What a difference a Year Makes

At this time last year we were getting ready to fly from Moscow to Kiev for a connecting flight to JFK after seeing our daughter for the 1st time. We ended up being stuck in the Kiev airport for 24 hours only to get home on a different airline on the 26th rather than Christmas evening. We arrived home about 30 hours later than expected.

This year Katerina is sleeping and we are anxious to see her reaction tomorrow morning when she sees that santa has come :) What a difference a year makes.

We are quite excited about this Christmas even though we know she is still a bit young. We think :) Santa has brought a piano, a drum, books, puzzles, clothes and other toys. She has expressed interest in all of the toys and instruments previously at other houses so we hope she likes them when they are hers too. That is if Santa brought these gifts :).

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate it. And Happy New Year to all.

Random Encounter at the Mall

Kelly and I were walking through the Holyoke Mall with Katerina the other day and happened to stop to take care of something on Katerina. So not remember what. Katerina was looking at a little boy in a front pack being carried by his mom.

Katerina says "hi" to the mom. She says hi to everyone. And we strike up a conversation with the mom. It was apparent from early on that her little boy was adopted. So I finally say something to the effect of, "This may be inappropriate but where is your son from?" The adorable little guy was from Ethiopia. So we and the mom had a ten minute conversation while Katerina touched his hand a few times. He is 11 months old and his hand is already the size of Katerina's.

In the end we exchanged emails and will try to get together come the spring when it thaws out with other adoption families that the mom has met along the way from this area.

A weird but cool meeting of people with something in common.

Thoughts

Tonight after we lost electricity I had to walk into Kat's room to reset the monitor which does not turn back on when the electricity comes back on. While I did this as quietly as possible so as not to wake Katerina, I looked down at her sleeping in her crib. She was all scrunched up in one side so small and cute.

I think Kelly and I would have been happy in our own little world with our nieces and nephews had we not adopted or had a child. But having Kat in our world for the past eight months certainly makes me think that I could never have imagined how happy she makes us feel. How just looking at her in her crib makes me smile. I would never, in a million years (or however many years I would have lived probably a few less than a million), thought she could make this much of a difference. Makes me, and I am sure Kelly, feel this good and happy.

Just felt like putting this out there. As I am sure most of you feel the same about your little princesses and princes, it is amazing how these little ones can make us feel as parents, adopted or not.

This is a test to see if video works - Kat on Swing

Kat on swing at Santa Land in Vermont.

Kat's cats

Because I was uploading pictures, I figured I would post one of each of Katerina's cats.

The first two are Sophie under the tree and her mommy Lilly. They are about 2 and 4 years old.

These two are her Maine Coons. Orion on the left, is the only boy and the youngest at about 1 1/2 years old. Luci on the right is Kat's biggest cat at about 19 pounds. She is about 3 and 1/2.

And then there is the Queen B., Beezer. Our oldest kitty.

Thanksgiving & Pictures of Katerina

Today was a nice day. We spent a little time with family then came home for a nice turkey dinner. Katerina as is her norm, ate some turkey and potatoes, but loved the corn and Kelly's new carrot recipe.

Her napping was messed up today so she was in bed early this evening. Hopefully she sleeps through the night. I think her teething has caused her to wake up the past two nights. If not her teething than something else. But last night was a tough one. She was up from about 2 - 3 am. Luckily Kelly had to round but at her leisure so I was able to sleep a little later than normal (7:30 am).

Now on to some pictures because I havebeen getting a little grief for not posting more photos.

Here I am with Kat in front of our xmas tree.

Here's Kelly with Katerina at Santa's Land in Putney Vermont. She loved it!!

Happy Thanksgiving

It is hard to believe that this time last year we had just received our referral for Katerina. We would find out just after Thanksgiving that we would be traveling the week before Christmas, returning home on Christmas day (Worst travel story ever for us - we got stuck in the Ukraine and did not return home until the 26th but that is a different story).

It made both Thanksgiving and Christmas last year a little less important than normal; almost lost holidays for us. Now this Thanksgiving we get to have our first together as a full family. We have a lot to be thankful for, but without comparison our beautiful little girl is a top that list. Katerina has made all holidays seem a little more grand and important since she came home in March.

So I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to family and friends and especially those who followed our travels and have given us input both on parenting and the adoption process. Without all of you this little family would not be in the position it is in today.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.

Welcome Home Polina

Katerina, Kelly and I welcome home Maggie, Randy and their beautiful little girl Polina.

I remember how relaxed we were to land at JFK with Katerina and that was after being in Moscow for a total of six days. It was supposed to be seven but we were delayed leaving due to a vicious wind and rain storm in NY. I can only imagine how good they must feel about stepping foot at the airport and then their home after being away for nearly a month.

Best wishes guys!

Living Room Rearranging

So we finally broke down and moved the living room around. Katerina was climbing up from the end table and sofa on to the picture window mantle. And every time she would hit her head on the large window (about 4 x 4), I just had visions of it shattering. I kept picking her up and putting her on the couch and saying "no" but it was getting nowhere with her. She thought it was a game and would laugh. It was cute but we feared the worst so we rearranged the living room. Now the worst case is she falls on her head from a couple of feet up rather than through a large window.

Well it seems better in my head anyway.

Another positive is now our christmas tree will look very pretty from outside in front of the large window.

Santa's Land

We took Katerina to Santa's Land in Putney, Vermont today. It started as a chilly day in southern Vermont and ended around noon time as a beautiful day.

Katerina warmed up a bit to Santa Claus although I was holding her the entire time. She loved the big slide that we went down with her. The video of it is so cute because she is smiling all the way down the slide. For those who know the Big E in Western Mass it is a smaller version of the big slide at the Big E.

The llamas scared her but she loved the goats and reindeers. All in all, she had a very good time and was cute throughout the day. This is nothing new because she is always cute to us.

Tid Bits from the week

* Katerina received four shots this week including her first of two flu shots. After her first vaccination run, she ran a very high fever so we expected the worst after the last one and this one. Nothing at all. I hate watching her get shots and cry but obviously it's for her best. She also got a xylophone as her toy for this set of shots.

* I get a bit disappointed when people do not say "hi" back to Katerina at the mall or when we are out. She is a very outgoing little girl. She says "hi" to just about anyone. When people do not hear that is one thing. But when they do and ignore it, I feel kind of sad for Katerina.

* We got to play outside today as the weather was so nice. Into the 60s which was needed for me. I had been a bit ill this past week so I needed the fresh air. Katerina loved going for a ride in her wagon and playing on the slide.

* We are preparing for Christmas which will be very big. While Katerina will only be 22 months old, and next year's will probably be cooler for her, but her first with us will be big nonetheless. Lots of books, puzzles, toys, etc. Our little girl will be spoiled for at least a little while (probably much longer than that by her dad).

* This would make a few of my friends happy from my past job at the American Hockey League. While watching the Bruins lose in a shoot out to the Blues, Kelly decided she would be okay with Katerina playing Hockey. I shudder at living the hockey parent life style. Maybe we will stick to soccer ha ha!

Randy & Maggie have a great day tomorrow - Katerina has a tough day ahead tomorrow

Congrats to our friends Randy, Maggie and little P who will finally be together tomorrow and on their last step in Russia before coming home a brand new family!!! A very good day indeed. From my blog I notice the weather even looks decent in Moscow right now. Even a bit warmer than in New England. Good luck and I hope you guys are able to take in some sights while you are there.

Katerina, on the other hand, had a tough day tomorrow. She gets the last of her immunizations for awhile and also gets a flu shot. She has a cold right now as does Dad thanks to her. So I guess as good a time as any for her to get these shots. That being said, her cold which entails stuffy and runny nose has not effected her otherwise. Still acting the same as she always does. I wish I could the same for me. I catch her cold and it hits me much harder than her: lucky little girl.

Halloween Night

The night was fun as well. Katerina got to go trick or treating with her cousins, Gaby and Bella, and Auntie Ellen. It was a cold and damp evening to begin with. The weather got worse. Gaby and Bella were very good to wait to go to houses with me and Katerina. It made me feel like less of fool for bringing a 20 month old to trick or treat. Especially considering Gabby and Bella's friends were with us and much quicker than we were.

We called it a night after a 10-15 houses because Kat was getting tired. We were about to take a trail away from the house we started at and it was getting late so we went back to the car. Kat's cousins kept going. Good thing we left as it started raining and almost snowing (a very wet snow on the windshield) 10 minutes after we got to the car.

All in all, Katerina had fun. She got more friendly with the home owners as we went along. At first she was a bit shy but by midway she has her usual charming cute self. I have some pictures below which are not great but you will see how cute she was in her monkey costume.

Kelly and Kat in the morning brunch get together. Craig and Kat in the evening. And below is Craig Kat and her cousins Gaby and Bella.

Halloween - Morning

Halloween was a big day for Katerina.

First up was a brunch at a colleague's of Kelly. There were about 7 or 8 children present and all of them were within 6 months of Katerina's age. Most of them just a couple of months older. She had a blast. She also got to play with the toys in the house which were different from those in our house. She looks like a natural playing a piano.

One of the little boys kept coming up to her and hugging her. It was so cute! On the downside, one little boy kicked her in the stomach a couple of times. It was not hard at all and barely touched her but tough to see nonetheless. I was with his father at the time who reprimanded him, although what do you really tell a 2 year old other than no/bad. As we discussed it, it is a learn as you go thing for both of us.

Thank you to Angela and Jose who had us over to their house and had a great spread of brunch foods.

Our little girl has a cold

For the first time since we brought Katerina home, she is getting a cold. Late this afternoon, her nose started running and her eyes watering. This is a first for us. I am not looking forward to tomorrow but I have to get used to Katerina having colds. I think seven months is a good run for her not getting sick.

Tough news today

We had a meeting with an orthopedic specializing in feet today and received some tough news. What we hoped might be a relatively straight forward surgery to remove an extra toe, turned out to not be straight forward. After discussing it, we have determined that it is best to just leave it as is for the time being. Until the extra toe starts to cause Katerina pain or major discomfort, we are going to do nothing. Unfortunately, the surgery would have entailed plastic surgery as well as a more intrusive procedure than first hoped and thought.

It is not the end of the world of course, not even close. We just hoped for Katerina's sake she would not have to deal with any sort of teasing and mocking. At her current age we are not worried but in a few years it could be different. Time will tell if and when we are to have it removed. For now, we leave it as is.

Pictures of Katerina

One of Kelly's former office members told Kelly to get on me about putting more pictures since we have moved and she does not get to see Katerina nearly weekly like before our move. So here are a few more pics.

Thist one is Katerina at Kelly's birthday dinner. As you can tell she loved the cake. If you look a little bit closer you will note she loved the chicken parm and pasta too.

These two are her at home after her x-rays for her little procedure which will be coming soon. She has her tinkerbell sticker that she got for being a good patient on her chest.

Winning Hearts Everywhere

I will start with the obvious caveat: we are bias because Katerina is an angel in our eyes.

That being said, Katerina had x-rays taken at Kelly's hospital today for a nearing procedure. For 30 minutes we waited for a person to do our intake. Katerina in that 30 minute wait (you would think Kelly being a surgeon at the hospital would give us some pull) said "hi" and waved at just about every person to walk by. Smiling and giggling all the time except when she was drinking Kelly's juice.

Then we get into the x-ray waiting area and she continues to charm. I had to wait because there was only room for one of us in the x-ray room so Kelly took her. When they came out, I took Katerina to start towards the car. Kelly had a surgery to perform before coming home on her "off" day. When she got home, she said that everyone loved Katerina in the x-ray room. The techs were saying what a beautiful little girl she was and how friendly.

Every day, it becomes apparent, that this little girl is quite outgoing and loves saying "hi" to people. The good news is, even when she is saying her hellos, she will get shy every once in awhile and curl up in our arms. We love that. It also becomes more and more apparent that she is such a special little girl. We are lucky to be her parents.

Great Blogs

The one great thing about our adoption besides Katerina, is the people we have met because of it. From the organizations who have helped us to the other adopting families. Through one of our friend's blog, we have linked to others and read their stories. Sometimes this makes us feel a bit lucky because our process went quickly and relatively smoothly. Other times, it makes us feel bad for our friends and fellow adopting families. It also makes us feel happy to see so many cute little boys and girls coming to loving families in the USA.

The other great thing about reading these blogs is it gives us ideas and things we should look into and look forward to. They also make me think, "I wish I had done that." To name a few, Randy and Maggie had a timeline of there process which we liked so we did something similar. It was nice because we were able to. The one that is a bit disappointing is Amy & Kevin's taking a picture of their little girl every month in the same, or at least very similar, outfit. I wish I had thought of something like that. We have pictures but that is such a great thing guys. Kudos.

There are other blogs I have read some of or most of which have had great things. But those two have stuck out.

When I first started writing our blog it was to be more or less a notebook for Katerina's future use. So she could see what her parents did to bring her home. I guess some of these other things would have added to that for her.

Scrap Books & Pictures

So I am trying to finalize Katerina's "my family, my journey, Memory Book" for her. Trying to use the right terminology and find appropriate pictures is not as easy as it may seem.

We also decided to clean out old clothes that no longer fit Katerina which led us to looking at other things we have. This is included two scrap books.

The first one, Randy and Maggie's, is so beautifully done. Maggie must have spent a ton of time on it. This made it easy on me because it meant I only needed to find pictures to fit the pages.

The second one, a gift from Kelly's best friend, is a gorgeous album and nice suggestions. But, I have to fill in the data and pictures. That one is going to be a lot of work.

All of this leads me to the conclusion that while we feel like we take a lot of pictures and video of Katerina, we really don't. We take a lot of photos of the event we are at but not at a lot of events. Hopefully that makes sense. We need to take more pictures of our little princess.

Some Pictures

Because most of my posts are written while on my office computer and our pictures are stored on my home computer, I figured I would post some pictures now while I am on my home computer.

Katerina at Forest Park above and below.

Out back in sand box with her rocks.

Playing with Cousins

Katerina spent yesterday afternoon and early evening playing with her cousin Gaby, and to a lesser extent Bella and her friend.

Gaby, who is 7, is great with Katerina. Gaby pulls out all of her old toys for Katerina to play with. Then they took a bath together which Katerina absolutely loved. Playing in the tub was great for her. She has recently falling in love with bath time. I think the added ability to play with Gaby made it even better. The next bath will probably be a let down because she will be alone.

All of Katerina's cousins have been good with her. Kira and Trevor when up from their home in Texas played with her a lot and she really enjoyed. But because they live in Texas, we do not see them regularly. Our niece Gaby is smart and fun-loving but can be a pain sometimes. So it is funny to think Katerina will grow up emulating Gaby. But, I could think of many, many worse children for her to be like.

Most important is Gaby plays with her and Katerina loves it!

Early Intervention Meeting This Morning - Went Well!!

We had our meeting with early intervention today. Although only the meeting leader (forgot her real title) was able to show up. The speech therapist and occupational therapist were both sick yesterday so decided best not to come this morning. We were quite happy with that. Kelly said there is a nasty GI virus going around that we do not want to catch. They will reschedule but after meeting with Joyce, we are confident Katerina will not need any therapy.

Joyce was great with Katerina. She gave us some good tips for a couple of things that could help Katerina. She was quick to say they were not her areas of expertise but suggested an exercise to work Katerina's eyes could help. Although we do have an appointment set up with a pediatric eye doctor to check them. Still quite completely determine if the shape of her eyes and nose cause one of her eyes to seem a bit lazy or if it actually is a bit lazy. It is not too bad so the exercises should be enough if there is a problem.

She also though Katerina's motor skills were very good. And they were on full display as Katerina climbed over everything: the coffee table, the couch, the end table to the couch, etc. Verbal skills, which is what we were most concerned about simply because of the late start with English were also where they (whomever they are) say the skills should be. She has a few words down and she is trying to speak others. I call it gobbledy gook.

Lastly, we were a tad concerned by some of the things we thought Katerina should be doing. As if she were behind the curve but Joyce explained that those things just aren't normal for an 18 month old child. And if she was doing those things, she would have been worried about Aspergers. We felt quite relieved. Things that were beyond her age but we did not know that.

Lastly, she had a great quote. She said something to the effect of..."everyone wants their child to be in college by the age of two with the stuff they push on them. It is no wonder so many kids end up using drugs as they get older with all the pressure put on them. Just let kid be kids." Basically she was saying social skills and kids playing with age appropriate stuff is best. Not everything has to be a learning/teaching moment.

Early Intervention

We have a meeting set up for Wednesday morning for Katerina with Early Intervention. I am not sure how much, if anything, Katerina needs. At 19 months in a week, she seems to be very close to walking so she has nearly caught up physically to those around her age.

Her speech is coming. She says some words in English. And is certainly trying to say more. But of course, we will do whatever we can to help her along. If they make suggestions we will follow through on them. Anything for Katerina.

Climbing and Bruises

Katerina woke up yesterday morning with a shiner. Our first thought was, what in the world happened. We do not recall bumping her face like that, nor crying during the night.

I guess we are going to have to get used to this. She has become a crazy little climber girl. She will climb out of anything. Came upstairs to dinner from my office and found her on the kitchen table which is a high table. She was just sitting there waiting for dinner. Needless to say I was shocked she was able to get out of her high chair and on to the table.

Earlier this week she took her first big tumble right in front of me. I saw it happening but could not get to her in time to catch her. It hurt to hold her while she cried. I said to kelly, "the scary part is this is not going to be the worst fall she takes, in the coming years." That thought stinks but is true.

Katerina at 18 months

Katerina has now been home for nearly 6 months. Both Kelly and I cannot imagine life without our little princess.

We just had her 18 month check up which included more immunizations and vaccines. She did not spike too much of a fever this time. The last time she went over 102 the day after. This time topped out around 100 which was nice. Although we were prepared for much worse.

When we brought Katerina home she was short and light as I like to say. She was in the 25% percentile for height and slightly above that for weight. Now she is right in the middle of both. She is at 50% for height and weight. She is just a few inches short of 3 feet tall now. Not sure at what age the doctor starts referring to her height rather than length but right now she is at about 32 inches long/tall.

She has been getting along quite well with her grandparents. There are moments of shyness which is ok but usually she is very good with them. And often quite friendly with most people. She will say "hi" and wave at anyone in any store most of the time. Today she got a little nervous in a small store which had a lot of people in it. We like still like to see her cling to us at times. Just a reminder that she knows we are the important people in her life. I think she knows this anyway but still a nice reminder.

My brother, his wife and daughters gave a wagon to Katerina which she absolutely loves. We pull her around the yard and on the driveway and she goes crazy. Now when she just sees it, even if we are going out, she wants a ride in the wagon.

Well enough for tonight. I will post pictures in the next day or two when I am on the other computer which has the pictures on it.

Been a long time since I posted - Sorry

First let me apologize for the delay in posting. We have been hectic with a move to a new but old state. Plus work has had me quite busy. My day is now watch Katerina during the day while Kelly works and then when she gets home, our responsibilities switch. Kelly watches Katerina and I go to the basement and work for the next few hours.

We moved in July from Connecticut to Massachusetts, both for job opportunities and to be closer to our family. This is where we are both from and most of our family is still in the area so it is nice to be home. But as you can imagine, packing a 4 bedroom house and moving it to another state with a young to watch can be time consuming.

But that being said, I will post a few times over the next couple of days with updates about where Katerina is these days and what has been going on in her life. And, how she is doing.

Dolls, Doctors, & A spoiled little girl

It has been awhile since I posted. Work, plus watching Katerina plus moving has taken up a lot of my time. A lot has gone on in the past three weeks.

First up Katerina had her 15 month check up. It was out first sick time with Katerina. Her vaccinations and immunizations caused her to spike a fever around 103 the day after. We felt so bad. It dropped significantly by the following evening and the second day she was back to her happy self. The appointment went well. She is still petite but has gained some weight. It appears she will just be a short beautiful girl. She did not take shots very well. I hate watching her get them.

We also had professional pictures taken at home. The photographer, Rick O, was amazing. The pictures were even more amazing. We are so happy with the outcome. I will post a couple of pictures when I am on the computer with them.

Now more interesting stuff. Katerina has started to climb stairs which I do not like. We finally put the gate up to prevent that. Then we walk into the living room and there she is on the coffee table. She has learned to lift her leg up and pop up onto the coffee table or the lift near the fire place. It is cute but a bit scary. She was just sitting on the coffee table watching cartoons.

She is also getting used to being spoiled and showered with attention. Now she whimpers a bit if we are not giving her 100% attention or doing what she wants. It is hard to be strong and not give her what she wants though. she is such a little cutie pie. Part of us feels like we are making up for what she lost in her first year without us.

She has also come to love her Matroyshka dolls. Wants to hold them with the russian music box playing every morning after a diaper change. We bought one as a gift for a friend and while we were at the friend's hosue this past week, Katerina locked right in on it. Wanted to play with it, which of course means hold it and try to eat it :).

All in all, we love her to death. She is the cutest little girl in the world to us.

Tough Day

Katerina had her 15 month check up yesterday which included 3 vaccinations and immunizations. Unfortunately, she is running a fever today. She tries to laugh and be happy like she usually is, but is having a tough time. We feel so bad for her. We are just trying to keep her hydrated and cool as well as giving her anything she wants to eat today (cookies, popsicles, fruits. Yummy!

On the good side of all this, our pediatrician was happy with her progress. She is still short :). She is in the 25th percentile for height. Her head is still in the 90-95th percentile (big brain!!!). And, her weight has increased from the 25th percentile range to near the 5oth percentile. The key was she was well within the norms for increase from her last appointment. And of course, what child wouldn't increase in weight after getting more nutrition and full attention 100% of the time.

We are so happy she is here and hope her fever drops by bedtime. At least a little.

Update

Found Miss Spider's Sunny Patch story "Family Tree" on DVD format. Will be ordering it today or tomorrow.

Adoption as seen through "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch"

There are a few shows Katerina really likes on Nick Jr.: Ni Hao, Kai Lan, Yo Gabba Gabba, Jack's Big Music Show, and Miss Spider's Sunny Patch. They had a great episode on Miss Spider's the other day about family trees which necessarily included the topic of family creation by adoption. Three of Miss Spider's children are adopted (a firefly, beetle and bed bug). While Katerina is only 15 months old and does not understand the topic whether from Kelly and me or a cartoon, I want to find this on DVD for her to have later on in life. It is a cute cartoon without the added benefit of the adoption topic.

Our First Mother's Day

We had a nice little mother's day today: Our first together.

Kelly had a surgery to perform early then had the rest of the day off. It was a cold windy day but we went to Wolfe Park any way. Katerina went on her first swing. Then Kat and mom napped while dad started a nice roast dinner. The cake tasted a bit weird but was cute nonetheless.

This little girl has made our lives much, much better. I know it is cliche but, it is weird thinking about things just a few months ago before we brought her home.

Moving to Northampton, Massachusetts

This week saw Katerina get out a little more. She has taken car trips of a couple of hours now a couple of times.

Kelly has accepted a new position in Western Massachusetts which means we are moving. It is a great position for us now that we have our little Katerina. Kelly's call schedule will be significantly reduced. Meaning working only 1 out of every 6 weekends rather than working 3 of 6. And, basically 4 week days a month rather than every other weekday every week. Katerina will get to see her Mommy much much more. And I'll get to do more work and bill more hours because of it.

It is also home for us. I grew up about 15 miles from the town Kelly will be working in and Kelly grew up just a little further away from the town. We are looking forward to it. The moving part will suck of course.

So Katerina will became a citizen while we lived in Connecticut but will grow up in Massachusetts just like her parents did. She will also be much closer to all of her grand parents, and her aunts and uncles who reside in the area (one aunt lives in Dallas). With the extra weekends off for Kelly, Katerina will get to see her family more.

Social Security Number

Katerina now has a social security number. The only remaining things for us are the periodic updates for the Russian Government and the registering with the Russian Consulate which has already been taken care of. We are just awaiting the return of the deposit check.

The social security number adds a bit of citizenship in my eyes. Obviously the passport tamp and then the Certificate of Citizenship were proof but there is just something about the number itself. Now she can work :) legally haha.

Social Security Number

Katerina and I went to our local Social Security Administration Office today. When our number was called, I carried Katerina up and calmly said, "this young lady would like to get a social security card." I also did not feel comfortable putting her Certificate of Citizenship in the mail. By going in person, I got it all back after the person assisting us finished entering the data.

I know the certificate of citizenship is the important thing. But, I still feel like having the SSN is so important. In my eyes, it takes citizenship to a higher level of proof. As if it is the absolute proof of Katerina being an American.

I know it is probably crazy but that is how I view it. In a couple of weeks, she will have a SSN and a SS Card. :)

Certificate of Citizenship

We just got Katerina's certificate of citizenship in the mail!!! Now there is more to her citizenship than just a stamp in her Russian passport. Woo Hoo!!! Looks like tonight I will be working on getting her a social security number and starting the process for her first American passport. The finishing touches on her citizenship.

Also, the certificate says it is punishable by US Law to copy, print or photograph the certificate so I will not do so. But this raises a question in my legal mind. Specifically would a scan be considered a photograph because it is clearly not a copy nor a print. I prefer to scan such documents so I do not completely lose them in case of emergency (flood, fire, etc). Oh well this one will be one of a kind with no back up in my possession.

Food to Mouth

Katerina also just began putting foods in her mouth on her own. Strawberry yogurt treats from Kelly's hands to Katerina's to Katerina's mouth. "Boy they grow up so fast" to quote Kelly. :)

She has been getting some adult foods the past few days but we had to put them in her mouth. She likes ice cream but LOVES nutter butters. She also likes bananas and grapes without the skin.

Clap Hands

She cannot say clap hands but understands what it means. When we say clap hands, in a similar tone to Adam Sandler in Waterboy, she claps her hands. It is cute.

UP - First English Word

While Katerina has made sounds resembling mama which is how they say mother/mom in Russia, she said her first obviously English word a few days ago. And surprisingly it was the word "up." Only surprising because we expected it be some form of mom or dad. Although she came to us nearly saying mama. We are just not sure we has put mama together with Kelly. While with the word up she has put together what happens when she says up.

It is not a complete shock though because whenever we pick her up we say up. And when I lift her above my head, which I do a lot, I say up. So it is the word she probably hears most other than some form of mom/mommy/mama.

It was cute though. "UP"

Updates

Katerina is crawling like crazy now, speeding around the house on her hands and knees when we put her down. For a brief few seconds tonight she stood on her own before crashing down on the bed. What I call "booms." Her hair is continuing to grow in quickly since we got home.

We have been taking her outside although usually in the car as we have places to go. She is getting used to the car.

Kelly went back to work this weekend so the tough starts for me tomorrow. As I will be the stay at home parent as well as trying to squeeze two hours a day of work into the schedule. Will be early to bed nights for me now. And preparing cases whenever I get a chance.

WEll a few minutes to read before bed now that Katerina is finally sleeping. Good night folks.

Cranky Little KaterinaTonight

Been awhile since I posted. I am tired often now so not posting as much (which is obvious). But I figured tonight was as good a night as any with Katerina crying in her crib right now. She just does not want to go to sleep this evening. On the positive side it means I will be able to sleep longer tomorrow morning as long as this is not an all night thing.

Tonight is Katerina's 30th night home and there have been two nights where she was up much of the night. We chalk it up to teething but that is just a best guess. Hopefully tonight does not become night 3 out of 30.

7 year old flight to Moscow

What kind of idiot sends a 7 year old on a trans-Atlantic flight alone? Irrelevant of any issues the 7 year old may or may not have had (I would think nothing that couldn't have been expected for a 7 year old who has been in an orphanage most of his life), who would do that to a child?

Our thoughts are with our friends who just received their referral and are worried Russia may shut down to American parents before they can finish their process. I hope this is just tough talk by politicians. To let a few bad apples pose such a problem to the significant majority of adoptive parents is sad. I think I read that about 1600 children were adopted last year. No child deserves to be treated this way or worse but the percentage is barely 1/10 of a percent.

So in closing, I think the mother and her mother should both be punished criminally for what they did. And I hope to God that Russia keeps their doors open for our friends and every other family in their position: that it is just politicians talking tough. Especially when one considers today's article stated there were currently around 740,000 children waiting to be adopted in Russia.

A few pictures of Katerina

Katerina in Grampa's hat.
Katerina dressed up for her first day out in the USA.

Birthday party

Because Katerina was just barely past her first birthday when we got home, Kelly and I decided to have a small birthday party for her so that we could have pictures of her first birthday party for her scrap book and her memories. Had she been closer to 2 years old, we would not have done this. It was late and she was a bit cranky but we got some pictures as did our friends who came over with their two children. One of whom, nearly 3 year old, was so anxious to meet Katerina. She had been talking about Katerina, weeks before we brought her home.

Clinging

Katerina has only been introduced to a few non family members thus far. Our closest friends here in town and Kelly's staff. I was happy yesterday when she met Kelly's staff because she was quite clingy to Kelly and me. She has been very social when seeing people in the few stores we have been in with her as well as with all her grandparents. But at the office, she just clung to me. Hugged me in the shy somewhat uncertain type of position for awhile. And when they came near her she just buried her head in my shoulder for a little while. Made Kelly and I feel good that Katerina understands who we are - her caregivers and protectors. Better put her parents!!!

Thoughts about Katerina

It has been some time since I posted a real post (the one a few minutes ago does not count). Now that we have been home for 2 and a 1/2 weeks we have seen certain things and come to certain thoughts about the orphanage and Katerina's time in Moscow.

First, we still thank the orphanage a ton as it appears Katerina was a favorite there. That being said, we were told she was crawling and nearly walking. We have a tough time seeing this as Katerina just started crawling in the past couple of days. She is cruising along now when she wants something but still prefers to be carried. We usually give in :). She is, just as she was there, standing with the help of either Kelly and I or stationary objects.

We have also seen significant growth in small things since she has been home and eating the recommended amounts of food (based on the book..."What to expect * Toddler Years"). Her hair has grown in quickly and is much thicker now than it was 3 weeks ago. And her stomach is round like a baby's should be rather than not being round when we got her. Once again, this is not a knock on the baby home as we are grateful for all they did for Katerina in her 13 months there. But these are noticeable differences we have seen in just the nearly 3 weeks we have been home.

Tough bed time

Katerina cried loudly and heavily this evening for about 2 hours after we put her to bed. We of course would go in after 5 or 10 minutes and hold her and change her diaper but otherwise, after going through our mental checklist of things that could be wrong, we got nowhere. We gave her some food and hoped for the best. She finally fell asleep. The crying was tough to take. I hate not knowing the answers especially after trying everything.

Sometimes I jokingly say, "Use your words, Kat." Knowing full well our 13 month old little girl does not speak any words yet.

My big concern is always that there is something wrong. Luckily Kelly has the logic and training to know that this was not a medical type situation.

Tough Day for Katerina

It has been a few days since I posted. I apologize. The jet lag and looking after little Kat has me quite tired. My sleep patterns are atrocious and annoying. I can;t wait to get back to my normal sleep pattern and then have that interrupted by Katerina. She is sleeping through the night and has nothing to do with my horrendous sleep.

Now enough of about me because no one cares about me. Katerina is the important one. We brought her for a check up today. Was a tough day for the little tyke. She received four shots plus the Tb test (I always forget the actual name...ddp or something like that). Then we needed blood drawn and Kelly and I agreed it was better to get it all out of the way at once rather than spread it out over multiple days. So we went to the lab which had a difficult time with her little arms. Although it only took two tries, I was getting annoyed watching them move the needle from side to side and in and out while attempting to find a vein. Katerina was screaming and I just felt so bad for her. I hate knowing I am helpless to help with a bad situation. I would assume all parents feel this way. The great thing about Kat is that a half hour later she was back to normal and smiling, although a little tired.

This did however lead to a first for Katerina. As a reward for her bravery, she got her first soft serve ice cream. And boy did she like it. She was licking mine while in the car and then ate half of the kiddy cup we got her when we got home. While in Russia she was never fed any sweets or anything cold. So this was a double first. She probably can't believe what she was missing.

I suspect she will be sore tomorrow in her legs where she received the vaccinations and in the arms from the blood draws but at least we will be able to have everything done for now. Her next vaccination as part of the MMR will not be needed until she is four years old.

Most importantly, the doctor was quite nice and every thing seemed fine health-wise although there are a few follow ups we have to do. We also learned she is a petite gal (short and light) for her age. Although this could be genetics but the weight could be a orphanage thing as well.

First Day Home

So we arrived at the house about 8:30 Saturday night.

Katerina slept through most of the night. Unfortunately I did not. So I was up at 4:30 with Katerina. I awoke at 3:00 am. Trying to stay up late tonight so I can sleep from midnight or one am until 8 am tomorrow morning. In an effort to get back on schedule. But enough of me. Now about Katerina's first full day at home.

She is still having some gastric issues getting used to a slightly different diet which has caused her some pain. Quite happy once that is gone though.

She was frightened by the cats at first. She has not taken to petting them yet but she tolerates them near her now which is a good start only 24 hours after getting home.

Today she got to play with some of the toys we had for her. Her exersaucer, which was a Shower gift, was definitely a hit. She giggled and laughed while the sounds played. She bounced up and down in it. Definitely made the hour it took to put it together well worth it. We also had a pink princess car walker which she was fine in. Although she is too short for her feet to reach the floor. She needs a couple more inches then she will be running around the house in that.

Katerina seemed to like the juices and Gerbers food I bought for this morning. A little different from the foods she ate in Russia but she had no problem "running a train on" the different types we have (This is in here for Kelly from Role Models".

Well the Advil PM is starting to kick in so I am off to bed. Good night to all and as always thanks for reading and I hope those who have or are adopting find some of the information useful.

Flight Home

So after the Embassy meeting we anxiously awaited sleep and our trip home on Aeroflot. For the first time during our three trips, our plane actually took on time and landed on time. I would not wish our travels on anyone, but if it meant a guarantee that our flight with Katerina home went off as scheduled, I might have made that trade.

The flight itself was horrendous. We sat behind a bulk head giving us loads of leg room and a place for a bassinet for Katerina. She had nothing to do with it and squirmed from one lap to the other for the ten hour trip home. This was after crying violently, screaming, for the first 30 minutes of the trip. We assume it was because of pain in her ears during the ascent. It was horrible. We felt so bad for her because we could do nothing to help her despite trying everything. We felt bad for the passengers around us because it was quite loud. At this point, we were both thinking this might be the worst ten hours of our lives and just couldn't wait to get on the ground.

She did calm down and that started the squirming. We were hopeful she might sleep for most of the flight. This did not happen either. I would guess she might have slept for three to four hours of it. Of course the problem here was, we could not sleep either so it made the ten hours seem soooooooo loooong.

She did not cry much during the descent into JFK which was nice.

Because we were seated near the front, we were quick to get off the plane and to customs. Customs was quick. We were taken to the secondary office but only for a stamp. The first officer was able to handle everything for us except that. With the stamp from the first officer, Katerina became an American.

A couple of Pictures of the happy family

Here are a couple of the three of us and one of her.

Updates to Come

Sorry to those who read the blog. I will have updates coming soon. I promise. But between the jet lag, Kelly being sick and best of all having to watch and play with Katerina, I just have not had a chance to write about our trip home and Katerina's reaction to her new home.

Needless to say though, we did arrive at JFK in NY and Katerina made it through customs with no problems.

Odd Thoughts

As usual, I was not able to sleep through the night. Although this evening, I was able to get nearly five hours of sleep and there is still a good chance I will get another one to three hours before the alarm goes off. So I figured for my last post I would just state some of the things that come to mind as we prepare to leave.

* I will not miss traveling for a while.

* There was not one Russian who mispronounced my name which I find amazing because I can rarely find one American who doesn't know me who can pronounce it correctly. While at the Embassy, three Russians got it right. The last person we saw got it wrong. She of course was an American. I found this funny. Our driver even spoke Italian fluently because he had lived there for three years as a merchant marine. So he had asked many questions about our ties to Italy.

* The other two couples at the Embassy were from other parts of Russia. Their little boy and girl were very cute. The little girl was about 15 months and had an amazing head of hair. Had already had her hair cut twice. I do not see Katerina needing a haircut for a little while. The little boy was 2 and a half and also cute. Both were big for their age and looked quite healthy.

* As I have said previously I will not miss the traffic of Moscow.

* I still think the next place we visit in Europe is Italy and not here. We would like to bring Katerina back here at some point though so she can see where she was born. Time will dictate when and if that comes to fruition. If or when it happens she will have to travel back on a Russian passport because both countries (US and Russia) require their citizens to travel into their countries on said country's passport.

* Which leads me to, we will get her a passport almost immediately. So by the age one and a half she will have a passport. Kelly and I did not have our first passport until last July. Big difference.

* For such a cute little girl, Katerina's passport picture is adorable for the exact opposite reason. It is so not her it is funny. She looks like a tough little boy in it.

Lastly, I wanted to give a huge thanks to Adopt-A-Child, inc. I am not a big believer in fate or karma or destiny, but we do have to believe, at least a little, that Katerina was meant for us and us for her. So for those in Russia who helped us we say thank you:
- Olga & Anna - who coordinated everything and explained the process in Russia with great detail.
- Victor and Alexander - who drove us around this city and made sure we got where we needed to be at the right times no matter the traffic. And pointed out tourist sites and added tidbits of information about other areas.
And for those in the U.S. hank you very much:
Amy, Lindsay, Natasha, Julie, Adopt-A-child as a whole: Lindsay and Julie before her who handled all my emails and calls which were simple and probably foolish questions. Natasha who took my calls on the weekend including the day we did not fly out of JFK and relayed the info to Russia. And, Amy who answered our questions early on about why AAC and then oversaw the process and prepared us on what to expect during our travels to Russia.
Lutheran Social Services of New England - who performed our home study and corrected it quickly when it was missing a sentence.

Katerina, Kelly and I thank you all.

without further delay...OUR LITTLE GIRL

More pictures will be posted over the weekend as some may say the process is not technically over. Although our contacts here in Moscow certainly believe it is. So without further delay, may Kelly and I introduce you to Katerina.

Our last full day in Moscow / Most important Day as well

Today was our last full day in Moscow. It was also the most important, after getting Katerina. It was the day we went to American Embassy to get our petition approved for orphan adoption/immediate American citizenship. Our little girl was approved. We have a Russian passport and American visa and we are ready to travel. Once that visa gets stamped at JFK, Katerina is an American!!!

As for the other things that happened today. We realized that Katerina has quickly learned that crying can get her what she wants. Which in her case is usually attention and being held. For Kelly and I, it causes confusion because we worry there is something else going on. Whether that something be pain or other serious situation or just wet diaper or just hungry/thirsty. We seemed to have gone through everything else today a few times before realizing she just wanted to be held. She is a quick learner this little girl. From not getting much attention in the orphanage to getting it whenever she turns on the tears.

Other than that, we are just anxious to get to the airport and buy Katerina her ticket. We are uncertain whether it will be a seat or just infant - no seat ticket. Depends on what they have available on our flight. We prefer her own seat as long as it is not incredibly expensive. Plus we are hopeful that they will let us use the vouchers we received for the one day delay when we left JFK for her ticket. Technically they are not transferable but this is our daughter. Not like we are giving them away to someone.

So it is with a big smile that Kelly and I prepare to bring Katerina to her new home in the United States. Now off to get some sleep. As you all know, I am only sleeping about three hours at a time. Hopefully tonight I will be able to get 6 hours between 9:30 tonight and 8 am tomorrow morning.

Some pictures - including a teaser

so this one is a view of Moscow from the hill near Moscow University.

I had to post this little park off the Moscow River. It looks like nothing but it is actully quite famous. All of you know it as Gorky Park.



This is Moscow University. It is the highest building in Moscow due to its height and location on the only real hill in Moscow I think. The picture does not do this school justice.


And lastly, a little teaser. We can not post any pictures with classifying characteristics. So instead I give you a very happy and cold mom with her daughter.

Day three

Another mostly good day with one tough spot. First Katerina slept through the night which was nice. Hopefully she will do that at home, when I too will be able to sleep through the night.

Day started with me leaving Kelly and Katerina at the hotel while I went to pick up Katerina's passport and drop off documents at American Embassy. This was easy enough although I felt a bit guilty at the Embassy. The adoption people are able to just walk by the locals waiting in line for visas to visit the states.

After completing this, our driver Victor (really nice and kind man who I found out was an officer in the Soviet Navy during the Cold War) took us to a beautiful tourist site. At Moscow University, an amazing school, we got a great view of the entire city. I will post some pictures in a post in a bit. It was cold and windy but worth it for the view of the school and the city. we then went to the free market where we be bought the remaining gifts and souvenirs we needed to get.

Then came the tough spot. We had suspected the past day that Katerina may be constipated. Well this afternoon she finally had her go. We were finally able to take care of that and her demeanor afterwards was amazing. She has been happy since we got her but the change was an even happier little gal and ready to play like crazy. We will be keeping an eye on this going forward but hopefully, now that the toughest part is done, she will be fine moving forward.

Tomorrow is the big day. Once we have our meeting at the Embassy, we will have the green light to bring her into the USA and have her become an American citizen. We will post more after that.

Pictures to come soon of the sights. And Katerina in the next couple of days.

Will also add, I was on hold with Aeroflot trying to get Katerina a ticket for about 45 minutes when I got disconnected. That was annoying.

Jet Lag

It is now 1 AM here and I am awake. And probably will be for another hour. Hopefully Kat wakes up for her snack while I am awake.

Day Two

Day two was also a good day. We had a bumped head which caused some crying but otherwise a very good day.

First up after the good night sleep was the bumped head. Then off to the doctor's office for a quick physical for the American Embassy. Boris, the Pediatrician, was very nice and great with Katerina. He joked with her and got her to laugh while running his exams. He also confirmed our thoughts that she must have been a favorite at the orphanage because she did not look like a normal child from an orphanage. He said he could I better get a shotgun to keep all the boys away from when she gets older because he could tell she was going to be trouble. Kelly and i thought it was cute. I told him I would just invite Uncle Jim over in uniform. The doctor responded, "yes, but he may be working some times, so I still recommend a shotgun."

He called her a little drama queen and explained that while at the orphanage most children would be relatively quiet because they would be fighting for attention and then just give up on trying. But he said he could see she was quickly learning how to work her parents. It would be important to let her know she cannot always be picked up when she wants. Although we pick her up nearly anytime she wants :). And will continue to do so for a little while. We still have to reinforce that we are her parents/care givers now.

After the doctor's appointment it was back to the hotel for a nap for all of us. A good nap of over 2 hours although Kelly and I still felt like we barely slept. The Jet lag is kicking in big time now. Then we went to the ultimate Russian restaurant for dinner for Kelly and me. Okay that was a joke, we went to MacDonalds, which tastes the same here as it does in the United States. Katerina ate a good amount of her oatmeal and juice mix.

And now it is bed time for our little girl and probably us soon. I am sure we will be up some time this evening with Katerina. And giving my sleep patterns, hopefully it will be near the same time I wake up without any help from Katerina.

Tomorrow is an easy day. I go the Embassy to file all of our paperwork and then back to the hotel probably by 11:00. The rest of the day is ours to do as we wish. I am hopeful, we can get to the park tomorrow as the temperature is supposed be near 30 tomorrow after being around 15 today.

Getting closer to being final! We are only three days from returning to the United States with our little princess.

Our First Night Together

Katerina took a little bit to get down in the crib but finally fell asleep. I sat by the crib for awhile so she knew we were still here. In my mind, helping with the change of scenery. Who knows if it really helped. Kelly fell asleep at the same (near 8:30-9:00 ish). While quite tired, I was sucked in to finishing Dan Brown's Lost Symbol so I was up until midnight. At about three AM Katerina woke up so we gave her some warm milk which she heartily drank. Then fell asleep quickly until just before 7 AM.

For me, it mean a typical night in Russia of falling asleep for a few hours then awake for an hour or two and then back to sleep for as much time as I could get. Will certainly lead to a nap this afternoon when Katerina naps.

Our First Day Together

Today was a great day but had some trying times.

For obviously reasons it was great. Katerina is with us. We fed her for the first time. Changed her for the first time (and after that to). She giggled and mimicked us...well most Kelly. By bed time she was much more comfortable with us. Bed time, unlike nap time, was much easier and had no crying. She is sleeping now.

She was also clearly frightened at times, breathing heavily to the point of nearly hyperventilating. I can only imagine what is going through a one year old's mind concerning the sudden change of scenery and routine. She cried when we put her in the crib but calmed down when we took her. Finally during her nap time, I slept on the floor next to her crib so she could me. This was after I got her to fall asleep in my arms and put her in the crib. Right now I am typing next to the crib until she is asleep then I will move away. So Katerina knows we are still right here when she needs us to be.

There were also other moments when she cried out of the blue and almost violently. But then would stop within a few seconds. Katerina has been with us a day and already Kelly and I are looking at each other with the "what should we do about this or that" face. All we want to do is help Katerina with whatever is making her cry. Thus far we have been able to relieve the crying quickly. We are happy about that.

Tomorrow is doctor's appointment day. We were happy to learn Katerina will not need any blood drawn tomorrow. She will get no shots or needles. We also put off bath night until tomorrow so as not to traumatize her again today after the change of scenery. We have been told that bath time in Russia is not the same bonding/festive time that it is in the United States.

All in all a great first day. I think we could not ask anything much more.

Katerina and her happy parents would also like to thank all those who had nice words on Facebook and blogspot posts.

We are parents!!!

Our little princess is sitting on the bed with Kelly playing with a toy. I waited in a room while Kelly went down to change Katerina and pick her up from her room. Kelly will post something later about the process. She said that Katerina smiled at Kelly when she entered the room. Kelly felt good about that. Then said goodbye and received kisses from the care givers. Kelly said it was sweet.

More posting later after we have had more time with her.

I will add, Cindy's hat fit her (a little big) and she looked adorable in it.

Final for the night - Itinerary

The lost day will mean we lose our off day. This is not the end of the world considering the weather would prevent us form doing a lot of the things we might have been able to do outside. So Tuesday we will go to get Katerina's passport then go to the orphanage to get Katerina. She will eb with us for the remainder of the week until we fly home.

Katerina's doctor's appointment has been rescheduled to Wednesday which was our originally scheduled off day. Everything else stays as scheduled. So given the time right now here in Moscow, we are probably about 8 or 9 hours away from getting our daughter. WOW!

As I have told a few people, I am as nervous as I am excited. Despite already being parents as the legal proceeding has been final with no appeal, it is about to become real soon. Hopefully I will have time to post later this evening after we pick up Katerina.

Flight 316/1316

Our plane was schedule to leave at 7:05 pm Saturday evening. When our friends dropped us off at the airport and we nearly got blown over by the wind just getting out the car we knew we had some problems. So we started to keep check of the plane coming from Moscow that we would be taking back to Moscow. We later found out that is was schedule to land and nearly did land at JFK. But while on its approach, it pulled up because the turbulence from the wind was too bad. It was then rerouted to Washington DC where it would remain until Sunday night. The passengers were apparently bused from DC to NY City.

We waited and waited hoping the plane would take off from DC and land at JFK some time in the night and we would thne be able to take off a few hours later. We were obviously not so lucky. So finally at about 1:30 am, long after every other flight had been canceled, our flight was canceled too. We were told it would depart at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon. We made our way out to the taxis to catch a ride to the first hotel I called that had a vacancy.

The hotel was nasty but did have a bed. So after arriving a little after 2:00 am, we went to bed. We awake just to have enough time to shower and check out. Then catch a ride back to the airport so we are there in case something happens without us knowing. This seemed to be the norm the previous night. When things were announced they would announce them in Russian but never translate them to English. I understand it is a Russian flight but they are in the USA. Some of those people waiting, us included, spoke only English.

Some point in the mid afternoon, we learn that our plane will be taking off after the Sunday scheduled plane from JFK which means after 8 pm. Our plane ended up taxiing to the runway about 11:45. We had a 30 minute wait to get to the actual runway. Take off was a but turbulent as we climbed over the storm. After getting to our traveling level of 37,000 feet, the turbulence ended.

As usual, i slept a little on the plane but not much. I would have preferred a good 5 or 6 hours but got only 2-ish. we finally landed at about 4:30 Monday afternoon. About 28 hours after our scheduled arrival time of 12:20 pm Sunday afternoon.

We cannot blame aeroflot though for this issue. Mother nature just was not cooperating. The winds were crazy at JFK and the air traffic controllers just would not let anything land. With the turbulence as it was taking off, I could not even imagine what it would have been like on Sunday night.

We felt bad for our driver, Victor, because he did not know whether we were on the early flight or the late flight so he waited at the airport for a few hours for us. We are not supposed to, bu I plan to tip him well on our last trip with him which will be to the airport on Saturday for our trip home.

Weather

As you can see from the link on the right. The weather in Moscow is quite cold. Not sure how much we will be able to do outside in weather this cold. Highs in the low to mid 20s is not cool> Especially when the weather back home is supposed to be in the mid to upper 50s. We also lost our free day due to the travel delays.

And so it continues

Woke u pa little while ago, about 1:30 AM. I fell asleep about 9:30 pm. Hopefully i will be able to fall back to sleep in the next half hour or hour. This way I can add another 3 hours before having to wake up and take on the day. The problem is that when I fall asleep at 9:30 my body thinks it is 1 or 2 pm which basically creates a nap like situation rather than a full nigh sleep and nothing I can take (Excedrin OM) keeps me out for the night.

Does give me time to blog about the past couple of days.

Another Travel Problem

The extremely high winds at JFK canceled are flight last night. It is currently scheduled to depart this evening between 8 and 9 pm. So we will arrive in Moscow Monday afternoon sometime.

We have been informed that the day late arrival will not delay us once we are in Moscow. We will still be able to get all needed things done. by the end of business Friday. Our return home with Katerina will not be delayed. It may delay our pick up of Katerina by one day. We hope it does not. But if it does, our biggest concern is just making sure we can get her home on Saturday. She deserve to sleep in her own bedroom as soon as possible; to get to her new home as soon as possible; to get on with the rest of her life, her new life in a loving family. Her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents are all anxiously awaiting Katerina's arrival home.

It's About to Get Real

At this time tomorrow night, we will be on a plane. If it takes off on time, we will probably be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. The last trip took us over the end of the Cape and then over the United Kingdom, specifically Ireland, before heading over Europe. Kelly was excited because we flew over Sweden.

More to the point though, at this time tomorrow night it will really be happening. We will be just a couple of days away from getting our little girl. Our journey, thanks to Adopt-A-Child, was relatively quick. We expected it to take longer but we were matched with such a beautiful little girl that all we can say is, we are glad it played out the way it did.

We are packed. We are thankful to our friends who are driving us down to JFK on their way to see family in the area. We are also quite thankful for them picking us up next week. We offered gifts but they say no to those and even tolls and gas. But we have a little surprise in order for both of them. Which we are sure they will both enjoy.

More later probably. If not, then the next post will come after we land in Moscow.

Boots!

We got Katerina the cutest little pair of pink boots tonight. She will need them because the weather is still not looking good for Moscow next week. Mid 20s for highs and snow a few of the days.

Prep Call

Had our conference call to prepare for Trip 3 which is coming up quickly. Still hard to believe that Katerina will be home in less than two weeks.

We discussed the itinerary for the week. What we can expect and need to do. Many small things which take a little time each day. We also discussed immigration issues and obtaining a social security number (when we can apply for one). And some of the things we can expect when we pick her up. Idiosyncrasies of the children adopted from Russia (i.e. reactions to baths, strollers, etc.)

As I may have mentioned previously, Katerina will travel to the United States on a Russian Passport with American visa. After crossing customs, we will meet with a US customs official who will take our paperwork and then quickly (hopefully) send us on our way. When we walk out that door, Kelly, Katerina and I, our little girl will be an American citizen.

When we arrive in Moscow Sunday afternoon we will go to bed and get as much sleep as possible in preparation for the biggest day our lives, since we said "I do." Monday we go get our little girl and then apply for the Russian passport.

On Tuesday, we will have a physical as required by the United States. Wednesday is an off day we can go out and see the sights with Katerina if the weather permits. Thursday, we pickup her passport and I meet with the American Embassy to drop off our documents. Friday, we all meet with an Embassy official to show this is not a scam.

Then we fly home on Saturday with her.

It's Getting Closer

Hard to believe in one week, not only will Kelly and I be parents, but we will be parents with our child in Moscow. It won't be much longer before we can share Katerina with the world. We are quite excited about this. She deserves to be the center of attention for the rest of her life. We are happy we will be the ones to try and give her all the attention she will ever need (until adulthood anyway).

Looked at the weather in Moscow. It stinks compared to what our weather is supposed to be next week. Near and into the 50s here for highs. There we will be lucky to get above 30. This stinks, I would love to take Katerina out in the city parks and the sort while we are there. But the weather will prevent much of that. :(. Hopefully the weather changes. It is still a week away which in New England is like an eternity.

Update

It has been awhile since I posted; or what feels like a long time (even though it has been less than a week). So I figured I would post a bit.

We are now all set for Katerina to come home. Her room is fully ready to go. The last necessity was a monitor which a friend graciously gave to us as a gift.

We are quite excited. It is hard to believe that the process has moved so quickly (thank you Adopt-A-Child, Inc.). The timing turns out to be great for Kelly and me. Soon our little girl will be home.

She will have to learn what a kitty cat is. And what fish are. And what to do with all the toys in her room but we think she will be okay with all those things. I am sure our cats will grow accustomed to her and love her in time. Although it may be a few years from now when she does not pull on their tails.

For now it is just setting everything up for this visit. The I-600 form. Travel for Katerina back to the USA. Making sure we have everything we need for a child. We are going on a trip, packing for a child we will not have until we get there. Seems weird and exciting and definitely nothing we have ever done before.

And while we are Katerina's legal parents (Momma and Poppa is how we were greeted at the end of the Court hearing), it still has not fully sunk in because she is not with us. I am sure it will sink in that Monday night when she is and we are trying to find out what is wrong when she cries the first time.

Here is to our last, and best, trip to Moscow for awhile.

Moscow Trip 2 coming to an end

As we prepare to head to the airport in a few hours, we say good bye to Moscow for the second time. One more time and our little girl will be coming home. We can't wait to get back here for that reason.

As for the weather back home, hopefully the storm will be light enough this evening that we can land at JFK and then drive home with minimal problems.

Talk to you guys later tonight. See you in a few weeks Katerina!

Travel- Northeast storm

It is beginning to look like Kelly and I just cannot catch a break when it comes to traveling home from Moscow to New York. Last time, as posted after our trip home through the Ukraine, we had a nightmare of a trip. This time is currently shaping up to have potential for re-routing at the least as the weather on the east coast looks bad. Our plane lands in New York at about 5 eastern time today and takes off at 7:30 ish to head back to Moscow. As long as it gets off on from NY, we will at least be able to take from Moscow tomorrow. Hopefully the storm will have passed for the most part by 5 or 6 o'clock tomorrow (Friday) evening so we can land. Then we will just have to drive home in it. No breaks for us on return trips from Moscow. The good news is that it looks like Monroe will not get hit too badly so once we get out of NY we should be okay. As long as we can land in NY.

This afternoon, a Fever & a Very Happy Birthday

After court, we got to bring Katerina to get her photograph taken for her Russian passport and American Visa. She will travel to the United States as a Russian but become an American as soon as we pass through customs.


Unfortunately, we were not able to spend any time with her at the orphanage because she was running a fever of 101. She had received vaccinations yesterday and they were effecting her today.

She handled the car ride pretty well with Kelly holding her. The children at her age, 1 year old today, do not get outside very much if at all.

So we said our Happy Birthdays and good byes and then left not to see our little girl again until mid March when we get to come get her and bring her home.

Happy Birthday Katerina

Court Hearing

So as I posted previously the Court ruled in our favor after hearing from Kelly and me, the head of the orphanage, the representative from the Ministry of Education and the prosecution. The process basically went as follows.

Typical for myself and fellow attorney friends, we rushed to get to Court on time to then have to wait as the judge handled another matter before ours. We then entered the Court which I wish we could have gotten pictures of but cameras were not allowed, unlike the adoptions I had seen in the Juvenile/Probate Courts in Massachusetts. So we rise for the judge (Your Majesty as opposed to Your Honor), they call the case and then one of has to talk. I answered most of the questions as this was something I was more comfortable with than Kelly. I figured if I could handle Appellate judges, I could handle one judge in a matter which was a foregone conclusion.

The questions were simple. Although the Court expected more than just yes or no answers. Why adoption? Why Russia? What will our parenting schedule look like? How did our family react about us adopting? Are we happy with this child? How much money did we make last year? Do we understand her current health issues? Will we keep her current birth date, name and place of birth? The last three are weird. We could have chosen any birth date and place of birth. We decided to stick with her actual birth date and place of birth (Moscow). As for name, we chose to name her Katerina Nargiza Bartolomei. Nargiza, pronounced Nar-gee (hard G) - za, was her birth name so we chose to keep it as her middle name. It means flower in Persian.

The Judge and prosecutor, who wore a uniform unlike our prosecutors, laughed at the pictures of our cats which were included in the photo album for the Judge. She kept a few pictures for the file and gave us back the album after the prosecutor and head of the orphanage had had a chance to look at the pictures. This means the many pictures of our family and friends will not make their way into the Russian Court system.

After I spoke, Kelly spoke to put her name, date of birth and occupation on the record. The judge then said we had two very good professions. The prosecutor stated she had no objection to the two of us adopting Katerina. The head of the orphanage, who was also a doctor, explained to the Court how Katerina came to be in her orphanage and that she thought we were good adoptive parents. The Rep from the Ministry, wearing jeans a hooded sweater with holes in it, then mimicked the orphanage head and that was that.

The Judge left the Court to finalize her decision. About two or three minutes later she came back to say she would grant our request to adopt Katerina and that if we did not agree with her decision we had ten days to appeal it to the Russian Supreme Court. Of course we agree, but technically others have ten days to appeal the decision as well. As such, the judge's ruling does not become official until the ten days pass without any appeal. This is not going to happen considering the circumstances of our little girl being in the orphanage.

All in all it was a relatively easy and quick process. As I told Kelly when we decided who would speak, the Court room is one place where I feel comfortable. We really wish we could have taken pictures. The Court house and court room were very nice. It also housed their intermediate level appeals court (Mass. App. Court or the Circuit Appeals courts equivalent). Makes me think about the Massachusetts Appellate Court/Supreme Judicial Court house and the US Supreme Court which are absolutely beautiful inside.

At the end, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, very little had changed as we will not get to bring Katerina home for another two plus weeks. Part of me though was near tears (this is a big step as tears do not come easy for me) as we were now parents. This beautiful little girl is now our responsibility to care for and provide for; to give her as much as we possibly can and help her grow up a good, kind, caring child, young adult and adult. The people in the court room congratulated us as Momma and Poppa. We will go with mom/mommy and dad/daddy but here in Moscow it is Momma and Poppa.

She is our little girl now. Our little Katerina!