I'm in Atlanta, almost home - just waiting for my last flight (which, of course, was delayed an hour - but what's another hour at this point?)
My flight out of Astrakhan went well, other than Aeroflot still thinks that toilets that flush are optional on in-country flights. Ugh. Talked to a very interesting lady from Paris, part of a tour group that had done a cruise down the Volga river. She was amazing - lived all over, traveled everywhere, flawless English & then could switch into Russian ... the kind of self-assured, incredibly competent woman we'd all love to be when we grow up.
Got my bag in Moscow, went outside, hopped the bus that would take me to the other terminal. Except .... after 15 minutes, nothing looked familiar. And it was taking a lot longer than I remembered it taking last time. After 20 minutes, I started to pray for airport signs. After 30 minutes, I spotted the Ikea store I'd noticed when we were going into Moscow last week, and then a road sign that indicated my bus was definitely headed into Moscow. And I realized I had to get off that bus FAST.
I got off & headed toward Ikea. I figured someone there could call me a taxi & I could get to the airport But God is good - there was a taxi stand right there!!! I managed to say "taxi" "airport" "terminal 2" and DA (yes) when he showed me the flat rate cost. That wonderful man had me at the correct terminal within 15 minutes. I could have kissed him, but I settled for giving him a huge tip.
Made it through all the nonsense that is checking in for a flight in Moscow. I was almost to the gate when I got waylaid by another oil man, one who had been on my flight from Astrakhan. He recognized me from that flight and stopped to talk. So we had a lovely long chat, and then it was time to go through additional security at the gate, and then onto the plane.
And now I'm just hours from home. Wooohooo!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday Details
Well, it was such a wonderful day.
I woke up feeling a lot more positive & hopeful. In fact, that blog post when I announced that she was ours? I wrote it BEFORE court. Yep, wrote it up, saved it as a draft, and then went to court. I just knew it would be okay today.
Not that it was easy. The necessary documents were indeed in place, but then another question arose that could have messed things up all over again. I sat there thinking, "oh no. No. We are NOT going through this nonsense all over again." And remember, all of this is being done in Russian, which means I only get the summary of what was said when they stop talking long enough for my poor translator to interpret!
Anyway, that issue was resolved - I'm still not sure how, but it all ended up okay. The MOE lady repeated her approval of the adoption. Then the prosecutor summed up the facts and gave her approval as well. The judge asked if I wanted to continue ... thumbed through all the paperwork .... asked if the current US financial crisis would impact us, to which I could only say, "I hope not!" Then the judge left for a few minutes, and when she came back, she read the formal decree. Adoption granted, WOOOOHOOOO!!!!
Now, of course, we have the ten-day waiting period, during which anyone could appeal the decision. but mostly that's just a chance for me to go home, get some fresh clothes (!), and prepare for the next trip.
After court I went for my last visit. Remember I didn't go on Monday because I was so upset? Well, somebody missed me, I think. They brought her into the room - she whimpered, stuck her thumb in her mouth, and started to fuss. I picked her up and she just kind of melted into my shoulder. Did not move. I walked her back and forth around the room, and she never budged, not once. Didn't throw herself on the floor to have her usual rocking/self-soothing. Didn't push away from me to inspect the toys or hunt for food. She just sank as deep into my shoulder as she could and let me comfort her. That was such a huge step for her. Of course it makes it doubly frustrating to have to leave her again, but now I know that she's attaching to us, learning to trust us and see us as a source of comfort. Major step.
We played all the usual games. She borrowed Vala's copy of Glamour and thumbed through that, getting very excited at the ads for cars. She also had fun pointing at eyes, noses, and mouths on the models, and then pointing to them on herself. But the big hit was Vala's red high heels. Vala is so good with the kids, and so patient - she let LS slip into the shoes and clomp all over the room in them. I can't wait until she sees the dress-up shoes we have at home!
Leaving was very very hard, especially when she tried to slip past us and get to the door. She let me give her lots of kisses, though, and even though I hated to hear her cry as they took her away, I know that in the long run it's a very good sign.
So now, I have to pack (shouldn't take long :-) and try to sleep before I fly home tomorrow. We leave again on the 25, arriving in Astrakhan on the 26. Gotcha Day will be on Josh's birthday, October 27! And how's that for a full circle moment - both our first child and our last will share the same day of joining our family.
Can't wait!!!
I woke up feeling a lot more positive & hopeful. In fact, that blog post when I announced that she was ours? I wrote it BEFORE court. Yep, wrote it up, saved it as a draft, and then went to court. I just knew it would be okay today.
Not that it was easy. The necessary documents were indeed in place, but then another question arose that could have messed things up all over again. I sat there thinking, "oh no. No. We are NOT going through this nonsense all over again." And remember, all of this is being done in Russian, which means I only get the summary of what was said when they stop talking long enough for my poor translator to interpret!
Anyway, that issue was resolved - I'm still not sure how, but it all ended up okay. The MOE lady repeated her approval of the adoption. Then the prosecutor summed up the facts and gave her approval as well. The judge asked if I wanted to continue ... thumbed through all the paperwork .... asked if the current US financial crisis would impact us, to which I could only say, "I hope not!" Then the judge left for a few minutes, and when she came back, she read the formal decree. Adoption granted, WOOOOHOOOO!!!!
Now, of course, we have the ten-day waiting period, during which anyone could appeal the decision. but mostly that's just a chance for me to go home, get some fresh clothes (!), and prepare for the next trip.
After court I went for my last visit. Remember I didn't go on Monday because I was so upset? Well, somebody missed me, I think. They brought her into the room - she whimpered, stuck her thumb in her mouth, and started to fuss. I picked her up and she just kind of melted into my shoulder. Did not move. I walked her back and forth around the room, and she never budged, not once. Didn't throw herself on the floor to have her usual rocking/self-soothing. Didn't push away from me to inspect the toys or hunt for food. She just sank as deep into my shoulder as she could and let me comfort her. That was such a huge step for her. Of course it makes it doubly frustrating to have to leave her again, but now I know that she's attaching to us, learning to trust us and see us as a source of comfort. Major step.
We played all the usual games. She borrowed Vala's copy of Glamour and thumbed through that, getting very excited at the ads for cars. She also had fun pointing at eyes, noses, and mouths on the models, and then pointing to them on herself. But the big hit was Vala's red high heels. Vala is so good with the kids, and so patient - she let LS slip into the shoes and clomp all over the room in them. I can't wait until she sees the dress-up shoes we have at home!
Leaving was very very hard, especially when she tried to slip past us and get to the door. She let me give her lots of kisses, though, and even though I hated to hear her cry as they took her away, I know that in the long run it's a very good sign.
So now, I have to pack (shouldn't take long :-) and try to sleep before I fly home tomorrow. We leave again on the 25, arriving in Astrakhan on the 26. Gotcha Day will be on Josh's birthday, October 27! And how's that for a full circle moment - both our first child and our last will share the same day of joining our family.
Can't wait!!!
YES!
Wonderful news! All documents were in place today, everything went through, there will be no more delays. Little Sister will be ours in approximately 10 - 12 days!!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Comment Questions
Big thanks to everyone who's been commenting on these rambles. It gets a bit lonely here in this hotel room, and every time I read a comment, I have a very Sally Field moment: They like me, they really like me! Yes, extended unwanted solitude can indeed turn a person into a pathetic snivel-heap :-)
Sara, sorry to report that at the moment I'm the only North American in town (at least for adoption purposes). If I do meet any other APs on the third trip (assuming we ever make it to that point), I'll be sure to contact you for details if their referral could be the one you're looking for.
Terri, YES! Send Sandi (and come yourself, you goofball :-)We can hit them with a shot of the Fletcher Sister's Fine Blend and they'll never know what happened!
Sara, sorry to report that at the moment I'm the only North American in town (at least for adoption purposes). If I do meet any other APs on the third trip (assuming we ever make it to that point), I'll be sure to contact you for details if their referral could be the one you're looking for.
Terri, YES! Send Sandi (and come yourself, you goofball :-)We can hit them with a shot of the Fletcher Sister's Fine Blend and they'll never know what happened!
One More Day
The ministry wasn't able to get all the documents they needed over the weekend, mostly because there was a local election going on in the area where they needed to get some information, and no one there was able to spare the time to work on an adoption thing. Which I understand, but still - frustrating. frustrating, frustrating. And couldn't someone have figured this all out BEFORE I zipped myself back into these damned skinny pants?
I'll post more later, but for the moment, I need to go for a walk & clear my head.
I'll post more later, but for the moment, I need to go for a walk & clear my head.
Monday Details
Okay, so now that we have the frustrating news out of the way, we can carry on. Right?
The day began as all others have since we left, with me blow-drying the underwear I washed out the night before. I am SO looking forward to having a washing machine again!
With no visit this morning, I had lots of free time. I used some of it to laze in bed, making book notes - a most welcome distraction.After a shower and breakfast I went for a long walk along the canal that runs through town, hoping to find the grocery store I spotted yesterday while we were driving. No luck. But I did see a horse grazing by the side of the canal, which was definitely an unexpected sight. I also walked past a school which was sending kids out to run along the canal, so I ended up weaving my way through a stream of runners. It was just like being at home and dodging the Fayetteville-Manlius cross country team as they train in our neighborhood!
I came back to the room, putzed around a bit, had a bite of cheese, then got dressed for court. With 25 minutes to go, I wondered what to do. So - I wrote! Not just plotting, but actual words on a manuscript page! I got almost a whole page in before I had to leave, and you know, it was the most therapeutic thing I could have done. I'm so very very glad I opened that file.
So then it was back to court and, well, you know how that went. Or didn't :-( The judge was very nice, asked if Larry had made it safely home and if the kids were glad to have him there. Unfortunately, as stated below, the necessary documents still have not been procured, so we had to adjourn until tomorrow.
Okay. I'd half expected this, especially after we all went into the courtroom and I saw that the MOE woman wasn't there, but still, it was hard. I ended up crying a bit when the Lenas (our coordinator and our translator)gave me big hugs. But after a minute or so I blew my nose and tried to carry on. They asked if I wanted to go to the baby home, and I probably should have, but at that moment I was too worried that I would end up bawling all over Little Sister, so I said no. Instead, we went on a chocolate expedition (bonus: I now know where there's a grocery store close to the hotel!!!), and then I came back here for a few moments to recover.
Larry and I exchanged some frustrated emails, but there was good news: my suitcase will land in Syracuse Tuesday night!
Walk. More emails. Some mindless computer games. Another walk. And now I'm here for the night.
Tomorrow, back to court. Again. But this time I have a secret weapon: I came up with a proposal to offer if the judge decides we need more time yet again. don;t know if it will fly, but it makes me feel a bit more in control to have it in mind.
Meanwhile, today is Canadian Thanksgiving. I'm frustrated and worried and really ready to go home, but at the same time ... I have so very much for which to be thankful. I have an awesome husband (don't get a swelled head, Lar, it's probably just the lack of Synthroid talking :-), and fabulous healthy kids, and wonderful sisters, and the most amazingly supportive friends. This is a pain, but this is temporary.
Meanwhile, please keep those thoughts and prayers coming!
The day began as all others have since we left, with me blow-drying the underwear I washed out the night before. I am SO looking forward to having a washing machine again!
With no visit this morning, I had lots of free time. I used some of it to laze in bed, making book notes - a most welcome distraction.After a shower and breakfast I went for a long walk along the canal that runs through town, hoping to find the grocery store I spotted yesterday while we were driving. No luck. But I did see a horse grazing by the side of the canal, which was definitely an unexpected sight. I also walked past a school which was sending kids out to run along the canal, so I ended up weaving my way through a stream of runners. It was just like being at home and dodging the Fayetteville-Manlius cross country team as they train in our neighborhood!
I came back to the room, putzed around a bit, had a bite of cheese, then got dressed for court. With 25 minutes to go, I wondered what to do. So - I wrote! Not just plotting, but actual words on a manuscript page! I got almost a whole page in before I had to leave, and you know, it was the most therapeutic thing I could have done. I'm so very very glad I opened that file.
So then it was back to court and, well, you know how that went. Or didn't :-( The judge was very nice, asked if Larry had made it safely home and if the kids were glad to have him there. Unfortunately, as stated below, the necessary documents still have not been procured, so we had to adjourn until tomorrow.
Okay. I'd half expected this, especially after we all went into the courtroom and I saw that the MOE woman wasn't there, but still, it was hard. I ended up crying a bit when the Lenas (our coordinator and our translator)gave me big hugs. But after a minute or so I blew my nose and tried to carry on. They asked if I wanted to go to the baby home, and I probably should have, but at that moment I was too worried that I would end up bawling all over Little Sister, so I said no. Instead, we went on a chocolate expedition (bonus: I now know where there's a grocery store close to the hotel!!!), and then I came back here for a few moments to recover.
Larry and I exchanged some frustrated emails, but there was good news: my suitcase will land in Syracuse Tuesday night!
Walk. More emails. Some mindless computer games. Another walk. And now I'm here for the night.
Tomorrow, back to court. Again. But this time I have a secret weapon: I came up with a proposal to offer if the judge decides we need more time yet again. don;t know if it will fly, but it makes me feel a bit more in control to have it in mind.
Meanwhile, today is Canadian Thanksgiving. I'm frustrated and worried and really ready to go home, but at the same time ... I have so very much for which to be thankful. I have an awesome husband (don't get a swelled head, Lar, it's probably just the lack of Synthroid talking :-), and fabulous healthy kids, and wonderful sisters, and the most amazingly supportive friends. This is a pain, but this is temporary.
Meanwhile, please keep those thoughts and prayers coming!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Beautiful Sunday
It's a little after 6 p.m. as I write this, dusk is settling, and here's what I see on the riverwalk in front of my window right now:
- one fisherman
- three men standing beside him
- one woman in a pink car coat sitting all alone on a metal bench
- one man showing his friends what has to be a new camera, given how many times he's made it flash
- a s;ow and steady parade of lovers walking by, hand in hand
- a small tug-like boat flying the Russian flag
- a small child in a blue coat, running out into the open areas, then back to his parents on their bench
I told you it was a gorgeous view, night and day :-)
I had a new experience when I went for my morning walk: I was panhandled. At least, I think that's what was going on. An older woman in a thick coat and a kerchief came up to me, tugging a small boy with a sad face. She said something to me and I replied with my all-purpose Ya nee panemayoo pa Russkie." She said something else, but I repeated my phrase and walked away. A few minutes later, having reached on end of the riverwalk, I came upon her again. This time she spoke quite stridently, alternately pointing at the boy and rubbing her thumb and forefingers together in what I'm pretty sure is a universal symbol for money. When I shook my head, she got rather pissed off at me, or so I assumed from her tone. I kept walking but I confess, I glanced back a couple of times to be sure she wasn't following me, and I walked back a different way so I wouldn't run into her again.
I mentioned it to Vala, who said that this kind of think was fairly new to Astrakhan. She assured me that any money would never have gone to the child, and intellectually, I know that. But still ...
Just one visit today, as it was Sunday. Little Sister trotted out to the entry to meet us, smiled, then made a beeline for the outside door. Oh, was she unhappy when we caught her and brough her back inside! We struggled down to the music room, where she threw herself on the sofa and launched onto a long and heartwrenching period of wailing and rocking herself. I wasn't allowed to touch her for a long time. I had to make do with crouching beside her and singing soft songs to try to soothe her. After about 10 minutes she spotted the bag of Duplos I'd brought, and she sat up and reached for them, but then something set her off again and there was more heartbreak. Eventually, though, she let me rub her back, and then she started to calm. I pulled out the small bag of cookies I'd brought along, and she dug into that. With one in each hand, she finally let me put her on my lap and cuddle her close.
After that, it was all smiles.
She dumped the Duplos, which I knew she would do. That's why I brought them, so she would have something to dump. She went for the little purse again, carefully filling it with wipes and the toy cell phone and a few blocks, then marching around the room with it swinging from her hand. But the real hit today was my little mp3 player. First she stared at the headphones, pulling them apart & then letting them spring back together. Then I turned it on at full volume so she could hear the music even without headphones. Baby's first Elvis!!! She stared at the player, and at the headphones; carefully unplugged the headphones, over and over; bounced to the music; and played with every button to be found. It was an endless source of amusement for her.
She also loves to carry the toybox around the room, setting it down by the little chairs that are lined up for music time, and filling it with the things I've brought. Today she insisted on putting it on the floor in front of the chair and setting her feet very precisely inside. At one point - and remember, this is a SHOEBOX - she scooched her feet to one end, squatted, and got her tiny butt inside, too! I know my feet are big, but they're not large enough that you would imagine a toddler could fold herself up inside one of my shoeboxes, but this girlie did.
She didn't want to leave today - there was a bit more rocking when we had to pick up - but she was easily distracted from it, and happy to know it was lunch time. Today she even remembered to wave goodbye and give me a kiss!
Of course, after such a great visit I was fighting tears all the way back to the hotel, worrying about what might happen in court Monday. But I have to believe it will all work out.
The afternoon was spent figuring out finances, emailing, talking to folks at home, and going for another walk. (No panhandlers this time.)For excitement I went to the restaurant here in the hotel for dinner. It was deserted, so there was no cigarette smoke butting up against my food. I'm glad, because it was really good tonight. I had an Edelweiss salad: cucumber, tomato, green beans, blue cheese, red peppers, and bacon, all very attractively arranged on the plate. Then I had chicken schnitzel, which I also ordered the first night, but this time, the cook remembered that schnitzel is usually fried. Okay, I didn't need the extra calories, but it tasted soooo much better tonight. It came with a grilled tomato and yellow pepper, and a really interesting sauce which I think was sour cream mized with tiny bits of dill pickle. Quite tangy and delicious. Interesting thing here: everything seems to be sold a la carte. So to get rice with my chicken, I had to order it separately. I guess this would simplify things for folks doing Atkins!
So now it's time to change into jammies, wash out my clothes, and do some writing. I won't get a visit until after court tomorrow. I'm praying it will be a joyful one and that we can start counting down the days until we bring Little Sister home.
- one fisherman
- three men standing beside him
- one woman in a pink car coat sitting all alone on a metal bench
- one man showing his friends what has to be a new camera, given how many times he's made it flash
- a s;ow and steady parade of lovers walking by, hand in hand
- a small tug-like boat flying the Russian flag
- a small child in a blue coat, running out into the open areas, then back to his parents on their bench
I told you it was a gorgeous view, night and day :-)
I had a new experience when I went for my morning walk: I was panhandled. At least, I think that's what was going on. An older woman in a thick coat and a kerchief came up to me, tugging a small boy with a sad face. She said something to me and I replied with my all-purpose Ya nee panemayoo pa Russkie." She said something else, but I repeated my phrase and walked away. A few minutes later, having reached on end of the riverwalk, I came upon her again. This time she spoke quite stridently, alternately pointing at the boy and rubbing her thumb and forefingers together in what I'm pretty sure is a universal symbol for money. When I shook my head, she got rather pissed off at me, or so I assumed from her tone. I kept walking but I confess, I glanced back a couple of times to be sure she wasn't following me, and I walked back a different way so I wouldn't run into her again.
I mentioned it to Vala, who said that this kind of think was fairly new to Astrakhan. She assured me that any money would never have gone to the child, and intellectually, I know that. But still ...
Just one visit today, as it was Sunday. Little Sister trotted out to the entry to meet us, smiled, then made a beeline for the outside door. Oh, was she unhappy when we caught her and brough her back inside! We struggled down to the music room, where she threw herself on the sofa and launched onto a long and heartwrenching period of wailing and rocking herself. I wasn't allowed to touch her for a long time. I had to make do with crouching beside her and singing soft songs to try to soothe her. After about 10 minutes she spotted the bag of Duplos I'd brought, and she sat up and reached for them, but then something set her off again and there was more heartbreak. Eventually, though, she let me rub her back, and then she started to calm. I pulled out the small bag of cookies I'd brought along, and she dug into that. With one in each hand, she finally let me put her on my lap and cuddle her close.
After that, it was all smiles.
She dumped the Duplos, which I knew she would do. That's why I brought them, so she would have something to dump. She went for the little purse again, carefully filling it with wipes and the toy cell phone and a few blocks, then marching around the room with it swinging from her hand. But the real hit today was my little mp3 player. First she stared at the headphones, pulling them apart & then letting them spring back together. Then I turned it on at full volume so she could hear the music even without headphones. Baby's first Elvis!!! She stared at the player, and at the headphones; carefully unplugged the headphones, over and over; bounced to the music; and played with every button to be found. It was an endless source of amusement for her.
She also loves to carry the toybox around the room, setting it down by the little chairs that are lined up for music time, and filling it with the things I've brought. Today she insisted on putting it on the floor in front of the chair and setting her feet very precisely inside. At one point - and remember, this is a SHOEBOX - she scooched her feet to one end, squatted, and got her tiny butt inside, too! I know my feet are big, but they're not large enough that you would imagine a toddler could fold herself up inside one of my shoeboxes, but this girlie did.
She didn't want to leave today - there was a bit more rocking when we had to pick up - but she was easily distracted from it, and happy to know it was lunch time. Today she even remembered to wave goodbye and give me a kiss!
Of course, after such a great visit I was fighting tears all the way back to the hotel, worrying about what might happen in court Monday. But I have to believe it will all work out.
The afternoon was spent figuring out finances, emailing, talking to folks at home, and going for another walk. (No panhandlers this time.)For excitement I went to the restaurant here in the hotel for dinner. It was deserted, so there was no cigarette smoke butting up against my food. I'm glad, because it was really good tonight. I had an Edelweiss salad: cucumber, tomato, green beans, blue cheese, red peppers, and bacon, all very attractively arranged on the plate. Then I had chicken schnitzel, which I also ordered the first night, but this time, the cook remembered that schnitzel is usually fried. Okay, I didn't need the extra calories, but it tasted soooo much better tonight. It came with a grilled tomato and yellow pepper, and a really interesting sauce which I think was sour cream mized with tiny bits of dill pickle. Quite tangy and delicious. Interesting thing here: everything seems to be sold a la carte. So to get rice with my chicken, I had to order it separately. I guess this would simplify things for folks doing Atkins!
So now it's time to change into jammies, wash out my clothes, and do some writing. I won't get a visit until after court tomorrow. I'm praying it will be a joyful one and that we can start counting down the days until we bring Little Sister home.
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