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.

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.

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 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.