Easy Day (HaHa)

Hi all!


No too much to report today. It was pretty low key. It was another rough night with little man and I ended up just passing out on the sofa last night so he could sooth himself without me getting in the way which seems to work out better. I didn’t wake up until 8am (sad to say that Carson is a whole other story) and then lazed around, chitchatted, and drank coffee until little man woke up about 30 minutes later. It’s how every morning should be I think. We hung out in the apartment until noon and then had Sasha take us out for some lunch and souvenir shopping at Tsum. Let me just say that it was not the most pleasant 3 hours I have ever spent.

Firstly, Aibek has had stomach issues (of course, all food is new to him poor guy). So we get to the American Bar and Grill and he is fussy and wiggly. I tried to mime putting a child into a high chair to the waiter and his eyes lit up in that universal ‘I get it’ look. And then he came back with a booster seat to put in the booth. I tried again and mimed putting him in a chair at the end of the table, again the understanding look- and he brought an extra chair to put the booster seat in. I was clearly doomed to hold Aibek in my lap for the duration as he was writhing and flailing around. That waiter clearly does not have any children of his own. Carson and I were both completely starving and happy to have an English menu. I figured there is only so much they can do to mess up a burger but I forgot about the fact that we are in Kazakhstan which is not really known for its amazing burgers but more for the food native to this country. Lesson learned. The meat was so gristly that I took maybe 3 bites before giving up and eating the last 4 french fries that Carson had not pilfered from my plate as I was giving Aibek his bottle. Which he then proceeded to throw up all over the floor of the restaurant. This was no spit up, it was barf and it was gross. So we high tailed it outta there and went to Tsum in search of some shopping.

Sometimes I forget that other people have not been the places that I have been and although Tsum was just par for the course for me and I entered only looking for where there up escalator was, I looked back to be sure Carson was following and saw the same look on her face that I probably had when I first came to a store like that in a foreign country. It is sort of a mix of confusion and being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of stalls and the amount of stuff in each of them. She seemed so confused. But we found a few places up on the third floor selling the requisite matryoshka dolls and felt slippers and she loaded up on things to bring home. Little Sumo was not super fond of the stroller and wandering around and so I ended up getting him out and holding him for a bit.

I have always felt like peoples’ eyes are on us as we have been in Kazakhstan the last few years but I feel them much more when I am with Aibek. I am not sure if I am more sensitive to it since I know not everyone thinks international adoption is such a good thing in Kazakhstan or if they are staring because I have a super cute baby or staring because he’s fussy or staring because they hate me or what. But they stare. And they stared even harder when his little head fell lower and lower and his little eyes closed and he put his head on my shoulder and fell asleep. It was so sweet, but MAN are my arms tired. We finished up the shopping and got back in the car with Sasha to head back to the apartment to head home which of course woke up Aibek and he started crying and I learned something new about him. His sad little tears drip down from the outside corners of his eyes. I had not even noticed it before. Do all Asian people cry on the outside? I’m curious now.

In any case, we headed home, fed him, cleaned up more vomit, Carson got us some sandwiches from a place next to the consulate, and we took a fat nap until Aibek woke us at 7:30pm.

And in a few hours we’re heading home. I cannot wait to get there. Here’s hoping for a smooth 24 hours of traveling. Not to jinx myself or anything…

Love to all, -m



And here’s a little guest post from the most amazing friend around. I have known Carson since Accepted Applicants Weekend at Sweet Briar College in 1990. She was looking for a roommate that she wouldn’t want to kill a month into freshman year. She settled on me and we have been great friends ever since. I mean, really, who else could I count on to not only fly across the world for me but also keep me entertained, run all my errands, make bottles, get puked on, cry when she met my son, and most of all be just as happy for me and Peter as we are ourselves. She is the epitome of a best friend. So without further ado, here’s my BFF Carson……….

It has been an amazing trip…. overwhelming ...exhausting..Emotional..and so rewarding. I am sitting here in an apartment in Alamty with my dear friend and her sweet new baby (who just puked all over her ha) I am trying to reflect on my trip here. I came with no expectations only to come and help bring home Aibek for Maren, Peter, Rinat and make their family complete. I knew I was going to a very unknown place for me but life hands you all sorts of roads to take you can take- the most traveled and be safe or you can venture out and experience some truly amazing things. I really wanted to be here for my reasons. First being for Maren she went through so much to get here and I could never really help. I mean I could listen …tell her I was sorry when things didn’t go the way she expected but I could not make it all better for her. And of course I am one to make things better.. not being able to fix it for her truly killed me. So when she asked- of course she says I volunteered..but if I remember correctly( which as we know I do) she and Peter laughing suggested it to me- I said sure. Another reason I wanted to go was for Peter. I know that If Scott could not come with me he would trust that Maren could keep me in line and vise versa. I tend to keep Maren laughing and seeing the funny in everything like the door of death..being puked on…my eyes literally melting from the smell of his toxic poo..being woken up from a dead sleep with screaming Bek and staying awake with Maren and eating a whole thing of Pringles bc we are starving and watching Russian TV. Of course there were some personal reasons to come- weight loss …spending time with Maren...and most importantly I felt like this trip would change me as a mother and person. Not many people get to travel to a foreign country and go into a baby house and walk out with a child. To see all those babies who are there and kn0w some of them will never get the life and Rinat and Bek get breaks my heart. I know that my perspective on my children is different as well. Another reason which I forgot about and Maren did not come through on is my fur Russian Hat. DAMN HER

This truly has been an amazing trip and I am so glad I came. I am a terrible writer so Maren has to edit this thing, and we have to go the Ramstore (again) and get home to get up at 1:30 to fly out of here in middle of the FREAKING NIGHT! REALLY??? So with that we head out and then home to the states where Bek becomes a USA citizen  and I am then I am on to my family who I have miss soooo much. HOMEWOURD BOUND

Carson out…