Happy Holidays and Happy 2008!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long time between posts but it's just been crazy as always. The holidays were just absolutely wonderful and busy for our little guy. Here is a very quick overview of what we did: On Friday the 21st we were off to Lburg and our 3&ahalf-hour drive took 6 which Rinat was not too happy about but we got there safe and sound and were really happy to finally get out of the car. On Saturday, we had lunch with friends and then Peter took off for an afternoon of martini drinking (his first I think) at the annual Martini Party (yes, that is a capital M and P because it is a capital, invite-only affair). Our friends Mer and Lynden came in town and we had a big dinner out while the grandparents babysat. It was so nice to have a few hours to ourselves. Then on Sunday, our little sweetie was baptised and, of course, threw a fit when he wasn't allowed to play in the baptismal font. But I just kept whispering "Pattycake, Pattycake, Baker's Man" in his ear and it calmed the wild beast so he didn't scare the congregation. But then as Dr. Harbison walked down the aisle to introduce him to everyone, he let out his loudest Kazakh war cry to show his dismay at being removed from Mom and Dad. But he looked so darn cute in his little white outfit that you couldn't help but smile anyway. Then Monday was Christmas Eve and about a million people came over to say hi and have a drink. Rinat just loved having all of the other kids around and was exceptionally well behaved. He even sat still for a photo op entailing about 10 kids ranging in age from 4 months to 7 years sitting under the tree and smiling for the camera. He just watched everyone else and played with his Elmo toy. And Tuesday was Christmas Day and he got gobs of toys and loved them all. But most of all I think he loved the attention of all of his grandparents, aunts, and uncle. And what did I get for Christmas? I got the best gift of all- the sound of laughter from my son and seeing my sweet husband beaming with pride. Then Wednesday was our sweet little baby's first birthday. I can't believe that he is already a year old! We went to Roanoke to visit his other grandparents and had tons of fun. He went to town on his cake and just really had fun playing with everyone. The next day, Thursday, we were back to Lynchburg then Friday home to DC. It took us a couple of days to get back in the swing of things and then it was New Years Eve and as the clock struck midnight, I thought to myself "Really, how could 2008 be any better than the year we just had?" Oh yeah, we could be on our way to a daughter :-) Yes, Tatiana, you will be hearing from us soon! (For anyone who doesn't know her, Tatiana is our paperwork guru at the adoption agency. She makes sure we have everyone we need to get our child. She's awesome!) And then I got up on Jan 1 and drove, hungover, to pick up Ted and Liz at the Baltimore airport. They stayed a week while she did her residency interviews at two of the hospitals here in DC. And we of course did lots of tourist things and showed them the city. We want them to fall in love with the city so that they will chose to be here for a few years while she completes her program. No pressure Liz&Ted but it sure would be fun! So now we sit here, Rinat, Peter, and me, as a family. The great influx of visitors is finally done and we are now on our own. After months and months of craziness, we are finally down to us and we couldn't be happier to be a normal family. Oh, but not for long. No, no. Life would be boring if that was it, right? We have Rinat's birthday party coming up, then his surgery (for the cyst) and then I think we'll begin on the next one. Yes, I know, we should just let life float by for a while but what fun would that be? Happy 2008 everyone! I hope everyone has their life wishes fulfilled as we have this year. Much love to all. -m

Busy as Always!

Hi Everybody! We, as always, have been really busy with our little guy. This is a photo of Babycakes after we had the cousins over to hang out for a while. He missed his afternoon nap and so he fell asleep on the bathroom floor at 6:20 that night as I was putting on his butt medicine. He was tuckered out! We also took our guy to NYC for the weekend and I think it might be his favorite place in the world. It was one of those wonderfully cold, Christmassy, kinds of weekends when tourists take over the city. He was so busy watching everyone and everything going on around him that he didn't even want to eat. I think all he ate the whole weekend was some goldfish and cheese sticks. Other than visitors and trips out of town, he has just been really happy to hang out at home. His new thing is being upside down. I guess he wants to see the world in a different way? He thinks it's really funny when I do it too. That and when I chase him around. He is also really close to walking. He can stand for 10 seconds at a time but for some reason won't actually walk. Soon though. And his favorite toy? A wine cork. I guess it helps his new teeth feel better. He has also started screaming really really LOUDLY! I mean, he's so loud that I my eardrum keeps vibrating even after he stops. Sometimes he does it just for fun- to try his lungs out. Sometimes, though, it's out of frustration. Usually when there is something that he cannot reach or when he drops his spoon during meals. So we have been working really hard to teach him the sign for 'please' (it's easier than the help sign) and I swear he finally did it this morning. We'll definitely keep at it until he gets it because the screaming just rattles me (and the other people at the grocery store aren't too fond of it either). Oh, and I just have to give kudos to my wonderful husband who not only still offers to get up at night when Rinat cries (awesome, right?), but sent me to the spa for several hours on Monday to relax. And then when I came home, he told me to get out and shop or something and don't come home until tonight. How fabulous is that? I hope everyone has a relaxing and fun holiday! -m

Let is snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Hey all! We got our first snowfall and Rinat thought it was pretty cool. I need to get him a snowsuit so that he can just go to town in the yard.
Here are some things that our guy has been up to lately. He will crawl to door and wave byebye when people leave. He has started to tear bread into pieces just like mom does if I give him a while slice. He's getting so big! His favorite new game is 'where's mama's bellybutton?' He lifts up my shirt and pokes me in the bellybutton. It's not the best game to play in public of course, but it is really cute. I am also starting to realize how much he really understands when he gets a cup out of his drawer, hands it to me, and makes the sign for milk. I'm amazed. Our only frustration has been his constant rashes. I just counted it up and we have had 13 visits to the doctor in the 13 weeks that we have been home. Ugh. But, all in all, things are good and our little sweetie is happy, healthy, and most definitely adored. Happy holidays! -m

A Lot to be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Here's a photo of our sweetie literally SURROUNDED by admirers. Wow- what a lot we have to be thankful for this year. Peter and I have been absolutely bursting with happiness this whole year. Not only do we have the most adorable, smart, energetic, fun,- shall I go on?- baby in the world, but we also have had such an amazing welcome home for our sweet baby from family and friends over the last couple of months. We have literally been swamped with well wishers and, of course, our little guy just soaks up all of the attention. Who wouldn't? We have had family member after family member come to spend time with our little one but this week was the first time we have taken him on a road trip. He was, of course, adored by all. We had turkey dinner with GParents Pete and Nancy and their whole clan and he had tons of fun being cute for them. And Nancy opened up her store (children's clothing) and we got the most adorable outfits for him to wear. He's so spoiled! And then GParents G and Mar had a welcome party for him and it was just so wonderful to see all of those people who followed along on our journey to Kaz actually get to meet our little guy. Literally, people who I didn't even think knew told me they were checking our blog multiple times a day to see the updates. And, after finally meeting him, they adored him almost as much as we do! And, as usual, I am in awe of my son and how well he is able to adapt. He was passed from person to person day after day this past week and complained not a bit- even though he yet again has a full body rash. As a matter of fact, I think he's a little sad that it's just us again. He's back to being stuck into the jumper when mom has to empty the dishwasher or take the laundry upstairs. Oh well, Christmas is right around the corner offering the opportunity to be fawned over yet again. I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was as wonderful as this one. Love to all at the start of this glorious holiday season. -m
BTW- people keep asking what I want for Christmas, and all I can say is "a girl". But in the meantime, here are the two most wonderful boys in my world wishing for you all to have a great week :-)

Cousins!

Hi! Here's our little guy pretending to help Daddy rake the leaves. Mostly he just wanted to hand them all to me or eat them but whatever. This week was really fun for our little guy. We had Walt/Nan/Sam/Sara in town again for most of the week. They stayed up in Baltimore for a couple days for Nan's conference and R and I drove up and went to the aquarium with them. Rinat had a lot of fun watching the big fish and playing with his cousins. Then they came and stayed with us for a few days and we went to the Natural History and the Air & Space Museums down on the Mall. But Rinat's faorite part of course was just hanging out with family. Sam (he's 4) just loves Rinat and spent a lot of time smushing Rinat's cheeks and kissing him. And Rinat spent a lot of time just staring at Sam. I think they are going to be good friends when they get older. And Sara (she's 1) taught Rinat how to point and he now says 'more' her way sometimes instead of his clapping way. And speaking of his sign language, he is doing more and more signs. He now has 'milk' and 'all done' down pat and he'll do them without me even saying the word. We all lay in bed for a while in the morning, and when he's had enough, he just lets us know by signing that it's time for milk. It's so great. And we have nicknamed our guy the Diaper Houdini because he somehow has figured out how to take one side of his diaper off during the night through his pajamas and he pees all over his clothes and crib. His still slept through the night though so it must not bother him to be soaking wet. That makes it three nights in a row for him and two happy parents. And this happy parent will talk to you later. Have a great week! -m

Future Adopters Post

Here is a post for those of you reading our blog that might be adopting- especially those who are going to Astana to find your child. I hope it helps you feel a little more prepared! If there is anything that I left out, let me know by commenting and I will edit this post to include the info.


Groceries- You can basically get anything you want at one of the grocery stores in Astana. While there, we found PeanutButter, Peanut butter crackers, all kind of cheeses, tortilla chips and salsa, pringles, good chocolate, mac and cheese, spaghetti sauce, and pretty much everything else we wanted. And of course there are restaurants and takeout from the bakery too. Yum! Next time we'll save the room in our suitcases and just bring some spices or something instead of boxes of food and snacks. You can also get american cosmetics and shampoo like Pantene and Olay and stuff so don't bother bringing your own.
Cost of things- Restaurant cost was about the same as in the US. Baby toys are really really really expensive (like $100!)- bring them instead of buy them there. I would suggest bringing a pack of onesies and/or footies instead of buying them in Kaz. Also, you'll have cute clothes for those first photos of your baby. Just go to Target and buy a 5 pack or something- plan on some of them getting lost at the Baby House so buy cheap. Strollers are really expensive too ($70 for a cheapo foldup) so I will bring my own next time. And it was also nice to have a Bjorn (and Rinat loved it) but the stroller came in handy for our 8 hour layover at the Frankfurt airport. I couldn't find anywhere for Rinat to play or a quiet place for him to sleep but I could just throw a blanket over him in the stroller and he did alright.
Internet- We had highspeed installed at our apt and it was about $100 for a month. There are also tons of internet cafes around the city. Other people said their internet connection was not reliable and it only worked sometimes but they just had to make sure to take advantage of when it did work. They still managed to keep in touch with family.
Shopping- There are 'American' foods at the Ramstore (at the bottom of the big yellow building) but I really found more stuff at the Zhannur. They are also building a huge Ramstore that will be great but it's kind of off the beaten path so you may have to get your driver take you periodically. There are several shopping malls and they all have small shops so you will have to go to about a million to find what you are looking for. Mothercare is a baby store over by the cinema and they have really cute but expensive clothes (although the onsies and pjs are reasonable). Go there when you can't take it anymore at the Baby Mall.
BabyHouse- You will need some kind of bag to carry stuff to and from the BH. They also want you to have a blanket for the baby to play on, clothes for him/her to wear, fruit tea to give him (buy at any store), a bottle, a pacifier, warm stuff to take your baby outside (hat, socks, etc). A lot of this stuff will get lost so be prepared for that. You also might want to bring some washcloths for spitup and wipes to clean him/her up (I don't know how often they bathe them). Oh, and you can't buy washcloths in Kaz- I couldn't find them anyway- so bring them from home. They'll also come in handy for cleaning your apt and stuff. And as for what not to do at the BH- don't tell them how to take care of your baby. Remember that they have been taking care of your child and know him/her well. That's not to say that you shouldn't point out a runny nose or diaper rash, but then let them take care of it. When you take your child out, you can run the show- until then, defer to them.
Clothes to bring for you- Bring only enough so that you can wash it and then have something to wear for a day or two while the load you did dries. And only bring what you won't care about getting ruined- I somehow dyed an entire load purple (a black TShirt did it). And if you haven't seen those giant ziplocks, go find some. Put your clothes in those, close it most of the way, push out all the air, and then close it up. Your clothes/towels/whatever will take up a fourth of the space that way.
Nervous about meeting your child?- Everything will work out. The whole thing is weird and scary but also amazing. The one thing I would say is don't have a picture in your head of who your child will be (boy/girl, age, size, race, health). The child you get will never match that picture. Every single one of us said it took a little while to feel like this was our child after meeting him/her. It's completely normal. Also bonding is not immediate for the child. If you think of it, one month of visits equals only 2days of your child seeing you. It took a full month before Rinat saw us as more than playmates.
Stuff to do- We spent a lot of time reading, watching movies on the laptop, surfing the internet (and buying baby stuff online), and listening to our ipod. We also got together pretty often with the other families which was nice. We had potluck at someone's apt or we met at a restaurant. Or just went shopping together.
Getting around- Astana is really small and you'll be able to find your way around within days. Your driver should also be able to take you places. And there are cabs but you'll have to be able to communicate with them.
Phone- We downloaded Skype and it was fantastic and cheap. You will need highspeed internet and headphones/microphone. You can also rent a worldwide cell from your cellphone company.
Gifts- You will have to buy a ton of gifts. At the Baby House for the day you take your baby home, you need ones for 7 caretakers (they are in their 20's up to their 40's and not too expensive- we gave inexpensive jewelry), director of the baby house (something really nice for a woman in her late 50's- we went in with another couple and got her a purse), and your child's doctor (most of them are in their 30's and 40's). In court, you will ones for the judge (a very stern looking woman in her 50's- we got her a wallet, scarf, and bracelet- or it could be the man judge- I don't know anything about him except he's not nice), the prosecutor (a man in his 40's- wallet), court secretary (a cute girl around 30- scarf and bracelet), and the ministry of education representative who is there with you (ours was around 40- scarf and wallet). We also gave gifts to our coordinator (perfume), translator (purse), and driver (soccer ball and athletic bag for his sons). This part of things was really stressful for me because I didn't want to offend anyone by not getting the right thing. Or coordinator actually went through all of our gifts and figured out what to give to who which helped. We bought some of the gifts in the US and brought them with us and it made it a little easier but you will also have lots of time while you are there to shop. And I bought stuff for our driver, coordinator, translator, and BH director there so I would be sure to buy something they would like. But the gifts I brought with me were fine for those that I never got to know like the BH caretakers, and people at court.

After your get your little Sweetpea- First of all, you will have him/her/them for about 10 days before you get out of Kaz so bring what you'll need to take care of him in that time (I ran out of bottle DropIns and had to buy another bottle to use on the plane since they don't sell them in Kaz). There will be a lot of crying involved- both on your baby's part and proably you too will cry out of frustration. When in doubt, feed him or give him something to drink. Our guy ate way way more than we thought he would. The plane ride will be horrible so just expect it and tell yourself "It's only one day out of my life". And telling everyone around you that you just adopted seems to help too- people are really nice if you just admit you have no idea what you are doing. Same goes for when you get home. Have patience with both your little guy to get adjusted and with yourselves- you are new at this and you all have jetlag so it makes for a difficult transition. I kept having to remind myself that he would still love me even if I messed up and got frustrated or left him to scream while I calmed myself down. And most of all, know that this transtition time will one day be over and you will tell youself that it wasn't so bad. I haven't quite gotten there yet but I'm close. :-)

Devil vs. Angel

He just can’t decide- is he a little devil?
Or a little angel?
Well, let's put it this way- nights he has slept through this week- 4 of 7, times he woke us up Halloween night- 5, times he falls over laughing every day at something silly I've done- countless. He's such a good audience! The things he thinks are the most funny lately are tickling him with my foot, having a crawling race with him to get a toy, and putting anything and everything on his head and pretending it's a hat. I just love that he thinks it's so funny that his secret little dimple in his right cheek makes an arrearance. And he has some new tricks that I am particularly proud of. First of all, he can now use this little semi-spoon utensil to scoop up his oatmeal and get it to his mouth- with my help of course, but still I am impressed. He also will drop his binky (pacifier) into his crib after his nap when I ask him to. And he has this 'more' sign down pat. Now, anytime I am eating or drinking anything that he thinks looks interesting, he gives me a very insistent MORE sign until I cave in- I have to reward him for not screaming, right? And he has been making all kinds of interesting sounds now too. For a while, he made a little kissing sound which was cute. Then he started making a clicking sound with his tongue which was nice because I always knew where he was since I could hear him clicking around the house. And now Peter has taught him how to do the American Indian war whoop thing- you know where you use your hand to make it sound like "WaWaWaWa"? Except Rinat does it with the back of his hand. Whatever, he thinks he's really cool. And Halloween was really nice. We went over to our friend Jen's house and all of the kids played. Rinat was an alligator by the way- isn't he adorable? Have a great weeekend! -m