Sunday, December 23, 2007

Saturday, December 22, 2007

I didn't think I'd make it..

But I'm home!! I am soooo sorry to all of you who have been waiting patiently for an update-- the last few days in Kazakhstan were crazy, running around for last minute souvenirs, things for Noelle's travel bag, supplies for our party with the caretakers, not to mention the parties themselves with both the caretakers and the pediatricians. With no internet at the hotel, it made keeping people up to date nearly impossible-- I even tried the Wi-Fi at Amsterdam airport, but I couldn't get it to work. So-- this is my official post to say all is well, court went well, and as of December 19th, I am officially Noelle's mother. I will post more details and pictures later today-- now, I have to go to the doctor's office, because I have been sick for most of the last 3 weeks!!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Here comes the judge!

My court date is tomorrow (Wednesday)! Mark it in your calendar-- December 19, 2007 is the day I will officially become Noelle's mother! (Hmmm.. Anyone know how you go about getting a day designated as a national holiday?)

Noelle is well today. She is pretty mellow during the morning visit, limiting her activity to lying down and playing with random toys. When she does venture away, it is usually because she has spotted something she can put in her mouth-- today that included a Russian stacking doll (the littlest one), a videocamera, a candy wrapper and a puzzle piece. If she knows any English by now, it is the word "no"! Yesterday afternoon, she was a bundle of energy-- playing games and walking (assisted by me) around the room again and again. She is doing very well picking up things that I am showing her-- she has started putting the rings onto the holder instead of just taking them off and, yesterday, she had an orange as a snack which I broke into pieces and she fed the pieces to herself. I don't know if this is new for her or not-- I haven't seen her eat any food that she could actually pick up-- but it was new for me! What else? She is much more verbal these days, especially in the afternoon and the caretakers tell me that is officially spoiled. She cries after I leave. Today, I went to bring her back and the whole room was crying, so she started as soon as I put her down. I didn't know what to do :( The caregivers shoo you away if you try to console them too much, and my departure was inevitable so I gave her a quick kiss and ran! Amicoe & Joe-- Ravi was upset during this little incident as well, so I took a few seconds to comfort him.. In general though, he is good! He was all smiles this morning, and Natalya came in to see him too and was holding him.

By the way, I think the caregivers think I am some kind of baby stalker.. I tried to go see Foxx yesterday, and the woman in his room gave me a very dirty look, told me he was sleeping, and NO! I am going to head to room 3 this afternoon to see all the kids there, if I can--this afternoon, Noelle's caretakers and I will be having a little party to thank them for the time and love they have given her. It should be fun, and I want to have lots of pictures of them to share with her later.

More soon.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

The Mamas and the Papas

Congratulations to: Chris, Holly, Ansana and newly adopted Foxx;
Josh and Miranda and newly adopted Hannah;
Glenn and Lynn and newly adopted Christa; and
Joe, Imecoe, Damir and newly adopted Ravi

These are the families in our group that went to court yesterday and were officially declared parents! They said the whole process went very smoothly (good to hear) and was relatively quick. I still will not to court until sometime next week-- much of next week is either a national holiday or a religious holiday here in Kaz.

Noelle is well-- I will get to see her twice today. And I will try to make a stop into some of the other rooms to check on some of the other kids, like Nicholas, Kyle & Galena.. I saw Foxx already today, and he was all laughs. The bad news-- I cannot post any photos! Of your kids or of my kid.. The internet server is completely dead at the hotel. For now, I have found this internet cafe, but I cannot upload photos and doing just about anything is deadly slow. I heard about another cafe in town, which I may try to check out tomorrow.. So, communication from here on out is going to be limited. I will post when I can, including any photos when I can. In the meantime, thanks for all of your supportive comments and emails-- it makes my day to read them (when I can! :))

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Please Stand By..

Major technical difficulties over here in Karaganda! The server we normally use is down for the count, so we do not have ready access to the internet at this time. I was able to hijack this computer for a few minutes to put up a post, but I cannot upload or email any pictures. Too bad, 'cause Noelle is looking pretty cute these days! Anyway, I will post more when I can.. I haven't been to the babyhouse yet today, so nothing new to report on Noelle. But it is an exciting day for the parents-- several of the families I am traveling with go to court today! The down side is, they will all start to leave in the next couple of days, leaving just myself and 3 other families for the remainder of the trip. I am going to miss them (except you, Holly :))

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Boooo! No visit today...


So, this is a picture from earlier this week..
Lots of surprises today: we were told yesterday that we would leave the hotel early to go shopping for any remaining items needed for their travel bag, but last minute the plan changed: the shopping trip was canceled and the parents who visit in the afternoon (me included) were told they would not get to visit with the kids today. But the reason was a good one—we all had our interviews with the Ministry of Education instead. The interview with the MOE is required and you have to get a thumbs up from them before you go to court. We were all very nervous going in, trying to anticipate the questions and figure out the best answer. Everyone seemed to get different questions, from how much do you make to do you miss your single life without kids. The questions I fielded focused mostly on my support system and how I was going to fare being a single parent. We all passed! Now, with this interview done and the 14 day required bonding period just about up (tomorrow is day 14 for me & several of the families), all but one major hurdle are behind us-- going to court! I am scheduled for Dec. 23rd and I can't wait..

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

I said, I want to do it!



This is going to be a quick post-- we are off to dinner outside the hotel. Yes, we are getting out. We actually went to this restaurant a few days ago to celebrate the birthday of one of the parents-- it's called Johnnie Walker's and it has a Scottish/British menu, with a Kazakh twist.

Anyway, Noelle was showing her stubborn streak today-- she wanted the spoon to feed herself, then she just wanted the spoon to chew on it. She is really teething right now, hence her "fish face".. She also got mad at me when I wouldn't let her take my glasses and she threw the tiniest of hissy fits-- then started laughing when I started making fun of her.. She was in a good mood-- I think the afternoon visits are better for her than the morning visits.. Now, I just have to have some energy :)
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Monday, December 10, 2007

Baby's got a new pair of shoes!


Noelle was very intrigued by the look of her new shoes today (they are very cute, with pink flowers and butterflys), but she definitely did not like the feel of them! She would not stand in them, let alone take some steps. She was a bundle of energy today, and was actually walking (with assistance, of course) around the room all afternoon. She got a little cocky towards the end: she leaned back on my legs, then waved away my hands-- but it took her a second to realize that she hadn't really thought this plan out, 'cause now she wouldn't let me touch her but she really couldn't do it herself yet! Mom, look in the background of the photo-- that's her bottle of formula. I tried it for the first time today, and again, she was not impressed. We will keep working on it, though. My visits are now in the afternoon, from 4pm to 6pm, so the kids are getting tired by the time we are leaving-- Noelle took a little rest during our visit, but in the end there was too much going on for her to keep her head down for too long. I also took the opportunity today to show some pictures of my family and home to Noelle's caretakers-- they are all very nice and very interested in where she will spend the rest of her life. Our "conversations" are pretty funny-- each of us can usually muster one word in Russian, one word in English and there is a lot of pantomime to fill in the rest!
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Friday, December 7, 2007

Noelle has discovered my glasses




And she likes them! Maybe a little too much, cause like every other baby I have ever known, she tried to pry them apart. Up until know, I've been wearing my contacts (to avoid such an issue) but today I was running soooooo late, I did not have time to get them in. Another quiet day at Shapgat. Noelle was awake when I arrived, but not dressed or fed, so we had to hustle through all of that. We did some more official paperwork today, for the Ministry of Education and for court. I learned Noelle's birth mother's name, that Noelle was born here in Karaganda, and that she was officially registered with the baby house on December 7, 2006-- so almost exactly a year ago. For 6 months she was on a registry that would allow only Kazakh families to adopt her, but nobody every did. Lucky for both of us!
No post tomorrow-- we do not have internet access.. See you Monday!

More pictures!





Just a few more pictures to make you all smile.. On top, Noelle is playing with her favorite toy-- a package of tissues.. In the middle is a prime example of her funny smile (yes, she's laughing).. And lastly, a little bit of Long Island here in Kaz.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Brian


Happy Birthday, Uncle Brian from the messiest eater in all of Karaganda! Noelle says she can’t wait to meet you (And I wish that was cake all over both us instead of cold cereal!)


Today’s visit went by in a flash. Noelle went to have a blood test done early this morning, so when I went to get her, she was back in bed taking a nap. I let her sleep awhile, but the caregivers decided it was time to get up—so after a quick, messy breakfast we headed in, to hang with the other kids. Noelle was either still tired or not feeling great again today (neither am I—a cold has taken hold), so she was pretty sedate for the first hour or so. It wasn’t until just before I had to leave that she perked up, but we had fun while it lasted. She is a good crawler, so she doesn’t need to roll around much but we played a game where I rolled her over and over—and she loved it. She just about got me in trouble because she wanted to roll off the carpet, onto the (cold) tile floor—a huge “nyet-nyet” around here! She was laughing her head off.. She also got a little silly with some of the toys she was putting in her mouth—just holding them with her teeth and gums, then dropping it directly from her mouth (yeah, a little like a dog with a bone, but don’t tell her I said that!).. But then she would look at me for a response and you could tell she knew she was being silly :)

Things are quiet at the Dostar Alem hotel right now. The other group of parents are at the baby house now. Last night we bowled again, and took a “tour” of the snack bar we found—anything to keep us out of our rooms for a few more minutes!!
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Thursday, December 6, 2007

She's got the beat!

I think I mentioned earlier that the baby house is getting ready for the upcoming Independence Day holiday (12/16). When we arrived today, the younger children were rehearsing a dance they will perform as part of the festivities – they were totally adorable. And during our playtime, a group of caregivers came into the room to use the piano to practice a song they will be singing. All of the kids stopped to listen, but Noelle really seemed to love it. She was sitting in my lap, waving her legs, then I had her standing, dancing her around. When the music stopped and I sat her back down, she was kind of bopping up and down in my lap—she didn’t want the show to end!

I hate trying on clothes-- nothing fits me right!



All of the kids being adopted here have to undergo a certain kind of "torture" each day—when the new parents pull out the bags of clothes that they have bought, to see if any of it fits! Not always an easy process, you see, because first you have to peel off 2 or 3 layers of clothes, just to get them down to a manageable amount of clothing. Nobody dares strip them down to their diaper—you always leave at least one of the layers that the caregivers deemed necessary, just so you don’t get in trouble :) Noelle is usually pretty compliant in this exercise, but today she had enough! You see, Mommy, she said, if you make me put my arms into those sleeves, I cannot play with this toy and I definitely cannot put it in my mouth! Of course, it actually sounded something like a high-pitched “aaaaaaggh”, but, man, she was not pleased with me! But I finally got her into one of her new outfits, the little pink number (the yellow duds are courtesy of the baby house), but you can still see in the picture that she is not entirely overjoyed about it. This is one of her “travel outfits”-- in mid January, the kids will be brought from here in Karaganda to the capital of Almaty, to be picked up by their respective parents. To prepare for that trip, we all have to provide a little travel bag, complete with clothes, diapers, food, etc. for the trip.
Most of it I have, but I still need to get some shoes. Ever try to trace the foot of a squiggely 1 year old? It turned out as well as you would expect!
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Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Noelle and Hippo


Noelle is getting to know one of her new friends, “Hippo”—a gift from her Aunt Ann.. Hippo is the latest in a long line of “loveys” coveted by the kids in our family. Grace has Kitty, Tommy has Lion, and Ronan has Doggy (3 really, but you don’t what to know how he distinguishes between them!) And for Noelle to be interested in Hippo, it is significant. Usually her tastes run more towards the toys she can put in her mouth or towards the things she is not allowed to have—she loves paper of any kind and of course, the tags on her clothes or blanket.

Noelle is feeling better today.. When I went to her room, she was yelling her head off, but she quieted down as soon as I picked her up. We had some breakfast and then off to the playroom. She still has that awful cough that many of the kids have, but no trace of a fever and she was full of energy today. Every time I put her down to do her thing, she would head off to check out what was going on with the other kids in the room. And when there is a toy she wants, she is motivated. I will usually put the a few feet away, so that she has to crawl to it, or (as suggested by my IA doc) on a chair, so she has to pull herself up to get it. There is another little girl who is very interested in Noelle’s toys and funny enough, the mini-picture album I brought of my family. Noelle has yet to look at the photos, but the other little girl has sought out the book 2 days in a row and just flips through it again and again. The two hours go very quickly, particularly when we have any “official business” to conduct. Yesterday, we had to leave the baby house early to go see a public notary and sign powers of attorney and other papers for the adoption. 18 more days before court! In theory—I don’t want to jinx it!

After the baby house, I ventured out to the mall again—there really is little else to do here other than shop. Actually, I take that back—there probably is, but we just can’t read any of the signs on the buildings to tell what they are!
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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!



It's snowing today! And the hotel just started to put up Christmas decorations-- this is the big tree in the lobby. The majority of the Kaz population is Muslim, but there must be a fairly large population of Christians here in Karaganda-- there is a Roman Catholic church under construction down the street. It is good to get a little taste of Christmas-- I was starting to feel like I had missed it.. Now I just need some Christmas music-- better yet, some Christmas cookies!
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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Crowd control, Kaz style

There are so many parents at the baby house this week (more arrived today!), they have cut our visits to just one 2-hour visit a day. The caregivers are also busy getting ready for an upcoming national holiday and the bottom line is—we’re kind of in the way! They are all very nice about it and are patient, but they need the time and space to get ready.

Noelle is still not feeling well, even thought she got a chance to model one of her new outfits. She has a bad cough and you can tell that her energy is completely zapped. I thought she may have had a fever today, but the doctors tell me no, her temperature was normal. Just in case, they gave her some Tylenol and an extra bottle to keep her hydrated. Halfway through our visit, she fell asleep on my shoulder—I guess nobody told her how little time we had! She woke just in time to catch me putting her into her crib, and she started to cry when she realized that I was leaving her there. It was the first time I had heard her cry, so it was a bittersweet moment

So what’s a girl to do when she had all this time on her hands? Shop, of course! You can see Noelle has some of her new clothes and she just loves them (she told me so, I swear!) Today, I ventured out again to the outdoor market to try my luck. The outdoor market is a funny place. It is like a flea market, I guess, but the stalls are all actually cargo containers. They open the door to the container and all of the merchandise is hanging inside. Much of the merchandise is new, but there are also “stores” selling used items and in some cases, just plain junk. And I now know that if you are intent on putting so many layers of clothes on your child (as they commonly do here), it is next to impossible to get them to match. Everything has a pattern, very little is just a solid color. And everytime I think I have figured out the sizes, boom! There is another sizing system to contend with. If you are very lucky, they tags have a weight chart on them. Some have the age range like 9 months, 12 months, etc. There is another system that runs in the double digits—Noelle is approximately a size 80 in those clothes. Some clothes are sized just 1, 2, 3, etc. 12 months equals a size 3. And lastly there is a system that combines 2 numbers that I think are the age and the size—so Noelle is a 1-80 in those. It’s just enough trouble to take all the fun out of my shopping spree!
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Stol-ka stoy it?

How much is it?: That was the question of the day today. Three other families and I hit the mall today to do a little shopping. Ostensibly, we were shopping for the kids and we did do a lot of that, but we did pop into a shop or two to check out the jewelry and fur coats on display. Animal rights activists would be appalled-- most of the women here wear fur coats. And we are not just talking about a little fur trim here or there—they have beautiful full length fur coats, and I am more than a little jealous. We don’t get to visit the kids today, but they were front and center in our minds. The babies are usually dressed when we arrive at the baby house, and when I say dressed, I mean dressed. There is not an inch of skin showing other than their heads and their hands. The other morning, Noelle had on stockings, a one piece coverall, 2 shirts, a sweater and a pair of pants that like overalls—all at the same time!. By the way, you will see these clothes in the pictures—and as they never match, please know that then outfits are not officially sanctioned by me in any way, shape, or form. So today, I bought her two cute little outfits (though the caregivers probably won’t approve—not enough layers!) Both have corduroy pants, one pair blue, the other pink. The pink pants have a white and pink sweater to go with it; the blue pants have a white shirt with a little blue flower and a blue corduroy poncho/cape to go with it. I don’t expect I will ever get Noelle to wear the cape, but the entire ensemble is so cute! Maybe if she likes her new clothes well enough she will stay still long enough for me to get more pictures of her!!
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Monday, December 3, 2007

A technical note!

I know it seems like I am behind on my days & posts, but our access to the internet is limited to twice a day (noon & 6pm here, 1am and 7am in NY) and we did not have any access yesterday at all. So I promise I will catch up!

She is ready for her close-up, Mr. DeMille!

Saturday was a busy day at the babyhouse. When we arrived, I gave Noelle a her breakfast—a yummy (not) combination of some kind of rice cereal, chopped up boiled egg and pieces of soggy bread all mixed together in a bowl. The bowl is huge, by the way—you would never believe that the little bitty thing in front of you could eat it all, but Noelle just wolfs it down, and woe to the mommy who is a little too slow with the spoon. They are also given a coffee mug to drink from, and at breakfast there is Chai tea in that cup. Once we got back to the playroom, it was announced that all of the kids would have their photos taken for their passports. They also took a “new family” shot, that I believe becomes part of our file for court. After that, it was just more play, play, play. Noelle is one of the more mobile kids in the room, so we often end up visiting other families’ play areas—usually because Noelle has spotted something that she wants to play with. Often it is a toy, but she is just as content (maybe more) with the things that she’s not supposed to play with like paper from my notebook or markers or the tag on the blanket we play on. At least Noelle is all smiles even when she is being told “nyet” (for now!)

Saturday afternoon was a lot more sedate. Noelle is a little sick, I think with something like bronchitis, and all she wanted to do was cuddle. That was fine with me ‘cause I was dragging by that point! The adoptive parents also get to feed the kids a snack in the afternoon—this consists of a coffee mug with orange juice and a second mug with some kind of broth or hot milk with crackers or bread broken up into it. Most of the kids are winding down by this point in the day, and the room is like a sauna, so there is a lot of just rocking or walking around the room with the kids. Every time I put Noelle down on the floor to play and gave her a toy, she would drop it to her right side and crawl right back into my lap. I could get used to this.
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Sunday, December 2, 2007

A Baby By Any Other Name...

I think it's time to change the name of my blog, because I am not bringing home a Niamh or a Daniel. Yesterday I had to give the coordinator Natalya's new name. After 8 months of thinking I had names chosen, I was put on the spot! Though from here on out she will be leagally known as Natalya Noelle Mullan, and I will be calling her Noelle.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

More pictures!











I am way tired to write a full post at the moment, but I figure I can hold you all off for a while if I post some more pictures! More details later today.










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Friday, November 30, 2007

Natalya


This is her! Natalya was given the thumbs up this morning by my international adoption doctor, and by this time next month she will be my daughter. Born on October 18, 2006, she is 17 pounds and is ? (I forget) inches long. Natalya was a good weight when born, but now she is a little skinny. The caregivers say she is so long that she is destined to be a model J More importantly, she is an inquisitive and happy little girl. When I arrived at the babyhouse this morning, all of the kids in her room were still in their cribs, but she was the only one standing and she let out a laugh when the caretaker and I walked in. Actually, I think she fancies herself a little bit of a clown—she likes to act silly and crack herself up. She has a funny, almost-toothless smile (I keep thinking she looks like my grandmother without her dentures!), wispy blondish brown hair and big brown eyes. And she is always checking out what is going on with the other kids, what they are doing or what toy they are playing with. Even when I was feeding her lunch, she still wanted to know what was going on with the others. By the way, I haven’t settled the issue of her name yet. Natalya is a name I like and had briefly considered months ago, so I may keep it or incorporate it into her full name, but that’s going to have to wait for now-- only one major decision per day!

All of the families are now in one large room for visitation. We head to the babyhouse twice a day, from 10am to 12pm and from 4pm to 6pm. Everyone spreads out a blanket to establish “their” play area, but by the end it is a little bit of a shambles as everyone moves around. There are 7 babies 14 months and younger, 3 two year olds and a 5 year old boy, plus 4 other children who traveled to Kaz with their parents to meet their new sister/brother, so it can get pretty hectic. In between sessions at the babyhouse, we usually hit the nearby shops for baby gear or to get groceries. (We just came back from a store actually that is like a Best Buy, but bigger and with triple the selection, and when you buy something they actually test it for you in the store before you leave to make sure it is in working order). The downtime is also computer time and if you are very lucky, nap time. Sleep is the thing I miss most about home!! I am sleeping about 4 ½ hours per night so far. I am so exhausted you would like a full night’s sleep wouldn’t be a problem but by 3:30am or 4am, I am wide awake. I am told that it takes about a week to settle in, so I am looking forward to that day. The hotel is comfortable; my room is pretty big and overlooks a pretty park. There is a bowling alley, so another couple and I took advantage of that last night—it was the perfect way to shake off a pretty stressful day. Sunday all of the families are going to the circus, which should be fun.

More tomorrow!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

First trip to the baby house

It's done! The first day at the baby house has come and gone and I met a number of beautiful children. There were two 4 year old boys, who I was not approved to adopt (and who are older than I was looking for).. I also met two 2 year old little girls, one of whom is being adopted by the couple I traveled to Kaz with. Then there were the babies.. I met three infant girls, two who were 8 months of age and one who is 13 months. Let me tell you-- this is hard! I am visiting with 2 of those girls-- an 8 month old named Medina and the 13 month old, named Natalya. There was some pressure to make a quick decision, but those of you who know me know that is not physically possible for me. I am the girl who visited Home Depot for months before deciding on bathroom fixtures-- this is a little more important that a pretty sink :) Anyway, this afternoon the pressure eased off, but I will have to give answer soon. I am just waiting for the adoption specialist I am consulting with to look at the info and photos I sent her. Until I have made a choice, I am going to hold off on posting a picture of either girls..

It's dinner time now.. I've avoided the horsemeat until now-- even though they might have tried to slip some into a breakfast pastry I had today :)

Sonya & Brent-- I found Nicholas today.. Medina is in his room.. He looked great, very active and smiley. Natalya said you had spoiled him though-- and now it was the "poor nurses" who had to handle him.. By the looks of it, it isn't that tough a job at all. I'll get you pictures when I can..

Later..

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

It is the craziest thing-- I'm in Kazakhstan!

Sorry it took so long to post-- this is the first time I have gotten anywhere I could use my computer.

I have finally arrived in Karaganda!! It is Wednesday night here as I write this (probably won’t post until tomorrow though), and we have just come from the airport, with a quick stop off at the grocery store. There is a couple from Albany who I traveled with from JFK, and today in Almaty, we met up with another family from Chicago. Tomorrow morning I will go to the babyhouse for the first time and hope to have details about the baby for all of you in a day or two. I know that’s all you are interested in at this point, but for the heck of it, I’ll tell you a few of the highlights of my trip.

The flights were not too bad. I got about 4 hours combined each “night” on the planes. The leg between JFK and Amsterdam was very crowded and I was pretty well squished into my seat with my big puffy jacket and all my junk. I had taken soooo much in my carryon and purse and pockets, that I was literally weighed down, and keeping it all in check was a losing battle. Luckily, once I got to Amsterdam, I was able to stow it all in a locker while I took a canal tour of the city. Amsterdam was pretty cool—the architecture is beautiful and all of the buildings have these big windows that allow you to look right in. The homes looked like museums or art galleries! And seeing it all by boat allowed me to see a lot I wouldn’t have by simply walking up the street, so I was glad I decided to do it. Speaking of which, does everyone but me know that Amsterdam is surrounded by canals, like Venice? There are traffic signs and everything on the canal walls. And houseboats! Lined up and down the canals are approximately 2500 houseboats-- some ramshackle, some with all of the grandeur of the QE2. Many of the houseboats were also covered in plants and flowers—I have no doubt in the spring/summer, they are gorgeous. Oh,yeah—and when I got to the train station, it was as if I had been dropped into an episode of the Amazing Race. There was an episode a couple of weeks ago where the teams had to find 2 matching bikes in a sea of bicycles. Let me tell you, that episode did not do justice to exactly how many bikes there are in Amsterdam, particularly around the train station. It was staggering—and a little dangerous if you forgot to watch out for bike traffic J

The trip from Amsterdam was uneventful. I had more room, but ended up getting less sleep than the night before. We hit Almaty about 7am this morning and went straight to the hotel and I crashed. I can’t tell you too much about the city— I only saw what was between the airport and the hotel, and it was dark and foggy when we arrived. What is amazing about Almaty is the mountain range that overlooks the city. It was so hazy that the mountains did not look real—they looked like they were a painted backdrop.

I only have a couple of pictures so far—nothing worth posting. They don’t allow pictures to be taken at the airport, where we were looking at the mountains from. And in Amsterdam, I left the camera in the locker by accident, so none from there either. Ha! So far, there’s no real proof that I am here, is there? J Better get those pics of a the baby soon!
I’ll post again as soon as I can

Saturday, November 24, 2007

My mother and sister are trying to re-name the baby!

By the way, as this trip becomes imminent, there is a movement afoot to change my names! Really just the girl's name.. My mother is obsessed with the name Maura-- she will be happy if anyone we know names a baby Maura.. Personally, I like the name Maura, but I knew a Maura years ago and the name is now ruined for me for all time. My sister came up with a nice idea: since the baby will be a Christmas baby in a way (I go to court Dec. 23rd), so she suggested the name Noelle, which I think is very pretty. After 9 months of calling the baby Niamh or Daniel, will the baby really be named one of those names? Noelle would make the issue of spelling a whole lot easier..

50 hours and counting!!


This is my visa, the little slip of paper that's going to get me into Kaz.. I don't know why the photo is coming out so blurry-- I just hope it's not a bad omen! Or just a sign that I completely deficient when it comes to anything technological. I'm spending the evening setting up my (Debbie's :)) computer, and practicing loading photos.. 'Cause one week from now, that's all anyone is going to want to see :)
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Monday, November 19, 2007

Numbers! We have numbers!!

I'm going, I'm going!! The numbers came in today, and on Monday, November 26th, I'm leaving on a jet plane!!! I'm taking a KLM flight, departing JFK at just after 10pm on Monday and arriving in Almaty on Wednesday morning, just before 6am.. Shoot, now I have to figure out what I still have left to do!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Possible delay!

Bad news today: the numbers issued to traveling families needed to get my visa were not received by the Kazakhstan consulate in New York this week. During the course of the week, it was decided that my group was leaving on Monday, Nov. 26th (instead of arriving then), but now that date could be up in the air too :( because no number, no visa-- no visa, no travel. The only good news: my agency has gone into high gear trying to get the numbers issued, and hopefully this will all be resolved on Monday.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Some things you just don't send out to the cleaners!


The things we do for love..




If anyone has been watching me for the past week or so, they would think I am a little bit off my rocker :) One night last week, I wandered around the apartment taking pictures of myself with a little hippo my sister gave me for the baby. It was all very "America's Next Top Model"-- without Tyra deciding my fate.. A tip for those "models" who are still working on some of your photos--shoot from above, chin down (to eliminate some of those extra chins!) Tonight, it just gets a little funnier: I am ironing my money! And for some reason, the money is curling instead of getting flatter. I would say maybe the iron is too hot, but there just isn't a setting on the dial for "Silk, Rayon, Ben Franklins".

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Ready, set-- wait some more (and Christmas shop :))

Okay, you would think that since I got the news last week that I finally was going to Kaz I would have been running around doing all sorts of tasks vital to my departure. The irony is, I haven't been able to do most the preparations that I have left! No LOI yet, so no specific dates yet-- so I can't make my plane reservations yet. I tried alerting my credit card co. that I would be traveling, but their approval for international charges is only good for 30 days, so I have to do that again right before I leave. I can't even put a hold on my mail yet, because to do it online you have to do it within 14 days of your requested hold date.

My 2 accomplishments over the last several days? I did a lot(!) of my Christmas shopping, and I had my phone consult with Dr. Gail Farber of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. For anyone who is reading who is not going through the adoption process, Dr. Farber is a pediatrician that specializes in treating adopted children. During the first couple of days after I meet my baby, I will send Dr. Farber photos and as much information as I have on the baby's medical history and she will be advise me on the baby's general health, development and any potential problems she foresees. In addition, she will advise me on more practical matters, like feeding and techniques for promoting attachment. The discussion talk was very informative, and now I have at least one major thing accomplished. By the way, Dr. Farber was very clear in her explanations and very patient with my questions, so anyone who is still trying to decide on an adoption specialist definitely check out the CHOP program. Here is the link: http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/service.jsp?id=73553

So that's as far as I've gotten. My "travel meeting" is scheduled for tomorrow, so I hope to have more information after that.

And one of these days, I really should open up one of the books in my now vast "Learn to Speak Russian" collection.. That I could start right now, but I am avoiding!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Drumroll, please...

I got my dates!!! I am expected in Kaz on November 25th (maybe the 24th-- the agency hasn't seen the LOI yet).. So on Thanksgiving or the day after, I am getting on a plane! Which plane, I don't know yet-- still have to work out all the details.. But now it's time to get working on the rest of my "getting ready" list..

Thanks to everyone who is leaving advice and good wishes in the comments-- it is great checking in and finding everyone's messages!!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Next Stop: LOI

Great news today from my agency-- my file has been released and they are waiting for my LOI. My travel meeting will be sometime next week, then watch out Kaz-- here I come!!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Doin' the "it's happening" dance!

Yay-- I got some news! It's still a little vague, and I'm not allowed to construe any of it as a guarantee, but... The remainder of my agency's files are supposed to be released by the MOE next week, then its just a matter of time before the LOI's and numbers are issued. Travel is anticipated by mid-November, home by Christmas.. Everyone cross your fingers!

Monday, October 22, 2007

My email is messing with me!

So, I now check my email so often during the day that my email account has decided to have a little fun with me-- by telling me I have new emails when I really don't! Today it was particularly devious because I had emailed my agency for an update, so every time I saw there was a new email, I thought "Here it is-- the news I've been waiting for!" But when I sign it, all that's there are the same old messages that were there 2 minutes ago.. 5 minutes ago.. 10 minutes ago.. You get the picture..

Monday, October 15, 2007

20 pounds overweight-- the story of my life!

So, I'm packed. Really. Okay, my carryon bag is not 100% packed.. But the bulk of my stuff is packed.. So I take out my handy-dandy luggage scale from Target-- and the first (big) suitcase is 44 lbs. Not good, 'cause the limit is 50 lbs give or take a few, depending on your airline.. It's probably even less in Kaz. So, I only have 6 pounds to work with for the 2nd suitcase.. I know its more than 6 pounds, but "how heavy could it be?" I thought.. Well, the answer is approximately 28 pounds.. Back to the drawing board!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Images of Kazakhstan

I found a site that has some cool pics of Kaz landscape, architecture and people:

http://www.travel-images.com/kazakhstan.html

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

I can find significance in anything!

Okay, so yesterday, I bought a trashy magazine (like I always do-- what am I going to do in Kaz for a month without them??) and it had a horoscope page.. This is what it said for next week (10/15-10/21) for Cancer:
"... An opportunity to travel somewhere special arrives unexpectedly. Let go of any reservations and pack your bags. You... are in for a wild ride-- Hold on!"
I hope the people at Life & Style magazine told the powers that be in Kaz!

Monday, October 8, 2007

Start the countdown!

We are talking weeks here, not days, but the news is good.. My agency has 3 families leaving for Kaz next week.. After that, there are 5 families that will probably travel before me and if things go the way they say, I should get my LOI late this month or early next.. Now (of course!) there are always variables that could change that, but woooo hoooo! Things are starting to come together.. Now, seriously-- I have to learn some Russian!

Friday, October 5, 2007

While we were waiting...



My friends, Debbie & Chris, came to visit me last weekend! Here is my photographic proof that I have been doing something other than waiting by my email for an update.. We went out east to go apple and/or pumpkin picking, then to a winery.. It was a good plan.. So good, in fact, that EVERYONE else on Long Island had the same plan.. And I think we were all even going to the same farm.. Tons of traffic hampered some of our plans, but even still we had a fun day (I swear we did-- Deb, why aren't you smiling??)

Thursday, October 4, 2007

17

That's how many times a grown woman (me :)) with a full time job can check her email during the course of a business day.. Yahoo, Opt Online, Gmail.. Yahoo, Opt Online, Gmail.. Yahoo, Opt Online, Gmail.. One of these days there is going to more than emails from Classmates.com and John McCain (he REALLY wants my vote)..

Monday, October 1, 2007

Families are starting to travel!

Families headed to Karaganda have started to get their invitations (congrats, Amber & Jason!) and will be traveling in less than 2 weeks.. More will go by the end of the month (yay, Sonya & Brent!).. Warning to family & friends: this doesn't mean anything for me (but we can always hope :))

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Silence is Deafening

No word yet.. And that seems to be the same story for a number of other people, if their blogs are any indication.. After a flurry of excitement four weeks ago-- Karaganda is open! Summer vacations are over! Files are being processed again! Families will travel soon!-- there is a lull once again.. One family has made it to the MOE, another family was assigned to a region, but that's all I've heard.. Anyone out there have any news?

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Waiving the white flag in the packing war



This is what my guest room (now nursery) looked like before I tried to start packing...

And this is what it looks like now!


Clearly, it is a good thing that I am not getting my LOI anytime soon-- just look at this place!! And I am getting less organized instead of more.. I have 5 suitcases of varying sizes going right now-- 3 that could be checked baggage and 2 that could be carryons.. More actually, if you include the computer bag that was part of my original carry-on plan and the diaper bag I will bring on the 2nd trip.. So, every few days, I try to fit all of my stuff into these bags, I measure them, I try to lift them, I check off things on my packing list.. And every few days, I am sent to the depths of despair by the realization that the solution that I was convinced was going to be perfect(!) has somehow been twarted by the regulations of an airline or by the suitcase itself.. Anyway, when I walked into the room last night I saw this mess, I just had to laugh-- and I thought some of you might too..

Monday, September 17, 2007

And then there were trucks..


Or what do you think about this one? Helicopters, planes and firetrucks-- and stars, for some reason..

Here is one of my other choices..


This is one of the other bedding options I am contemplating-- sailboats. It's a nice pattern, with good colors but what if he gets seasick?! Or just sick of the sea? Not every little boy is a sailor at heart..

Friday, September 14, 2007

On to more important topics..







I now have 4, count 'em 4, designs of bedding in the baby's room.. One is the sweet pink, white & yellow set I bought months and months ago for a little girl.. But the boy's bedding is giving me some trouble.. I already registered for one set of boyish bedding-- jungle themed-- but recently, my eyes have strayed and I am up to my ears in bumpers!! I think this one is my favorite-- it doesn't go as well with the existing paint as some of the others, but I think the world-travel theme is pretty cool for a little boy who is going to travel from Kaz to West Babylon.. The other two choices are variations on the transportation theme-- one is sailboats, and the other is general transportation, with trucks, plains, boats, etc. I'll try to get pics up of the other choices, and let me know what you think..