And We're Back

Hi All!

So it was a long trip- 25 hours this time- but we finally got into Karaganda at about 3am Sunday morning. What’s that you say? Weren’t we in Karaganda this whole time? No actually, we weren’t. Here’s the short version of our life the last three weeks…

Turns out that our last trip to Kaz was not actually successful. There were no children available for our family but we were told that there would be another group of children available in three weeks and could we come back then? Sure, what’s another international flight for two parents and a sweet but precocious 3 year old? So we decided to head back home to DC to wait. We got there on a Monday afternoon. We spent Tues and Weds trying to deal with our jet lag and catch up on the lives that we had left behind for 2 weeks (aka many many loads of laundry). Then on Thursday we packed up and headed down to Lynchburg for Peter’s sister Kate’s wedding extravaganza weekend and we got there in time to make the Thursday night party. We were sort of in a daze of culture shock and jet lag but it was wonderful to be able to see everyone. Then I went to the Bridesmaids Luncheon on Friday which was gorgeous and we went to the rehearsal and the dinner afterwards and I was thinking that I was really glad that we had come home so we could all be there for it all (we had pondered Rin and I just staying put in Kaz to save on flights but decided that we didn’t want to miss it). Then as the clock struck midnight, it all went south. I will spare you the dirty details and just say that I unfortunately did not make the rest of the weekend. As I prayed to the porcelain god, I had flashbacks to getting sick in India except instead of my friend Liz kissing my forehead and telling me it was going to be OK, it was my sweet Rinat. That boy is the best. When I weighed myself Sunday night after a stomach churning ride home, I had lost 4 pounds in 48 hours. Not the best time in my life and I was especially mad that it fell during the wedding but I guess that’s life, right? It doesn’t always work out how you want. But I did get over to the house the next morning to see the aftermath and it looks like it was beautiful. I can’t wait to see the photos. And, in a purely selfish sense, I was bummed not to go to the wedding because I really really wanted a photo of the three of us looking gorgeous, hair done, fancy clothes. We don’t have a single one :(  Maybe you guys could have a reenactment Kate? I mean you need a do-over on your honeymoon anyway, right?

Then on to week 2 when I was unable to function until Weds or so at which time I started on the paperwork for our visa and our list of stuff to pack for the next trip and sent it in on Friday (after waiting for Peter to get back from a business trip in WV to sign it). The weekend was good- Halloween parade at Rin’s school Fri morning and Turtle Park Friday night, Peter took Rin to the UVA football game all day on Saturday, then we had people over Sunday night to trick-or-treat around our hood and over for dinner. The kids had a great time and so did the adults. Then the last Monday we were home (week 3 now), the Kaz consulate called and said that we are only allowed a 30 day visa when what we needed is 33 days. After two days of calls and emails from us to our people in the US to our people in Kaz back to our people in the US back to us and us back to the consulate trying and trying to find a way to let us stay just a few days longer than that, it was determined that there was no way around it. We aren’t getting our 33 days and there is nothing we can do to change it. So we will just hope against hope that the judge will take pity on us and give us an early court date. Otherwise, we’ll have to leave the country at some point and get yet another visa to complete this trip. Peter’s gunning for Thanksgiving in Italy  So we packed up and headed out on Friday for the cold and blustery clime of Karaganda. Rin was less than stellar on the trip- 10 hours of sleep in 48- but we got here safe and sound and that’s what counts. AND we got to see snow on Sunday which Rinat was super excited about. And that brings us to today. That wasn’t such a long recount I guess.

I am not religious at all but I do enjoy a gospel song sometimes. As a matter of fact, there is a station out of Charlottesville that plays them on Sunday mornings when I am driving back from Lynchburg and I always tune in. And today, I have that song “Oh, Happy Day” running around in my head if that gives you an idea of our state of being today. It is a happy happy day. Today we started bonding with the cutest, sweetest, most adorable little boy ever. He has big chunky cheeks and one little tooth poking out of his bottom gum (although the amount of drool foretells another on its way), and the most adorable little belly laugh. This morning when we got there, we went and got him out of his crib, changed him into a fresh diaper, gave him some breakfast, and played and played and played. He is sort of a serious kid and sits and takes it all in rather than getting into the middle of it all right away (and oh yeah, he’s a barfer like Rinat so we tried to hold him upright in our laps for a while). He is quiet- really really quiet like most of the babies here at the baby house- but he is starting to make some sounds. And he is definitely sure of what he wants. He grabs that bottle in a death grip and I have to wrestle it free when his tea is gone. So although he may be quiet, he’s no shrinking violet.

Our little sweetie is 10 months old and although he can’t sit up by himself but for a second he is motoring around pretty well. I wouldn’t call it crawling exactly, but more like pulling himself along with his arms and he’s pretty darn fast at it. And he does get up on all fours and rock back and forth so I know the crawling is coming soon. He is sort of serious but if you get his tickle spots just right, his little mouth opens wide so you can see his one tiny tooth at the bottom, his big cheeks push up so that his little eyes almost disappear, and he lets out this chortle that makes you want to melt. Rinat has been obsessed with sumo wrestling since we saw it on TV in Almaty during trip #1 so he has been calling him Mr Sumo because of his big cheeks. And today he told me ‘Mr Sumo has the most adorable little face. I just want to pinch his cheeks.” And he wanted to know if Mr Sumo was going to come and live with us and seemed pretty amenable to it when we said yes. He promised to share and to take care of him and be a good big brother and teach him all about football. I couldn’t ask for more.

Also, the photographer came to the baby house today to take his photo for the passport and the poor man did not have an easy job of it. Since Mr Sumo can’t sit up by himself, I tried my best to prop him up in a cushy chair for the photo. He would sit for a minute and then start tilting to the side. I would prop him up, and then the man would take another photo and then he would fall over again. Then the man told me that he could not have his fingers in his mouth so I had to hold them down while he tried to get the picture which Sumo wasn’t super happy about. And people kept walking through the room so of course Mr Sumo’s eyes were on them rather than the camera and we would have to wait until the person left and then the photographer would try and get his attention again. Then the man informed me that he mouth needed to be closed for the photo. Um…yeah. Not sure exactly how I am supposed to make this happen but I think he finally gave up on it. Little man had a snotty nose and a waterfall of drool out of his mouth and I guess the photo man figured out that was the best he was getting.

I was sort of waiting to post anything until it was official and we had signed some papers but I guess this is as official as it gets- he has had his passport photo taken and we were required to tell the name that we wanted for him (and it’s not Carson despite her not so subtle hinting). So TaDa- we have another son and couldn’t be happier. I am so looking forward to the day that we can bring him home forever. We’re hoping for early January (but of course would mind earlier that that!). He will be the best Christmas gift imaginable.

Love to all, -m