take him out of the cart and hold him. He reached for me! I took him out of the cart and held him, and he actually stopped crying! He let me console him! I was so happy! It just made my day to know that he is starting to feel comfortable enough that I can be source of comfort to him. YAY!!!

6 months

2008-08-11T19:26:00.003-04:00

6 months ago, on Feb. 11, 2008, we met our beloved Eli for the 1st time. It was cold in Moscow. Anton drove us to the MOE, and we received our referral. When we realized that Eli was born on our wedding anniversary, we knew before we even saw him that it was God's plan for him to become our son. We are so blessed to have him in our lives, and we love him so very much.

This is the 1st picture taken of the 2 of us together.

today's accomplishment

2008-08-08T18:24:00.002-04:00

Eli used a spoon to feed himself today. He also held the sippy cup for the 1st time! We had tried several different cups, but he seems to like the Nuby cup the best.

Tomorrow he'll have a fun play day at Grandmama's house, and Mommy and Daddy are going to take some time for each other and go out to lunch together.

today's challenge

2008-07-28T13:49:00.003-04:00

Today's challenge is definitely diaper changes. When we were in Moscow, it was extremely difficult to change Eli's diaper. He kicked his legs over and over, often while rolling from side to side. After we brought him home, things improved, but now it seems we are back to square one. He has started kicking again and moving a lot, but it's harder now, because his leg muscles are so strong. I try to hold his legs with one hand and diaper with the other, but he is just so strong now. We have tried saying things like "be still" or "lie still" in a soft voice, but that doesn't help at all. I stand back far enough that he doesn't kick my belly and his baby sister, but as I get bigger, that is getting more difficult! He seems to respond best when the behavior is ignored completely, but sometimes that is difficult to do. It is very frustrating! And since he is only 14 months, potty training is a long way off!

I went to the doctor this morning for the monthly checkup. I heard the baby's heartbeat, and it was very strong and regular. I am almost 23 weeks now, and other than feeling exhausted all the time, everything is going very well. Little baby girl F seems to be doing great.

3 months home

2008-07-27T21:25:00.005-04:00

July has been a very busy month for Eli. He's been home for 3 months now.

On July 4, he celebrated his 1st Independence Day as an American citizen.

Developmentally, he has made such great progress. He can feed himself, and he has just started drinking his afternoon juice from a sippy cup. He can stack blocks now.

My sister visited today, and he had such a great time with her!

He can walk now! He took his first unassisted steps on July 17, and we are such proud and happy parents.

Today he walked on the grass in his bare feet for the first time! Considering he was afraid of touching or sitting in the grass when he first came home, this was a huge moment.

Attachment is coming along. When he is held, he will rest his head against my chest or R's chest and snuggle in for a few seconds now. He will also sit in my lap for brief periods. When he is playing, he will stop and make eye contact. If I'm sitting on the couch, he'll come over and hug my legs. He is able to receive and show more affection than he was 3 months ago. We love him so much, and want him to feel secure.

When I can make him laugh, it is the best thing in the whole world. He has the most adorable baby laugh, and it just melts my heart.

1st photo of our daughter

2008-07-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

ultrasound

2008-06-30T19:11:00.003-04:00

Well, I had my ultrasound this morning. IT'S A GIRL! I'm thrilled beyond belief! I was hoping for a little girl. So now Eli will have a baby sister. Before this pregnancy, we had talked about a 2nd adoption and about going back to Russia. If things had worked out that way, it would have been difficult to have adopted a little girl. God's plan is perfect. Now we have a wonderful, amazing son and a daughter on the way, and our famiy is complete. We are happy and totally blessed.

After I got home from the doctor, my mom and I took Eli to the health department, and he received his 1st dose of TB medication. He was a little tired this afternoon, but otherwise, he didn't seem to have any side effects. We're hoping it stays that way. He has his next dose on Thursday.

Now we have to start thinking of names!

vacation

2008-06-29T20:12:00.003-04:00

We had a great time on our vacation. Eli wasn't crazy about the ocean, but he did enjoy playing in the sand. He loved playing in the pool. He splashed and splashed, and was so adorable! There were 14 people in the house, and he did so well. He loved the attention. We were worried about him being overstimulated, but he didn't have any meltdowns or difficulty. So much has changed in 2 months.

One of the highlights of the week was a visit from Ryan and Stephanie. We had a Kolomna baby reunion! Ryan and Eli were in the same orphanage at the same time. It was wonderful to finally meet them in person, and be able to spend some time with them. We had a great afternoon!

1st family vacation

2008-06-20T13:40:00.002-04:00

We leave tomorrow morning for our 1st vacation as a family! We're going to the beach for a whole glorious, sunny, relaxing week. Taking a trip together as a family is a dream come true, and we feel God has truly blessed us.

home 8 weeks today

2008-06-17T20:36:00.002-04:00

good news

2008-06-16T23:26:00.002-04:00

The health department called this afternoon, and Eli's chest x-rays were clear. No sign of active TB disease, and we thank the Lord for that. He'll start taking his medication on June 30, after we return from our family beach vacation. He has to take 300mg of liquid INH, 78 doses, 1 every Monday and Thursday.

He had a really good day today. We dropped his morning nap. He played until 11:00am, and then I knew he was really sleepy. He lay on the floor with his thumb in his mouth. Too adorable! I picked him up, and for the 1st time since our visits in the orphanage, he fell asleep in my arms! I was so thrilled. He slept in my arms for 30 minutes. Another step forward in our attachment.

happy father's day

2008-06-15T20:06:00.003-04:00

Today was R's 1st father's day! He is a wonderful father. Before Eli, he hadn't spent much time at all around babies and didn't know anything about them. He had never changed a diaper. Now, he takes such great care of Eli. He is very loving and gentle and patient, and I am so proud of him.

Another first. We took Eli to church for the 1st time. It felt so good to be back. I had really missed going. His Aunt Gracie stayed in the nursery with him. I was glad she could sit in there with him. He did so well, even when another toddler hit him over a toy. I felt so very protective when I found that out. Don't hit my sweet baby! He's been through enough already!

Tomorrow we should find out the results of his chest x-ray and when he's supposed to start his TB medication. We'll spend the rest of the week getting ready for our first family vacation! We're going to the beach next week with my family, including my aunt, uncle, cousins, mom, sisters, brother-in-law, and nephew. I'm very excited!

1st visit to the doctor, part 2

2008-06-07T19:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we took Eli back to the doctor to have his PPD test (for TB) read. His test was positive. He will have a chest x-ray on Wed. We're expecting the chest x-ray to be clear, because he has no signs of active TB disease. He has latent TB infection, which means he was exposed in Russia to someone who had active TB, and now he carries the germ in his body. He is not contagious or sick right now, but there is a risk that he could develop active TB at any point in the future.

We had to go straight from our doctor to the health department. The nurse we will be working with is so great. I like her a lot. She was very friendly, and did a great job of explaining everything. She measured his induration (skin bump) and it was 15mm. A positive test is 10mm. Soon, they will put him on medication (isoniazid or INH), which he will take 2x/week for 9 months. That's a long time. Someone from the health department will come to the house and give the medication to him. It is helpful that they will come to us and that I don't have to worry about taking him to the health dept. 2x/week, especially later this year when the new baby comes. We definitely want him to have the treatment, because we don't want him to ever have full-blown TB, but we hate that he has to take it, because the side effects could make him feel bad, and he's been so happy lately.

If he had stayed in Russia, he would not have received treatment, and he would have been very sick at some point in his life. I am so thankful to God that he is with us, where he can receive treatment and have a healthy life.

1st visit to the doctor

2008-06-04T20:41:00.002-04:00

Eli had his first visit to the doctor this morning, and he received a good report! He is 22 lbs 9 ozs, and he has gained 2.5 lbs in the 6 weeks we have been home! He is 30" long. On the growth chart, he's around the 50th percentile. The doctor felt everything looked good, and I'm so relieved! He had a TB test today, and we'll know the results on Friday, but his arm looks fine so far.

He also had 4 shots today - Hib, PPV, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and Chickenpox. It was so hard to watch. When he started crying, I almost started crying! He did very well though, and recovered quickly. Then we had to go to the hospital to have blood drawn. He didn't cry until they stuck his finger, and then again, I wanted to cry too, but again, he recovered quickly. I was so glad my mom was there with me!

After we got home, he had lunch and I put him down for a nap. After he woke up, he felt a little feverish and was very fussy. I gave him some infant motrin, and he perked up pretty quickly. He played for the rest of the afternoon and was completely adorable!

a special day

2008-05-30T14:28:00.003-04:00

Today is Eli's 1st birthday and also our 5th wedding anniversary! A very happy and special day, and we're so grateful to God that we're able to celebrate all together.

Happy Birthday, Eli!
Mommy & Daddy love you very much!

1 month home

2008-05-24T10:36:00.006-04:00

We've been home a month now. Hard to believe. It feels like a lot longer. This past Thursday, Eli had his first visit to Grandmama's house! He did so well during the 20 minute car ride. Once we were there, he played, ate his snack, and had a wonderful time. After we got home, he was very fussy though, and he was whiny and clingy all day yesterday. The pattern seems to be that he does fine during the outing, but after, he is upset. This seems to be how he deals with stress. We were encouraged, because he did not melt down like he would have a month ago.

We'll be spending a quiet Memorial Day weekend at home.

His 1st birthday is Friday, and he got his first birthday presents in the mail! My aunt and uncle sent a cute pair of pajamas (which he needed), 2 adorable rompers, and a book. (Thanks N & J!!!) It's hard to believe he's going to be one. I still think of him as being a baby!

Feeding himself!

1st time to see a ceiling fan, and he was just fascinated by it!

first feeding

2008-05-20T20:05:00.003-04:00

We had an exciting first today - Eli actually fed himself for the first time! I put the rice cookie on the tray of his highchair, and just out of the blue, he picked it up and put it in his mouth. I couldn't believe it! For the last month, I have been trying to put food in his hand and guide his hand to his mouth without success. It will be fun giving him more finger foods now.

Some pictures from yesterday. He is just so cute!!! (It's harder to get pictures now, because as soon as he sees the camera, he crawls toward it and tries to grab it!)

happy mother's day

2008-05-11T17:06:00.002-04:00

My first Mother's Day has been very nice. R took care of Eli this morning, and I got to sleep in for the first time since before we went to Moscow for our 3rd trip. It was very luxurious! He is so good with Eli; he is a wonderful father. He also gave me a charm for my bracelet - little booties! So adorable!

Hope everyone has had a lovely Mother's Day!

no more shopping for a while

2008-05-06T20:05:00.005-04:00

Eli had his first trip to a store today! R and I took him on a quick trip to the K-Mart this afternoon. We chose that store because it's close to the house, and we knew it wouldn't be crowded on a Tuesday afternoon. We had a few things we needed to get, and I was feeling very stir crazy, because except for going to the doctor, I have not been anywhere in several weeks. The drive was only 10 minutes. He rode just fine. He always does so well in the car, just looking out the windows and taking everything in.

He rode in the shopping cart for the first time. I should have taken a camera. He was just so adorable! R pushed the cart, and we tried to hurry. He only liked the cart when it was moving, and he did reach out and try to touch things if they were close. After about 20 minutes, we were almost finished, and we could tell he was reaching his limit. He was starting to rock his head back and forth, so we decided to go ahead and check out.

The car was hot from sitting in the sun in the parking lot, and he did not like that at all. We turned the AC on immediately. He's not used to this humid southern weather, and it's not even that hot here yet. We wonder how long it will take for his little body to adapt to the climate.

When we got home, I fixed his dinner right away. R started feeding him, and he started melting down. I took over, and he ate a little for me, but then just had a full blown meltdown in the highchair. I took him out of the highchair and sat him in my lap. He stopped crying, and then I was able to feed him while holding him, as if he were a much younger baby. He finished his dinner with no more tears. I was so happy that I figured out what to do that actually worked!

He was agitated for the rest of the evening, until we put him to bed. He calmed down long enough for R to rock him and give him a bottle, but as soon as the bottle was empty, he started fussing again.

So, we tried an outing, but it seemed to be too much for him, so we'll wait a while before we take him out again. Slow steps.

a sibling for Eli

2008-05-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

I’m pregnant.

11 1/2 weeks. Totally unexpected, a complete surprise and shock. I am 43 years old, and this is my first pregnancy. I would not have believed it was possible. The only way to explain it is that it is part of God’s plan for our family. We had talked about a 2nd child, a sibling for Eli, but we thought we would be adopting again in a few years. Now we will have 2 children, both in diapers, before the end of the year!

It is a blessing from God, but for the last month, it has also been a challenge. I have had morning sickness (I don’t know why they call it that when it’s 24/7) and have just been exhausted. Our 3rd trip to Russia was very hard, because I felt so ill while we were there. Right now, all the energy I have goes to Eli, to taking care of him and being there for him. It was not how I had pictured our first weeks together as a family. My mom and sisters have been very supportive, and have helped me so much! I’m so grateful to have them close by.

The last 3 days, Eli has been happier. R and I talked about his attachment issues, and we agreed he needs as much love as we can give him, and that we also need to be as calm as possible. The screaming/crying meltdowns are reduced. Now he is whining instead, which is much better! He is communicating with us verbally. I am giving him even more affection, especially when he is upset, and he is accepting it. I have been giving him lots of kisses on the forehead and cheeks, and he seems to like that, as well as patting his back, holding him, and rocking him more. He has started holding his arms up for me to pick him up, so that is an improvement. He has smiled and laughed more, so I’m hoping he’s starting to feel more comfortable, both with us and here in his home. In the last few days, I’ve really felt that the bond between us is deepening.

We will really be focusing on his attachment for the rest of this year. We’re worried about his reaction to the new baby, and we definitely don’t want it to affect his bond with us.

He continues to eat well, and looks like he has gained a little weight. I made mashed potatoes for him yesterday, and he loved those! He also had a Yo Baby yogurt for the 1st time, and loved that as well. I’m so thankful that he is not a picky eater.

He is very active and is more comfortable crawling and exploring the house. R moved the baby gate in the kitchen, so now the dining room and living room are completely enclosed as one baby safe unit! He is still pulling up on all the furniture, and he’ll take a few steps while hanging on to the couch, but no real walking yet.

So far, everything seems to be ok. I go back to the doctor on the 12th. Please pray for us, for the strength and energy to give Eli everything that he needs right now, and for the health of this new baby.

a sibling for Eli

2008-05-04T20:57:00.000-04:00

1st week at home

2008-05-01T19:25:00.003-04:00

It has taken several days to write this post! As those of you with little ones know, there is just NO free time right now! We’ve been home with Eli for a little more than a week, and we are all adjusting to being a family. Our sweet baby is 11 months old now!

He is sleeping through the night. R takes him upstairs, rocks him for a few minutes, and then puts him in his crib around 7:00pm. If he cries, it’s only very briefly, and then he’s asleep within 10 minutes. Even though he is taking a morning and an afternoon nap, he gets so tired that he is very to go to sleep when bedtime comes. He sleeps until around 7:00am.

He is not a picky eater. So far, he has not refused anything we have given him! He has been eating stage 2 baby food, and we have just started introducing table foods, now that he is chewing. He gets excited when we feed him. He smiles and bangs on the tray of his highchair, and he’ll cry if we’re not feeding him fast enough! He is not able to feed himself at all at this point. He can’t pick up the food and bring his hand to his mouth. His fine motor coordination is definitely behind. He just doesn’t have much control over his hands yet. He can pick up toys, and he’ll pick up food sometimes, but then he’ll sling it to the side. So for now, we feed him as if he were a much younger baby. It does give us a chance to work on eye contact, and it’s good for attachment. We’re also giving him bottles (Enfamil Lipil), 3 per day. He definitely needed the extra vitamins. We will probably switch him to toddler formula next month, after his 1st birthday.

We are working on attachment. He will initiate eye contact. Sometimes when he’s crawling or playing on the floor, he’ll stop and turn to look at me. He will even make eye contact sometimes when he is eating, and that is a huge improvement. When I carry him, sometimes he’ll hold on now. Unless he’s really upset, he will snuggle against us when we hold him.

Our biggest challenge so far has been his periods of intense behavior/meltdowns. When he reaches his limit, he screams, kicks, waves his arms, shakes his head very fast (like he’s saying no), and/or flails. If we try to hold him, he arches his back and flings himself backwards. At first, we thought this was overstimulation. Last night I did some reading on www.a4everfamily.org, and I realized that it’s not just overstimulation. We are dealing with attachment issues. At times, he feels anxious and doesn’t trust us yet, which makes sense.

When he reaches this point, it is very hard to console him. That has been frustrating to me as a new mother, and as his mother. I want to DO something that will help him to feel better. Sometimes holding him and walking around helps. Sometimes music helps. But often, nothing helps other than putting him down for a nap or to bed a little early, and then he’s so exhausted, he falls asleep right away. We are doing everything we can to stay in a routine, so he feels secure, and to stay calm, so he can be relaxed. So far, we have only been at home. We haven’t taken him out in public (no church, stores, or restaurants). We’re going to continue to actively work on attachment - staying at home, staying close to him, feeding him, giving him bottles, rocking him, eye contact, holding him lots - so that he can feel secure and accept our love.

He LOVES music. When we turn music on, he’ll stop what he’s doing and turn his head! Listening to music will usually calm and relax him. He likes classical, especially Beethoven, Joshua Bell, and the 3 Tenors. He did not respond to Yo Yo Ma or Mozart. He also likes children’s music, especially Raffi, and christian radio. We’ve already talked about how he might need music lessons down the road if this interest continues!

He also loves to ride in the stroller. It is the most adorable thing to see! He puts his thumb in his mouth, and just looks at everything with a very serious expression on his face. I think the movement is calming.

I still look at him in amazement. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that he’s really here with us! God has truly blessed us.

Here are some photos from our 1st week at home:

HOME

2008-04-23T20:22:00.003-04:00

After a long, difficult, and exhausting day yesterday, we made it home.

Today was our first day together as a family, and even though we are all still very tired, it was wonderful! We are all so happy, even Eli. Eli was calm and relaxed; he was able to sleep, and he smiled and laughed.

We are so thankful to God, and give him all praise and glory for uniting us with our beautiful, wonderful son.

moscow - trip 3 - day 10

2008-04-21T11:38:00.004-04:00

Our last day in Moscow! We are both so excited about finally going home! Overall, I think Eli had a better day today. He was very cranky when he woke up this morning. I woke up to him banging on the side of the crib, and he was fussy. He fell asleep for his morning nap early, a little before 9:00am. He slept for 1 1/2 hours, and after, he felt much better. He was smiling and laughing. He has actually started playing with some of the toys. He is holding them, looking at them, and using his hands to explore them a little, instead of just throwing them across the room.

He slept for 1 1/2 hours this afternoon too. After his nap, when he started getting cranky, we turned on the music again, and it was amazing. He turned around to look, and then relaxed immediately. R and I took turns holding him, and he was sweet and snuggly. He made good eye contact today, even once or twice when he was eating dinner. He did much better today with his bottles. He drank 3 4oz. bottles of formula and 1 4 oz bottle of diluted juice, and he was able to drink them in one sitting, instead of stopping and starting several times. He is figuring out how to suck on the nipple now. So, R and I can see the changes in him in just a week's time. It will be amazing to see how much better things will be for all of us once we are finally HOME.

We have enough SkyMiles now to request an upgrade on tomorrow's flight, so we will be asking/begging at check-in. The flight isn't full, so we feel we have a chance! We're afraid to get our hopes up, but it would make all the difference in our comfort on the long trip home.

We are almost packed, and Anton and Katia are picking us up tomorrow morning at 8:30. Please pray that we have a safe, smooth trip and that Eli has an easy time and isn't too stressed by all the stimulation.

Our next post will be from HOME, and our sweet Eli will be a U.S. citizen! Praise God!

He is the cutest!!!

moscow - trip 3 - day 9

2008-04-20T11:37:00.002-04:00

Another fussy afternoon. Just like yesterday, his afternoon nap was only 1 hour, and that isn't long enough. He is still tired and overstimulated. We have figured out that his limit is about 2 hours of interaction/play, and then he is just drained. It was the same when we visited him in the orphanage. He always fell asleep before our visiting time was over, after we had been with him for about 2 hours. Now, instead of falling asleep, he gets wild.

I tried giving him a bath again before dinner, but it didn't work as well tonight. He splashed for just a few minutes, and then started trying to crawl out of the sink. He ate well, and after dinner, he was fussy again immediately. R tried holding him and walking him around the apartment, and that worked, but only for a very short time. Finally, I remembered that I had downloaded the lullaby cds onto my laptop, so I played one, and that worked instantly! He relaxed and just listened. After about 20 minutes, he fell asleep, and we put him in the crib a few minutes after 7:00pm. We're hoping he'll sleep through the night.

moscow - trip 3 - day 8

2008-04-19T11:22:00.004-04:00

We spent today just hanging out in the apartment. Eli has been so overstimulated and tired, and he still was today, even though we didn't go anywhere. He's experiencing sensory overload, and his brain just doesn't know how to process it all yet. By late afternoon, he was really getting fussy. He only slept for an hour for his afternoon nap, and that wasn't long enough, considering how tired he was. I took my mom's suggestion and gave him a bath before dinner. That helped a lot. He is a total water baby. He splashed and splashed and stayed in there for 20 minutes! I think it helped to relax him. Then we fed him dinner, and he made some eye contact while I was feeding him. I gave him a bottle and then we put him to bed early, around 7:10pm, and after about 5 minutes, he was sound asleep. We are starting to understand him now, and are getting better at reading his moods and figuring out what he needs.

He actually hung on my leg for the first time today! It was so cute. He crawled over and then clung to my pants as he pulled himself up, and he said "ma ma ma". Of course, I picked him up and gave him lots of baby snuggles! He has me figured out already!

All the other families flew out today, and we were so jealous! We're SO ready to come home. Only 2 more days, and then we're on our way.

R practiced using our new Ergo baby carrier for the 1st time today. He thought it was more comfortable than just carrying all 20 lbs of Eli. I didn't like it as much as he did. I kept readjusting the straps, and never could get a fit that felt really comfortable. Eli liked it a lot though! We'll be using it in the airports on our trip home.

moscow - trip 3 - day 7

2008-04-18T11:30:00.003-04:00

Another long and challenging day in Moscow, hopefully our last. No one slept well last night. Eli seemed to wake up every hour on the hour. He didn't cry, but he made lots of noises, and every time he woke up, we woke up. At 6:15am, he was up for good. I tried to put him in the bed between us, but he was too restless, so we all got up.

He was very fussy this morning, and nothing seemed to soothe him. I think he was tired and overwhelmed. Since we had to leave at 11:30am, I put him down for a morning nap at 9:00am, and he went to sleep pretty quickly. Now he cries when I put him down. He has figured out that we come if he cries, so now he'll cry. I'll go in and pat him, and then he'll cry again, but then he'll fall asleep, within 10 minutes, so he's still doing well.

He woke up, and I fed him an early lunch of Gerber chicken and mixed vegetables. He ate all of it. So far, he has eaten everything we've given him. I dressed him in an adorable outfit, and we were off.

It was cold and rainy today. I can't wait to get home to warmer weather! We stopped at the store to get a large box of Cadbury candy as a gift, and then we went to the Ministry of Education. S. met us there. We went in the office and signed the registry book, indicating that our adoption was completed. They congratulated us and wished us well.

Then we went to Red Square to get the traditional family picture! There was a brisk wind blowing, and it was so chilly. We saw a wedding party there, having their pictures made, and I'm sure the bride was freezing. Her dress was very pretty though!

We arrived at the Embassy a few mintues before 2:00pm. There were 9 other families there, including Troy and Rachel! I enjoyed talking to them and seeing Daniel. He is a cutie! We thought it was only going to take 30 minutes, but it took an hour. We were so happy to finally have his passport!

After leaving the Embassy, we went to the office and had a wonderful visit with Carol. It was so great to see her here! The executive director with our agency is here also, and she is also very nice. Eli showed off for them, and it was hilarious! He was being so vocal and so cute. He really likes Irina, and showed off for her too. By the time we got back in the car, it was 4:00pm, and he had not had an afternoon nap. He was so exhausted. He fell asleep before Anton even started the car! He never woke up when we came into the apt, so I just put him in his crib, and he slept for an hour.

When he woke up, he had a bottle, played on the floor, had dinner, and played on the floor more. I could tell he was tired though, because he started getting fussy again. R held him and walked around the apartment, and he really liked that. I put him to bed a little early, about 7:30, and this was the most he has cried yet when putting him down.

Diaper changes continue to be difficult. Each time, he waves his arms and kicks his legs as hard as he can. I'm hoping this is just because he's so overstimulated right now, and not a permanent behavior.

We have the weekend to just relax in the apartment, and we definitely need it. We are all tired and so ready to come home. Everyone else is flying home tomorrow, and we are SO jealous!

This morning

adorable outfit for the Embassy (I did fix his hat before we went out!)

the happy family in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square

moscow - trip 3 - day 6

2008-04-17T11:59:00.003-04:00

We had a nice day today with Eli! He woke up at 7:00am, after sleeping through the night again. He had breakfast of rice cereal mixed with fruit, and he inhaled it all. He is sleeping and eating so well. It's just amazing! He played for a while on the floor, pulling himself up on all the furniture. His legs seem strong, and his balance is pretty good.

About 9:00am R left, in the pouring snow, to take our paperwork to the Embassy. About 9:45am, I put Eli down for his morning nap, and he fell asleep immediately. All the change and stimulation is just wearing him out! He slept until 11:30, and woke up right after R came back. He ate a good lunch of Russian baby food (a mixture of meat, potatoes, and tomato, smelled like ravioli!) and squash. After playing for a while and a bottle, he was ready for his afternoon nap. We will be working with the bottle. He still hasn't figured out how to close his lips around the nipple, so when he sucks, some of the liquid goes in, but a lot goes down his chin and down his front. He also will not make eye contact while I'm giving him the bottle. He'll make good eye contact with me at other times. While I'm giving him the bottle, he turns his head all the way around to the right, so he can see the room.

After nap, I gave him a baby "mum-mum" which is a rice cracker similar to the Gerber puffs. He likes the taste, and has figured out how to chew it, but he can't hold it himself. His fine motor coordination is definitely behind. He gets frustrated often, because he'll try to do something with his hands, but then he just can't. This is something else we'll be working on. I also tried to give him a little juice for the first time. I had diluted it with water, because I didn't want it to upset his stomach. He almost choked on it at first! I don't think he's ever had a liquid so thin before. After a few tries, he drank about 1/2, but he definitely likes the formula better.

After dinner, we had another bath in the sink. He didn't cry at all. As soon as I put him in the water, he splashed and splashed! Once we're home, I think he'll really enjoy a bath with lots of toys! He even let me wash his hair without crying.

Tomorrow morning at 11:30am, we go to the Ministry of Education, with a gift of candy, so they can officially remove Eli from the database. Then we have our appointment at the Embassy at 2:00. It's so wonderful to finally be at that part of the process! After we leave the Embassy, we're going to the office, where we'll see Carol! I'm so excited that we'll have a chance to see her and that she'll have a chance to meet our Eli.

He is adjusting so well. He laughs and smiles and is very vocal. Considering how much change he has endured in the last 2 days, we are completely amazed at how well he is doing, and how quickly he is adapting. I can't wait to have him home, so he can really settle into a good secure routine. He is a delightful baby, and we love him so much.

p.s. Sorry there are no pictures today. I was so involved with Eli, I forgot to take any! We'll do better tomorrow!

moscow - trip 3 - day 5

2008-04-16T12:41:00.004-04:00

Our first day together as a family! And it was a very busy day! Eli slept through the night. He woke up about 6:30am, and we were still tired and not quite ready to get up yet. I changed his diaper, and then put him in the bed between us. He liked that a lot! He lay there, sucking his thumb and snuggling! Then we got up, and had breakfast. Eli played on the floor for a little while, crawling, pulling himself up, and playing with his "Touch and Feel Farm" book, which was a favorite when we visited him in the orphanage. By a few minutes after 9:00am, he was asleep again. I put him in the crib, and he slept for 1 1/2 hours.

When he woke, we all got ready for Anton and Katia to pick us up at 11:40am. When we went downstairs, Katia told us that Anton would be late, because he was stuck in traffic. (We really, really dislike the traffic here.) We went back upstairs to wait, and after about 30 minutes, we were on our way to our medical exam for the Embassy. Even though we missed our appointment, the doctor was still able to see us when we arrived.

The doctor was very kind. Eli hated being undressed! He cried, more like screamed, and that is the most crying we have ever seen from him. As soon as the doctor was finished with his very brief exam and I picked Eli up, he stopped crying immediately! The doctor said that he was very healthy and that he appeared as attached as a biological child. We had already felt that strong bond, but it's nice to hear someone else say it!

After paying our 2800 rubles and getting paperwork for the Embassy, we headed off to the police station to pick up Eli's passport. He is so amazing in the car. He never fusses, cries, or whines. He just looks around, or he sleeps. We now have his Russian passport, which is very cool! One step closer to coming home!

After we left the police station, all 3 of us fell asleep in the backseat on the way to the office! That would have a been a good picture! It was the first time for I. to see him, and he smiled and let her hold him. She explained what we have left to do, and thankfully, it's not much.

We got back to the apartment around 4:00pm. It took us 30 minutes to drive the 3 blocks from the office! Eli started getting really fussy for the 1st time. He was tired, overstimulated, and completely off his schedule. After we talked to my mom on the phone, we gave him his first bath in the bathroom sink! He cried a little, but when I showed him he could splash in the water, he was very excited, and enjoyed doing it! He was so cute!

We put his pajamas on and fed him some dinner. I had planned to give him a bottle before bed, but he was way too sleepy, and wouldn't take it. He pushed it away with his hand! At 7:30pm, I put him in the crib, and he started to fuss, but he was just too tired. 5 minutes later he was completely out again! I know the past 2 days have been so tiring for him. Tomorrow will be a little easier. Eli and I will be here in the apt while R goes to the Embassy with Katia to file our paperwork for Eli's visa.

I'm hoping to have a calm day with Eli, so he can recover from being so tired and overstimulated.

God has blessed us with a beautiful and wonderful son!

moscow - trip 3 - day 4 (part 2)

2008-04-15T16:13:00.002-04:00

Long and grueling day. Way too many hours in the car. Anton and Katia picked us up at 9:15am. First, we went back to Krasnogorsk to the courthouse. The courthouse was more crowded than normal. Thank God, our paperwork was ready. Then we drove to the town Krasnogorsk to go to the registry office, to obtain his birth certificate and adoption certificate. R and I sat in the hall on uncomfortable metal chairs for almost an hour while Katia filled out forms.

Next it was off to the police station, to apply for his passport. While we were there, we saw Kathleen M., her brother, and her daughter Megan. They are also with our agency. It was nice to chat with them for a few minutes. Then finally, we were off for Kolomna. We had driven a short time when Katia realized the clerk at the police station had taken an extra copy of our court decision by mistake. We had to turn around and go back. This added an extra hour to our time in the car.

When we finally got to Kolomna, it was 4:30pm. Eli had been napping for about an hour. He had been all bundled up, sleeping on the balcony. When they brought him in, he was confused, because we were there and there were lots of people standing around. We took him into a small room to change his clothes. When I laid him down on the couch, I heard him really cry for the first time! He does not like having his diaper changed! R and I working together got him dressed, and everyone talked about how precious he looked in his outfit. The caregivers brought a bag with the items we had left (blanket, beanie pooh, photo album, camera), and they returned the small journal we had left. A few women wrote notes to him in it, so that was nice. Everyone wished us well, and then we left.

He was looking around, taking everything in. There was no car seat in Anton’s car, so he took turns sitting in our laps for the drive to Moscow. He never cried or fussed or even whined. He is a miracle baby! He looked out the window and watched everything. Then after about an hour, he put his thumb in his mouth and fell asleep, making up for the rest of the afternoon nap he had missed. He slept for a while. Then when he woke, we still had 1 1/2 hours left to drive (really hate the Moscow traffic!), so I made a bottle for him in the car. (I had the packets of Enafmil Lipil.) The water was room temperature, not warm, and I didn’t know if he would take the bottle. He seemed to like it just fine. He had a little trouble at first adjusting to the nipple, even though it was fast flow. I think he was used to liquids flowing very fast. He had a little trouble figuring out how to seal his lips around the nipple. He would suck, but some of the formula would go down his chin. I took the bottle out of his mouth often to give him time to swallow. It was a slow process, and it was sad. A baby his age should take a bottle easily. After he drank about 1/2 the bottle, he figured it out, and the 2nd 1/2 went down much more easily.

We finally got back to the apartment about 8:10pm. We were all exhausted. Eli’s bedtime has been 8:00pm, so already his schedule was completely messed up. I changed his diaper, which he had soaked. Even though he had vinyl pants on, his little pants were soaked too and the snowsuit. I dressed him in just a onesie, and he seemed to like the freedom. I put a comforter on the floor and he played happily with the ball we brought. He crawled a little, and at one point, he pulled himself up using the coffee table. He was able to stand there while just holding on with one hand! He’ll be walking soon!

R fixed dinner and we ate quickly while Eli played on the floor. Then I fixed him rice cereal and baby food bananas. He loved it! After the first bite, he put his hand in the bowl and tried to pull the bowl closer. He wanted me to feed him faster! He ate the whole bowl, so no picky eater here! I let him play for a few minutes, so he could digest a little, but he put his thumb in his mouth, and I knew he was tired. Then I put his pajamas on, and he looked so adorable! No bath tonight, because it was just too late. I took him into the bedroom, turned the lights off, and held him for a minute, talking softly to him. Then I put him in the crib, and he didn’t cry or fuss. Nothing! He watched me until I left the room, and still not a peep. 5 minutes later when I went to check on him, he was completely out! He is an amazingly easy baby!

We’re so thankful to God! We feel blessed beyond belief, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow, our first day as a family.

moscow - trip 3 - day 4

2008-04-15T12:55:00.002-04:00

We FINALLY have Eli with us! Praise God!!!

We had a long and grueling day. We left the apartment at 9:15am, and finally reached Kolomna to pick him up at 4:30pm. Due to the never-ending Moscow traffic, we did not get back to the apartment with him until 8:10pm. We are all exhausted, but very happy to be together.

moscow - trip 3 - day 3

2008-04-14T05:32:00.004-04:00

We were not able to pick up Eli today. We are very disappointed. We have already been here 2 days, and have not seen him yet. We miss him so much. Hopefully, we will be able to pick him up tomorrow.

This morning, Katia and Anton picked us up at 9:00am, and we went to the office first, where I. greeted us warmly. She made copies of our passports for the police registration, and R gave her the 1800 rubles to give to the courier later today. Then we got the bag that Lisa had left for us (thanks again!!!), and we were on our way.

We drove to Krasnogorsk to the courthouse. Traffic was not bad, and it only took about an hour. We both thanked God for the rain that was falling. It really helped reduce the fumes on the drive. When we arrived at the courthouse, we waited in the lobby while Katia went and talked to the judge's secretary. After about 15 minutes, she returned with bad news. Our court decision had been printed, but it had not been stamped and signed, so she could not give us the copies we needed. Of course, one of those copies is for the orphanage director, so that he can be released. She said the copies will be ready for us tomorrow morning.

We are so disappointed, but I was not surprised, because paperwork issues seem to be so common. Because our court date was on a Wed., our 10 days were not over until today.

There was a huge grocery store right near the courthouse, so we decided to go there since we had time. We got groceries for ourselves, as well as the 2 cakes to take to the orphanage tomorrow.

After, we drove back to the office, and filled out all the paperwork needed for the Embassy. Normally, we would have done that later in the week, but Katia had the great idea of taking care of it now, before we have Eli with us. We were happy to at least have accomplished that today.

When the Embassy paperwork was done, Katia asked if we wanted to do any sightseeing, since we had the whole afternoon free, but I wasn't feeling all that well, so we decided to come back to the apartment and just rest this afternoon. We'll take a nap, so we can be well rested for Eli!

Please pray that all paperwork issues will be resolved and that we'll be able to take him tomorrow.

it's time

2008-04-11T18:04:00.004-04:00

We're all packed and ready to go. We're leaving tomorrow at 7:00am. We're picking Eli up on Monday, and we're very excited!!!

Please keep us all in your prayers.

home, for a few days anyway

2008-04-04T16:50:00.003-04:00

We made it home safely. Yesterday was a long day. It was so hard to leave without Eli, and I probably cried for half the flight. Now that we are home, and I have actually had some sleep, I am feeling better. I have a lot to do this week, but I feel good about that, because everything I have to do is about bringing him home! Only 9 more days until we are holding him again!

Please continue to keep Eli in your prayers.

moscow - trip 2 - day 6

2008-04-02T23:09:00.003-04:00

In about an hour, we'll leave here and head for the airport. I am tired and also upset. I have been dreading this day for a while. I knew it would be hard to leave Moscow a 2nd time without Eli, and it is very difficult. Even though we will have him with us in 10 days, it just feels terrible to leave without him right now.

Please pray that God will be with him and comfort him until we pick him up on April 14.

Next post will be from home!

moscow - trip 2 - day 5

2008-04-02T13:00:00.004-04:00

We got up at 6:00am, and I was feeling very tired and anxious. We got dressed, both in black suits, said a prayer before we left, and then met Katia and Anton at 9:00am. Traffic was very heavy today. It took us 1 hour 10 minutes to get to the courthouse. The diesel fumes were very heavy. My eyes were burning, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Some of that was anxiety though, I’m sure.

We arrived at the courthouse, and then waited an hour. We entered the courtroom, and there were 2 tables, one on each side with 3 chairs each. On one side sat Katia, R., and me. At the table facing us were the secretary, the prosecutor, and Galina, the social worker from Kolomna. There was a lecturn in the middle of the room, directly in front of the judge.

The judge asked us our dates of birth, occupations, and education. She asked R’s salary. Then Galina spoke about Eli and his medical history. Then we were asked to state our petition to the court. R went first. He stood up and went to the lectern. He said we decided to adopt from Russia after meeting other families who had adopted from Russia, and seeing how beautiful and healthy their children were. He said that Eli was born on our wedding anniversary and that Eli entered the baby home in Kolomna on his birthday. He said the first day that we met him, and he saw me holding Eli, he knew that more than anything, he wanted to be Eli’s father. (You could hear the emotion in his voice when he said it, and I had to choke back tears.) Then he said we were respectfully asking for the honor of being his parents.

He had to remain standing there while the judge asked him how large our house was, and if it was a private residence. Then he was allowed to return to his seat at the table. Then it was my turn. I was a little surprised, because I had thought only one of us would have to give a brief speech. So I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to say, but I spoke from my heart, and God gave me the words. I said “ Your honor, we already love him very much, and we very much want to be his parents, to be a family.” Then the judge asked me if I had any doubts, and I said “No, none at all.” Then she asked me if he recognized us, and I told her that he smiled at me when he saw me. Then finally I was allowed to go back to the table and sit down.

(**For all of you who are waiting on court dates or waiting to travel, one thing you could do to pass the time is to work on your brief speech! It's not something you want to do unprepared! R and I had discussed it ahead of time, so we had an idea of what we wanted to say. It needs to be about your feelings for your child, that you think he is special, that you have already bonded to him, that you want to be his parents, things like that.)

After I sat down, Galina spoke, and then the prosecutor was asked if she had any questions, and she said no. She gave a brief statement recommending that the adoption be approved.

The judge went out for just a few minutes, then she returned and granted our request to become Eli’s parents. We were so relieved and thankful to God that our prayers had been answered. She did not look at us or smile as she read her decision or when she said congratulations.

We are happy that court is over, but we will not feel total happiness though until Eli is with us. As long as we are apart, our family is not complete, and we miss him very much. After being with us for the last 2 afternoons, we wondered how he was feeling today after lunch when we didn’t come. Only 11 more days, and then we won’t have to be apart anymore.

After we left the courthouse, we had to go to the notary to sign a power of attorney. This will allow Katia to handle some paperwork for us during the 10 day waiting period while we are in the US. After driving for a little over an hour, we arrived at the notary, and it only took about 30 minutes.

After we left the notary, it was early afternoon, so Katia suggested some sightseeing. First, we went to the highest point of Moscow. There was an overlook, with a fabulous view of the entire city. It was amazing, and I’m glad we had the chance to see it. There is a ski jump there, which was unbelievably high.

Then we drove to the New Virgin Monastery. It was built in the 15th century, so it is very old. Peter the Great’s sister, Sofia, was imprisoned there. It is still a functional monastery, and nuns still live there. There is a large park there with a playground. It is not far at all from the Smolenskaya district where we will be staying on the next trip too. Katia said we can bring Eli to the playground if the weather is nice, and that could be fun. There was a large pond beside it, which is what was left of the original moat. Even though it was warm enough to walk around without a jacket, the pond was still frozen over except for the edges. We watched the mallard ducks walk around on it! We walked all the way around the pond, and it was nice to get some fresh air.

We returned to the apartment. I posted a quick blog entry, and received some wonderful supportive comments. (Thanks, everyone!!!) Around 5:00pm, we got an email from Lisa, and she and Joseph were up from a nap and ready for some company. We knew her building was close to ours, and we had a map, but the streets and alleyways in Moscow are so confusing. We got a little lost, and ended up going the long way around, but we found them! I was glad they were waiting for us outside, so we knew for sure we had the right building.

We had not seen Joseph since he left the orphanage in Kolomna, and after only 3 days with Lisa, the change was obvious. He smiled and laughed. He crawled. And even his loud crying was a good sign, because he had been so quiet, too quiet, when we last saw him in the music room in Kolomna. He looked like he is adjusting well, and we were happy to see that. I wish I had remembered to take my camera, so I could have gotten some pictures. He is so cute!

Soon I will pack everything, and we leave for the airport tomorrow morning at 8:30am. I’m very ready to go home so the time can pass and we can return! I miss holding Eli so much. Only 11 more days.

God has blessed us so much, and we are so grateful.

court

2008-04-02T08:51:00.003-04:00

Today at noon, the judge granted our request to become Eli's parents! Praise God!!!
He was definitely with us in the courtroom, and gave us the right words to say. Our hearing went smoothly, but it was one of the most intense experiences of my life. We are very happy and relieved, and we're now extremely ready to have him with us. Only 11 more days.

Thanks to everyone for all their prayers and wonderful support. We are so grateful for this blessing.

(I'll post more details soon.)

moscow - trip 2 - day 4

2008-04-01T11:00:00.003-04:00

Today was a day of very mixed emotions. We started our day with a prayer before we left the apartment, and then Katia and Anton picked us up at 10:00am, and we headed out for our last visit to Kolomna. Traffic was better, but it still took us almost 2 hours to get there. I was feeling very tired in the car. A combination of jet lag and emotions, I think, knowing this was our last visit with him.

When we arrived at the orphanage, we discovered we were allowed to take Eli outside. His caregiver brought him out in the stroller, and he was dressed very warmly. We took him out, and pushed him around the playground. It was very sunny outside, and even though it was chilly (about 45 degrees), it was good for him to be outside in the sunshine and fresh air. After a few minutes, I took him out of the stroller, and just walked around carrying him. Of course, he liked that much better! I sat on the swing with him, and we swung gently for a few minutes. He seemed to like that too. After 30 minutes, we took him back inside, because we didn’t want him to get cold.

After we came back in, we went upstairs to find Katia, so she could have the music room opened for us. We were standing in the hallway, talking to the doctor and Katia, and his caregiver came to take off his outer layers. For the 1st time, he turned away and resisted her. This was new behavior. We feel he’s very bonded to us already, which is good and bad at the same time. We feel he will attach easily once we have him with us, but for the next 12 days, he will not understand why we are not there. It is very difficult.

We went downstairs to the music room, and played with him for almost 2 hours. He was very quiet at first, but he warmed up. He made some baby sounds, and even said ma-ma-ma! He loved that lamb rattle/teether that my sister got for him. He liked to shake it and listen to the noise. He crawled a little, but he was tired after going outside. So much stimulation. He was sitting on the floor next to me, and he started rocking again, this time more forcefully than he did yesterday. I picked him up immediately, and he sat in my lap or R’s for the rest of the visit. That was fine with me, because I love holding him. He put his hand up and explored my face, touching my mouth and teeth. He was making good eye contact again too. Toward the end of our visit, R was holding him, and he fell asleep. His thumb was in his mouth at first, but then it fell out as he fell more deeply asleep. He was completely out again! I hope he falls asleep this easily once he’s home! Instead of the caregiver coming downstairs to get him, we were allowed to carry him upstairs. We gave him to the caregiver right outside his baby room, so we didn’t see where he has been sleeping. We left a small journal behind, for the caregivers to write notes for him if they wish.

He was wearing a Carter’s onesie and pair of pants that my mom bought and that we left on the 1st trip. Those were a 12 month size, so the clothes that we have should fit him perfectly. I was so glad to see that they were using the things we brought.

It was very hard to leave him this time. These last 2 days have gone so well, and we feel so attached to him. It felt good to know that was our last visit, and that in 12 days, he’ll be with us forever, but we miss him so much already. This process is definitely a marathon and not a sprint!

We found out today that we will need gifts for 10 caregivers. We had already bought for 7, so I’ll buy the items for the other 3 gifts as soon as we get home. I think our week at home is going to fly by, because we’ll be so busy. That will be a blessing.

On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store that was about 1/3 the size of the convenience stores we have at home. We got more water (a 5 liter bottle of Bon Aqua), which we like much better than the brand we bought on Sunday, frozen broccoli (yum!), eggs, and orange juice. It was 213 rubles, which is about $10. Not bad. I enjoyed the broccoli for dinner. I had really been craving a vegetable.

We have court tomorrow morning at 10:30am (2:30 am US time). Please pray that everything goes smoothly. Also please pray for Eli. I know he will be confused when we are not there tomorrow. Please pray that the Lord takes care of him and holds him close until we return.

moscow - trip 2 - day 3

2008-03-31T10:38:00.003-04:00

I slept much better last night than I did the first night of our first trip. We like our apartment on the Smolenskaya Embankment. It is much more comfortable.

Last night and this morning, R enjoyed watching bicycle track racing on the Satellite TV. The commentary was all in Russian, but that didn’t matter! Track racing is not shown on TV in the US, so this was an added treat for him!

This morning, we left the apartment a few minutes before 10:00am. We held hands and said a prayer in the elevator on the way down. The elevator is unbelievably small, and only holds 2 people. Not for the claustrophobic! Katia and Anton picked us up at 10:00am. After we had gone a few blocks, R realized that he had left his passport holder in the apartment. This was not good, because it contained all our money, and his passport. (You have to have your passport and migration card on you at all times in Russia.) He asked Anton to go back, and he retrieved it quickly. Then we got back on the road to Kolomna. Traffic was heavier than expected this morning. Usually traffic on Mondays is heavy, but not this heavy. This was more like Friday traffic, for some unknown reason. It took us an hour just to get to the M5.

After 2 hours, we arrived in Kolomna. The landscape was different this time. Last time we were here, everything was snow covered. Now that temperatures have been in the upper 40’s, most of the snow has melted. Even though it was above freezing, there were still some small snow patches, and ponds were still almost completely frozen over. I took some video of the town on the way to the orphanage to show Eli later. We were blessed with good weather today. The sun was out, and it was almost 50 degrees.

When we arrived, we went to the music room where we have visited with him each time. We waited a few minutes, and the caregiver brought him down in a stroller. She wheeled him in, and he looked right at us. I bent down and said “Look who it is. It’s our sweet baby!” and he smiled! So I think he remembered us! I picked him up out of the stroller, and he went right to me with no hesitation. It felt so good to hold him again! After Katia and the caregiver left the room, he cried just a tiny bit. I don’t think it was because they left, because he wasn’t even looking toward the door. I think it was because he was confused. We talked to him in a soft voice, and explained what was happening, and how we would be back in 2 weeks to take him with us, and shortly after that, he calmed down. We sat on the floor, with his Touch and Feel Farm book first. He watches and really concentrates. He follows the movement of our hands. After we read the book a few times, and he petted all the animals, he would try to pick up the book and throw it (sort of). He liked beating on it too, which was cute! Then we played with the soft book that Stephanie sent, which he liked. We played with that for a while. Since he liked that, I think he’ll really like the Whoozit!

He crawled a few times. If I held my arms out and encouraged him, he would crawl to me, and he seemed to like that, but he really didn’t want much time to just roam around. Just like before, he just wanted me to hold him while he sucked his thumb. Toward the end of our visit, R. held him. While he was sitting in R.’s lap sucking his thumb, R. talked to him about track racing and fixed gear bikes, and he listened very intently! From time to time, he would look up, look us directly in the face, and make eye contact, and I think that is a very good sign.

When R. was holding him, and he was sucking his thumb, I pretended to eat his little baby feet, and he laughed! He would stick his little foot back out for me to do it again. So adorable!

Just like before, he fell asleep while R was holding him. R passed him to me, and he never woke up. He was out, with the thumb in his mouth. So precious. We had a little over 2 hours with him, so that was a good visit.

He seemed to have grown, but not that much really. Just a little. His crawling seemed the same. He seemed a little more stable sitting up. He had a small bruise on his right temple, probably from toppling over. It was right in the spot where his head touches the floor when he loses balance. Still, I hated to see it.

There was another new development, and not a good one. At one point, he was sitting on the floor beside me, and he was starting to get tired. He put his thumb in his mouth and starting rocking back and forth. I picked him up immediately, and he snuggled in, with his head on my shoulder. I asked R if he saw it, and he noticed it immediately too. Only 2 more weeks, and then I can rock him as much as he wants!

We are counting the days until he can be with us forever!!!

photos from day 2

2008-03-30T11:19:00.003-04:00

R washing dishes after dinner

the Moscow River at sunset (and the Ukraina hotel) as seen from our kitchen window

our kitchen window

moscow - trip 2 - day 2

2008-03-30T04:27:00.004-04:00

Here we are, back in Moscow again! We just arrived at our apartment, and we're relaxing, while watching the Russian version of "What Not to Wear"!

We've had a great trip so far. Yesterday morning, our drive to the Atlanta airport was fine. We listened to the radio and enjoyed our time in the car together. Traffic wasn't too heavy. We saw Lisa at the gate. She arrived right shortly before we boarded, and we enjoyed talking to her for a minute.

Our flight was on time, and didn't seem as long as it did on our first trip over. We slept some, but not enough. My legs are just too long! I just can't get comfortable enough in that tiny space to really sleep well. The couple sitting behind us was also adopting with our agency. They are from NC. I really enjoyed talking to them. We traded email addresses, so we can keep in touch.

We did not feel anxiety this time. Knowing what to expect when we arrived made all the difference. When we landed, I felt full of God's peace. We didn't have to wait long at Passport Control, and were waived through customs, so that went very smoothly. When we walked around the corner, there was Katia waiting for us. It was so good to see her again.

When we left the airport, it was warm and sunny. Beautiful Moscow weather. Anton is our driver again this time, and we're happy about that too. We drove through the city, and there was no snow this time. We stopped at a small grocery store, and we got bread, cheese, ham (of course R has to make more sandwiches!), milk, and water.

Then we arrived at our apartment. We're in a older building, built right after WWII. Great architecture. I'll be taking pictures later when I'm not so tired! We like this apartment much better than the one we had on the first trip. A cosmonaut lived in this building, so it is historic, with a plaque in front. Also writers, artists, and grandchildren of Communist Party officials have lived in this building. We have a fantastic view of the Moscow River.

Now we're going to take a nap before we do anything else. We're feeling the jet lag! We'll be going to Kolomna to see our sweet Eli on Monday and Tuesday, and we're very excited about seeing him again tomorrow!

back to moscow

2008-03-28T16:19:00.003-04:00

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." -- Psalms 28:7

Tomorrow morning, we leave at 7:00am to drive to the Atlanta airport. Tomorrow afternoon, we will be on our way to back to Moscow for our 2nd trip. We are so excited about seeing our Eli again! I can't wait to give him lots of hugs and kisses.

We have court on Wed. 4/2. We are a little nervous, but we believe God will take care of us, as He has in each step of this process. Please pray that things go smoothly and that the judge will allow Eli to become our son.

court prep

2008-03-26T21:03:00.003-04:00

My sister is a wonderful hair stylist. Today I went to her salon, and she touched up my hair color, so now I have good hair for court! No more grey roots! Then I had lunch with her, my mom, and my sister G., and it was wonderful to have some time with them right before we leave.

We have been preparing for court for the last 2 days. We reviewed the section in the Russian Adoption Handbook on the foreign court appearance. We read the info on FRUA. We've discussed the possible questions we could be asked, and how we would answer them. R read over our home study, and I'll review it in the next day or two. We feel like we'll be ready when the time comes. And most importantly, before court, we'll pray for God's guidance, for Him to give us the right words to answer the judge's questions.

One week from today, court will be over, and hopefully, we will officially be Eli's parents!

packing and more packing

2008-03-25T19:47:00.004-04:00

The packing is now 99% done! Everything is crammed in there, except for the last minute items to throw in the carry-on. We're taking the same 2 bags we took on the 1st trip, a 25" wheeled duffel and a 19" suitcase. We have food, clothes, a few toys for Eli, some of our gifts, and our orphanage donation.

We got some fabulous moccasins from Hanna Andersson to take. Katia had told us they needed shoes, and when we saw Eli wearing booties that were too small, we were more than convinced! These moccasins have soft leather soles and sock tops, so they wouldn't hinder a baby learning to walk. They also fit a range of sizes, so babies could wear them longer. And they weren't made in China, which was very hard to find. I hope that the orphanage director likes them.

I can't believe we're going in just a few days, and in less than a week, I'll be giving my Snuggle Bunny lots of hugs and kisses!

court photos

2008-03-24T14:00:00.004-04:00

I finished taking the photos for court today. I already had a photo of Eli's room in the photo album, but after I worked in his room, it just looked so cute. I decided I wanted a more recent picture to show the judge. Normally, I order my photos from Shutterfly, but since we're leaving on Saturday, my sister A. had a great idea. I uploaded the photos to Walgreen's, and we can pick them up later this afternoon. Love the technology!

This shows his toy box and the adorable kangaroo that my sister brought. Both belonged to my nephew. The kangaroo is full of colorful wooden blocks, and Eli can push it once he learns to walk. My nephew really loved it, and pushed it all over the house.

Inside the toy box. I still have some toys upstairs in his room to put in here later.

1 week/month

2008-03-22T20:19:00.001-04:00

Counting down the days...1 week until we leave for Moscow again, and 1 month until we bring our sweet Eli home!

bad dreams

2008-03-22T13:44:00.003-04:00

I had bad dreams last night. I dreamed that we really overslept. I was hurrying and rushing around, trying to get everything together and get out the door, but I wasn't able to. There wasn't time for us to drive to Atlanta and catch the flight to Moscow. Then I dreamed I got online, and tried to change our flight to the next day, so we could still make it to Moscow in time for court. I dreamed when I finally found a flight, it was $9000, and we couldn't afford it! Thankfully, that's when I woke up, and realized we aren't leaving for another week!

I do seem to have more anxiety about this trip than I had about the first one. I think that's because I'm really dreading having to leave my son again. I'm excited about seeing him again, but I hate that we have to leave him again. I know he doesn't understand, and I'm sure it's confusing for him, and it's definitely very hard for me. I wish we could skip the 2nd trip, and just go straight to the 3rd trip, when we'll take him out of the orphanage and have him with us forever.

serious nesting

2008-03-20T21:58:00.003-04:00

I have really been in the nesting phase for the last 2 days! I've been working in Eli's room. I unpacked all the fabulous toys my sister M. brought and got them organized. We have a lot of things here in the house now that belonged to my nephew, and I really love that. There are such happy memories from seeing N. playing with those toys, wearing those precious outfits, and sleeping in that crib.

I ironed the comforter cover she brought, and put it on the twin bed in his room. R. took the crib (still in pieces, but only until this weekend), and moved it into our room. We want Eli to sleep in the room with us, at least to start. He has never slept in a room alone before. I've been washing the baby clothes (such adorable little outfits), and there is a load in the dryer right now. I've hung the 18 month clothes in his closet. Tomorrow, I'll take the clean and cute clothes and start packing them in ziploc bags (1 outfit + socks per bag!) for the 3rd trip. (Thanks again to Lori for that great tip!)

By the end of this weekend, I'll have all the packing stuff removed from his room and into the guest room. Then I'll be ready to take a picture of his new and improved room, just in time for court next week. (And also to post in the blog!)

Just to keep life interesting, our heater decided to stop working this week! We think it's the thermostat. The repairman is coming Monday morning, bright and early. We're hoping it's just the thermostat, and nothing more serious. Thankfully this didn't happen while we were in Russia, or even worse, after we bring Eli home.

news about our boy

2008-03-19T19:16:00.003-04:00

God blessed us today with some news about our sweet Eli. M. and L., another family with our agency, were in Moscow a few days ago for their court trip. They went to the orphanage on Sunday. They asked about Eli, so they could pass along some news. They were allowed to see him! He has grown a little and his curly hair is a little longer. He is crawling much better than last month. She said he is fast now! He can sit up on his own now (he was a little unsteady when we were there.) The best news of all is that he is healthy. I was so relieved to hear that.

I did some packing today, and I also worked in Eli's room. I hung his clothes in his closet, and I put his toys in the toy box that my sister brought me. I sorted through the stuff I had stacked on the twin bed in his room, and now I have all the stuff for the 3rd trip together. It's starting to look like a baby will be living here soon! Very exciting! We see our sweet Snuggle Bunny in less than 2 weeks, and if all goes as planned, we take custody in less than a month!

visas

2008-03-18T22:26:00.002-04:00

Our passports arrived today from the Russian Consulate in NY! Now we have dual entry visas for trips 2 & 3! We looked them over, and everything looked fine, which was a relief. We paid for 6-10 day processing and got them back in about a week, which was great.

Only 10 more days to wait and then we'll finally be on our way! The packing officially starts tomorrow!

time with the girls

2008-03-17T20:56:00.004-04:00

The last few days have been quite busy, and that has thankfully helped to pass the time. We leave for Moscow in less than 2 weeks now!

My sister and her son (my most adorable 3 year old nephew) have been at my mom's, visiting during her spring break. Saturday, R & I had dinner with them at my mom's. Then yesterday, M. left my nephew with our mom, and then we went to see one of our other sisters. The three sisters had not been together, just us girls, in a few years, since before my nephew arrived, and it was great! We had girl time! We shopped until we dropped! We went to AC Moore (craft store), and I got little canvas tote bags for our caregiver gifts and some pretty gift wrap and ribbon for our other gifts. We went to Swoosie's, and M. got some treats for my nephew's Easter basket, and the cutest black and white stuffed bunny. We went to Off Broadway Shoes, and M. found some adorable little spring shoes. We went to Whole Foods, then had dinner, then on to Target, and I got some final items for trips 2 and 3. Then we went to Kohl's!

M. and I spent the night at A.'s house, so we had a girls only slumber party! This morning, we all slept in, and had a great time just hanging out talking. Then we had lunch (yummy Greek food) and finally M. and I arrived back at my mom's about 4:30 this afternoon. That was the longest M. had ever spent away from her son, and I know it felt strange to her.

I really enjoyed being able to spend some time with them!

a little bit closer

2008-03-13T15:11:00.004-04:00

We got some more things checked off our list, and that felt good. Yesterday, we finished buying gifts for the caregivers. We decided to do treat bags with regional food items. We also got some treats for Irina. Then we went to Radio Shack and bought a 25 foot network cable. This will give us more choices of where to sit in the apartment while we're on the internet!

Last night, we had dinner with R's mom, and she gave us the cutest ABC bedtime book for Eli. It has wonderful illustrations, and I can't wait to read it to him!

Today, I finished our taxes. I had really been putting it off. I was worried that we would owe, and our budget is already stretched to the absolute limit. We'll be getting a refund! God continues to take care of us, and we are so grateful.

We are really missing our little guy. After reading there has been chicken pox in one of the other orphanages, we hope he is healthy. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

3 weeks

2008-03-08T19:52:00.002-05:00

We leave for Moscow in 3 weeks. It's hard to believe. The days are still passing very slowly, and it feels more like 3 months before we get back on the plane.

adorable outfits

2008-03-06T18:41:00.003-05:00

My mom came by this afternoon with THE CUTEST outfits for Eli! I can't wait to see him wearing all these. He will look so adorable! (Thanks, Mama!)

checking off the list

2008-03-05T14:15:00.004-05:00

I was able to check off some things on the to do list today. We sent our visa applications to the Russian Consulate in NY. I put the pictures in our photo album for court. I also mailed a greeting card request to the White House. Hopefully, we'll receive a card signed by the President to commemorate his new citizenship. I thought it would be a neat item for his baby book. From our Congressman's website, I ordered a flag that will be flown over the US Capitol on the day he becomes a citizen. Right now, I'm interested in anything that celebrates his arrival in the US!

confirmed

2008-03-04T20:54:00.003-05:00

We now have flights and apartments reserved for both trips, and we also received our invitation to travel, so we can send our visa applications to the consulate in NY later this week. After waiting for the last few weeks, it felt great to get all that accomplished.

We'll be staying in the Smolenskaya district of Moscow. After being across the street from the Casino on the last trip, we going for something a little more residential and with better views this time. On our 2nd trip, we'll have a fabulous view of the Moscow River. On the 3rd trip, we'll be overlooking a courtyard with trees. I will enjoy that more.

Less than a month now - only 26 days - until we see our Eli again!

YAY!

2008-03-03T18:48:00.004-05:00

On the emotional roller coaster that is international adoption, we are back up again! We got our court date today - April 2! This was a little earlier than we thought it was going to be, so we are happy. (Our God is great!) I was so anxious about getting our court date today, that I only slept about 2 hours last night, but now I feel so much better having a date and a plan, and especially knowing exactly when we're going to see our little Snuggle Bunny again!

So I've spent the afternoon trying to make all the arrangements. We are not staying during the 10 day waiting period, so we will be making 2 more trips. I booked our 2nd flight, and I just emailed the travel agent to confirm our 3rd flight. Originally, we were hoping to have 3 seats on the flight back with Eli, but it's just too expensive, so we're going to just hold him on our laps and suffer through it. Otherwise, our flights should be ok. We're flying Delta from Atlanta on both trips.

I contacted Peace Travel about the 2 apartments we wanted, and we should receive confirmation tomorrow. I also faxed the form to Peace Travel for our visa support/invitation to travel. We'll be doing a dual entry tourist visa.

So our dates will be:
2nd trip - leave March 29, arrive in Moscow Sunday morning March 30, visit Eli on April 1, court on April 2, fly home Thursday April 3.

3rd trip - leave April 12, arrive in Moscow Sunday morning April 13, take custody of Eli on April 14 (can't wait!), fly home as a family on April 22 (Eli will become a citizen on my aunt's birthday!) Because our 10 day waiting period is over on Monday, this last trip will be a little longer than we originally thought. We'll end up staying in Moscow for 9 nights on this trip, instead of 6.

I'm so relieved to have actually started booking the flights and apartments. Now it feels real. Now we know exactly when he will be with us and when we will be bringing him home.

notes from our 1st trip

2008-03-02T22:36:00.000-05:00

Today's sermon was interesting. Our pastor talked about how sometimes we don't know why things happen. Sometimes all we know is Jesus. Because right now, there seems to be no good explanation for our court date delay, yes, I felt like he was talking to me.

This post is a little overdue, since we've been home for 2 weeks now (seems like months), but since some of you are about to travel on your 1st trip (Kar, Denise, and Becky!), I thought I'd mention what worked for us.

We did not eat out while we were there. We fixed meals in the apartment instead. I have an allergy to tree nuts, so restaurants can be a problem. But, it turns out, by the time we got back to the apartment in the evening, after spending hours in the car, we were drained and tired, and didn't feel like going back out in the cold to search for food anyway! Katia took us to the grocery store twice, once Sunday right after we arrived, and again on Thursday. We bought bread, cheese, and meat for sandwiches in the car, as well as milk and eggs. R got a microwave dinner that he said was ok. Some kind of shepherd's pie type thing. We brought from home: boil in the bag brown rice, soup, easy Mac, chicken & tuna in the pouches, and peanut butter. We also brought protein bars and granola for our time in the car. We tried to eat protein, so we would have the energy to get through the day, and that worked well. Moscow restaurants can be very expensive, so we ended up saving some $.

things I wish I had taken:
~ I forgot to follow Rob's advice and bring a long network cable. The modem was on 1 side of the room, and the available outlet was on the other. Not convenient. Next trip I'm definitely taking the 25 ft cable he recommended!

~ short sleeve shirt
It was warm in the apartment. I'm cold natured, and even I was warm. Definitely taking one on the next trip.

~ hat
I used the hood on my jacket instead, but then I had no peripheral vision. I could only see in front of me, which was annoying when I was trying to look around and see the sights. I felt like a turtle!

~ something mindless to read, like a magazine
In the apartment, we had Turner Classic Movies, the Hallmark channel, Discovery, Animal Planet, CNN, and BBC World. Not much to watch when I just wanted to unwind. We ended up watching CNN a lot, but that reminded me too much of all the hours we spent in the airport!

things I could have skipped:
~ one little bottle of hand sanitizer would have been enough. Dede mentioned this too.

~ small bottle of dish soap
The apartment had both dish soap and laundry detergent.

~ sunglasses
Anton's car had tinted windows, and the sun didn't shine that much while we were there.

~ pillowcases
I thought it would be nice to have something from home, but the pillows were square, and our rectangular cases didn't fit!

things I was glad that I had:
~ sink stopper
There wasn't one in the apartment.

~ big fuzzy comfy socks to wear at night

~ yoga pants to lounge in at night

~ washcloths
I brought 4. There were none in the apartment. They were nice to have to wash my face. I also took one to the orphanage, because Eli was drooling a lot. And he also spit up on me one of the days we were there.

~ shout wipes

~ tea and folger's coffee singles

~ my laptop
We took it with us, and I wrote emails and blog entries in the car on the way back from the orphanage. It was a good way to pass the time, and I was able to write while everything was still fresh in my mind. I wrote a long journal entry every day, with lots of details. I wrote more than I posted as blog entries, because some of the details and feelings I didn't want to share publicly, but they are now saved for Eli to read when he is older. There's no way I could have captured all the details if I had waited until we returned home to write it.

~ airborne
I took Lori's advice and used it on the plane, as well as 2 days after we arrived. I didn't get sick, even though people behind us on the plane seemed to be coughing a lot.

~ silk long underwear bottoms
Wore them the last 2 days we were there because the weather turned colder, and we were glad we had them. Right after we arrived, we went to Red Square to do a little sightseeing, and we weren't wearing them. The cold air just seemed to cut through our pants, straight to our skin. I remembered what Rob had said about that, so we wore them on Thursday, when we did the rest of our sightseeing, and we were more comfortable. They were thin enough that I didn't feel too warm when we were inside. I didn't wear them in the apartment though!

~ thank you cards
We used them when we paid our driver and translator at the end of the week. I got long skinny ones at Target, so the US dollars would fit inside without having to be folded. We wrote a note inside each, thanking them for taking such good care of us during the week.

~ board books for Eli
We had the "Touch & Feel Farm" book and another board book, and he seemed to enjoy those the most. It was something we could do while he was sitting in my lap, since that's really what he wanted to do. He wasn't as interested in playing with toys on the floor.

~ blanket for Eli
We slept with it so it would have our scent, and then we left it with him on the last day, in hopes that they would put it in his crib.

~ thinner sweaters
Each day, I wore a long sleeve shirt with a thin/medium weight sweater, and I was very comfortable. A heavy bulky sweater would not have worked as well.

Another tip:
Register your trip with the US State Dept., so the US Embassy knows you are there, in case of emergency. It wasn't required, but gave us a little extra peace of mind.

We're so happy for those who are traveling to meet their precious babies soon!

court date update

2008-02-26T13:30:00.002-05:00

I heard from C., and we got an update on our court date. The news was not as good as we had hoped. We were assigned to the judge who is taking vacation in March. She is supposed to review our paperwork on March 3, and assign a court date at that time. Most likely, it will be in early April. The other couple that traveled when we did was assigned to a different judge, and they just received a court date for March 17. They will have their baby home before we even go to court. I am genuinely happy for them, but I had hoped and prayed for the same time line for us. I am really upset right now. Please continue to keep Eli in your prayers.

loooong days

2008-02-25T21:11:00.002-05:00

The days are passing SO slowly right now. Time is just crawling. At least the house is very clean now. I'm trying to stay busy, but no matter what I do, the time just isn't passing quickly enough. This evening, R and I sat together and looked at all our photos of Eli. This is so much harder than I expected.

Please continue to keep Eli in your prayers.

car seat sale

2008-02-24T18:02:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd share - PoshTots is having a sale on Britax car seats until March 2. 15% off and free shipping. They're not on sale very often. This comes just in time for us to order one this week. Another thing to cross off the list while we're waiting.

court date delay

2008-02-21T18:17:00.004-05:00

Just found out that we will not be going to court until early April. Apparently judges' vacations are causing the delay. We had really hoped we would be bringing Eli home at the end of March. Now it will be the end of April. We are really upset that he will have to spend another month in the orphanage. We are very sad right now.

Please pray for God to take care of him until he is home with us, where he belongs.

glory to God

2008-02-20T10:10:00.002-05:00

I've been reflecting on our week in Moscow, and I am still amazed by everything that happened. Our experience was as perfect as it could have been, and it can only be attributed to God. Everything that I worried about worked out smoothly, and I realized that I need to trust Him more and worry less! His hand was evident in everything that happened, including the fact that Eli was born on our wedding anniversary and entered the Kolomna orphanage on Russ' birthday, which we thought was a large and obvious sign that Eli is meant to be our son, but His presence was also evident in all the small details. Our Lord works miracles in Russia, and we are full of praise and gratitude.

the last of the paper chase

2008-02-19T17:50:00.004-05:00

We got our FBI clearances notarized, and sent them FedEx to be apostilled. That should be our last thing to be apostilled and submitted! Yay! Today was a busy day. I got pictures printed for our court photo album, ordered a black jacket & skirt to wear for court, and ordered a replacement luggage lock for the one we lost in customs in Atlanta (R was too distracted by the loss of his sandwich to close the lock, and it fell off!) I'm almost finished catching up on the laundry, and I've already started making a pile on the bed in Eli's room of things we'll be taking on our next trips.

I'm still really feeling the jet lag. I'm just dragging. R went back to work yesterday, and is feeling ok.

We got a great surprise in today's mail! My aunt and uncle sent baby stuff for Eli! (Thanks N. and J.!!!) The cutest little clothes (size 12 months), books, a plate (his first dish!), and a 2 cd set of lullabies. I'm going to copy the cd's to my laptop, so we'll have them in Moscow. I loved all that they sent! It really made my day.

Missing Eli so very much. This waiting is SO much harder than waiting on a travel date.
Plesae pray for God to take care of him until we can bring him home, where he belongs.

a story of a man and his sandwich

2008-02-17T09:10:00.002-05:00

(this post was written by R.)

It was our last day on New Arbat Street, no. 160, and I was in the kitchen making sandwiches for the plane ride home. No offense, but Aramark's choices on Delta flights to Moscow and back can be less than satisfactory sometimes and I wanted to be prepared.

The loaf of sliced brown bread I had been fixing my daily lunch with had reached its end - but there was still almost half of the huge round of black bread I had purchased in the fancy grocery on Old Arbat on Sunday, which felt like months ago, back when Katia our guide and translator and Anton our steely-calm driver were strangers to us. I looked in the refrigerator and realized that our flatmates Lisa and Marty had left us an unopened pack of boiled ham slices and half a pack of really nice Swiss cheese - thanks, guys!

Ana came around with the camera as I was fixing two really thick, substantial ham sammiches. She laughed and took a photo, I posed formally for a second shot, and finished fixing my reserve lunch. Moments later we were in the Renault on our way to the airport in 10 degree Fahrenheit weather.

I had wondered what Russian security would be like. Homeland security folks, listen up - the Russians are more efficient than we are. Upon entry to the airport, after saying goodbye to Katia (and suddenly feeling like motherless children), we went through the first metal detectors, opened our bags for a polite, detailed, but very neat search, got our boarding passes, went through passport control, and then through the terminal. We beat the rush and went through the last security checkpoints for our flight and were in the locked down gate for a little less than two hours. Hunger set in.

Shortly after taking off, Ana and I tucked into our lunches. I wound up keeping my last gloriously thick Russian ham and cheese sandwich in reserve for later. Well, Delta did better this time with the food. The pasta had lots of veggies, which I was craving, and the salad was devoured sans dressing. Later on they brought us lots of strong black tea in tiny cups, which was just delightful. I slept some, looked out the window and saw Scotland at one point, and walked up and down the aisle.

Eleven hours or so later, we landed in Atlanta. We clapped on landing as the Russians do, glad that we were indeed (finally!) on the ground. It was something like 67 degrees, so I was burning up in my long undies, jeans, shirt, sweater, etc. We got through passport control, then off to find our luggage.

We were standing around the baggage carousel when Ana said, "Oh look, they have the dog out today."

I looked but didn't see the dog, but noted the older officer with a trailing leash. Our checked bags came around about the time the officer turned the corner. The dog was a beagle, wearing a blue vest identifying him as a working Customs and Immigration dog.

"Afternoon. Would you please put your carry-on bags down for the dog?"

So we did. And the beagle hit on my bag.

"Do you have any food in the bag?" the officer asked.

I remembered. "A sandwich."

"A meat sandwich?" he asked.

"Ham and cheese," I said.

He nodded and asked for my customs declaration form and wrote "ham sandwich" on it in big letters with a blue magic marker. "You'll need to go through Agriculture."

Great, I thought. Stopped by customs for a ham sandwich. Lovely.

So we made our way through the line, making a left turn to discover NO ONE ELSE ahead of us in the Agriculture line. We zipped on up and put our bags through yet another conveyor/scanner. The officers working the apparatus took my form and said, "Please remove the sandwich."

So I opened my backpack and took it out. Despite traveling more than 5,000 miles and the compression of being in the bag, it was still a big, thick, meaty, solid, substantial sandwich. Three pieces of ham. Two slices of creamy Swiss cheese. Gulden's spicy brown mustard. All on two hand-sliced pieces of black Russian bread. It was mighty appetizing looking, even now, and the two officers looked at it - dare I say it - hungrily.

"We'll have to take that," one officer said.

I nodded and handed it over. Whatever happened to that wonderful sandwich after then was no longer my business or my problem. We answered a few more questions, assured them we had no other meat products or fruit, and were sent on our way.

We still had to go through one last batch of security procedures, complete with removing boots and taking the laptop out of the bag and running everything one more time through the security conveyors. At last we were free in the Atlanta airport.

Strangely enough, we were ahead of everyone else. Getting popped for a sandwich and going through the Agriculture line had saved us a bunch of time. I'm not necessarily advocating having a small amount of undeclared processed meat from foreign countries to shorten your time in the security lines, but the thought definitely crossed our minds!

home

2008-02-16T23:03:00.003-05:00

We arrived home safely. What an intense day. I thought I would be so excited to be going home, but on the drive to the airport this morning I was feeling sad. Anton, Katia, and everyone connected with our agency in Russia was just so wonderful to us, so saying good-bye was bittersweet. It was a life changing week, and they shared that with us. When the plane took off, I started crying. I hadn't expected to be affected so strongly. The young Russian woman across the aisle had a very concerned and sympathetic look. She was sitting with her young son, who had dark wavy hair and dark eyes, which of course made me think of what Eli might look like when he is older. Then right before the plane landed, the pilot came on the intercom, and said "For those returning to the USA, welcome home", and I started crying again. I was relieved to be home, but I didn't feel happy because we didn't have Eli with us. When the plane touched down, all the children on board became citizens, and I was touched by that as well. We might be home now, but nothing is the same. Part of my heart is in Russia.

moscow - trip 1 - last day

2008-02-16T00:30:00.004-05:00

Almost time to leave Moscow. Our bags are packed, and in 30 minutes, Anton and Katia will be here to pick us up and take us to the airport. Marty and Lisa left this morning at 4:30am. We're glad we had the chance to share the apartment with them this past week. Being able to talk about what we were experiencing was very helpful. Doug, Kathy and baby Matthew are on our flight to Atlanta. We really enjoyed spending time with them this past week, and being able to talk to them as we wait in the airport will be great too.

Next post will be from the USA!

moscow - trip 1 - day 6

2008-02-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

Our last day in Moscow. Anton and Katia picked us up this morning at 11:00am for our 8 doctor medical exam. We drove 45 minutes to the clinic. Once we entered, we paid 20 rubles (a little less than a dollar) for blue plastic shoe covers, and then we went upstairs. The long hallway had windows along one side and lots of large plants, and there were couches, so we sat and waited, but not long. R & I were allowed to go in to see each doctor together. The doctors asked few questions, and the whole process only took 1 1/2 hours. We met another American adoptive couple, and we enjoyed talking to them while we were waiting. They are with the Gladney agency, and are adopting a little girl from Perm, who sounded adorable. It was their 2nd adoption. They showed us pictures of their son, who is now 6, and he was so cute. At the end, while we were waiting on our papers to be signed, we had tea in the secretary's office. We were so relieved when it was over, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined!

Then we went by the office briefly and then back to the apartment. We are all packed. I thought our luggage would be empty when we returned, but it's almost as full as when we arrived! We're ready to leave for the airport at 9:00am. I'm so excited about going home and getting everything ready for Eli. (We miss him terribly.) This has been a life changing experience for us. As much as I can't wait to get home, there are things about Moscow and the people we have met that we will carry with us forever.

moscow - trip 1 - day 5

2008-02-14T13:36:00.005-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We enjoyed a nice Valentine’s Day, even though we didn’t get to see our beloved Eli, and we miss him very much. We started the day by going to Krasnogarsk to the Moscow regional courthouse to drop off our file for court, about a 45 minute drive. The courthouse is a new building, and was very nice. Because the traffic was heavy, the judge’s secretary had not arrived yet, so we waited about 30 minutes. We submitted our file, and that was a happy moment. When we signed the ledger book, Mark & Sinziana's names were just a few lines above ours! Based on the time lines of the other families with our agency, we're really hoping to be going to court in a month. That court date can’t come soon enough.

After we left the courthouse, we went down the road to a huge grocery store. It had groceries, plus clothes, a dry cleaners, bank. We got a few things to bring home, and more bottled water and cheese for the apartment. R got some tea biscuits and coffee creamer to take to the break room at work. We enjoyed walking through the store and looking at everything.

Then we drove back to Moscow. I fell asleep in the car. I woke up right before we arrived at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Since I didn’t bring a hat with me, I wrapped my scarf around my head, because women can’t enter the Cathedral with an uncovered head. The Cathedral was amazing. The walls and ceiling were completely painted with saints, angels, and the Savior, and there were gold icons everywhere. We bought a candle to light for Eli. We placed it in front of the icon which depicted the baby Jesus. There was an old nun there, and she was talking to us in Russian, which we did not understand, but her face was very kind. She gestured, so we walked up to the gold stand, lit the candle for Eli, and placed it there. Then we stood together and said a brief prayer for him. Even though we are not Russian Orthodox, it was a very emotional moment for us. As we were leaving, we bought a small icon, which had been blessed, of Elijah the prophet for his room.

After we left the Cathedral, we walked around the corner to a souvenir shop. It was very cold today, and it was snowing lightly as we were walking. We were so glad that we were wearing the silk long underwear, because we didn’t freeze! The shop we went to was in the former palace of the father of Peter the Great. It was a 2 story building built in the 17th century. We bought some nice souvenirs. We got a a wooden toy for Eli, an ornament of a man playing a balalaika, a coffee mug with a map of Moscow for R to take to work, and a little decorative box made from birch wood, which is a souvenir for Eli of the beautiful birch trees on the way to Kolumna. After we paid for our purchases, we had tea at the shop, and it tasted so good. We have really enjoyed the tea here in Russia. It's much more flavorful than the bags we brew at home!

Our next stop was the Tretyakov Gallery. It is a museum of only Russian art. We spent 2 hours walking through, looking at all the paintings. Other than our precious Eli, of course, it was the highlight of our trip to Moscow. Impressionism is my favorite, and I was thrilled to see paintings by Vrubel, Graber, and especially Korovin. At the end, we bought a book in English about the collection, which included some of the paintings that I liked and which I will enjoy showing to Eli when he is older.

Our last stop for the day was to go to the bank to exchange money. We needed 36,000 rubles for our 8 doctor medical exam tomorrow, which is our last thing to accomplish on this trip. After that is over, we will come back to the apartment and pack, and get ready to come home. Since we did not see Eli today, we have already started our waiting for the court date, even though we're not even home yet.

Please continue to pray that we get a court date very quickly, and pray for God to take care of Eli until we can return.

P.S. Here is a picture of R in front of the Cathedral.

moscow - trip 1 - day 4

2008-02-13T11:11:00.003-05:00

Much better day today. We drove across Moscow to the notary office, and we only had to wait 30 minutes before we signed our documents for court. R paid 1400 rubles, and then we were on our way to the orphanage. I was happy that we were getting to go out to Kolumna earlier in the day.

The traffic was not heavy today, so we made it to Kolumna in 1 1/2 hours. As soon as we arrived, we went into the music room again, and his caregiver brought him in. She said she could tell that he had been waiting for us. As always, he was in a happy mood. We got down on the floor, and he actually played with the stacking rings for a few minutes. We read the “Touch and Feel Farm” book again, and that was still his favorite. At one point, I left him with Russ, and went across the room. I sat back down on the floor, and then called him. He crawled all the way across the room to me! So once he’s wearing fewer layers of clothing, he’ll really be moving around. When he got to me, I gave him lots of hugs and kisses, and I could tell he was very pleased with himself. The rest of the visit, he just wanted to be held, so we did. Lots of hugs, kisses, and snuggles. I told him he is my Snuggle Bunny! I got some great pictures of R holding him. At the time, we didn’t know if we’ll see him tomorrow, or if today was our last visit, so we told him how much we loved him, that we would be coming back to take him home as soon as we could, and that God would be with him and take care of him until we returned. About 2:30, his caregiver came in. She watched us with him for a few minutes, then she played with him along with us. She seems to like Eli, and is good with him, and I am very thankful for that. At 2:45pm, we kissed him one more time, and then she took him upstairs for yogurt then a nap. She took the keys on a ring and the photo album for his crib, and the stacking rings for his room.

Then we went to the office to give I. the notarized documents for court, and then I. gave us our folder that we’ll turn in at the courthouse tomorrow. While we were at the office, we found out that we won’t be seeing Eli again on this trip. We have to go to the courthouse tomorrow, and the drive to Kolumna in the heavy traffic is just too long. We have our 8 doctor medical on Friday.

Please pray that we get a court date as soon as possible, so we can bring our Snuggle Bunny home very soon! We miss him already!

moscow - trip 1 - day 3

2008-02-12T13:50:00.000-05:00

Today was a challenging day. Traffic was very heavy, and we didn't get to spend as much time as we wanted. But first, we have a name! His name is Elijah Alexander, and we will probably call him Eli. After much discussion over the last several months, we have decided not to keep his Russian name, and to give him a family name instead. Elijah means "The Lord is God" or "My God is Yahweh". We wanted to give glory and honor to God, who brought him into our lives. Alexander is my mother's maiden name, so it honors her side of the family, whom I love very much.

Today's trip was longer than we had hoped. But as we turned on to the road to Kolumna, we saw a wedding convey. The hoods of the cars were decorated with flowers, and one of the cars had balloons tied to the back.

After a 2 1/2 hour drive, we finally reached Kolumna. I was eager to see Eli. Because we were late, we didn’t get to see him eat lunch as we had hoped. We waited while they dressed him in many layers, and then we took him, along with the caregiver, into downtown Kolumna to get his passport and visa pictures taken, about 7km from the orphanage. His caregiver was very kind to him. He is an amazing little guy! He never cried. He is so open to new experience, and is craving stimulation. He doesn't seem to get overwhelmed, so that's good! He looked all around, and looked out the window, taking it all in. We arrived at a little store that took passport photos in the back. The caregiver sat in the chair and held him while they took the photo. It was difficult to make him look at the camera, because he kept turning his head to look at me! I had the beanie Pooh, and waved that, and they finally got the shots that they needed. R paid them 230 rubles, and then we all got back in the car to go back to the orphanage.

Once we were there, the caregiver took off his outer layers, and handed him to me. We went back to the music room, where we were yesterday. R. got good pictures of him, which I can't wait to share later, and I “read” him the “Touch and Feel Farm” book. He loved petting the soft chick on the cover. Whenever I turned the page, he would go back to it!

I put him on the floor to see if he would crawl. He got on all fours and rocked back and forth (that pre-crawling motion), and then he stretched up on his tiptoes, just like downward facing dog yoga pose! R. got the cutest photo of that. We saw a very brief forward motion, but that was it. I think he had on too many layers. So, he might be behind physically for now, but that will change soon enough. If you hold him in your lap, and hold under his arms, he loves to jump up and down! He wasn’t really interested in playing with the toys. We tried the ball, the stacking rings, and the car. He would play a little, but he really just wanted to sit in my lap and have baby snuggles. We haven’t really seen him cry. Not even in the car. Once, he started to fuss, but as soon as I snuggled him, he put his thumb in his mouth, and he was fine! I will definitely be bringing a pacifier on the 3rd trip for the plane ride home. He is such a sweet boy. So for about 30 minutes, I just held him and talked to him and gave him lots of kisses. I also showed him the“Who Loves Baby” photo album that we had brought, and he looked very intently at all the pictures. At 3:00 the caregiver came to get him, to put him down for his nap, so we kissed him and said “paka paka” (bye bye). So we had 1 hour 15 minutes of time with him, not including the time it took to get his photos taken. The moments with him were the definitely the bright spot of the day. He is so wonderful, and comfortable with us, and we feel bonded to him. Yesterday was a little awkward, because it was the 1st meeting, but today we didn’t feel awkward at all. It was the most natural thing in the world. R is very good with him too.

Then we went upstairs to the break room to wait on his medical records. Our translator took them to the office to be translated, and we will have a copy before we leave Moscow. While we were waiting, we had hot tea and R. ate some cookies that he really liked, a vanilla sandwich cookie with banana creme filling! When we go to the market on Thursday, he’s going to look for some to bring home.

Traffic on the way back to Moscow was just as heavy. We stopped by the office to review the English translations of the Russian documents we will sign tomorrow at the notary. We got back to the apartment at 8:00pm, so it was a long day, and we were drained.

Doug, Kathy and baby Matthew from downstairs came up when we got home. Lisa had cheerios and gerber puffs to give them, and they brought Honey Nut Cheerios (with the Russian label) and fruit cocktail to trade. We have really enjoyed visiting with them and seeing their adorable little one every night.

Tomorrow might be the last day we go to the orphanage, but I won't know until tomorrow afternoon. We are already so attached to Eli, and want to spend every moment with him that we can. He is just the most adorable, sweetest, amazing baby ever!

P.S. Here is one of the last photos of us before we became parents! This was taken in front of St. Basil's Cathedral, of course, right after we arrived in Moscow on Sunday.

moscow - trip 1 - day 2

2008-02-11T10:39:00.001-05:00

We arrived in Moscow safe and sound. I was too exhausted and drained to write a blog entry yesterday. This morning, we woke up at 3:30am and were wide awake. We went back to sleep at 4:30am, and slept until the alarm went off at 7:30am. We are sharing the apartment with Marty and Lisa, and they were already up. We all had showers, coffee, and oatmeal. At 9:00am, the courier came to pick up the copies of our passports and visas and our immigration cards to take them to be registered. That cost $100 per couple. Right before we all went downstairs to meet our drivers, we had Marty and Lisa take the last photo of us before we became parents! At 10:10am, we went all went downstairs. They met their driver, and we met Anton and Katia.

We drove in the extremely heavy traffic to S’s office. We went inside. She and I. share an office. I gave the dossiers and paperwork that I had carried for other families to I. I. greeted us very warmly, and I liked them both immediately. Marty and Lisa were in the office with us. S. gave us all some information about the referral process, asked us to keep an open mind, and was happy to answer any questions. After about 15 minutes, we all left and went to the Ministry of Education.

When we arrived at the MOE, we went down 2 flights of stairs to check our coats. Then we went upstairs to the 4th floor. The elevator is tiny, and only holds 2 people, so we decided to walk up to the 4th floor office. Climbing the old marble stairs was a good way to burn off all our nervous energy. We all waited in the hallway for about 15 minutes, and then both couples went inside with S. We were not as nervous as I thought we would be. We felt calm and happy. We all sat around a round table. The MOE official talked to us while S. translated. Marty and Lisa received their referral first. Then it was our turn. A little boy 8 1/2 months old. Normally the photo on the referral is many moths old and not very good, but this photo was of a sleeping baby with a sweet face and chubby cheeks. When I looked down at the sheet, I realized his birthday is the same day as our wedding anniversary. Instantly my eyes flooded with tears, and I knew it was a sign from God. This is our son! I felt such joy and peace in that moment. Before we left, we walked upstairs to the 5th floor to use the restroom,. As we were walking up the stairs, R and I agreed that we would be accepting his referral, before we even met him. We knew in our hearts that he is our son.

Then we left to drive to the orphanage. He is in Kolumna, 100km from Moscow city. On the way, we saw small houses near the main road, and birch trees, and then lots of open spaces covered with snow. About halfway there, we ate lunch in the car, of Russian cheese and mild sausage. It was very good. Not long after that, we were on a 4 lane highway. The police pulled all the cars over, for a routine document check. Anton got out and gave them the papers for the car. After a few minutes, we were back on our way. Katia told us that Kolumna is a tourist destination in the summer. They have several rivers and a lake, and people come there for water sports and recreation. The orphanage in Kolumna has a very good reputation. The children are well-cared for. She said that even local parents will bring their children to that orphanage just for medical care, because it is so good.

After about 1 1/2 hours, we arrived at the orphanage, and Marty and Lisa and S. had just arrived as well. We went inside and upstairs to the orphanage doctors’ office. She gave us his medical information, while Katia translated, and we both took notes as fast as we could. He came to the orphanage on R’s birthday! There was no information given today that gave us any cause for concern. Everything sounded good. While we were writing, the caregiver brought him into the office, with no warning. All of sudden, he was just there in the doorway. His brown eyes were wide, just taking everything in. She gave him to me, and he sat on my lap for a minute. They asked us to wash our hands, so I handed him back to the caregiver. He watched as I washed my hands, and then I held him again. The social worker came in to give the family history, and R wrote furiously while I held him in my lap. He watched R very intently, and then he reached behind me and tried to take a stack of papers off the counter!

Then it was time to go downstairs to the music room. We waited for a minute in the hallway before going downstairs, and he looked down at the ceiling and then up at the floor. He’s very curious! Once we went downstairs, the 3 of us were alone for some playtime. We sat on the floor, and he played with some toys while we got some cute pictures. We had the Fisher-Price stacking rings, the “Moo Baa La” board book, plastic keys on a ring, and a purple Tonka car. His favorite thing was the book. Hopefully he will love to read as much as we do!

After about an hour, he started to wind down. First he put my finger in his mouth and started teething on it! Then he put his thumb in his mouth, and his eyes started to close. He slept in my arms for about 45 minutes. He woke up and looked around and was content just to sit in my lap. Then the caregiver came in to officially put him down for his nap. I kissed him good-bye. As she was carrying him out of the room, his eyes were wide and he looked at us like “what is going on?” We all had already bonded.

We are so in love with him already! God answered my prayers and blessed us beyond all my hopes. We are so grateful. As we were leaving, the orphanage doctors told us they thought he was special and amazing, and of course, we agreed. They were pleased that we were so happy and that we already love him.

Tonight, we have to make a decision about his name. We’re still not sure! Tomorrow we’ll arrive at noon, and we’ll get to see him eat lunch before our playtime. Thanks to everyone for all their support and prayers. We wish we could share photos so everyone could see just how adorable he is. God has given us a great gift, and we are very happy!

MOSCOW

2008-02-08T23:57:00.000-05:00

We did sleep for a few hours. Even though it's midnight, it feels like morning, so maybe that will help us with the time change.

We are completely overwhelmed and completely excited! Thanks to everyone for all their support. (Loved what you wrote, my Sweet Pea!)

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Our next post will be from Moscow!

take a deep breath

2008-02-08T11:39:00.000-05:00

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!" -- 1 Samuel 12:16

almost there

2008-02-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

I can't believe there is only 1 more day before we leave! I'm not even sure what I'm feeling right now. A little anxiety and lots of excitement. We will meet our baby in 4 days! It still hasn't totally sunk in that THIS IS IT. We're about to become parents. It's really happening. Our lives are about to change forever, in the best way possible.

I hadn't planned on today being so busy, but it really was. I guess that was good, because it helped the time to pass. I talked to my family, and it was emotional, because I've never traveled this far away from them before. I had good conversations with all 3 of my sisters. My mom gave me a wonderful card, that I tucked into my carry-on. (Mama, I loved what you wrote!)

I cleaned the house and finished the last of the laundry. I went to the drugstore and got some Airborne (thanks again, Lori!)

I waited all day for FedEx, for our FBI clearances. When we got back from the drugstore about 6:30pm, I realized we hadn't checked the mail today. When R brought the mail in, there they were! They arrived a day before the deadline we requested. It never occurred to me that they would send them regular mail, especially when I had enclosed a FedEx airbill. I was worried they would arrive while we were gone, so I was so relieved. We can have them notarized and apostilled as soon as we get back from Moscow.

Last night, I had emailed the US Embassy in Moscow to verify that they had received our USCIS approval. They emailed this morning saying they had indeed received it! Another piece of good news.

Not much left to do tomorrow. We asked our pastor to come by, so he's coming tomorrow afternoon to talk to us and pray with us before we leave. That should help to calm us down. Then the plan is to try to nap, since we're leaving around 1:30am to drive to Atlanta.

Not too much longer now! I wish our baby could know that we are coming. Maybe God will put it in his/her heart.

visas

2008-02-06T13:48:00.001-05:00

FedEx just brought our visas! YAY! No errors either. I have to say that seeing the visa for the Russian Federation in my passport is one of the coolest things I've ever seen! Now I'm really really really ready to get on the plane!

ladybug

2008-02-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

I went in the kitchen to make some tea, and I noticed a spot on the ceiling. At first I was annoyed, thinking how am I going to clean that off? When I got closer and looked up, I realized it was a ladybug! A nice little sign of good luck while I WAIT to get on the plane.

question (to pass the time)

2008-02-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

Why isn't it time to go yet?

Actually, that's not the only question that comes to mind right now. R and I were sitting in our living room, chatting to pass the time, and he mentioned that every single person we have told that we are adopting said that they know someone who has adopted, and then they have shared the story with us. Some domestic, some international, but always, they know someone who has adopted. Policeman, store clerks, government officials, it doesn't matter. Everyone seems to have a personal connection to an adoption story. Has anyone else noticed this?

can't we just go already

2008-02-05T17:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm ready to go now. It's time. I wish we could get on the plane RIGHT THIS MINUTE!

I finally got my packing issues resolved. Thanks to everyone for all their suggestions. I took some things out and rearranged, and now we have 2 backpacks as carry-ons, 1 duffel and 1 19" suitcase. Once that was done, I felt so much better. I felt stressed yesterday, but now I feel excited.

Only 3 more days to get through, and then we'll be on our way to meeting our baby! We're leaving late Friday night, actually early Saturday morning. We're heading out at 1:00am, driving to the Atlanta airport for our morning flight to NY. Since I haven't mentioned it yet in this paragraph, I really wish we could leave right now!

I think about the baby and wonder what he/she is like, what he/she is doing, which orphanage he/she is in. I can't wait until I have a sweet face on which to focus my love, thoughts, and prayers. Just a few more days.

packing and more packing

2008-02-04T21:38:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend with my sister A. We went to Target, and got the rest of the items we needed for our trip. We got toiletries, and lots of snacks. We also got a little Winnie the Pooh, very soft and snuggly, to match the blanket. I'm hoping the baby can have it in his/her crib. Right now, our luggage is all food and baby stuff. Tomorrow, I'm going to have to make room to cram in our clothes!

I spent all day today packing. It's a good thing I started early, because it took a lot longer than I had hoped. I started out putting everything into 1 duffel bag, then 2 small suitcases, and then finally, the duffel and 1 small suitcase turned out to be the right combination. There was a lot of packing and unpacking and repacking! I'll be able to finish tomorrow.

We meet our baby 1 week from today! I can't believe it! We are so excited, and so grateful to God!

excited, exhausted, and then excited again

2008-02-01T20:38:00.000-05:00

What a day! As soon as the email from C. arrived, my heart just started racing! I couldn't believe we were really going! Immediately I started trying to book a flight. My excitement quickly turned to panic when I realized the flight we really wanted was no longer available. We were hoping to be on the direct flight from Atlanta to Moscow. I found a few options, but I wasn't sure. I knew R would be home in 15 minutes, so I waited for him to come home, and then we made the decision together to fly Delta from Atlanta to NY to Moscow. We really wanted a direct flight, but this is the next best option, and the price was good. Once the flight was booked, we started to breathe a little easier.

R had taken the rest of the afternoon off, so we could get everything done. Then we started working on the visa application. I called our agency, and K. walked me through the form, and that helped. R proofread everything twice, and we quadrupled checked to make sure we had everything in the FedEX envelope - passports, return airbill, money order, applications with photos, travel confirmation and voucher. He took it to FedEx and sent it on its way. We did next day processing, so we're hoping to have our visas by Thursday at the absolute latest.

Then I took care of our travel insurance and printed all the documents for our carry-on.

About 4:00pm, everything was done, and we gave each other a big hug! We were both so happy but also completely drained and exhausted. For the last 2 weeks, neither one of us has slept well. We went right then and took a long nap. We collapsed into the bed and slept very deeply for 2 1/2 hours! After we got up, we ate some dinner, and now we're just letting it all sink in. We're going to Russia! We meet our baby in 10 days! (I will be counting the hours!) It is so amazing, and we feel very blessed. Everything has fallen into place. We are so thankful to God.

P.S. We're taking the weekend off. No computer Saturday or Sunday. Tomorrow we're going to see my sister. We're all going to Target to pick up the last few items on our packing list, then have dinner, watch a movie, just hang out and relax. We're going to spend the night at her new house, and come home Sunday afternoon. It will be so nice to spend some time with A., especially before the baby comes. This will be our break from all the tension of the last 2 weeks. I can come back refreshed, and then finish my packing on Monday!

MOSCOW, HERE WE COME!

2008-02-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

We got confirmation! We are traveling on the 9th!
We are excited, overwhelmed, and rushing around trying to take care of things!
More details soon...