Tuesday - Our First Full Day

It was another busy and exciting day here in Astrakhan. And Suzannah Negina is starting to talk up a storm (relatively speaking).

We were getting picked up at 8:30 today, so we had to be up and out fairly early. Suzannah slept very well last night, straight through, and woke up just a few minutes before seven. She was very shivery in the morning, so we bundled her in two sweaters and jeans that drooped halfway down her butt, and went to breakfast. Once we got some food into her, she stopped shivering - though maybe it was the overheated dining room. Anyway, we brought the Hello Kitty fork down with us, and she used it with great speed, gobbling down an egg, two yogurts, and rice cereal. She also drank a boatload of apple juice. Apples seem to be her favorite fruit. Wait until we get her home to a central NY Empire!

The morning consisted of a lot of driving and even more waiting. We got the adoption certificate and her new birth certificate, then did a lot of back and forth-ing to get things notarized, go to the passport office, etc. We also went to the Aeroflot office and bought tickets for Suzannah and I to fly to Moscow. The countdown has begun! Luckily, Suzannah loves riding in cars - she tries to climb in any one she sees - so she was very patient with all the running around.

After a bit of lunch, we found Animal Planet on the TV and had a great half hour watching Top Dog (in Russian). Suzannah was in ecstasy - "Woof! Woof!" We also got some 2-word phrases out of her, which was a first with us. Progress! Larry and I had a great time cheering for Fluffy the underdog, who made a valiant showing in the Distraction competition to burst past Miffy the spaniel into second-from-last place. Hey, when all the shows are dubbed over in Russian, you find your fun where you can.

Naptime was easy - she wans't thrilled about being put down, but neither did she really protest. And she slept LONG. After 2 1/2 hours she was sort of waking, so we picked her up, but then she spent a good half hour simply cuddling on our laps, sucking her thumb, and being adored. When she did sit up, we were able to have some book time. That old classic Barney and Daddies kept her happy for a long time.

Then it was time for a walk to the grocery store (highlight of the day!) We saw lots of dogs ("woof!) and cats ("meeeeeeoooooo"). Great fun all around. The store was a source of great enjoyment yet again, and that's even without being able to understand how silly Mommy and Daddy look, trying to figure out whether they're buying sour cream or yogurt.

When we got back to the hotel, guess who made a present for her daddy? Yep, that particular dam finally broke. All I'll say is, it's a good thing there was time for an IMMEDIATE bath.

When I was cutting up food for dinner, she spotted an apple on the table and brought it over to me, then proceeded to eat it as fast as I could cut it up. We also introduced her to that All-American favorite, Cup a Soup. BIG smiles for that. Oh, and TPC? She did have a couple of chips last night, AFTER she ate her carrot salad. We are a well-balanced family :-)

Once dinner was over, someone decided she wanted an outing. She brought us her shoes, then her coat. Daddy obliged by bundling her up to dispose of some nuclear waste in the dumpster. Happy happy girl.

Now she's turned the TV on again - asking me for "woof" - and thank heaven, Animal Planet is showing another show with dogs. Okay, it looks like these ones are being rescued from horrible homes, but Suzannah is happy. She's talking to the TV a LOT, imitating me when I make pony noises, saying "paka" to the dogs being taken away in the beep-beeps. Life is good.

Tomorrow, Daddy flies home. She's going to miss her Poppy, that's for sure. But the time will pass, and sooner than we expect, she and I will be the ones hopping on the plane to fly home.