Is it Niamh or is it Daniel?

Good luck Matt & Suzanne!

2008-03-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Matt & Suzanne Ruley are en route to Ust, Kazakhstan! The Ruleys have been longtime supporters of Noelle and I, and we wish them the very best luck in their journey to find the little boy or girl they've dubbed "Eyeball"! (Hopefully they'll change their mind about that one :))

Noelle's 1st Easter

2008-03-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, everyone.

Noelle enjoyed her first Easter immensely. As you can see, fashion played a big role in the day's activities, but don't be fooled by the pictures-- she didn't just wear two outfits today, she wore three! :) The weather was a little chilly when the day started, so I was starting to look for alternatives to Noelle's cute little Easter dress, so we tried on an outfit my aunt had given her-- only to discover she couldn't crawl in it! So, since you can't keep this little girl down for long, she first made it into a cute outfit we brought back from Kaz and when the sun finally did its job-- into the Easter dress. Noelle, my nephew, my sister and I all went to a friend's neighborhood for a multi-family Easter egg hunt. Noelle didn't have any idea what was going on, but she was plenty amused by all the big kids running around like lunatics. Next year, she's going to be one of them!

First steps, first words (maybe) and everyday pleasures

2008-03-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. I know it has been a while since I have posted an update on Noelle-- but there is just so much to do now, and so little time! :) Noelle is doing very well, and settling into her role as an little Long Island girl quite nicely-- whatever did she do before she had a remote and a phone to play with??! And you can see from the pictures above that she is a good eater-- who knew egg noodles were so much fun!! Despite all of the food she eats, Noelle has only gained a pound and one inch since she's been home (not a good return on my grocery investment, if you ask me), but the IA doc says she is healthy. She is a little delayed in speech and gross motor skills, but I am not worried-- everyday she picks up something new!

Which brings me to the real news: Noelle has started to walk and, according to some sources, she has said her first words! The walking thing is for real, as I have seen it with my own eyes. She is still using her knees as her primary method of travel (it's faster :)), but she can takes steps on her own and we practice every day. As for her first word(s), the jury is still out on that one. A couple of weeks ago, Noelle was spending time at my sister's house, and Noelle was babbling as usual when she allegedly said "dog". Now, my sister's dog, Beans, has been known to inspire some words, but usually they are curses! But not only did my sister hear it, my nephew did too-- he was playing nearby (probably keeping Noelle away from his toys), and he whipped around and exclaimed "did she just say dog?" So the consensus is that dog was her first word. Unless you talk to her babysitter, that is. When I told Jane the "dog" story, she said she could swear that Noelle had said the word "duck" the day before. There is a lake outside my apartment, with a ton of geese and ducks, and Noelle loves to check them out-- and apparently talk about them. So there it is-- Noelle's first word was dog.. Or duck.. Or something that starts with a "d"..

Good luck Karen & Bob!!

2008-02-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow Karen & Bob depart for Uralsk, Kazakhstan, to find their heart's desire. Noelle and I will be thinking of you!

Noelle is a big reader!

2008-02-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Or a big mess maker, depending on how you look at it!! She is getting more precious day by day.

Finally-- some bath time fun!!

2008-02-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. It took a couple of tries, but Noelle not only doesn't scream when bathed-- she actually likes it. And she is getting darn good at the splashing-- I never stay dry during a good bath!

"The stickers only stick if you let them"

2008-02-11T18:19:00.001-08:00

Have you guys heard of the book "You Are Special"? It is by a man named Max Lucado, and literally it makes me cry every time I read it to Noelle. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Actually I might even cry right now just talking about it. It is a touching story about having faith in one's self, and finding self worth through the love of a "creator." The story goes that the creator is a woodcarver named Eli-- but when I read it, I am the creator and it is Noelle who will find herself in my love. Add it to your library-- you'll cry too.

Noelle and her gang!

2008-02-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Remember my meeting with Noelle's friends from Spain? Olga, the woman I told you about, sent me these great pictures of what Noelle was up to while I was back here in the states waiting for the waiting period to be over. It is heart-warming to see her so happy... Wait a minute, why was she so happy if I wasn't there?!?! Doctors and other parents tell you that the attention alone from a caring person can make the world of difference in these kids-- Noelle and I were very lucky that she found 4 (Olga, her husband, her daughter and her sister) of those caring people to keep her company until I could make it back to Kazakhstan. Thank you Olga!

Look, ma-- no hands!

2008-02-01T18:28:00.001-08:00

Okay, she is getting some assistance, but Noelle is "thisclose" to walking by herself. I actually think she could do it if she tried, but so far she insists on holding onto someone or something to cruise around the apartment. Noelle is doing great these days. She spent the week getting comfortable with her new babysitter-- I go back to work on Monday-- and they hit it off very well. Noelle has also joined a baby gym, and she has a blast crawling up and down the mats. She is also very intrigued by the floor to ceiling mirrors-- she spends a part of every session just checking herself out!

Noelle also got a "thumbs up" this week from the pediatrician. She is still on the small side-- 25th percentile for height, but only 5th percentile for weight (19 pounds!)-- but otherwise, she seems to be doing well. Bathtime is going better, too! Today was her first bath without me in there with her (quick-- think of something else, you don't want the mental image of me in my bathing suit!), and she was hesitant at first but by the end, she had learned of the joy of splashing mommy! What else? There are dozens of things that happen everyday, I should be doing a better job of chronicling them. Mostly, she is a happy little girl. My nephew picked out a "Snow White" doll for Noelle at the Disney store the other day, and she loves it! She hugs it and squeals. Otherwise, her favorites are the toys that make noise-- she has a Fisher Price Learning Puppy (I think that's the name) and she revels in making it sing or talk to her. And even though none of the Mickey ears have her name on them, she is putting the "Daniel" ears to good use!

Noelle finally starts to earn her keep!

2008-02-01T18:26:00.003-08:00

Okay, okay-- I didn't really make her do the laundry or mop! I'm just glad she offered..

The heart-stopping thing that happened on our way home from Almaty

2008-01-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

I was so happy about getting home and getting Noelle settled in, that I forgot to tell you about the craziest thing that happened at the Almaty airport. Our whole group was in line waiting to check in at the Lufthansa desk, and Noelle decided she needed to stretch her legs, so we started to walk up the line. Suddenly, a woman with blond hair and an accent yells "Natashka" (Noelle's nickname in the babyhouse) and comes running over to hug Noelle! Of course the first thing that went through my head was that this was someone from Noelle's birth family-- my second thought was "You can't have her!!". Thankfully, it turns out the explanation was much less threatening. The woman, her husband and sister, all from Spain, were just returning home after their first trip to Karaganda, and they are adopting a little boy from Noelle's room. They spent a lot of time in the children's room itself (unlike us-- we spent most of our time in a separate playroom), and they had gotten to know all the kids. She even has pictures from when I was back in the US that she is going to email! We spoke for a few moments then went our separate ways. Later she came up to me and asked if she had scared me, and I had to tell her yes! But it was sweet to know that someone was watching out for Noelle while I was gone-- and she may have picked up a little Spanish along the way..

Know how to make a little Kaz girl cry? Give her a bath!

2008-01-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Well, the honeymoon is over. There are no pictures to mark the occasion-- just the reverberating cries of a little girl who is just a little bit mad at her mother tonight. And crying may not be the most accurate term to describe Noelle's reaction to her first real bath. Wailing might fit. Keening would work too. I knew going in it was going to be an event-- every blog has a story about that first bath, and how the kids hate them in the beginning. And I tried to be practical about it: I have been sticking to a sponge bath method to get her clean over the past week until she was more comfortable with me and her surroundings. I kept the water level low and skipped the bubbles. I held her close to talked to her as I undressed her, kept her warm and explained what was going on. I provided a distraction, in the form of a toy and her cousin who talked to her from the sidelines. But man, was it sad! She was shaking, and she cried more than I have ever heard, all times combined. The bath only lasted about two minutes, but Noelle is holding a little bit of a grudge. Dinner followed shortly thereafter and any time I said her name, she would turn her head away from me! At one point I thought she was warming up to me again-- she grabbed my hands and started walking toward me, but it turned out she was just trying to get the taco I was eating. (The girl never stops eating, did I mention that today?!) I hope she has forgiven me by tomorrow!

Sleep, Must have sleep.

2008-01-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

It is 9:40pm on Sunday night, and Noelle and I are home! I mention the time because, by my count, 56 hours have passed since we received our wake up call Friday night to head to the airport. And out of the those 56 hours, I have slept 7 (maybe 8) hours. Our travel was long but relatively painless. We were traveling with several other families as far as Frankfurt, so the kids kept us occupied as we whittled away the hours. And man, were there hours to whittle! The flight from Almaty to Frankfurt (7 hours, I think) did not have any kind of movie or other entertainment-- so it was totally boring for the adults. Noelle was a trooper, however-- catching some zzz's here and there as you can see from the photos. (I finally slept a couple of hours on the Frankfurt to NY leg) And there was plenty of excitement to be had when we arrived at JFK. Immigration was a breeze, and we got through so quickly that part of our welcoming party got there after we did! My sister Ann and her husband and son, my brother Brian and my brother Terry and his son threw Noelle a little welcome home bash-- and somehow, we all found a way to stay awake through it. Noelle lost the battle around 7pm on Saturday, and I thought I was home free (silly, huh?!) I was just getting into bed at 11pm when she started to cry-- and that was the end of the sleep discussion until 2am. THEN I thought I was home free (I never learn) and finally fell asleep-- until 5am when Noelle was up again. This scene repeated itself several times throughout the day-- each time, with me thinking she is finally getting onto her schedule. Now she is down again-- I guess I will have to wait and see what tonight brings.

Noelle has settled very well into our home. She "walks" and crawls from room to room, and has been pretty pleased with the toys she has found. She absolutely loves her exer-saucer! So many people were concerned with the exersaucer once they found out how old she is-- thought she is too old for it-- but for now, it is doing the trick! She thinks it is hysterical to rock it back and forth, and she loves all the little things around her. She had fun meeting her cousins and playing with one of them again today. She met her first dog today, my sister's Australian Shepherd, Beans. Noelle was visibly nervous, but she didn't cry (that was reserved, strangely for her intense fear of a big teddy bear and Humpty Dumpty doll that belong to my nephew) She is eating everything in sight-- and is always trying to get to what is on my plate, a habit she picked up in Almaty. Probably because she was hungry-- the baby food they told us to pack for her definitely did not do the trick. On the menu tonight: spaghetti and chicken parm. I might need to get a second job if this keeps up!

Last post (ever!) from Kazakhstan

2008-01-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

It is Embassy day! In just an hour or so, Noelle and I will head over to the U.S. Embassy with the rest of the families, to process the paperwork for Noelle's visa and her application to become a U.S. citizen. She will not actually become a citizen until we touch down in New York-- the immigration officials there will finalize everything.. But by the time she hits the Southern State Parkway, she will be an American (keeping her Kaz citizenship too, until she is 18).. Next step: paying taxes and voting!

This will be our last post from Almaty-- we fly out tomorrow morning at 4am, and (barring any delays) will be home at approximately 1pm EST. We cannot wait to get Noelle home!!

Breakfast time in Almaty

2008-01-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday in Almaty-- just 2 more days to go! Mom and I are having a ball with Noelle. Things we learned yesterday: Noelle likes Irish music (The Saw Doctors, in particular) and she likes to dance. She was boogying all around the room! And she likes spaghetti and meatballs (or maybe its just that she wants everything that I'm eating).. We went to a little coffee shop for dinner last night, and Noelle was taking the pasta right off my plate-- then she dug into my cake. She doesn't know it yet, but she shouldn't be messing with my cake (and it was black forest-- my favorite).. This morning, we're going to head out to the National Museum-- anything to get out of the hotel room. Oh yeah, and my mom wants to start to pack!

We got her!!

2008-01-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

What a crazy 24 hours this has been! The kids were supposed to arrive at 9am on Tuesday, but we got a call just about 8am that the train had been delayed (actually they said canceled first, and my heart about dropped) five hours and now they weren't expected until 1pm. Mom and I decided to nap a little and read, while many of the others went out shopping. Good thing we stayed in the hotel-- the kids actually arrived at 11am, and several of the parents weren't even there to greet them :( We all hung out in the lobby until every baby had a mommy or daddy with them, then split up for some quiet time. The kids all seemed a little stunned at the commotion, and they didn't seem to quite know who we were. Mom, Noelle and I went up to the room and played for a while-- you can see from the first picture that she was all smiles. Then she completely conked out, sleeping for 3 hours. Some more play later in the day, and dinner in the bar with some friends and we were ready for bed again! Noelle slept like a rock, from about 7:30pm to 7:45am-- too bad Mom and I did not sleep as well. This morning, after breakfast, we went to the SOS International Medical clinic. The exam they gave Noelle was brief, but they said all looked good. They took some blood, and those test results will be back tomorrow.. The most interesting thing about the clinic is that we met other families adopting that are not in our group-- one family had actually adopted their daughter from Kyrgystan (I know that's not the right spelling!) but since there is no US consulate there, they had to come to Almaty for processing. After the clinic we came back the hotel and after a little play, Noelle was ready for a nap-- I just hope these good sleep patterns hold when we get home! You will see in the last picture above that Noelle is pretty intrigued by her new manner of dress-- in the hotel room, I took off her heavy tights and just had her pants on-- and she was soooo cute pulling up the legs of her pants to check out her naked little legs! I can guarantee that she never hung out with bare legs in the baby house, so she was completely intrigued. Very funny. And the last two photos are friends of ours-- Holly and her son Foxx and Eileen and her daughter Mariah. It is so great that we are all back here together-- tonight, Holly has proposed a "bath party" to see the kids through their first real bath. We will see what happens!

We're in Almaty-- and we are tired!

2008-01-14T03:58:00.000-08:00

Hello, all.. We made it. We arrived just about 2am last night after a long (long!) series of flights.. On the last flight we hit some significant turbulence so by the time we got to Almaty we were ready to be off the plane.
No kids yet, but that is okay since we are still getting our bearings (Mom slept about 4 hours this afternoon). The kids arrive tomorrow at 9am, and we were just joking that this should be our big night, the last night of freedom-- but nobody can muster any energy to do anything about it! Just about all of the families have arrived-- the last 2 couples arrive some time tonight.
That's it for now-- new pics of Noelle tomorrow (yay!)

Flying the friendly skies again!

2008-01-11T13:35:00.001-08:00

Can I say that if I'm flying Lufthansa? (I've probably infringed on some kind of copyright or trademark from whatever airline coined that phrase!) Anyway, my mom and I are off to Kazakhstan tomorrow (Saturday) evening!! We will fly through Germany, and will arrive in the wee hours of Monday morning. I am getting more excited the closer we get to leaving, and even the fact that I am not packed cannot bring me down. Ironic, huh--considering I was packed for the first trip in October? We have a short layover in Frankfurt, no time for sightseeing this time around. But that's okay-- Noelle already has her first gift from Germany, via Clearwater, FL. One of the beautiful gifts she received at the baby shower was a Hummel figurine from a family friend, Kay--Noelle is starting her collection early. I have found a place of honor for it in her room-- far above her grabby little hands! Now I just have to find a place for the picture my niece Grace drew for us for the shower-- she is a great little artist and I was so happy she could be there.. Thanks, Grace!

Talk to you from Almaty!

The reviews are in-- my shower was fantastic!

2008-01-07T10:16:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, my sister Ann (that's her in the blue, in the top pic), my mom and my Aunt Connie hosted a baby shower for me--and let me tell you, Noelle now has everything a little girl could ask for! Okay, there was no pony, but she still did pretty darn good. She got tons of clothes that will put her on the "best dressed" lists for years to come. She also got some of the good old standby's-- a stroller, 2 car seats, an exersaucer/activity table, bath toys, blankets, stuffed animals-- you name it! Each of the guests also brought their favorite book, to help me get Noelle's library started, and Ann got me the cutest bookcase ever, in the shape of a doll house. Ann and my friend Debbie also collaborated on a wonderful scrapbook for Noelle with pictures and excerpts from my blog. And Debbie and her husband Chris have made Noelle a little storybook about how she ended up my daughter-- it is amazing! Chris even made me a CD, setting the pages of the book to music. I have very cool family and friends :) And speaking of cool, proof positive that adoptive parents are some of the coolest people out there, my friend Holly, who adopted Foxx at the same time I adopted Noelle, even sent me a gift!

Everyone's generosity was overwhelming-- thank you so much! I am very lucky to have all of you in my (and Noelle's) life.

P.S.-- check out the photos of the tables! We put together a travel theme-- little suitcases, filled with baby gear, luggage tags inscribed with Noelle's name & the date, and these great passports we put together with Noelle's picture, birth date, adoption date etc. It all looked so great!!

Catching Up..

2008-01-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

I have been home 2 weeks now, and I am just now starting to catch up. Actually, not really-- I still have a ton of stuff to do before I go back to Kaz for Noelle. All that organizing and buying I did before traveling? It doesn't seem like I did anything, so now I am knee deep in stuff trying to re-organize my closets and Noelle's bedroom. This is further complicated by the unpacking, laundry, pack again merry-go-round I am on-- I just got back from a long weekend in Texas and the remnants in of that trip remain scattered around my living room. Right next to the piles of mail I still have to review. And the stuff I am bringing back to Kaz-- the list goes on and on!!

And I only have a little over a week to go! On January 12th, my mother and I will fly from JFK to Almaty (via Frankfurt) to pick up Noelle. All of the families who traveled in my group will be returning at the same time, so it will be a nice little reunion. Given the chance, I might have chosen a sunny locale for our next meeting, but it will be exciting to see all of the kids-- maybe all those warm fuzzy feelings will keep our toes warm too!

Noelle has been on my mind, of course-- the other day, my sister caught me watching videos of her. And I have had approximately 300 pictures developed-- I couldn't bear to leave any one out, even the blurry ones! And I am getting ready for my baby shower-- it is this Saturday, and I cannot wait to show off all of those pictures to my friends..

Finally-- new pictures!

2007-12-23T02:02:00.000-08:00

Isn't she the cutest??

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

2007-12-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

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!!

Here comes the judge!

2007-12-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

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.

The Mamas and the Papas

2007-12-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

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! :))

Please Stand By..

2007-12-13T23:58:00.000-08:00

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 :))

Boooo! No visit today...

2007-12-12T03:58:00.000-08:00

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..

I said, I want to do it!

2007-12-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Baby's got a new pair of shoes!

2007-12-10T05:23:00.000-08:00

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!

Noelle has discovered my glasses

2007-12-07T02:56:00.001-08:00

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!

2007-12-07T02:56:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-07T02:26:00.000-08:00

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!!

She's got the beat!

2007-12-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-12-06T02:23:00.000-08:00

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!

Noelle and Hippo

2007-12-05T02:53:00.000-08:00

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!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2007-12-05T02:51:00.000-08:00

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!

Crowd control, Kaz style

2007-12-04T00:39:00.000-08:00

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!

Stol-ka stoy it?

2007-12-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

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!!

A technical note!

2007-12-03T04:06:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-12-03T04:03:00.000-08:00

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.

A Baby By Any Other Name...

2007-12-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

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.

More pictures!

2007-12-01T01:07:00.000-08:00

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.

Natalya

2007-11-30T04:43:00.000-08:00

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!

First trip to the baby house

2007-11-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

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..

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

2007-11-28T22:46:00.000-08:00

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

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

2007-11-24T19:04:00.001-08:00

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!!

2007-11-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Numbers! We have numbers!!

2007-11-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

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!

Possible delay!

2007-11-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2007-11-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

The things we do for love..

2007-11-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

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".

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

2007-11-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

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!

Drumroll, please...

2007-11-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

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!!

Next Stop: LOI

2007-10-29T12:30:00.001-07:00

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!!

Doin' the "it's happening" dance!

2007-10-24T14:19:00.001-07:00

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!

My email is messing with me!

2007-10-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

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..

20 pounds overweight-- the story of my life!

2007-10-15T14:15:00.001-07:00

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!

Images of Kazakhstan

2007-10-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

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

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

I can find significance in anything!

2007-10-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

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!

Start the countdown!

2007-10-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

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!

While we were waiting...

2007-10-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

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??)

17

2007-10-04T11:05:00.001-07:00

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)..

Families are starting to travel!

2007-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

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 :))

The Silence is Deafening

2007-09-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

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?

Waiving the white flag in the packing war

2007-09-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

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

And this is what it looks like now!

2007-09-18T14:54:00.001-07:00

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..

And then there were trucks..

2007-09-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

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

Here is one of my other choices..

2007-09-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

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..

On to more important topics..

2007-09-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

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..

King James the First had it all wrong..

2007-09-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

You see, James-baby is attributed with originating the phrase "No news is good news" (or at least, some old English version of it).. And I just don't agree.. I emailed my agency today, looking for an update-- knowing of course, that it was in vain because if there was something to tell me they would have.. And this is what I got: no we haven't heard anything, as far as we know your file is still at the beginning stages of the MFA, maybe more news next week.. So, no James-- no news isn't good news!!

It's like a day at the spa: Virgin Atlantic-- Upper Class, of course!

2007-09-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I handed off my visa application to the travel agent who will be helping with my travel arrangements. When I was in her office, we started discussing some options for the plane flights and Katerina recommended flying Virgin Atlantic. My sister has frequent flyer miles I hoped to use on at least one flight, so I started to do a little research and I found the heaven of all air travel. Even before you get on the plane, Virgin offers a chauffered car service to deliver you to and from the airport.. Every first class (or "upper class" as they call it with a cheery British accent) passenger actually gets a little "suite" to call their own.. The seat flips over and converts to a fully-flat bed, which comes complete with a turn-down service (probably a mint, too!) And then there smaller amenities like gourmet meals, personal in-flight entertainment, complimentary cocktails. And the piece de resistance: spa services on the plane! Girlfriend can get a manicure and a massage on her way to Kaz! It doesn't get better than that..
The bad news? I probably won't ever even see "upper class".. Ann only has enough miles to get me as far as London. Because I will actually be dealing with 2 airline carriers, I will need more miles than usual-- 90k for Virgin, plus however many miles the other airline requires (I couldn't even figure that one out.)

The Long Awaited Update!

2007-09-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

I had an email from my agency this morning (acutally dated Friday-- kudos to them for beating the deadline I set without even knowing it!) This is the story: the agency coordinator in Kaz met with an official of the Ministry of Education last week and reports that the Karaganda region will be "opening" on adoption in a week.. At that point, files should start to move, and the coordinator is encouraged that families will start to travel.. What does that mean to me? I still don't know.. It all depends on what's been happening with my file for the past two months.. I've reached out the agency to see if they know if I am still at the starting point (which is where I was at the end of July, a month after my dossier was submitted), nearing the end or somewhere in between.. I'll keep you posted!

If only getting the "green light" to travel was the only thing on my mind...

2007-08-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

I am actually breathing a sigh of relief these days when it comes to some of the ancillary issues related to bringing home a baby. Like most other working parents, child care is an issue that has weighed heavily on me. And being me, I have avoided the issue for a long time, opting instead to deal with other important things, like choosing bedding and choosing names :)! I don't want to jinx it, but this week I found some really viable options to choose from once the baby is home. My 1st choice is a woman from my neighborhood who will come take care of the baby in my house. She is the mother of a woman my sister works with, she lives around the corner from me, and is reasonably priced.. Even better: though she has recently dropped down to part-time hours with her last little charge (he's going to pre-school), she is not going to look another job right now and will be available in January (when I think I will need her). A few weeks ago, I had also talked with a woman who runs a babysitting service out of her home. She came highly recommended by a parent in my sister's school (it's a good resource-- all those kids and parents running around!).. And this past weekend, I went to visit a daycare center down the street.. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I am definitely comfortable with it as an option, particularly for when the baby is a little older. So, the research continues, but I feel better knowing I already have some options.
I also selected the adoption specialist that I will consult with from Kaz.. Her name is Dr. Gail Farber, and she and her team are affiliated with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In addition to Dr. Farber, there is another pediatrician on staff as well as two occupational therapists. Prior to travel, I will have a phone consultation with them so they can advise me on what questions to ask and what to look for when I meet the children. I will also be emailing them photos and video, along with copies of the baby's medical records from Kaz for their evaluation. We will consult again via telephone while I am in Kaz about what they find in those records and pictures.. The goal, of course, is try to determine if the baby is healthy or, if he/she is not, the extent & implications of any health problems. There is the potential that the information could make my decision harder, but hopefully it will make it easier.

My "patience" is killing me!

2007-08-27T10:47:00.001-07:00

I desperately want to bug my agency today, to see what's up with my file, but I am trying to remain patient. If there was anything to tell me (like my file is at MOE), I know that they would-- so instead of emailing the agency, I am writing this post.. Other parents waiting to travel have reported being told that another vacation period has slowed up files and one parent (thank you, Sonya) has heard some possibly encouraging news that the slowdown is due to MOE officials focusing on the upcoming school year, slated to start in another week or two.. In all cases, the parents say they are told things should get moving soon.. From their lips to somebody in Kaz's ear!

Applying for a visa-- am I going to be able to charge with this one??

2007-08-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

More from the paperwork front-- I have started the process to apply for a visa to travel to Kazakhstan. No, that doesn't my travel is imminent, but I am getting all of my ducks in a row.. Katarina from Panorama Travel in NYC is helping me out. I have to give her my application for my visa, my original passport (a little scary), a picture and a check (of course). She will hold all until I receive my Letter of Invitation (LOI) to travel. This is the real thing-- I have to be able to tell Katarina if anyone will be traveling with me (no) and how many trips I will be taking (right now, its 2 but I change my mind every day!).

Children at Heart Annual Picnic

2007-08-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was my agency's annual picnic for all of the past and future adoptive families. Ann, Ronan & I packed up the car (with way too much stuff we didn't need, like chairs and blankets) and drove (and drove) to Halfmoon, NY (just north of Albany) for the limited purposes of: eating, playing and getting as much information as possible out of the experienced parents. Well, we accomplished two of our three objectives-- there was no real "picnic" at our picnic. We hit crazy amounts of traffic, so we decided to stop on the way at the McDonald's rest stop to eat and let Ronan stretch a little.. Bad decision--it added an extra hour onto our trip.. But we still got there in plenty of time to play with the kids (Ronan's sole objective) and talk to some people. I met a few parents who I had been emailing recently-- they were incredibly nice and had some encouraging things to say. I didn't get to talk to everyone-- it was too overwhelming. At first, I wasn't even sure how I was going to talk to anyone, but eventually, I just went up to people and started asking questions. If nothing else, we have all now put a face with a name and I know that when I have more questions, the parents I met will be more than willing to help me out. I also got to meet my coordinator, Kathy, face to face-- again, nice because she has done so much for me during this process. And the kids were all over the place! They ranged in age from about 8 months to teenagers, and were from not only Kazakhstan, but Russia as well and maybe a few other places.. While I know some do have some medical issues, in general, the kids all appeared very healthy, and they were all just beautiful. It was very easy to imagine my child playing among the others this time next year-- and I'll be the parent dispensing advice!

You can help the kids too!

2007-08-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Right now, my agency, Children at Heart, has 2 fundraisers going on, and anyone out there can donate a couple of bucks. Best yet-- its tax deductible!

The first one is close to my heart because it involves shopping. Children at Heart is participating in the 2007 Macy's Shop For A Cause Fundraiser. Here's how it works-- you buy a $5.00 shopping pass to use at Macy's on October 13, 2007.. The shopping pass gets you discounts-- 20% off regular, sale & clearance items from most departments, 10% off furniture, mattresses, kitchen & technology items. Yeah, its just like the coupons you get in the mail, but the $5.00 you spend goes to Children at Heart, to help fund their humanitarian aid programs. There is a form to fill out to, to order the shopping passes, and there are 3 ways you can get the form:

1)you can email me at jeanninemull00@optonline.net and I'll send it to you; 2)you can email the agency directly at fth143@aol.com or 3) call Children at Heart at 518-664-5988 and use a credit card to buy the shopping pass over the phone.

The second fundraiser is a raffle.. Tickets are $20 per ticket, and the prize is a new car! They are giving away a 2008 Suzuki SX4, Forenza, Vitara and XL-7-- I don't know what any of those cars look like, but does it matter?? Options for buying the tickets are the same: email me, email them or call them.. 100% of the raffle proceeds goes to charity, and last year Children at Heart raised thousands of dollars that went towards helping children at an orphanage in Brazil. Even better, one of the Children at Heart tickets won a car.. You only have until October 7th to buy a ticket, so do it soon..

The last thing I want to tell you about is a website called igive.com. It is very cool.. Thousands of online retailers participate and all you have to do is sign up with them and every time you make a purchase from a participating website, a portion of your purchase price is donated to the charity of your choice. Children at Heart is on the list of course, but there are also many, many other charities participating. And the stores are ones that you would actually order from-- BabiesRUs, Ann Taylor, Macy's, Mrs. Fields, Magellans (if only I had known before I ordered!).. It's a great list, and an easy way to help children who desperately need it.

I hope you can help!

The answer is in the tea leaves..

2007-08-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Lord knows, there are some pretty unscientific ways to guess whether a pregnant woman is going to have a girl or a boy-- the old trick of swinging a ring over the mother's belly to see which way it spins or the mother's chinese horoscope/conception chart.. Then there are the old wives tales about baby girls taking the beauty of the mother or how the mothers carry differently if it is a boy vs. a girl. Not being pregnant, I didn't get to join in the fun-- until now.. Last night, some friends and I went out to dinner and got a reading from an Irish tea leaf reader.. Her verdict? I am going to be bringing home a boy-- or as she put it, I "should start buying baseball bats." To which my sister and I said "uh-oh"-- cause the few things I have bought so far have been for a girl.. The tea leaf reader also said I would be a mother by Christmas (which I loved because it would mean my schedule would be back on track!) and that it would be a great thing for me and a great thing for my baby. She also said she sensed that I was obsessed with something-- hmm, wonder what it could be???!! Traveling to a country on the other side of the world, alone, for a month or more, without speaking the language? How to pay for the trip, the daycare, the food, the clothes, the toys? Will my baby be healthy, happy? Can I do it all on my own? I don't know what she was talking about :)
Interestingly, she focused on two other things that she "saw" in the leaves: my health and my wedding. Yes, my wedding! She says that I will be married by October 2009, and that I already know the man I will marry, though I only know him casually and right now (obviously) it is not a romantic relationship. She got right down to describing the dress (like a glamourous evening gown but tea length-- no froufrou white wedding dress for me) and the ceremony (outside, near water with about 80 guests in attendance). It gives a girl hope!
The only "negative" topic in her reading was my health-- and it was more than a little creepy. She kept asking me when was the last time I had seen a doctor, and did I have any blood work done. Thankfully, due almost entirely to the adoption process, I have been in to see my doctor 4 or 5 times in the last 6 month, and I have a clean bill of health.. Still, she thinks I need to have my thyroid checked-- how am I going to explain that to my doctor?!?
So now I "know" (HUGE quotation marks there :)). I guess I better start shopping again..

"Karova" means cow. Too bad its the only Russian I know :(

2007-08-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

So, while I wait for my paperwork to be processed in Kaz, there is obviously still a lot to do. I've bought just about everything I can buy for the trip. I've had my inoculations (Hep A, Hep B, tetanus, diphtheria & whooping cough). I have made contact with a local pediatrician Ann recommended, confirmed he is accepting new patients and takes my insurance. I have started stocking up on "baby staples", like diapers and wipes. And, I have been buying books on learning Russian. But that's it-- just buying them. So far, I have:
1. Russian for Dummies (Book & audio CD)
2. Charles Berlitz Passport to Russian
3. Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook
4. Russian in 10 Minutes a Day; and
5. Unforgettable Languages Linkword Russian (DVD course)

I tried to listen to the "Russian for Dummies" CD, but in the first segment they start right out, speaking in complete sentences and faster than the most-native speaker. Now, I need to start A LOT slower. I am pretty sure that much of my communication in Kaz will probably be limited to one or two word phrases. And some pre-printed cue cards. And pantomime. LOTS of pantomime. And I am okay with that-- typical American traveler, it's so sad! I tried the DVD course too, but they started with animals and colors. Truly, I doubt I will need to know the word for dog, cat or cow-- but cow is all I remember. And blessedly I remember the word for "bed", but only because I think the mnemonic device they use for "bed" is a joke-- 'cause they use a French word to help teach the pronounciation of the Russian word!! What if you don't know French?? (It is insidious, I tell you!) So, now I have spent $100, easily, on these language books. And I am now eyeing a translation machine at Sharper Image that will do all the work for me. So maybe I haven't bought everything I can for the trip...

Where or Where has my paperwork gone? Where or where can it be?

2007-08-02T10:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is the update on my dossier: nothing is happening with it.. My agency confirms that it is still in the initial stages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is where it has been since late June. Of course, the holiday has a lot to do with that-- everyone in Kaz took a few weeks off in July. Now, don't get me wrong-- that is a system I could get behind if it weren't affecting me so negatively! But since it means nobody is reviewing my file, I think it stinks.. Still more conflicting information about the "closure" of Karaganda. A woman posting on the Yahoo boards printed what she says is an email from the Embassy in Kaz which says that Karaganda has been closed to American adoption since Spring 2007 because approximately 100 post placement reports are outstanding from American parents. This is, of course, the same rumor that has been floating out there for several months. I was upset, though, when I saw it said that the region has been closed since Spring. I realize, however, that I have read of other families who have adopted in Karaganda over the past few months-- so again, the info is very conflicting.

Incidentally, there was quite a lively "debate" on the boards about people who didn't, for various reasons, file their post placement reports. Whatever their reasons for not filing, I hope it is resolved soon-- and I promise I will file mine in a timely manner, so no other parents have to wait like this!!

Mickey loves the name Niamh!

2007-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am back in New York tonight, after a whirlwind (and at times, endless) trip to Florida and Walt Disney World. Disney was fun but extremely hot and extremely exhausting!! I was pretty good about not buying souvenirs for a child who I won't be meeting for months (more on that in my next post), but I couldn't resist the Mickey & Minnie Mouse ears.. And the lady who does the monogramming didn't even bat an eyelash when I spelled Niamh's name-- they have to get some crazy names in their line of work.. Or maybe it was that she just didn't care (ha!).. Anyway, during our tour around Epcot we found that Niamh was not the craziest Gaelic name I could have found-- in the Great Britain area, we found a store that did monogramming, family crests, that kind of thing and on the "N" page, we found a name that I cannot even begin to spell or pronounce.. So, I think I am going to find that name again, and if Niamh ever complains about not liking her name, I will tell her that this other name was the other option! (This manner of deception is a family tradition, actually-- my parents used to torture one of my brothers by telling him he was supposed to be named "Snow Pony" or something crazy like that..) If Daniel complains, I'll just tell him that the other option was "Niamh"!

And the waiting continues..

2007-07-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

I spoke to my agency re: the rumors about Karaganda closing to adoption for Americans. I still don't have a solid answer on the status because they are receiving conflicting information from their contacts in Kaz.. So more waiting.. That's okay, I knew I would be waiting right now-- the question is if my file is still being processed or if everything has come to a halt.

On a non-adoption note, my vacation starts in 2 days!! I am going to Florida for my (gulp!) 20 year high school reunion, and they to the happiest place on earth-- Disney World-- with my mother, my sister & her husband and my nephew Ronan.. Cannot wait..

Shapgat bound..

2007-07-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

I received an interesting, and slightly alarming (more on that in a minute) email today from other parent who adopted from Karaganda using the same agency I am.

The interesting news: the baby house where I will be going is no longer named Mylutka. Kazakhstan has a strategy in place, a plan to aid in the development of the newly independent country. Loosely, it is called the "2030 Strategy" ('cause I guess they want to accomplish all goals by 2030) and part of it includes changing the Russian names of all government run entities to Kazakh names. So the baby house I am going to is now named "Shapgat"-- and no, I have no idea how to pronounce it (or even if that is the correct spelling!) So from here on out, I am headed to Shapgat..

The alarming part of the email was that the parent confirmed some rumors that had been floating around the internet for about a month-- that the region of Karaganda is closed to Americans adopting for a while. The reason is that some parents/agencies do not live up to their obligations to do post-placement reporting on the children to the Kaz government. Every adoptive parent is required to keep the Kaz government posted on their child until that child turns 18 years of age. Up until now, I have been told that adoptions had still been moving forward so I was trying not to worry about it before I had to-- but the parent's source for this information is pretty reliable. At a minimum, the region closing to adoption means a travel date later in the year-- and I was really getting excited about the prospect of not traveling to Kaz in the dead of winter! So the process may be getting longer.. You just have to stick with me..

After there was shopping, there was packing..

2007-07-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so people who don't know how crazy I get will get a laugh out of this.. First is the before picture of my guest (now baby) room.. Then there is the after..

There is even a packing plan "Big Board"-- an homage to the "Big Board" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Andrew to help fight The First! I've got 5 packing lists going that include everything that anyone could ever need during the course of a month in a foreign country-- plus more. Yes, it is probably early to be assembling/packing-- but it's a lot of stuff! And it is something that I can control while I wait for word from Kaz.. But don't worry, Debbie-- the bed will be cleared by the time you and Chris come to visit!

Tenge, Tenge, Tenge

2007-07-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

That's "money" to all of you who don't speak Kazakh! Here's what the money looks like over there-- pretty, isn't it? I was able to purchase this currency from another adoptive family who had some left over from their trip-- this way, I will have something in my pocket when I arrive and won't have to worry about exchanging dollars for tenge immediately.. For $1.00, you get about 122 tenge-- so even though it looks like I am rich (I have 12,000 tenge in all) I am (still) not..

P.S.-- Ann, this is the test-- I uploaded these photos from my camera to my computer at work, no Kodak software.. Also, the pics were taken at a lower resolution (2.5).. I might just be getting the hang of this!

Presents!

2007-07-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

By the way, probably the best part pre-baby is now I get presents! Okay, really only Ann and Debbie have given me presents, but they are great ones!

These are a couple of the presents Ann has given me-- a soft hippo lovey, from the same line of loveys that has given my neice Grace "Kitty", my nephew Tommy "Lion" and Ronan "Doggy".. We're creative with the names in my family, aren't we? So, it will probably be called "Hippo".. And I lots of great books, thanks to Ann and Debbie.. Pictured here are the classic "Runaway Bunny" and a great book specifically written for adopted children called "Over the Moon." I haven't taken pictures of any of the books that Debbie sent, but I must tell you all that she wrapped all of them in maps (get it-- maps, traveling to Kaz?) and I thought that was very creative.. Ann & I had just been talking about using maps somehow in the shower invitations in the days before I got the big box, so it was very appropriate.. The books are a great mix of educational and fun books, including my childhood favorite "The Monster at the End of this Book" (Grover is the star, remember that book?) And Debbie also gave me a soft, cushy green baby blanket, which is adorning the crib (I think you can see it in the picture below of the crib), and a big bowl of jelly beans that she had been telling me about-- her realtor kept putting them out for the open houses and she couldn't stand the smell of in her house! It took me a second to process why she was sending me jelly beans, but once I realized, I could not stop laughing!

So, ladies, thank you to you both!

Before there was a dossier, there was shopping!

2007-07-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Amid the paperwork and the choosing of names, I have gotten quite caught up shopping for this adventure. Shopping for the baby.. Shopping for the trip.. Shopping for the other kids in the baby house.. Those who are forced to shop with me often (my sister Ann & her son Ronan) know this can be a tedious process: I have to check things out, weigh other options, think about it some more, visit the item at the store 2 or 3 times-- then I plunk down the money.. This is how it goes whether I am buying socks or a crib-- I definitely sweat the small stuff.
So there have been many, many shopping excursions, mostly to Target ('cause what store could be better?!) This is the only place where I have shopped with reckless abandon-- at least in the travel size aisle.. Toilet paper mini rolls, face wipes, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, Shout-to-go-- those mini packages are so cool! I probably have way to many of them, but who could resist? Then there were the trips to Target and Walmart and Macys and Burlington Coat factory, shopping for the perfect suitcases for pack all my stuff in.. I still don't know if what I have is going to work (I borrowered Ann's big suitcase for most of the stuff and I have a child's suitcase to use as a carryon-- then that child's suitcase will be left for the baby's trip home).. Ronan, by the way, loves to shop for suitcases-- he loves rolling them around, and it is almost impossible to get him out of the department when we are done! Strollers were a big thing too-- Ann has already bought me a great stroller (Maclaren!), but we set out in search of a double stroller that wasn't too big.. I think we found a pretty good one-- I guess we will see when the kids are in it!!Then I had to hit some stores, looking for clothes to bring with me.. It is pretty hard to pack when you don't know what time of year you are going to travel.. By the way, are you sensing a trend here? I would get completely obsessed with getting one aspect of the packing done, and I don't stop with that one item until I have everything I need: a months worth of underwear? Check. Pants for 4 weeks? Check. Books for 30 days worth of reading? Check. (BTW, I found that my local library has monthly sales of paperback books-- I purchased 6 books for $2.50) DVD's? Check. Multiple Russian phrase books I will read but never learn from? Check.
Most of the time I feel like I am just spending, spending, spending-- but there have been a couple of trips when it was me, not the store, who was victorious.. First, there were the gifts.. One weekend, Ann, Ronan & I headed out to the outlets at Riverhead to see what I could pick up there-- and I scored big time.. Leather gloves from Coach for $15 a pair.. And I just about bought out the Bombay Company outlet-- I found 2 beautiful jewelry boxes, a hammer silver teapot, a lipstick case, a candle & snuffer, and it cost me a total of about $70, tax included.. By the time I left that day, I had many of my gifts for the caregivers and had spent only about $100!! Then I hit the Carter's outlet.. If I didn't have to worry about suitcases and the weight of my luggage, I would have bought more, but I picked up at least a dozen warm, snuggly outfits & pjs to donate to the baby house, each about $4.00 a piece.. I found it is really easy and loads of fun to shop for kids when you don't have to worry about the sex, or size, or season of the year! And the crib-- I definitely won there.. I found the crib at Burlington Coat Factory. It is made by Baby Italia, and is just beautiful. I wanted a convertible crib because I don't know the age of the baby yet, and of course those are more expensive.. And it is important (to me) for it to generally match the furniture that is already there, so I spent many a day, trolling the stores looking at cribs.. One Sunday when my committee (Ann & Ronan) was not with me (of course), I found this crib-- but I wanted Ann to see it before I bought it, to see if she liked it and to confirm it matched the existing furniture. So the next evening, we met at the store, she liked it and I was ready to buy it but the "help" at the store was anything but. They weren't sure if they could take it apart, and worse-- they didn't think they had the directions for me to put it back together. So, I couldn't walk out with it.. I check other stores that week, and contacted the manufacturer via email to see if I could get the assembly instructions. I received them, and decided I would go back, so the next weekend, we hit Burlington again and 2 great things happened: the price had already been reduced and the salesperson gave me the floor sample price for a brand new crib still in the box! Giddy does not even begin to describe how I was feeling.. It was great.. So, now that crib is proudly assembled in the baby's room, with the girls' bedding all set up (don't worry, though, I have the boy's bedding all picked out too-- it is just still at the store!)

Even with all this shopping, I KNOW I will end up in Kazakhstan missing something important-- like camera batteries or socks (I know, 2nd mention of socks-- my feet get cold!)

Comment away! (I know you will!!)

The story of Daniel

2007-07-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

The story of Daniel is much shorter.. In Ireland, Daniel is linked to two other names: Donal and Donald.. All three are said to come from the Gaelic words "Domhan" which means "world" and "all" which means "mighty", the combination of which implies "ruler of the world." If you go back further, Daniel is a prophet in the Old Testament-- the Hebrew translation of the name is "God is my judge." Good sturdy name, right? And everyone knows how to spell it and say it..

The story of Niamh

2007-07-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have one more reader: my marvelous friend Debbie, just home from her honeymoon! Yes, Debbie, in answer to your question-- these are the 2 names I have chosen for the baby, Niamh if its a girl and Daniel if its a boy.. (Sorry it that wasn't clear!)

But, there are a number of people out there who are questioning my choice of a girl's name-- they think, to quote my boss, "its just not right to do that to someone"-- to saddle a kid with a name (or more specifically, the spelling of that name) so traditional that people won't know how to pronounce it. So I have to tell people how to pronounce it-- so what? Most people who meet her will be told how to pronounce her name long before they see it in writing..

So anyway, here is where the name comes from..

The name "Niamh" (pronounced Neeve-- see, it's not hard!) means "radiance, lustre, brightness." It is a Gaelic name rooted in Irish mythology. The original Niamh was the daughter of the king of a magical place called Tir-Na-nOG, Land of the Young. Depicted as a beautiful princess riding on a white horse, the love Niamh found with an Irish warrior is legendary:

One morning the Fianna were deer hunting on the shores of Lough Lein in County Kerry. They saw a beautiful white horse coming toward them. Riding on the horse was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. She wore a long dress as blue as the summer sky and studded with silver stars. Her long golden hair hung to her waist.

"What's your name and what land have you come from?" asked Fionn, leader of the Fianna. "I am Niamh of the Golden Hair. My father is king of Tir-Na-nOg" she replied. "I have heard of a warrior named Oisin. I have heard of his courage and of his poetry. I have come to find him and take him back with me to Tir-Na-nOg." "Tell me," Oisin said, "what sort of land is Tir-Na-nOg?" "Tir-Na-nOg is the land of youth," replied Niamh. "It is a happy place, with no pain or sorrow. Any wish you make comes true and no one grows old there. If you come with me you will find all this is true."

Oisin mounted the white horse and said goodbuy to his father and friends. He promised he would return soon. The horse galloped off over the water, moving as swiftly as a shadow. The Fianna were sad to see their hero go, but Fionn reminded them of Oisin's promise to return soon.

The king and queen of Tir-Na-nOg welcomed Oisin and held a great feast in his honor. It was indeed a wonderful land, just as Niamh had said. He hunted and feasted and at night he told stories of Fianna and of their lives in Ireland. Oisin had never felt so happy as he did with Niamh and before long, they were married.

Time passed quickly and although he was very happy Oisin began to think of returning home for a visit. Niamh didn't want him to go but at last she said "Take my white horse. It will carry you to Ireland and back. Whatever happens you must not get off the horse and touch the soil of Ireland. If you do you will never return to me or to Tir-Na-nOg." She did not tell him that although he thought that he had only been away for a few years, he had really been there three hundred years.

Ireland seemed a very strange place to Oisin when he arrived. There seemed to be no trace of his father or the rest of the Fianna. The people he saw seemed small and weak to him. As he passed through Gleann-na-Smol he saw some men trying to move a large stone. "I will help you" said Oisin. The men were terrified of this giant on a white horse. Stooping from his saddle Oisin lifted the stone with one hand and hurled it. With that the saddle girth broke and Oisin was flung to the ground. Immediately, the white horse disappeared and the men saw before them an old, old man. They took him to a holy man who lived nearby. "Where is my father and the Fianna?" Oisin asked. When he was told that they were long dead he was heartbroken. He spoke of the many deeds of Fionn and their adventures together. He spoke of his time in Tir-Na-nOg and his beautiful wife, Niamh, that he would never see again. Although he died soon after, the wonderful stories of Niamh and Oisin have lived on.

So, what do you all think? Post a comment (or I might be able to create a poll-- I don't know yet), telling me what you think about the spelling of the name.. Keep it traditional or opt for a more phonetic spelling, like "Nieve"? (Legal disclaimer: No promises I will follow any of your advice!!)

Getting to this point..

2007-07-13T07:08:00.001-07:00

In my first post, I set out a brief timeline of my process-- mostly for the benefit of other adoptive parents who are always looking for clues as to what to expect.. But it was pointed out to me by my editor & sister, Ann, that I should take some time to let the rest of world know what it all entailed. So here goes..

Once you have done your research, chosen a country, and signed on with an agency, the first hurdle is the home study. That is exactly what it sounds like-- they want to make sure that I would make a good parent and that my home environment is suitable to bring a child into. The end result is a 20-or-so page report, telling the reader about me, my home & neighborhood, and my plans for my child. Much of the home study is paperwork: I had to fill in an application telling them about my education, my family, the roles my parents played in my life, why I wanted to adopt.. I had to tell them who I wanted to take care of my child should anything happen to me (Ann, of course) & she had to sign a form agreeing to that.. I also had to have 4 other friends write letters of recommendation for me (thank you John, Alanna, Noreen & Deb!) I had to get fingerprinted, for a state criminal check and an FBI check.. Then there was financial information: my income, my debts, my mortgage.. I had to order copies of my birth certificate and make copies of things like my bank statements and proof that I owned my coop apartment. No problem, I thought-- there's nothing I like more than getting ready to do a project.. I made daily stops at Staples to get more supplies to keep myself "organized", right down to the multi-colored Sharpie markers! So I hunkered down, filling out forms, making copy after copy-- child's play-- until I got to the form asking for my previous addresses. Addresses dating back to the time I was 18! Okay, so right now there are a few of my friends laughing right now, 'cause I used to move like I was changing my socks.. In the past 20 years, I had 15 addresses-- and that doesn't even include different dorms I lived in during college! The past 10 years was pretty easy-- but back further than that, it started to get a little fuzzy: if I knew the address, I didn't know the timeframe that I lived there and vice versa.. I had to do a little "cyber-stalking" to determine one address-- that of an ex-friend whose apartment I lived at for a few months after law school.. And, on the eve of turning my paperwork in to the agency, I was reduced to trudging through the ice and snow on a dark street in Schenectady trying to figure out which house that I had lived int.. The house that I was so positive was the 3rd house from the end was, of course, not-- there was an apartment building there.. But 20 minutes (and 3 random strangers) later, I had my address-- I was on my way.

The 2nd part of the home study is the visits with the social worker. Every state is different, but New York requires 2 visits with the social worker. My initial meeting with Janice at Children at Heart counted as my first visit-- so I only had to survive the home visit. I went into overdrive, cleaning and even child-proofing part of my place. I had a first aid kit, I put up a net on my balcony so no baby could slip through, I put those little plastic things on my windows so they wouldn't open up too far. My mother convinced me that I had to have food in the refrigerator, so I hit the grocery store. Hundreds of dollars later, I was ready. And of course, the social worker didn't see any of it! Well, she saw the balcony net because she walked out to check out the view-- but she didn't even know I bought vegetables and milk or that I was ready to fix a boo-boo at a moment's notice.. What a letdown! I was looking for some props.. But I got them eventually-- when I got a favorable home study report and the recommendation that I be allowed to adopt a child , male or female, up to 3 years of age. Niamh or Daniel!

Taking a few steps back..

2007-07-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

I think I took more than a few people by surprise earlier this year when I announced that I was adopting a baby from Kazakhstan. The funny thing is, I was surprised that they were surprised. Adoption is something that I have had an interest in for years. I worked at an adoption agency during my first year at law school, and later did an internship at a law firm that specialized in contesting international adoptions. If I could have gotten a job out of law school working in adoption I would have-- I sent resumes to a dozen or so adoption attorneys in the New York City area (more than once!). That wasn't to be, and mortgages were doing a booming business so that's what I ended up doing-- but I thought it was always understood that I would someday adopt myself. Maybe they had forgotten I talked about it.. Maybe they figured that when I finally got married, I would start a family with my husband.. Or maybe it was that I had set out a timeline for myself long before I announced any of my plans to my family-- so to them it seemed sudden, but in reality it had been in the works for a while.. I don't know, but the response was a little unsettling.

So, why did I decide to adopt a child? And why Kazakhstan? The 1st "why" is easy: I want to adopt a child because I have seen the joy a child can bring to a mother, and I want to experience that first-hand with my own child. As I haven't found "Mr. Right" yet, I had to consider how to create my own family. I think I have a lot of love to give, and I can think of no better way to show it then to give a child a safe, happy, and nurturing home. So, I started investigating different adoption programs-- both domestic and abroad. I spoke to my aunt, the social worker, about adopting children through the foster care system. I attended a seminar that focused on adopting newborns here in the U.S. And I kept going back to international adoption, perhaps because that is what I was most familiar with. But the bottom line is that, for many reasons, I also think international adoption is what fits my particular situation best. So, why Kazakhstan? Part of the answer is practical-- not every country allows single women to adopt. So China, which I had long considered, was out, as was the Ukraine. Then there the age of the children available, the length of the process.. This undertaking-- the paperwork, the travel, even the cost (especially the cost!) is not for the faint of heart! Kazakhstan uses what is called a "blind" process for identifying an adopted child-- so I won't know who my child is until I go there an find him or her. And the travel is going to be crazy-- one or two months in Kazakhstan depending on whether I decide to make one trips or two (I'll explain the whole process some other day for anyone who is interested).. It is daunting at times but I feel it in my heart that my "family" is in Kazakhstan waiting for me, waiting to be found.

The Internet is a small world...

2007-07-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

I got a little bit of a surprise today when I logged into my blog-- I found out that someone other than my sister was reading it! None of my family or friends know this exists yet; I really set it up and started posting to make sure I knew how to do it before I traveled halfway around the world.

And not only is someone else reading my blog, he has put a link from his blog to mine, so the pressure is on! The connection between me and Matty (that's his name) is Children at Heart, my adoption agency-- many of Matty's siblings were adopted via Children at Heart, including a little sister from Kazakhstan.. I love hearing stories of other adoptive families: how they found their children, how that little boy or girl born thousands of miles away is just the child that was meant to find his or her way into a house in upstate New York, or Ohio or California.. It makes my heart full and more than just a little giddy at the prospect of the little boy or little girl who will be entering my life in just a few short months..

So, I tip my hat (imagine I have a hat--play along!) to Matty & his family, and all of the other adoptive families out there. I also thank the parents who have written blogs before me.. (Is it me or is this starting to sound like an awards ceremony acceptance speech??) Seriously, the blogs are full of sooooo much practical information for those of us who still have yet to travel, and the pictures of the kids-- their eyes bright, laughing at the antics of their new mommies and daddies-- are inspirational.. So, thank you-- and I hope my words can live up to the standard that has been set!

And here's the national flag

2007-07-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the map!

2007-07-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here's what it looks like on the map..

Kazakhstan? Isn't that where Borat is from?

2007-07-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Even my mother has asked me about Borat and Kazakhstan! So, I thought a little information would help to erase the Borat image from readers' minds-- and show you what a beautiful and varied country Kazakhstan is.

Kazakhstan is located in central Asia, south of Russia and northwest of China. (I am going to post a map, too-- but I'm still not too good with the pics) And for those of us who had never heard of Kazakhstan before I started this quest, it isn't because this is one of those little countries-- it is the 9th largest country in the world! Kazakhstan used to be part of the Soviet Union, having gained independence in 1991. The area the country emcompasses is four times the size of Texas-- roughly the same size as all of Western Europe. The terrain is quite varied, with mountains, forests, and deserts dotting the landscape-- and the wildlife & plant life is as diverse as the region itself. Just about 15 million people call Kazakhstan "home"-- most are Kazakh, but more than 100 ethnicities/nationalities constitute the rest, including Russians, Ukrainians and Germans. The official language is Kazakh, but most people also speak Russian-- so I'm brushing up on my Russian! The economy is going strong, with large oil and mineral reserves paving the way. The region I will travel to is called "Karaganda", and I am told it is a proverbial "college town."

As developed of a country as Kazakhstan is today, historically, the native Kazakhs were nomads, living in felt tents called "yurts." This tradition was squelched in the 1930's-- the nomads were forcibly made to settle, with approximately 1 million Kazakhs dying in the process. And there are so many legends that go along with the Kazak tradition, including stories of Kazakhstan being the burial place for Genghis Khan and home to the Amazon warriors (think "Zena, Warrior Princess) thousands of years ago. One website I found referred to Kazakhstan as "the cradle of the world's cultural heritage and of human mankind." I can't wait!

A little tour.. And a test to see if I can post a photo

2007-07-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I finally got this photo up on the 3rd try, and probably only because Ann was sitting next to me.. But I think I got it-- hopefully I will still have it when I am in Kazakhstan. This is the baby's crib, and yes, I have girl's bedding-- even though I don't know if I am bringing home a boy or a girl. But it was so cute! What you can't see in this picture is the guest bed, completely covered in stuff to bring to Kazakhstan-- my clothes, baby clothes, toys, travel size toilet paper, you name it. Now if I could only get it all into a suitcase..

Inaugural Post

2007-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Today is July 3rd, and by now, my dossier should be in Kazakhstan! Here is a little timeline for anyone who didn't have to hear about every little piece of paper I sent or received:

March 10, 2007.. My meeting with Janice Bergeron at Children At Heart Adoption Agency in Mechanicville, New York.. Prior to this meeting, I had investigated more than a dozen agencies before narrowing it down to 3: CAH, The Datz Foundation (where I worked during 1st year of law school) and Commonwealth.. I had actually found Children at Heart by accident, while doing a search for ways to finance an adoption-- I read the blog of one of their adoptive parents and hooked on the children of Kazakhstan.. By the time I met with Janice, I was also hooked on Children at Heart and Kathy Galeta, the assitant director, who always takes the time to answer my questions, crazy as they may be!

March 10, 2007.. Mailed my fingerprints to the FBI & NY State Registry (to make sure I am not a criminal)..

March 12, 2007.. I-600a submitted to USCIS (formerly INS)-- they need to give a thumbs up to me bringing the baby back to the US.

March 25, 2007.. Home study visit with my social worker..

April 24, 2007.. Home study complete, reviewed, corrected and submitted to Children at Heart and USCIS.. Time to focus on the dossier!

May 26, 2007.. Finally-- approval from USCIS!! This is the last big hurdle to completing my dossier..

May 31, 2007.. Dossier complete and in the hands of Children at Heart.. Now they just need some money!

June 15, 2007.. Yay! My dossier is being submitted to the Kaz consulate in NYC..

June 27,2007.. Dossier back from Consulate and on its way to Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs..

So, now there is just more waiting.. There is a Kaz holiday until July 20th, so I don't expect any progress until after that.. The current path is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the Ministry of Education and finally the Letter of Invitation to travel to Kaz.. So I am planning for a fall "baby", I think..

The only question now: Will that sweet child be a little girl named"Niamh" (an Irish name I love, pronounced "Neeve") or a little boy named "Daniel"? Stay tuned..