Whew! It is with great relief that I write I survived pre-court. I'm not sure how I missed the fact that this court also involves going to court and is actually a preliminary court. It was not until last night when Olga and Assia came to my apartment to prepare me that I realized just what pre-court is. It's probably best I didn't know beforehand that I would go to court twice. Olga and Assia did a wonderful job preparing me. We went over all the questions that the judge would ask and the general way I should answer. So, after they left, I was of course nervous. And I don't even have something good and mindless such as Survivor to occupy my mind.
Well, this morning I got up to face my daily dragon - that shower. I will not use my full personal description of the shower because kids and preachers might be reading this. :-) Well, the shower had a whole new surprise for me today. No water from the shower. Actually, I noticed when I brushed my teeth that there was almost zero water pressure and sure enough, when I went to turn on the shower, water came from the tub but switching to the shower? Nada. I waited awhile - just in case there was some kind of shower miracle that might occur. I'm sure you guessed though - that did not happen. Honestly, if it had been any day other than court day, I would have probably done without but since it was court I simply had to get more creative. So, I had my "shower" from under the tub. Let me just say - quite the contortionist am I. :-) At least the water temperature stayed consistent!!
Igor picked me up at 9:45 and we drove to pick up Assia. We had to take a detour because right around the corner they were doing some kind of utility construction (and I now strongly suspect this was the reason for no water pressure today). The funny thing was we had to park on a different side of the street and Assia could not see us. Igor honked that horn for like 5 minutes. He and I were laughing so hard. Poor Assia was just looking around. It was like a scene from Candid Camera. She could hear but not see us.
Next up? Court! The court building seems relatively new (at least on the inside). We sat in a waiting room (Assia studied for her final exam which is later today). Eventually, Olga, the baby house director, and one of the ladies from the ministry of education also arrived. We were called in to a large room. The judge was sitting at large desk at one end of the room. Immediately in front of him sat a woman I believe to be a secretary. Assia and I sat in chairs facing the judge. Behind us at a very large table sat Olga, the baby house director, and the ministry lady.
The judge basically asked me all the questions Olga said he would. My voice sounded calm but I assure you I was nervous. This judge was the definition of stern. Not even the faintest hint of a smile and he scarecely even looked directly at me. First I had to state what my requests of the court were. They were:
1. To adopt Zhansaule.
2. To change her name to Abigail Emma Green.
3. To keep her date and place of birth unchanged.
4. To be recorded as her mother.
I was afraid I would forget one of these but I remembered them all. I then answered all his questions. He probably asked me 5 or 6 questions total. His one concern was the fact that my mom (who would be Abby's guardian should anything happen to me) lived in Italy. Ok, this was funny to me. As most of you probably know, my mother lives in Rome, Georgia, but apparently when they translated my dossier to Russain, they left out the Georgia part. Sorry mom, but he also wanted to know how old you are. :-) Anyway, it took a couple of attempts to clear up the GA vs. Italy thing, but after that the baby house director talked and then ministry lady talked. Assia translated for me what they were saying. A Reader's Digest account for you: They covered Abby's health, the fact that they searched for her birth mother but could not find her, and that my visits with Zhansaule (Abby) have had a positive effect on her. The judge also took several pictures of Abby alone and Abby with me from the photo album I provided and he kept them.
All in all it was relatively fast (though seemed to last forever) but in the end the judge announced court will be on January 21 at 4:00pm! Sadly, I didn't get to visit Abby this morning because of court but I do get to go this afternoon!
So, on to the most important topic - Abby. Yesterday afternoon's visit was very good! We played and she was very hungry for cheerios. Assia and I just laughed because Abby couldn't eat them fast enough. We are both doing great and her top 2 teeth are almost all the way in now. It is so cute - especially when she eats her cheerios because she chews them right in front.
While I look forward so much to the day we are home, I am also trying to soak up every minute of this trip. Sometimes the days are very slow (the times when I am not with Abby) but I am finding new ways to occupy myself. When I am listening to the radio, I make up what they are singing based on how it sounds in English. One of my very favorite songs sounds like this in English:
There is mustard on the table.
There is mustard on the table.
There is mustard on the table.
Go! Get it now.
Another favorite song sounds like this in English:
I met Jessica Simpson.
She is Jessica Simpson.
Let's see her now.
The melodies are what I really love but for all I know they could be singing about stomping kittens. I may need to try to buy a CD or 2 while here.
It was one week ago today I arrived in Uralsk. One week ago today I met Abby. One week from today we will be back in Almaty. I can not wait for all of you to meet this amazing baby. Her smile will melt even the hardest heart. Those of you who do not live near Atlanta simply must plan a visit to the south. Or we will visit you. By the time we get home, she will be quite the little traveler. Take care everyone! :-)
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Well, I have to share with you all the most amazing 2 visits with Abby. Yesterday afternoon was a good one - more like normal - but I could still tell Abby wasn't 100%. At the end of our visit, she was starting to get a little fussy so I just picked her up and began walking around the music room with her, whispering in her ear. She stopped crying almost immediately and just snuggled on my shoulder. Assia was not in the room right at that moment but she came back right at 5:00 (time to go) and told me Abby had fallen asleep (I couldn't see her face while holding her). It was the most precious thing ever but then it was so hard to give her back because it was time to go. Assia did not want to wake her up, so she let me take Abby back to her room. She woke up just as the caregiver took her. I did get to see the room and the other babies for just a second though. The babies are so adorable.
After we left the Baby House, we stopped by the photo/furniture store so I could get my pictures. They turned out great!! I got some very cute close ups of Abby. She is not smiling in a single one. :-) It is like the second the camera came out she had to focus on what was that thing. Assia had also taken several of Abby and me together and they are also good. I already added these to my photo album to give the judge.
Last night was another big wash night. They had given me some of Abby's clothes back to wash and I needed to wash some myself. I discovered that my washer is called The Aquamatic 6T. I love this name and will refer to the washer by its proper name from here on out. It is very cosmopolitan, no? Well, I guess only if your definition of "cosmopolitan" is something from The Jetsons. :-) Aquamatic 6T does have a spin cycle guaranteed to wake the dead. I am proof of this as the first night I washed clothes I fell asleep and woke thinking Uralsk was being invaded only to realize it was Aquamatic 6T's spin cycle.
This morning's visit with Abby was another wonderful one. We played and "read" and ate cheerios. Towards the end of the visit, she began to get fussy again so I walked around with her and sure enough, she fell asleep in my arms. I wish I could adequately describe how amazing this is.
Yesterday I gave Assia a list of questions about Abby's schedule, personality, milestones etc. Assia translated them, gave them to her doctor, and translated the answers back to English for me. She gave them to me after this morning's visit. I won't put everything here but do have to share a few things with you. Here are some of the highlights (exactly as Assia worded them):
1. She is cranky before sleep.
2. She started crawling at 7.5 months, sitting at 8 months, and got her first tooth at 8 months.
3. She enjoys open-air walks.
4. Her favorite toys are a doll, a stuffed dog, and a cat.
5. She has a serious personality.
6. Her favorite food is a ground meat [something - I can't read Assia's handwriting here] and mashed potatoes.
7. To comfort her, take her into arms, give drink.
8. She prefers people to being alone.
So, some of this I had figured out on my own (cranky before sleep and holding her). :-) I have also read that many of the children have "serious personalities" until they are home. I have already seen evidence that Abby is happy and loves to laugh but she does have a little serious side. I think she is an old soul too. And she is the most amazing baby and absolutely perfect for me in every way. Every day I can't imagine it is possible to love her more than I already do, and yet every day I love her more than before.
Today when we first arrived at the Baby House, there was a little music class going on in the music room where Abby and I play. Oh my gosh but it was the most precious thing. These kids were all under age 2 and hearing them sing was the sweetest sound. When we were leaving this morning, there was a group of about 3 year olds outside playing right where we walk. They all came running to me as we walked by. Oh my heart!!! I wanted to bring them all home. Even in those brief moments, I can tell these kids are so loving and it breaks my heart knowing they are in an orphanage. I am already planning my next trip here in my head. As we drove away, they were all standing there, bundled up, waving good-bye to us.
Tomorrow I have pre-court. Assia told me that Olga will prepare me this afternoon. Court is the one thing I am nervous about. It is like the final exam of the semester. I know once we get past it, all will be fine. Court is still hopefully going to happen on January 21 and Olga is buying tickets for us to fly to Almaty that night. Please say some extra prayers for us that day!
I can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier, but Abby turned 10 months old on January 11. We had a big celebration of eating cheerios and playing with blocks. :-)
I want to thank you all so much for writing and apologize again I don't have time to respond. Between my schedule and the internet cafe's schedule, I only get about 1 hour a day here. But please know that your words and stories from home help keep me going!!! Take care everyone - and I am mighty jealous of that 60 degree weather in Atlanta!! :-)
After we left the Baby House, we stopped by the photo/furniture store so I could get my pictures. They turned out great!! I got some very cute close ups of Abby. She is not smiling in a single one. :-) It is like the second the camera came out she had to focus on what was that thing. Assia had also taken several of Abby and me together and they are also good. I already added these to my photo album to give the judge.
Last night was another big wash night. They had given me some of Abby's clothes back to wash and I needed to wash some myself. I discovered that my washer is called The Aquamatic 6T. I love this name and will refer to the washer by its proper name from here on out. It is very cosmopolitan, no? Well, I guess only if your definition of "cosmopolitan" is something from The Jetsons. :-) Aquamatic 6T does have a spin cycle guaranteed to wake the dead. I am proof of this as the first night I washed clothes I fell asleep and woke thinking Uralsk was being invaded only to realize it was Aquamatic 6T's spin cycle.
This morning's visit with Abby was another wonderful one. We played and "read" and ate cheerios. Towards the end of the visit, she began to get fussy again so I walked around with her and sure enough, she fell asleep in my arms. I wish I could adequately describe how amazing this is.
Yesterday I gave Assia a list of questions about Abby's schedule, personality, milestones etc. Assia translated them, gave them to her doctor, and translated the answers back to English for me. She gave them to me after this morning's visit. I won't put everything here but do have to share a few things with you. Here are some of the highlights (exactly as Assia worded them):
1. She is cranky before sleep.
2. She started crawling at 7.5 months, sitting at 8 months, and got her first tooth at 8 months.
3. She enjoys open-air walks.
4. Her favorite toys are a doll, a stuffed dog, and a cat.
5. She has a serious personality.
6. Her favorite food is a ground meat [something - I can't read Assia's handwriting here] and mashed potatoes.
7. To comfort her, take her into arms, give drink.
8. She prefers people to being alone.
So, some of this I had figured out on my own (cranky before sleep and holding her). :-) I have also read that many of the children have "serious personalities" until they are home. I have already seen evidence that Abby is happy and loves to laugh but she does have a little serious side. I think she is an old soul too. And she is the most amazing baby and absolutely perfect for me in every way. Every day I can't imagine it is possible to love her more than I already do, and yet every day I love her more than before.
Today when we first arrived at the Baby House, there was a little music class going on in the music room where Abby and I play. Oh my gosh but it was the most precious thing. These kids were all under age 2 and hearing them sing was the sweetest sound. When we were leaving this morning, there was a group of about 3 year olds outside playing right where we walk. They all came running to me as we walked by. Oh my heart!!! I wanted to bring them all home. Even in those brief moments, I can tell these kids are so loving and it breaks my heart knowing they are in an orphanage. I am already planning my next trip here in my head. As we drove away, they were all standing there, bundled up, waving good-bye to us.
Tomorrow I have pre-court. Assia told me that Olga will prepare me this afternoon. Court is the one thing I am nervous about. It is like the final exam of the semester. I know once we get past it, all will be fine. Court is still hopefully going to happen on January 21 and Olga is buying tickets for us to fly to Almaty that night. Please say some extra prayers for us that day!
I can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier, but Abby turned 10 months old on January 11. We had a big celebration of eating cheerios and playing with blocks. :-)
I want to thank you all so much for writing and apologize again I don't have time to respond. Between my schedule and the internet cafe's schedule, I only get about 1 hour a day here. But please know that your words and stories from home help keep me going!!! Take care everyone - and I am mighty jealous of that 60 degree weather in Atlanta!! :-)
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Hello everyone!
Well it has been a busy couple of days here in Uralsk. My afternoon visit yesterday with Abby was one of the best yet. She was smiling non-stop and lots and lots of laughs! A man also came to take her passport and visa photos. While I have not seen them yet, I feel confident that hers will be much better than my visa picture was! :-) Abby did wonderful and stared at the photographer in what I now know is typical Abby style. Assia told me it sometimes takes an hour to get the babies to cooperate so I am very proud Abby did it in 5 minutes. She spit up several times yesterday afternoon but obviously still felt fine so I cleaned it up each time and we just kept on playing.
Last night I had made arrangements to meet the American woman I met on the flight to Uralsk (she and her husband work here). We were to meet at 6:30 but Assia and Igor were not too keen on me walking since it is way past dark by then. I was not completely clear on the arrangements when we dropped off Assia. Every time Igor drops me at my apartment, he walks me up the 3 flights of stairs to make sure I get in ok (he is truly the nicest man). Usually he leaves saying "9:40" or "3:40" depending on the next time he will pick me up. Well last night I asked him what time I would see him. I thought he knew how to tell time in English but he got this uh oh look and it was then I realized he knows "9:40" and "3:40" only. :-) With the miracle of fingers though, we figured it out and he picked me up at 6:25 to drive me to meet the American lady.
We wound up going once again to Chagala (totally fine with me) and this time I got toasted cheese sandwich. It was a custom thing for me because it usually has ham on it. Not quite a grilled cheese sandwich but it was really good. I found out Nancy (American lady) and her husband have met several of the adoptive families while here. It was great talking English and I learned more about Uralsk. She also promised to take me to a great place to buy souvenirs on Friday.
From Chagala, it is about a 20 minute walk to my apartment. It was so cold last night and this was truly the coldest I have been since arriving here. It took me a long time to warm up.
This morning Olga was with Igor to pick me up. As I suspected she would, Olga did ask me about my walk home. I don't think she was too happy I walked home after dark but I assured her I was not alone. Olga is extremely protective. I'm sure she is protective of all the families here but I do wonder if she looks out for me even more since I am alone. I truly can not say enough good things about Olga, Igor, and Assia. They are absolutely wonderful and I already know I will miss them so much when I leave.
This morning's visit with Abby was not the usual for her. I could tell immediately she did not seem herself. She was quieter and did not smile very much. I think she was tired but her 2 upper teeth are also coming through now and I don't think she feels very good. So, today I heard her cry for the first (and second) time. Poor little thing. It is also getting hard to be in the same room with nothing new and her being limited to the still small blanket. But for now we will both just have to make do.
After my morning visit, Igor, Olga, and Assia took me on my excursion. I loved it. They drove me around Uralsk and pointed out different sights and I was able to take some pictures. We actually went inside an environmental museum (like a natural history museum). It was very small and the lady had to turn on the lights for us. Some very interesting animals (stuffed, I should add) were in there and Assia had to tell me what several of them were.
We also went in a very beautiful old cathedral. It looked similar to the one I visited with Dima in Almaty. It is Russian Orthodox and seemed similar to a Catholic church. No pews anywhere. I asked Assia about this and she said people stand during the service. I think services at home would be much shorter if we had to stand for the whole thing. :-)
I saw many war memorials, including one where Igor's grandfather was honored for his bravery in WWII. I found out today that Uralsk has 240,000 people living here. It was a great excursion. :-) I have also vowed to use that word more.
After the excursion, Assia and I took my film to be developed. I have to take pictures of Abby and me to pre-court (which I found out will be this Thursday). The camera place is inside a furniture store which was quite interesting. Also, here, you pay when you drop off the film and then if any of the pictures don't turn out, they will give you some money back. I think the "normal" size here may be larger than our 4X6, but I will see this afternoon when I get them back.
Assia and I went to an awesome bakery for lunch. For those of you who know me, this next sentence may shock you, so please brace yourselves. I ordered, ate, and even enjoyed, a kind of potato and mushroom sandwich. And it was fantastic. For those who don't know me, I normally can not stand mushrooms. At all. Not even a little bit. But every other sandwich had meat so this was my best bet. I am calling them sandwiches, but they are really more like hot pockets. :-) A new favorite of mine too. I also had a vanilla milk shake that was great. Here's the thing though - milk shakes come in cups roughly the size of a dixie cup. And it was just enough. Super size has not yet made it here and I think that is a good thing.
Today Olga is buying my ticket for the flight back to Almaty. I had to make the decision whether or not to buy a seat for Abby. I opted not to and truly hope I made the right decision. The flight is over 3 hours but on the way here, the plane was not full so I am hoping this will be the case going back. I believe it is a late night flight so
maybe she will sleep. Hey, a girl can dream, right? :-)
It is a beautiful though cold day here today. It is 13F but there is a definite wind today and with the wind chill it feels like 0. Warmer than yesterday but not much. Now that it has not snowed in a few days, the snow on the sidewalks and roads is getting pretty slick where everyone is walking or driving. I have not yet fallen but I'm sure that day is coming. :-)
Take care everyone!!
Well it has been a busy couple of days here in Uralsk. My afternoon visit yesterday with Abby was one of the best yet. She was smiling non-stop and lots and lots of laughs! A man also came to take her passport and visa photos. While I have not seen them yet, I feel confident that hers will be much better than my visa picture was! :-) Abby did wonderful and stared at the photographer in what I now know is typical Abby style. Assia told me it sometimes takes an hour to get the babies to cooperate so I am very proud Abby did it in 5 minutes. She spit up several times yesterday afternoon but obviously still felt fine so I cleaned it up each time and we just kept on playing.
Last night I had made arrangements to meet the American woman I met on the flight to Uralsk (she and her husband work here). We were to meet at 6:30 but Assia and Igor were not too keen on me walking since it is way past dark by then. I was not completely clear on the arrangements when we dropped off Assia. Every time Igor drops me at my apartment, he walks me up the 3 flights of stairs to make sure I get in ok (he is truly the nicest man). Usually he leaves saying "9:40" or "3:40" depending on the next time he will pick me up. Well last night I asked him what time I would see him. I thought he knew how to tell time in English but he got this uh oh look and it was then I realized he knows "9:40" and "3:40" only. :-) With the miracle of fingers though, we figured it out and he picked me up at 6:25 to drive me to meet the American lady.
We wound up going once again to Chagala (totally fine with me) and this time I got toasted cheese sandwich. It was a custom thing for me because it usually has ham on it. Not quite a grilled cheese sandwich but it was really good. I found out Nancy (American lady) and her husband have met several of the adoptive families while here. It was great talking English and I learned more about Uralsk. She also promised to take me to a great place to buy souvenirs on Friday.
From Chagala, it is about a 20 minute walk to my apartment. It was so cold last night and this was truly the coldest I have been since arriving here. It took me a long time to warm up.
This morning Olga was with Igor to pick me up. As I suspected she would, Olga did ask me about my walk home. I don't think she was too happy I walked home after dark but I assured her I was not alone. Olga is extremely protective. I'm sure she is protective of all the families here but I do wonder if she looks out for me even more since I am alone. I truly can not say enough good things about Olga, Igor, and Assia. They are absolutely wonderful and I already know I will miss them so much when I leave.
This morning's visit with Abby was not the usual for her. I could tell immediately she did not seem herself. She was quieter and did not smile very much. I think she was tired but her 2 upper teeth are also coming through now and I don't think she feels very good. So, today I heard her cry for the first (and second) time. Poor little thing. It is also getting hard to be in the same room with nothing new and her being limited to the still small blanket. But for now we will both just have to make do.
After my morning visit, Igor, Olga, and Assia took me on my excursion. I loved it. They drove me around Uralsk and pointed out different sights and I was able to take some pictures. We actually went inside an environmental museum (like a natural history museum). It was very small and the lady had to turn on the lights for us. Some very interesting animals (stuffed, I should add) were in there and Assia had to tell me what several of them were.
We also went in a very beautiful old cathedral. It looked similar to the one I visited with Dima in Almaty. It is Russian Orthodox and seemed similar to a Catholic church. No pews anywhere. I asked Assia about this and she said people stand during the service. I think services at home would be much shorter if we had to stand for the whole thing. :-)
I saw many war memorials, including one where Igor's grandfather was honored for his bravery in WWII. I found out today that Uralsk has 240,000 people living here. It was a great excursion. :-) I have also vowed to use that word more.
After the excursion, Assia and I took my film to be developed. I have to take pictures of Abby and me to pre-court (which I found out will be this Thursday). The camera place is inside a furniture store which was quite interesting. Also, here, you pay when you drop off the film and then if any of the pictures don't turn out, they will give you some money back. I think the "normal" size here may be larger than our 4X6, but I will see this afternoon when I get them back.
Assia and I went to an awesome bakery for lunch. For those of you who know me, this next sentence may shock you, so please brace yourselves. I ordered, ate, and even enjoyed, a kind of potato and mushroom sandwich. And it was fantastic. For those who don't know me, I normally can not stand mushrooms. At all. Not even a little bit. But every other sandwich had meat so this was my best bet. I am calling them sandwiches, but they are really more like hot pockets. :-) A new favorite of mine too. I also had a vanilla milk shake that was great. Here's the thing though - milk shakes come in cups roughly the size of a dixie cup. And it was just enough. Super size has not yet made it here and I think that is a good thing.
Today Olga is buying my ticket for the flight back to Almaty. I had to make the decision whether or not to buy a seat for Abby. I opted not to and truly hope I made the right decision. The flight is over 3 hours but on the way here, the plane was not full so I am hoping this will be the case going back. I believe it is a late night flight so
maybe she will sleep. Hey, a girl can dream, right? :-)
It is a beautiful though cold day here today. It is 13F but there is a definite wind today and with the wind chill it feels like 0. Warmer than yesterday but not much. Now that it has not snowed in a few days, the snow on the sidewalks and roads is getting pretty slick where everyone is walking or driving. I have not yet fallen but I'm sure that day is coming. :-)
Take care everyone!!
Monday, January 12, 2004
As I am writing this at 12:30 in the afternoon, it is -8 degrees F (that is actually the temperature - not windchill). Yes, it is cold. I have really gotten used to it though and with my coat, hat, boots, and gloves, I am even comfortable outside. The only things that are very cold are my cheeks and my knees. My coat comes to just above my knees and then my boots are just below my knees. All in all, not bad. I understand it is pretty chilly in the east coast back home. I hope you are all staying warm too. Right now, I think 20 degrees would feel downright balmy. :-)
I can't believe I left Atlanta one week ago today. In some ways time goes by fast (my hours at the Baby House are mere seconds) and in some ways time goes backwards (much like in the movie Risky Business where he watches the clock click in reverse).
My morning visit with Abby was great. She is really "talking" up a storm. Lots of babbling - just like me. :-) It is so precious. I think she is beginning to be bored with that one room and the same toys though. We practiced "walking" today. I hold her fingers and she walks around the blanket. I can't wait to see her outside the baby house. It is going to be such a new world for her and I can't wait to see it through her eyes.
They were late bringing her to me today because she was with the doctor. The doctor had given her some kind of ointment for her cheeks. They are definitely dry and very red but I know it is something we can take care of when we get home. They did let me have a whole hour with her even though we started late. Other favorites for Abby include jumping (I hold her on the floor and lift her above my head - she LOVES this and laughs every time), stacking cups, blocks, making noises with books, and dancing. You think I'm joking about the dancing but she will really bounce to the beat of whatever song is playing. When I hide something under the stacking cups, she uncovers whatever it is immediately. Melanie - I think she will love the Elmo track!! :-)
I do not get to see any other children at the baby house. I hear them crying etc., but don't get to see them. The other day when I was leaving, they had about 10 of the toddlers outside all bundled up. They all looked like the little boy from "A Christmas Story" and could not even move their arms but at least they got to be outside for awhile. Every day on the way to and from the Baby House, I see many children. You don't see a lot of strollers out, but I do see a lot of sleds. Very fun looking way to get around!
They asked me to bring Abby another warm sweater so after my visit today we went to the Big Market and I bought her a little sweatshirt. It is cute. For those of you who are very into color coordinating your children's clothes, this may not be the place for you. They don't worry with colors or matching in the baby house. If it fits, they wear it. The more layers the better. I still am not completely sure how big Abby is under all those clothes. :-) The clothes I brought for her all fit though - which is good.
Last night I ate pizza at the Chagala Hotel. It was so good. It is not like pizza at home but I loved it. They even let me bring home leftovers so I will have it for dinner tonight too. I ate at the bar there which has a tv and they let me have control of the remote so I watched the BBC World channel and soaked in every word. Sadly, the entire report was about a Russian city so filled with pollution that most of the people are very sick.
The Baby House was hopping again today. It is very empty on the weekends and also very dark. I was glad to see the activity today. Several people came in to compliment the blanket I bought. They really like it (it is a very royal blue and has a large puppy's head on it). I plan to donate it to the Baby House when we leave as I know I won't have room for it.
Assia and Igor are taking me on an "excursion" tomorrow. I have no idea what we will do but am very excited! I hope they will show me a lot more of Uralsk. Ok, that's it for today. Stay warm and write me when you can!! Please continue to keep Abby and me in your prayers.
I can't believe I left Atlanta one week ago today. In some ways time goes by fast (my hours at the Baby House are mere seconds) and in some ways time goes backwards (much like in the movie Risky Business where he watches the clock click in reverse).
My morning visit with Abby was great. She is really "talking" up a storm. Lots of babbling - just like me. :-) It is so precious. I think she is beginning to be bored with that one room and the same toys though. We practiced "walking" today. I hold her fingers and she walks around the blanket. I can't wait to see her outside the baby house. It is going to be such a new world for her and I can't wait to see it through her eyes.
They were late bringing her to me today because she was with the doctor. The doctor had given her some kind of ointment for her cheeks. They are definitely dry and very red but I know it is something we can take care of when we get home. They did let me have a whole hour with her even though we started late. Other favorites for Abby include jumping (I hold her on the floor and lift her above my head - she LOVES this and laughs every time), stacking cups, blocks, making noises with books, and dancing. You think I'm joking about the dancing but she will really bounce to the beat of whatever song is playing. When I hide something under the stacking cups, she uncovers whatever it is immediately. Melanie - I think she will love the Elmo track!! :-)
I do not get to see any other children at the baby house. I hear them crying etc., but don't get to see them. The other day when I was leaving, they had about 10 of the toddlers outside all bundled up. They all looked like the little boy from "A Christmas Story" and could not even move their arms but at least they got to be outside for awhile. Every day on the way to and from the Baby House, I see many children. You don't see a lot of strollers out, but I do see a lot of sleds. Very fun looking way to get around!
They asked me to bring Abby another warm sweater so after my visit today we went to the Big Market and I bought her a little sweatshirt. It is cute. For those of you who are very into color coordinating your children's clothes, this may not be the place for you. They don't worry with colors or matching in the baby house. If it fits, they wear it. The more layers the better. I still am not completely sure how big Abby is under all those clothes. :-) The clothes I brought for her all fit though - which is good.
Last night I ate pizza at the Chagala Hotel. It was so good. It is not like pizza at home but I loved it. They even let me bring home leftovers so I will have it for dinner tonight too. I ate at the bar there which has a tv and they let me have control of the remote so I watched the BBC World channel and soaked in every word. Sadly, the entire report was about a Russian city so filled with pollution that most of the people are very sick.
The Baby House was hopping again today. It is very empty on the weekends and also very dark. I was glad to see the activity today. Several people came in to compliment the blanket I bought. They really like it (it is a very royal blue and has a large puppy's head on it). I plan to donate it to the Baby House when we leave as I know I won't have room for it.
Assia and Igor are taking me on an "excursion" tomorrow. I have no idea what we will do but am very excited! I hope they will show me a lot more of Uralsk. Ok, that's it for today. Stay warm and write me when you can!! Please continue to keep Abby and me in your prayers.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
It was a sunny day in Uralsk!!!
After several days of dark snow clouds, today was an absolutely beautiful day. It was so nice to see the sun!! The days here are also very short right now. It doesn't get light until about 9:00am and is pretty dark by 5:00pm.
My last few visits with Abby have been so wonderful!!! She is the most amazing and incredible baby. And smart. Yesterday I graduated her to her new larger blanket and by yesterday afternoon she had figured out what her new boundary was. Now she crawls to the edge of the blanket turns around and smiles and then makes a break for it. There will be no keeping this girl back! She has some other very funny things she does too. My other favorite is what Assia and I now refer to as her Princess pose. She will lay on one side and ever so casually cross one leg over the other. All she needs is some grapes and some men carrying her around and she will be good to go. It is soooo funny. I wish I could find a place to post photos so you could all see.
Abby laughs more and more each day. The first couple of days she made me work for a smile but now she almost volunteers them. Cheerios are definitely a big hit. And banging. Anything she can find to bang is pretty darn cool. :-) Assia had a headache today and I'm not sure she appreciated the noise as much but with a relatively small border to play in there is only so much you can do. This afternoon when they brought her out to me, they had her hair in this little clip. Oh my gosh but it was adorable. For those of you who have not seen her picture, she has hair but there is not much to actually clip.
I love her more every time I see her. And when I am not with her I am thinking about her. I can not wait for each visit!!! I get very excited when it is 9:30am or 3:30pm because that means Igor will arrive soon to take me to see her.
OK - more life in Uralsk for you. Last night was a big night in the Green apartment. Wash night. I realize I sound very Laura Ingalls Wilder that I planned a night around this, but I am happy to report all went well. The washer is very tiny and takes almost 2 hours to wash one load. I'm not convinced how clean everything really is but there was soap, there was water, and there was spinning so I'm calling it a success. No dryers here. I had to hang my clothes around inside the apartment. There is a clothesline out on the porch but everything would freeze in about 20 seconds out there so I dried them inside instead. When I woke up this morning everything was dry. Woo hoo! Life is good.
I have been walking each day from my apartment to the Internet cafe. It is about a 10 minute walk and now that I know the way, I really enjoy it. Today the Internet cafe was closed though, so I wound up walking around for about an hour. It was extremely cold but the day was so nice and it was really great to be out of the apartment. I feel 100% safe walking here. If the weather were warmer, I would do even more of it.
Right now I am at the Chagala Hotel. The internet is more expensive here but it is worth it to me since they are open. I will try to eat before Igor picks me up. This afternoon Igor had his son Maxim with him. That little boy is the cutest kid!!! And has the most beautiful eyes. We got stuck in a snow bank near the apartment which was kind of fun. A car was sitting in the way so we attempted to go around him and next thing you know, snow is flying by the window. We all got out of the car and Igor was able to move it but it was a moment of entertainment.
I have realized I take so many things at home for granted. Especially little things. Like toilet paper. I brought 2 rolls with me and believe me I wish I could have had room for more. I am using it so sparingly to try to save every bit I can. The toilet paper here is truly like brown crepe paper. There are many other things I take for granted too. Like choices in the grocery store. They only have 1 or maybe 2 brands of things here (except for vodka which took up an entire row of shelves). I also take for granted my car. Most people here do not own cars. They either walk everywhere or have someone else drive them. Pedestrians don't necessarily have the right away though. They cross when they feel like it but cars will wait until they are almost on top of them before they honk the horn. This is funny to me because by the time they honk, it is truly too late.
Speaking of cars, many people in my apartment must have drivers pick them up. My first day here I had not yet learned which car was Igor's (I swear almost all of them are white cars). So 2 different times I thought Igor was here and attempted to get in a white car only to hear "NYET" (translation: NO). :-)
One mroe thing about my apartment. My bed at the apartment is totally fine for me but I imagine taller people have some trouble with it. It is very close (maybe 1 foot) from the ground but it is also extremely short. My feet can touch the foot board. For those who don't know me personally, I am 5'3". I'm telling you, it is a little bed. :-)
Well, I am going to try to get something to eat while I am here. I hope you all had a great Sunday. Please keep those emails coming. I can't tell you how great it is for me to read messages from home.
After several days of dark snow clouds, today was an absolutely beautiful day. It was so nice to see the sun!! The days here are also very short right now. It doesn't get light until about 9:00am and is pretty dark by 5:00pm.
My last few visits with Abby have been so wonderful!!! She is the most amazing and incredible baby. And smart. Yesterday I graduated her to her new larger blanket and by yesterday afternoon she had figured out what her new boundary was. Now she crawls to the edge of the blanket turns around and smiles and then makes a break for it. There will be no keeping this girl back! She has some other very funny things she does too. My other favorite is what Assia and I now refer to as her Princess pose. She will lay on one side and ever so casually cross one leg over the other. All she needs is some grapes and some men carrying her around and she will be good to go. It is soooo funny. I wish I could find a place to post photos so you could all see.
Abby laughs more and more each day. The first couple of days she made me work for a smile but now she almost volunteers them. Cheerios are definitely a big hit. And banging. Anything she can find to bang is pretty darn cool. :-) Assia had a headache today and I'm not sure she appreciated the noise as much but with a relatively small border to play in there is only so much you can do. This afternoon when they brought her out to me, they had her hair in this little clip. Oh my gosh but it was adorable. For those of you who have not seen her picture, she has hair but there is not much to actually clip.
I love her more every time I see her. And when I am not with her I am thinking about her. I can not wait for each visit!!! I get very excited when it is 9:30am or 3:30pm because that means Igor will arrive soon to take me to see her.
OK - more life in Uralsk for you. Last night was a big night in the Green apartment. Wash night. I realize I sound very Laura Ingalls Wilder that I planned a night around this, but I am happy to report all went well. The washer is very tiny and takes almost 2 hours to wash one load. I'm not convinced how clean everything really is but there was soap, there was water, and there was spinning so I'm calling it a success. No dryers here. I had to hang my clothes around inside the apartment. There is a clothesline out on the porch but everything would freeze in about 20 seconds out there so I dried them inside instead. When I woke up this morning everything was dry. Woo hoo! Life is good.
I have been walking each day from my apartment to the Internet cafe. It is about a 10 minute walk and now that I know the way, I really enjoy it. Today the Internet cafe was closed though, so I wound up walking around for about an hour. It was extremely cold but the day was so nice and it was really great to be out of the apartment. I feel 100% safe walking here. If the weather were warmer, I would do even more of it.
Right now I am at the Chagala Hotel. The internet is more expensive here but it is worth it to me since they are open. I will try to eat before Igor picks me up. This afternoon Igor had his son Maxim with him. That little boy is the cutest kid!!! And has the most beautiful eyes. We got stuck in a snow bank near the apartment which was kind of fun. A car was sitting in the way so we attempted to go around him and next thing you know, snow is flying by the window. We all got out of the car and Igor was able to move it but it was a moment of entertainment.
I have realized I take so many things at home for granted. Especially little things. Like toilet paper. I brought 2 rolls with me and believe me I wish I could have had room for more. I am using it so sparingly to try to save every bit I can. The toilet paper here is truly like brown crepe paper. There are many other things I take for granted too. Like choices in the grocery store. They only have 1 or maybe 2 brands of things here (except for vodka which took up an entire row of shelves). I also take for granted my car. Most people here do not own cars. They either walk everywhere or have someone else drive them. Pedestrians don't necessarily have the right away though. They cross when they feel like it but cars will wait until they are almost on top of them before they honk the horn. This is funny to me because by the time they honk, it is truly too late.
Speaking of cars, many people in my apartment must have drivers pick them up. My first day here I had not yet learned which car was Igor's (I swear almost all of them are white cars). So 2 different times I thought Igor was here and attempted to get in a white car only to hear "NYET" (translation: NO). :-)
One mroe thing about my apartment. My bed at the apartment is totally fine for me but I imagine taller people have some trouble with it. It is very close (maybe 1 foot) from the ground but it is also extremely short. My feet can touch the foot board. For those who don't know me personally, I am 5'3". I'm telling you, it is a little bed. :-)
Well, I am going to try to get something to eat while I am here. I hope you all had a great Sunday. Please keep those emails coming. I can't tell you how great it is for me to read messages from home.
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Happy Saturday!
It has been snowing nonstop since yesterday morning. I was trying to figure out how many inches (or feet) of snow but you can't tell because there is nothing to compare it to. Snow covers everything! They just kind of pack it down and walk on top.
I have had 2 more visits with Abby since my last post and they have been sooooooo wonderful!!! Each visit I get more laughs and smiles out of her. Today I asked if I could feed her cheerios and they said yes. She loved them!! Her little feet would just kick as she ate. It was really adorable. We played more with the blocks and just basically did baby stuff. I could kiss those big cheeks all day long. They have the radio on while we are in the music room so we dance a lot too. She is quite the little dancer. :-) Every visit too, she makes more eye contact with me and loves to pat my nose. It is really funny. I still have not seen her cry yet but towards the end of our visit this morning she was getting sleepy and started snuggling against my shoulder. It was the most precious thing.
So, let's see what else to tell you about life in Uralsk. Several of you have asked what I do to entertain myself between visits. Well, the afternoon is not bad at all. I go to the internet cafe (where I am now) or shopping (which we did earlier today) but the evenings are a bit longer. If it was not the dead of winter and so cold outside, I would probably venture out more on my own but it gets dark at 5:00pm here so when they drop me off at my apartment, I basically stay in for the night. I have 3 books with me and am reading The DaVinci Code right now. It definitely keeps me entertained!! I am trying to pace how much I read though because I don't want to finish the books too early and be stuck without.
I have tried watching some tv but here in Uralsk I only get about 4 channels and they are all in Russian. Last night I think I was watching some kind of circus. I also think I may have watched a Russian televangelist. It was a man dressed in a blue suit yelling and crying a lot. I have no idea but it was pretty funny. I have watched a few Russian soap operas too. These seem to be on at any hour and are full of many angst filled expressions by the stars as well as dramatic pauses. It is even better than the soap operas on the Spanish channel at home. Oh, and I saw a commercial for Murder She Wrote in Russian. The funny thing is Angela Lansbury's character is dubbed in Russian by a man. It appears as though Angela is quite masculine. :-)
Today Assia and I went to the Big Market. Yes, I finally bought a bigger blanket for Abby so she can crawl more. This blanket is so funny. It is very, hmmm, how do I say, fuzzy?? I wish I could bring it home but it is so thick I doubt I will have room. I also bought a tiny radio so I can listen to music at night. I love the music here - very cool dance type music. Igor always has it on the radio and it is great. I will leave the radio in the apartment for the next family to stay here.
My trip to the market today was interesting. Assia needed to get a few groceries. Last time I was there I did not go near the meat section but today we did. This is the first time I nearly got sick here. The meat is not covered in any way and the smell was really hard for me. The Big Market truly sells everything. Everything from meat to furniture and all in between. It is almost like a bazaar with different sections. When I bought my radio they sold it to me without a box or anything. Oh, and it cost next to nothing.
For those of you keeping score in the Shower vs. Gayla, after today the score is:
Shower 2
Gayla 0
I'm holding out hope I will be victorious tomorrow.
I have had several of you ask me about the time difference here. Well Uralsk is 9 hours ahead of Eastern time. So, right now it is 12:47pm and there in the East coast it is 3:45am. When I go back to Almaty the time difference is 11 hours.
The snow is really incredibly beautiful. Yesterday I mentioned the lines on the streets? Well today there are no lines and I can barely tell where there are streets at all. I have seen many people outside with shovels but it seems to fall as fast as they can shovel.
My driver Igor is absolutely wonderful (as is everyone here). He speaks about as much English as I speak Russian but we somehow do just fine. Yesterday he pointed out 2 different "oops". Oops, in case you are wondering are car accidents. When I saw the 2nd one, I said "Oops?". He smiled and said "oops".
Also, for those of you who asked, it is harder every day to leave Abby after our visits. I swear they fly by. Each time Assia sleeps while Abby and I play but she somehow pops up exactly when it is time to leave.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Mine will be pretty much like the weekdays with Abby visits and that is the greatest way to spend any day. I'm not sure if the internet cafe is open tomorrow but if it is I will be here to post. :-)
It has been snowing nonstop since yesterday morning. I was trying to figure out how many inches (or feet) of snow but you can't tell because there is nothing to compare it to. Snow covers everything! They just kind of pack it down and walk on top.
I have had 2 more visits with Abby since my last post and they have been sooooooo wonderful!!! Each visit I get more laughs and smiles out of her. Today I asked if I could feed her cheerios and they said yes. She loved them!! Her little feet would just kick as she ate. It was really adorable. We played more with the blocks and just basically did baby stuff. I could kiss those big cheeks all day long. They have the radio on while we are in the music room so we dance a lot too. She is quite the little dancer. :-) Every visit too, she makes more eye contact with me and loves to pat my nose. It is really funny. I still have not seen her cry yet but towards the end of our visit this morning she was getting sleepy and started snuggling against my shoulder. It was the most precious thing.
So, let's see what else to tell you about life in Uralsk. Several of you have asked what I do to entertain myself between visits. Well, the afternoon is not bad at all. I go to the internet cafe (where I am now) or shopping (which we did earlier today) but the evenings are a bit longer. If it was not the dead of winter and so cold outside, I would probably venture out more on my own but it gets dark at 5:00pm here so when they drop me off at my apartment, I basically stay in for the night. I have 3 books with me and am reading The DaVinci Code right now. It definitely keeps me entertained!! I am trying to pace how much I read though because I don't want to finish the books too early and be stuck without.
I have tried watching some tv but here in Uralsk I only get about 4 channels and they are all in Russian. Last night I think I was watching some kind of circus. I also think I may have watched a Russian televangelist. It was a man dressed in a blue suit yelling and crying a lot. I have no idea but it was pretty funny. I have watched a few Russian soap operas too. These seem to be on at any hour and are full of many angst filled expressions by the stars as well as dramatic pauses. It is even better than the soap operas on the Spanish channel at home. Oh, and I saw a commercial for Murder She Wrote in Russian. The funny thing is Angela Lansbury's character is dubbed in Russian by a man. It appears as though Angela is quite masculine. :-)
Today Assia and I went to the Big Market. Yes, I finally bought a bigger blanket for Abby so she can crawl more. This blanket is so funny. It is very, hmmm, how do I say, fuzzy?? I wish I could bring it home but it is so thick I doubt I will have room. I also bought a tiny radio so I can listen to music at night. I love the music here - very cool dance type music. Igor always has it on the radio and it is great. I will leave the radio in the apartment for the next family to stay here.
My trip to the market today was interesting. Assia needed to get a few groceries. Last time I was there I did not go near the meat section but today we did. This is the first time I nearly got sick here. The meat is not covered in any way and the smell was really hard for me. The Big Market truly sells everything. Everything from meat to furniture and all in between. It is almost like a bazaar with different sections. When I bought my radio they sold it to me without a box or anything. Oh, and it cost next to nothing.
For those of you keeping score in the Shower vs. Gayla, after today the score is:
Shower 2
Gayla 0
I'm holding out hope I will be victorious tomorrow.
I have had several of you ask me about the time difference here. Well Uralsk is 9 hours ahead of Eastern time. So, right now it is 12:47pm and there in the East coast it is 3:45am. When I go back to Almaty the time difference is 11 hours.
The snow is really incredibly beautiful. Yesterday I mentioned the lines on the streets? Well today there are no lines and I can barely tell where there are streets at all. I have seen many people outside with shovels but it seems to fall as fast as they can shovel.
My driver Igor is absolutely wonderful (as is everyone here). He speaks about as much English as I speak Russian but we somehow do just fine. Yesterday he pointed out 2 different "oops". Oops, in case you are wondering are car accidents. When I saw the 2nd one, I said "Oops?". He smiled and said "oops".
Also, for those of you who asked, it is harder every day to leave Abby after our visits. I swear they fly by. Each time Assia sleeps while Abby and I play but she somehow pops up exactly when it is time to leave.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Mine will be pretty much like the weekdays with Abby visits and that is the greatest way to spend any day. I'm not sure if the internet cafe is open tomorrow but if it is I will be here to post. :-)
Friday, January 09, 2004
Hi everyone!
Well, since my last post I have officially had 2 meetings with Abby and the only word that comes close to describing it is pure heaven!!! She is all I have been imagining and even more - so beautiful, sweet, charming, and curious. Let me back up and give you some of the story. Igor and Olga were supposed to pick me up at 3:40 yesterday. Well they did not arrive until 4:00. I can't remember if I have described my apartment and its door to you but think Fort Knox and multiply by 7. My first few attempts at the locks have required about 10 minutes to lock the door and get out. And much patience to refrain from saying something I shouldn't - after all I don't want Abby's first words to be something that requires a phone call home from her teachers. Anyway, I finally made it outside (little update - I have gotten much faster with the doors - yes plural - I have 2 doors just for my apartment and that is not counting the doors to the building itself which are made of some kind of steel that would make Pittsburgh envious).
Soooo - we finally get to the baby house and I get to meet with the baby house director. She asks me many of the questions I have already answered and then tells me all about Abby's medical history - nothing new from her medical I received with my referral aside from her weight which is now 8k (about 17 pounds)! By this time it is about 4:40 and they take me into the music room where we will have our visits. The music room is very nice and there is a Christmas tree in it roughly the size of the Rockefeller tree. Puts my little Charlie Brown tree to shame! :-)
And all of a sudden, there is Abby! She is absolutely beautiful!!!!!!! The caregiver hands her to me and Abby did not cry at all. She just stared at me. It was priceless. Those of you who think I can stare? I've got nothing on this kid. She has the staring thing down to a science. Anyway, it was just the most amazing moment. I didn't cry either but I think that is because I was so incredibly happy. So we get on the floor and I got out a few toys for her (Goodnight Moon book and some very fun Fisher Price blocks). She LOVED the book and banged the heck out of those blocks. I just kept kissing her cheeks in between books and blocks. Everyone left the room except for Assia who laid down on the floor and went to sleep. After about 15 minutes I got the tiniest of smiles from Abby and then all of a sudden Assia sprang up as if from the dead and announced "That's it - time's up". I didn't think she was serious at first but she was. Turns out it doesn't matter what time you get there, ending time is the same because they have the kids on very strict schedules. So they took her from me and we said "paka paka" (bye bye). Best 20 minutes of my life!
While we were waiting on Olga, Abby's main caregiver told me through the interpreter that Abby is a very good natured baby and cries only when she is hungry or tired or doesn't feel well. She definitely seems very even tempered.
When we left, I went back to the apartment and attempted some unpacking. I can't remember if I mentioned here or not, but the blanket on my bed was some kind of fur thing that, well, I won't go into details. Fortunately, I was able to find a clean cotton one so I did a little rearranging with the fur one that I have decided to name Hugo. Last night I was able to get a really good night's sleep and this despite all the noises. The apartment is very loud but I am a city girl and so far it doesn't bother me. The heavy metal door is right close to my bedroom so every time anyone went in or out I definitely knew about it.
On to this morning. I hope I get much better with this shower than today because it was a battle of wills and I totally lost. The apartment has an apartment journal where families share stuff about the apartment and town. I had read in it that the shower works best if you turn on the cold all the way and then add the hot gradually. I did this but once I switched from bath to shower all bets were off. It had a way of going from scalding to freezing with no in between. Not to worry though, I am determined to find a way to make that thing work.
Olga and Igor were right on time this morning and we picked up Assia on the way to the Baby House. They had asked me to bring 5 diapers per day and an outft for Abby. Oh, and a blanket for her to play on. So I brought all these things. Assia took them the diapers and outfit. I gave them a slightly smaller one of the things I had brought to get an idea about size (6/9 month outfit). When they brought her in, she looked adorable and only slightly like the Michelin Man. I was thinking she was larger than I had imagined but then I realized that underneath this outfit they had a few layers of clothes. Plus I had given them a onesie to put under it so heaven knows how many clothes she was really wearing. She was very well padded. :-)
Our meeting this morning was so much fun. We played and played and she laughed (sweetest laugh in the whole world) whenever I kissed her cheeks today. I got scolded a little bit for letting her crawl off the blanket I brought. Well the blanket I brought is a regular baby size blanket. Not a lot of room for crawling! But Abby was good natured about me having to stop her from crawling. She is a busy baby. :-) I helped her stand by holding her fingers and while she is not ready to do this on her own she had fun. No crying at all today either.
Yesterday they told me that she has allergies to sweet juice and that is why her cheeks are so red. Well, if that is true I must have the same allergy because by the time we left, my cheeks were very red too. I don't argue anything though if I was a betting girl, I would say the red cheeks just might be a result of an incredibly warm baby house. Emphasis on incredibly.
The people at the baby house are so nice and I can tell they adore these children. I wish I could speak Russian to attempt to thank them for taking such great care of Abby.
It is snowing very hard today and is quite cold outside. Olga has already informed me I must wear my hat. I don't think they understand why I don't always wear it but sometimes we are outside long enough to run from the car to the door. I asked Igor to drop me off at the Chagala Hotel (where I am right now) because they have an internet computer here and an english menu. The hotel is very nice but from the outside looks like army barracks.
A few things to share with you as to some differences here.
1. Painted lines on the street are merely suggestions as drivers pretty much drive wherever they want.
2. Everyone wears hats and the men mostly wear the cool fur hats.
3. It is cold.
4. You do not wear shoes inside. Ever from what I can tell. I brought my slippers and wear them inside the apartment but at the baby house I must take off my shoes before they bring in Abby.
5. Did I mention it is cold?
6. The water has a very different smell. I'm not even sure what to compare it to.
7. They do not have peanut butter. :-( This was one thing I knew to bring but it got cut in packing round 3.
I am doing great and thank you all sooooo much for your emails. I have not been able to respond to them but read every one. I miss you all but am so happy here with Abby. I can not wait until 4:00 this afternoon when I get to go back. I also can't wait to bring her home!!! Please keep the emails coming - reading them is one of the highlights of my day!
Well, since my last post I have officially had 2 meetings with Abby and the only word that comes close to describing it is pure heaven!!! She is all I have been imagining and even more - so beautiful, sweet, charming, and curious. Let me back up and give you some of the story. Igor and Olga were supposed to pick me up at 3:40 yesterday. Well they did not arrive until 4:00. I can't remember if I have described my apartment and its door to you but think Fort Knox and multiply by 7. My first few attempts at the locks have required about 10 minutes to lock the door and get out. And much patience to refrain from saying something I shouldn't - after all I don't want Abby's first words to be something that requires a phone call home from her teachers. Anyway, I finally made it outside (little update - I have gotten much faster with the doors - yes plural - I have 2 doors just for my apartment and that is not counting the doors to the building itself which are made of some kind of steel that would make Pittsburgh envious).
Soooo - we finally get to the baby house and I get to meet with the baby house director. She asks me many of the questions I have already answered and then tells me all about Abby's medical history - nothing new from her medical I received with my referral aside from her weight which is now 8k (about 17 pounds)! By this time it is about 4:40 and they take me into the music room where we will have our visits. The music room is very nice and there is a Christmas tree in it roughly the size of the Rockefeller tree. Puts my little Charlie Brown tree to shame! :-)
And all of a sudden, there is Abby! She is absolutely beautiful!!!!!!! The caregiver hands her to me and Abby did not cry at all. She just stared at me. It was priceless. Those of you who think I can stare? I've got nothing on this kid. She has the staring thing down to a science. Anyway, it was just the most amazing moment. I didn't cry either but I think that is because I was so incredibly happy. So we get on the floor and I got out a few toys for her (Goodnight Moon book and some very fun Fisher Price blocks). She LOVED the book and banged the heck out of those blocks. I just kept kissing her cheeks in between books and blocks. Everyone left the room except for Assia who laid down on the floor and went to sleep. After about 15 minutes I got the tiniest of smiles from Abby and then all of a sudden Assia sprang up as if from the dead and announced "That's it - time's up". I didn't think she was serious at first but she was. Turns out it doesn't matter what time you get there, ending time is the same because they have the kids on very strict schedules. So they took her from me and we said "paka paka" (bye bye). Best 20 minutes of my life!
While we were waiting on Olga, Abby's main caregiver told me through the interpreter that Abby is a very good natured baby and cries only when she is hungry or tired or doesn't feel well. She definitely seems very even tempered.
When we left, I went back to the apartment and attempted some unpacking. I can't remember if I mentioned here or not, but the blanket on my bed was some kind of fur thing that, well, I won't go into details. Fortunately, I was able to find a clean cotton one so I did a little rearranging with the fur one that I have decided to name Hugo. Last night I was able to get a really good night's sleep and this despite all the noises. The apartment is very loud but I am a city girl and so far it doesn't bother me. The heavy metal door is right close to my bedroom so every time anyone went in or out I definitely knew about it.
On to this morning. I hope I get much better with this shower than today because it was a battle of wills and I totally lost. The apartment has an apartment journal where families share stuff about the apartment and town. I had read in it that the shower works best if you turn on the cold all the way and then add the hot gradually. I did this but once I switched from bath to shower all bets were off. It had a way of going from scalding to freezing with no in between. Not to worry though, I am determined to find a way to make that thing work.
Olga and Igor were right on time this morning and we picked up Assia on the way to the Baby House. They had asked me to bring 5 diapers per day and an outft for Abby. Oh, and a blanket for her to play on. So I brought all these things. Assia took them the diapers and outfit. I gave them a slightly smaller one of the things I had brought to get an idea about size (6/9 month outfit). When they brought her in, she looked adorable and only slightly like the Michelin Man. I was thinking she was larger than I had imagined but then I realized that underneath this outfit they had a few layers of clothes. Plus I had given them a onesie to put under it so heaven knows how many clothes she was really wearing. She was very well padded. :-)
Our meeting this morning was so much fun. We played and played and she laughed (sweetest laugh in the whole world) whenever I kissed her cheeks today. I got scolded a little bit for letting her crawl off the blanket I brought. Well the blanket I brought is a regular baby size blanket. Not a lot of room for crawling! But Abby was good natured about me having to stop her from crawling. She is a busy baby. :-) I helped her stand by holding her fingers and while she is not ready to do this on her own she had fun. No crying at all today either.
Yesterday they told me that she has allergies to sweet juice and that is why her cheeks are so red. Well, if that is true I must have the same allergy because by the time we left, my cheeks were very red too. I don't argue anything though if I was a betting girl, I would say the red cheeks just might be a result of an incredibly warm baby house. Emphasis on incredibly.
The people at the baby house are so nice and I can tell they adore these children. I wish I could speak Russian to attempt to thank them for taking such great care of Abby.
It is snowing very hard today and is quite cold outside. Olga has already informed me I must wear my hat. I don't think they understand why I don't always wear it but sometimes we are outside long enough to run from the car to the door. I asked Igor to drop me off at the Chagala Hotel (where I am right now) because they have an internet computer here and an english menu. The hotel is very nice but from the outside looks like army barracks.
A few things to share with you as to some differences here.
1. Painted lines on the street are merely suggestions as drivers pretty much drive wherever they want.
2. Everyone wears hats and the men mostly wear the cool fur hats.
3. It is cold.
4. You do not wear shoes inside. Ever from what I can tell. I brought my slippers and wear them inside the apartment but at the baby house I must take off my shoes before they bring in Abby.
5. Did I mention it is cold?
6. The water has a very different smell. I'm not even sure what to compare it to.
7. They do not have peanut butter. :-( This was one thing I knew to bring but it got cut in packing round 3.
I am doing great and thank you all sooooo much for your emails. I have not been able to respond to them but read every one. I miss you all but am so happy here with Abby. I can not wait until 4:00 this afternoon when I get to go back. I also can't wait to bring her home!!! Please keep the emails coming - reading them is one of the highlights of my day!
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Hello from Uralsk!
I am going to apologize upfront because this post is going to be kind of short. My jetlag officially kicked in and it took me a good 30 minutes to figure out how to switch this keyboard to English. :-)
Things are still going great. Yesterday afternoon my driver Dima took me to do a little sightseeing around Almaty. We went to Central Park (including a beautiful cathedral and a WWII memorial). We also went to a nearby mountain for a lovely (though pollution filled) view of Almaty.
This morning my driver picked me up at 3:45am for my 5:15am flight to Uralsk. That was quite the adventure as this part of the airport was more like a bus stop but not much English going on. I just kind of followed the crowd and managed to get both me and my luggage (which cost me about 9000 tenge because it was over the weight limit) on the plane. I wound up meeting an American woman while waiting on the plane (which was about an hour late). She and her husband work in Uralsk and are in the process of moving to Almaty. It was pretty cool to speak fluent English. :-)
The flight to Uralsk was about 3 hours and is 2 hours behind Almaty timewise. The plane stopped on the tarmac and we walked to a small building. Let me just say...... It is cold. I was pretty happy to have my big coat and hat. My facilitator Olga and driver Igor were waiting on me and after we gathered my luggage we were off to Uralsk. The drive was about 25 minutes and was very pretty. Snow everywhere of course but the moon was full and absolutely stunning. Quite an entrance to my daughter's birth city.
We stopped by my apartment and home for the next 2 weeks. This apartment is more modest than the one in Almaty but will do just fine. It is huge! My first moment to be nervous followed dropping my stuff at the apartment. We went to meet with the Minister of Education. Imagine me, my interpreter Marina, Olga, 3 women from the Minister's office, and the Minister all sitting around a HUGE table. They were all speaking Russian. Then came the reason I was ther - to answer the minister's questions. Olga had prepared me earlier for how to answer some of the questions but he even asked me things they did not figure he would. The woman also asked lots of questions. Anyway, I was very nervous but at the end Marina told me he wished me the best and said he knew my daughter would have a better life with me. I think that is the first time I breathed during the whole meeting. :-)
After this meeting, my regular interpreter Assia and Igor took me to the store to get groceries. It was very cheap. I got things like yogurt, fruit, bread and cheese.
And now I just have to wait 3 more hours before we go to the baby house!!! :-) It has already been a very long day but I truly can not wait. This internet cafe is only 3 or 4 blocks from my apartment and my schedule should get kind of routine now so I hope to be able to post more tomorrow.
Thank you so much to all of you who have written me!!! I appreciate so much!
I am going to apologize upfront because this post is going to be kind of short. My jetlag officially kicked in and it took me a good 30 minutes to figure out how to switch this keyboard to English. :-)
Things are still going great. Yesterday afternoon my driver Dima took me to do a little sightseeing around Almaty. We went to Central Park (including a beautiful cathedral and a WWII memorial). We also went to a nearby mountain for a lovely (though pollution filled) view of Almaty.
This morning my driver picked me up at 3:45am for my 5:15am flight to Uralsk. That was quite the adventure as this part of the airport was more like a bus stop but not much English going on. I just kind of followed the crowd and managed to get both me and my luggage (which cost me about 9000 tenge because it was over the weight limit) on the plane. I wound up meeting an American woman while waiting on the plane (which was about an hour late). She and her husband work in Uralsk and are in the process of moving to Almaty. It was pretty cool to speak fluent English. :-)
The flight to Uralsk was about 3 hours and is 2 hours behind Almaty timewise. The plane stopped on the tarmac and we walked to a small building. Let me just say...... It is cold. I was pretty happy to have my big coat and hat. My facilitator Olga and driver Igor were waiting on me and after we gathered my luggage we were off to Uralsk. The drive was about 25 minutes and was very pretty. Snow everywhere of course but the moon was full and absolutely stunning. Quite an entrance to my daughter's birth city.
We stopped by my apartment and home for the next 2 weeks. This apartment is more modest than the one in Almaty but will do just fine. It is huge! My first moment to be nervous followed dropping my stuff at the apartment. We went to meet with the Minister of Education. Imagine me, my interpreter Marina, Olga, 3 women from the Minister's office, and the Minister all sitting around a HUGE table. They were all speaking Russian. Then came the reason I was ther - to answer the minister's questions. Olga had prepared me earlier for how to answer some of the questions but he even asked me things they did not figure he would. The woman also asked lots of questions. Anyway, I was very nervous but at the end Marina told me he wished me the best and said he knew my daughter would have a better life with me. I think that is the first time I breathed during the whole meeting. :-)
After this meeting, my regular interpreter Assia and Igor took me to the store to get groceries. It was very cheap. I got things like yogurt, fruit, bread and cheese.
And now I just have to wait 3 more hours before we go to the baby house!!! :-) It has already been a very long day but I truly can not wait. This internet cafe is only 3 or 4 blocks from my apartment and my schedule should get kind of routine now so I hope to be able to post more tomorrow.
Thank you so much to all of you who have written me!!! I appreciate so much!
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
I'm here!!!
Well, I'm not even sure where to start but I am here and doing great!! My flights were fine though incredibly long. The flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt was probably the most interesting one so far. I sat in the aisle next to a woman (who was sitting by the window). Let me start by saying she got up every hour. I only slept a couple of hours on that flight (and not consecutive hours either) but during one moment when I was asleep, all of a sudden I had the feeling of a shadow passing by me. I opened my eyes to see the woman next to me standing in her seat with one leg on the arm rest. I caught her just as she was preparing to jump over me. Yes, jump over me. If it helps give you a better idea, this woman slept with the tray table down and her legs on the table. :-) So, after 9 hours next to this woman, I was pretty happy that we landed in Germany.
Anyway, the layover in Frankfurt was actually the toughest part so far because I was so tired. I did all I could not to fall asleep. The layover was about 3.5 hours and finally we boarded a bus to go to the plane for Almaty. I met 2 other WPA families on the bus. They looked 1)American, 2)exhausted, and 3)happy beyond belief. All things I am sure I looked too so I took a chance and introduced myself. It was really nice to be on this leg of the trip with others! The flight to Almaty was also very long (7 hours) and we had another time change of 5 more hours so we arrived after 11:00pm local time in Almaty. I wish I could accurately describe the approach into Almaty. It was so dark, and foggy, and snow was everywhere. It reminded me of the book The Polar Express.
We deplaned and took another bus to a small building looking exactly like you would imagine a building to look from the Soviet days. I apparently have the same luck with standing in line in Kazakhstan that I do in the U.S. Every time I moved to a shorter looking line, it turned out to be the new long line. I was pretty much the last person to make it through Customs but they let me through after checking my passport and visa. Next we moved downstairs to get luggage. I have never been so happy to see 2 suitcases in my life!!! Everything arrived and even intact! On the plane we had to complete declaration forms (which I had done). It turned out though that I should have completed 2 of these forms. I even vaguely remember reading that somewhere but by this point - well, I'm impressed I was able to walk. :-) Anyway, one of the security guys kept telling me "Two" over and over. I had zero idea what he was talking about. He eventually found a woman who spoke Russian and English to explain I had to do another form and then all was right with the world. By the way, to get an accurate picture of the building and people - think Dr. Zhivago. Only without the soundtrack.
So, now we all take our luggage outside where like 1000 taxi drivers are trying to get everyone to go with them. Just like at home. Through the sea of fur hats though I spotted the nicest man with a sign saying "Gayla Green". This was my driver, Dima, and he and Dilnova (also from WPA) took me to my apartment for the night. The drive to the apartment was about 25 minutes and was so pretty and surreal. It was extremely foggy, snow is everywhere, and they still have lights up from the holidays.
My apartment here in Almaty is SO nice!!! I took pictures but may not have time to post them today. It has a living room, kitchen, computer room, bedroom, and bathroom. I completely crashed last night. It was about 1:00am here by the time I got in bed. I slept until my alarm went off. A good deep sleep. My shower this morning was probably in my top 5 showers of all time. Not that I usually rank my showers but after 2 days of airplanes and no sleep, this shower was heaven. I must add that the apartment is HOT. The heat is turned on and controlled by the city so you don't have any choice about it but it was easily 82 degrees in there. I slept without a blanket.
This morning Dima picked me up and took me to Gulbanu's office where I signed a lot of paperwork and turned over most of my money. Colene - I gave Gulbanu one of the calendars and she loved it! She also told me about my schedule. I will fly in the morning to Uralsk. My flight leaves at 5:15am so Dima will pick me up at 3:45am. Fortunately I am not really used to this time zone as I am about to change time zones again. Uralsk is 2 hours behind Almaty.
But the best part of tomorrow is I finally get to meet Abby!!!! I can not wait for this moment. Gulbanu pulled up pictures of Abby today and told me she thinks Abby looks like me a little. :-) Gulbanu also told me that all the babies in Abby's baby house are sick - except for Abby. I hope she does not get sick!!
My schedule is still very up in the air apparently. They are now hoping I will have court on Jan. 22 but if it gets moved I will definitely have to stay here longer (like a week longer) because of the next available court date. I'm just going where they tell me.
Right now I am at the Ramstore with my driver. He brought me here to pick up a few things and use the internet cafe. I have seen pictures of the Ramstore from other families but it totally is very reminiscent of a mall from home - only everything is, of course, in Russian. It is like a very nice mall - complete with ice skating rink. After I finish up here I will get some lunch.
As you can tell - I am doing great and could not be in better hands. Everyone says it but it is indeed true!! I will try to post again tomorrow evening from Uralsk.
Well, I'm not even sure where to start but I am here and doing great!! My flights were fine though incredibly long. The flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt was probably the most interesting one so far. I sat in the aisle next to a woman (who was sitting by the window). Let me start by saying she got up every hour. I only slept a couple of hours on that flight (and not consecutive hours either) but during one moment when I was asleep, all of a sudden I had the feeling of a shadow passing by me. I opened my eyes to see the woman next to me standing in her seat with one leg on the arm rest. I caught her just as she was preparing to jump over me. Yes, jump over me. If it helps give you a better idea, this woman slept with the tray table down and her legs on the table. :-) So, after 9 hours next to this woman, I was pretty happy that we landed in Germany.
Anyway, the layover in Frankfurt was actually the toughest part so far because I was so tired. I did all I could not to fall asleep. The layover was about 3.5 hours and finally we boarded a bus to go to the plane for Almaty. I met 2 other WPA families on the bus. They looked 1)American, 2)exhausted, and 3)happy beyond belief. All things I am sure I looked too so I took a chance and introduced myself. It was really nice to be on this leg of the trip with others! The flight to Almaty was also very long (7 hours) and we had another time change of 5 more hours so we arrived after 11:00pm local time in Almaty. I wish I could accurately describe the approach into Almaty. It was so dark, and foggy, and snow was everywhere. It reminded me of the book The Polar Express.
We deplaned and took another bus to a small building looking exactly like you would imagine a building to look from the Soviet days. I apparently have the same luck with standing in line in Kazakhstan that I do in the U.S. Every time I moved to a shorter looking line, it turned out to be the new long line. I was pretty much the last person to make it through Customs but they let me through after checking my passport and visa. Next we moved downstairs to get luggage. I have never been so happy to see 2 suitcases in my life!!! Everything arrived and even intact! On the plane we had to complete declaration forms (which I had done). It turned out though that I should have completed 2 of these forms. I even vaguely remember reading that somewhere but by this point - well, I'm impressed I was able to walk. :-) Anyway, one of the security guys kept telling me "Two" over and over. I had zero idea what he was talking about. He eventually found a woman who spoke Russian and English to explain I had to do another form and then all was right with the world. By the way, to get an accurate picture of the building and people - think Dr. Zhivago. Only without the soundtrack.
So, now we all take our luggage outside where like 1000 taxi drivers are trying to get everyone to go with them. Just like at home. Through the sea of fur hats though I spotted the nicest man with a sign saying "Gayla Green". This was my driver, Dima, and he and Dilnova (also from WPA) took me to my apartment for the night. The drive to the apartment was about 25 minutes and was so pretty and surreal. It was extremely foggy, snow is everywhere, and they still have lights up from the holidays.
My apartment here in Almaty is SO nice!!! I took pictures but may not have time to post them today. It has a living room, kitchen, computer room, bedroom, and bathroom. I completely crashed last night. It was about 1:00am here by the time I got in bed. I slept until my alarm went off. A good deep sleep. My shower this morning was probably in my top 5 showers of all time. Not that I usually rank my showers but after 2 days of airplanes and no sleep, this shower was heaven. I must add that the apartment is HOT. The heat is turned on and controlled by the city so you don't have any choice about it but it was easily 82 degrees in there. I slept without a blanket.
This morning Dima picked me up and took me to Gulbanu's office where I signed a lot of paperwork and turned over most of my money. Colene - I gave Gulbanu one of the calendars and she loved it! She also told me about my schedule. I will fly in the morning to Uralsk. My flight leaves at 5:15am so Dima will pick me up at 3:45am. Fortunately I am not really used to this time zone as I am about to change time zones again. Uralsk is 2 hours behind Almaty.
But the best part of tomorrow is I finally get to meet Abby!!!! I can not wait for this moment. Gulbanu pulled up pictures of Abby today and told me she thinks Abby looks like me a little. :-) Gulbanu also told me that all the babies in Abby's baby house are sick - except for Abby. I hope she does not get sick!!
My schedule is still very up in the air apparently. They are now hoping I will have court on Jan. 22 but if it gets moved I will definitely have to stay here longer (like a week longer) because of the next available court date. I'm just going where they tell me.
Right now I am at the Ramstore with my driver. He brought me here to pick up a few things and use the internet cafe. I have seen pictures of the Ramstore from other families but it totally is very reminiscent of a mall from home - only everything is, of course, in Russian. It is like a very nice mall - complete with ice skating rink. After I finish up here I will get some lunch.
As you can tell - I am doing great and could not be in better hands. Everyone says it but it is indeed true!! I will try to post again tomorrow evening from Uralsk.
Monday, January 05, 2004
And I'm off..... :-)
Yes, I am pretty well packed now. Good thing too because nothing else is going in those bags. I think one more cotton ball and the whole thing would just go. I pity any security agent who attempts to open either bag. He or she would be standing knee deep in a plethora of, well, stuff.
I do have to break for a minute to advertise for the compression bags I wound up using. These bags are the coolest things since the Flow-bee. Ok - before you ask, no, I never actually owned a Flow-bee, but I am a fan. Anyway, back to the compression bags. You put in your stuff and poof! All the air is gone and your stuff looks like something the astronauts would pack. I did discover one slight downside. Once you open the bag, the wrinkles are, shall we say, quite evident. I am truly living on the edge though and not even traveling with a travel iron.
In case you can't tell, I am incredibly calm today. INCREDIBLY excited, but pretty darn calm. :-) I'm just so ready to get on that plane. For those of you who wondered if I would be able to sleep last night, I actually did. I woke up very early at 5:00 but I did cherish my last night (for 3 weeks) in my own bed.
OK everyone, I should probably get busy with all those 500 last minute things I have to do before leaving. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and I will post again as soon as I can.
Yes, I am pretty well packed now. Good thing too because nothing else is going in those bags. I think one more cotton ball and the whole thing would just go. I pity any security agent who attempts to open either bag. He or she would be standing knee deep in a plethora of, well, stuff.
I do have to break for a minute to advertise for the compression bags I wound up using. These bags are the coolest things since the Flow-bee. Ok - before you ask, no, I never actually owned a Flow-bee, but I am a fan. Anyway, back to the compression bags. You put in your stuff and poof! All the air is gone and your stuff looks like something the astronauts would pack. I did discover one slight downside. Once you open the bag, the wrinkles are, shall we say, quite evident. I am truly living on the edge though and not even traveling with a travel iron.
In case you can't tell, I am incredibly calm today. INCREDIBLY excited, but pretty darn calm. :-) I'm just so ready to get on that plane. For those of you who wondered if I would be able to sleep last night, I actually did. I woke up very early at 5:00 but I did cherish my last night (for 3 weeks) in my own bed.
OK everyone, I should probably get busy with all those 500 last minute things I have to do before leaving. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and I will post again as soon as I can.
Sunday, January 04, 2004
I have finally made it to the day before leaving. The last 2 weeks have been a blur of shopping, to do lists, packing, and more to do lists. Getting ready to leave the country for 3.5 weeks is kind of overwhelming by itself. Add to that all that is necessary for the adoption (paperwork etc.) and things for Abby and well, you start to get an idea. :-) As I have said so many times before - it is worth every second. I simply can not wait until I can hold her for the first time!!!! Some people go through a delivery in a hospital and I am going through a delivery of a different kind. Actually I think the real delivery will be the 30 hour trip home. :-) Only, I'm guessing the flight attendants won't be giving me an epidural.
I was finally able to get almost everything in my bags last night. When I say almost everything, that does not include the extensive list of things I have already deemed must stay home. I am down to the absolute basics now as to what I am taking with me.
I am traveling alone on this trip. Many families have travel partners but I will be the only person from my agency in Uralsk. I am not worried about this as I have heard only the best about the in country facilitators who will be taking care of me. And there will be other families in Almaty when I am there with Abby (for the last week in January). Who knows, I may come back preferring Russian television. I have heard that Oprah speaking Russian is about all anyone really needs for entertainment. We'll see.
For those of you who are interested, my schedule is as follows:
Jan. 5 – Fly to Frankfurt for a few hours layover and then fly to Almaty.
Jan. 6 – Arrive in Almaty
Jan. 8 – Fly to Uralsk (where Abby is!)
Jan. 21 – Tentative court date
Jan. 21 – Fly with Abby to Almaty
Jan. 28 – Fly back to Frankfurt for a few hours and then fly to Atlanta!!!
Also, if you would like to email me while I am out of the country, I will be using gayla059@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from anyone (especially in English). :-)
Alright - I need to get back to packing and organizing my paperwork. I will try to post at least one more time before leaving tomorrow. Have a great Sunday!
I was finally able to get almost everything in my bags last night. When I say almost everything, that does not include the extensive list of things I have already deemed must stay home. I am down to the absolute basics now as to what I am taking with me.
I am traveling alone on this trip. Many families have travel partners but I will be the only person from my agency in Uralsk. I am not worried about this as I have heard only the best about the in country facilitators who will be taking care of me. And there will be other families in Almaty when I am there with Abby (for the last week in January). Who knows, I may come back preferring Russian television. I have heard that Oprah speaking Russian is about all anyone really needs for entertainment. We'll see.
For those of you who are interested, my schedule is as follows:
Jan. 5 – Fly to Frankfurt for a few hours layover and then fly to Almaty.
Jan. 6 – Arrive in Almaty
Jan. 8 – Fly to Uralsk (where Abby is!)
Jan. 21 – Tentative court date
Jan. 21 – Fly with Abby to Almaty
Jan. 28 – Fly back to Frankfurt for a few hours and then fly to Atlanta!!!
Also, if you would like to email me while I am out of the country, I will be using gayla059@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from anyone (especially in English). :-)
Alright - I need to get back to packing and organizing my paperwork. I will try to post at least one more time before leaving tomorrow. Have a great Sunday!
Friday, January 02, 2004
I can't believe it is Friday. I got so much done today but have so much more to do still. I swear that today I saw a woman who looked exactly like Betty White and a man who looked exactly like Newman on Seinfeld (before he lost all that weight). I'm thinking that has to mean something. Kind of like if you drop a dish towel you know you will have company. I just don't know what it means if you see 2 celebraty look alikes in one day. Anyway, the Betty White look alike sold me a pair of boots. I can pretty safely say I have never owned a pair of boots that were truly made for real winter weather. We just don't have much need in Atlanta. When I was 5 years old I had some kickin' white go go boots. I don't guess those really compare either though.
Ok - so now I have boots. I also bought my gifts for Abby's caregivers today. Whew - another huge relief. For some of the gifts, I bought 6 leather journals. I could see the sales lady eyeing me. She probably thinks I feel I have a lot to say/write. Probably even better than that though was when I was buying 10 CDs. An older man made a beeline for me and proceeded to tell me that apparently I was just like him because he couldn't stop buying CDs either. I nodded and smiled and moved on. I did feel good about helping him justify his CD habit. :-) Hmmm, or maybe I am just a CD enabler.
A little update on last night's Stage One of Packing. Well, suffice it to say, that since only half of what I had laid out to take with me would fit in my bags, I then began Stage One of What Can I Leave At Home. Let's just say many things I thought I could not live without, I have now decided I can live without. I stopped myself before taking underwear out of my suitcase but have decided to leave the laptop at home. So, I'm not sure how much I will be able to post. Hopefully still every day while I am in Uralsk, but I will just have to roll with things over there.
Alright - enough for tonight. Happy Friday everyone. I'm back to packing and stuff.
Ok - so now I have boots. I also bought my gifts for Abby's caregivers today. Whew - another huge relief. For some of the gifts, I bought 6 leather journals. I could see the sales lady eyeing me. She probably thinks I feel I have a lot to say/write. Probably even better than that though was when I was buying 10 CDs. An older man made a beeline for me and proceeded to tell me that apparently I was just like him because he couldn't stop buying CDs either. I nodded and smiled and moved on. I did feel good about helping him justify his CD habit. :-) Hmmm, or maybe I am just a CD enabler.
A little update on last night's Stage One of Packing. Well, suffice it to say, that since only half of what I had laid out to take with me would fit in my bags, I then began Stage One of What Can I Leave At Home. Let's just say many things I thought I could not live without, I have now decided I can live without. I stopped myself before taking underwear out of my suitcase but have decided to leave the laptop at home. So, I'm not sure how much I will be able to post. Hopefully still every day while I am in Uralsk, but I will just have to roll with things over there.
Alright - enough for tonight. Happy Friday everyone. I'm back to packing and stuff.
Thursday, January 01, 2004
Happy New Year! Well, so much for posting every day. :-) I sort of missed yesterday. Yesterday ended well but I ran into some snags early. The good news though - I got my money from the bank!!!! Yes, we were cutting it very close, but I have it now and this was one of the biggest reliefs. For those of you not familiar, I must have brand new bills to take to Kazakhstan with me. It is a cash based society and credit cards don't cut it. They also are afraid that old money is counterfeit, so the bills must be brand new (or look brand new). Anyway, I had to wait for the bank to receive new money but the teller manager was wonderful and came through for me. While I was in the little room counting my money, I showed her pictures of Abby. She proceeded to show the pictures to all the tellers. I have a feeling they will recognize Abby when we get home. :-) The funny thing is how small the stack of money actually is. I have totally been picturing a need to be handcuffed to a briefcase full of my money. Sadly, I won't get the opportunity to try out my spy capabilities as I will be able to fit the money in my money belt.
The snag I ran into was in the form of an email from the Embassy in Almaty. I had sent them an email making sure they had received my Cable Visa 37 (fancy words for "Gayla has been approved by BCIS for adoption"). They wrote me back that they did have my visa but that my fingerprints were not valid. A little more background for you.... I had my fingerprints taken (and approved) back in February 2003. The fingerprints are good for 15 months so I knew they were okay. Well after many phone calls, I came to find out that BCIS (new acronym for INS) has changed their policy and now puts the fingerprint dates on the approval form. When mine were approved however, this was not the policy and thus what the Embassy is looking at does not inform them about my fingerprints. Long story a bit shorter, a very nice lady at BCIS left me a message that she sent the fingerprint info to the Embassy. Hopefully they received it (I won't find out until tomorrow because of the holiday).
I can tell you that International Adoption requires much patience and diligence. Things have to be done just so and the rules are CONSTANTLY changing. Fortunately, I am with the best agency (World Partners Adoption) in the world and they are always on top of things.
Today I will attempt to work some and then continue with my checklists. I swear my checklists seem to grow daily. Much like a Chia Pet. :-) But all I have to do is look at Abby's picture and/or video and I know anything I am going through is SOOOOOO worth it. Four days and counting until I can get on that plane.
Happy New Year everyone!
The snag I ran into was in the form of an email from the Embassy in Almaty. I had sent them an email making sure they had received my Cable Visa 37 (fancy words for "Gayla has been approved by BCIS for adoption"). They wrote me back that they did have my visa but that my fingerprints were not valid. A little more background for you.... I had my fingerprints taken (and approved) back in February 2003. The fingerprints are good for 15 months so I knew they were okay. Well after many phone calls, I came to find out that BCIS (new acronym for INS) has changed their policy and now puts the fingerprint dates on the approval form. When mine were approved however, this was not the policy and thus what the Embassy is looking at does not inform them about my fingerprints. Long story a bit shorter, a very nice lady at BCIS left me a message that she sent the fingerprint info to the Embassy. Hopefully they received it (I won't find out until tomorrow because of the holiday).
I can tell you that International Adoption requires much patience and diligence. Things have to be done just so and the rules are CONSTANTLY changing. Fortunately, I am with the best agency (World Partners Adoption) in the world and they are always on top of things.
Today I will attempt to work some and then continue with my checklists. I swear my checklists seem to grow daily. Much like a Chia Pet. :-) But all I have to do is look at Abby's picture and/or video and I know anything I am going through is SOOOOOO worth it. Four days and counting until I can get on that plane.
Happy New Year everyone!
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Tuesday night. Another very full day. I'm sure my neighbors wonder what I am up to exactly. I keep leaving and coming home with many bags. It's probably not a bad thing to keep your neighbors wondering. I mean if they ever have to describe me on the evening news maybe they won't just say "she was always so nice and quiet". No, my neighbors will be able to say "well, she always brought in a lot of bags".
I have started thinking about things I will miss when I am in Kazakhstan:
1. The way the garbage men on my street play a game of "Toss the Garbage Cans Wherever on the Street You Can" on garbage day. Extra points if they land nowhere near a yard.
2. Target. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes knows I will go through Target withdrawal. Target will likely have to fire a few people without me here to shop.
3. American Idol. I wonder what if there is a Simon Cowell in Kazakhstan. I'm sure Simon speaking Russian would still be Simon.
4. Flip Spiceland. For you non-Atlanta people, he is a weather guy here. Actually he usually manages to get on my nerves every morning but come on. You have to miss someone who, though above the age of five, voluntarily wears a red blazer.
5. Mellow Mushroom. Enough said.
6. Sweet tea.
OK - enough for today. Just trying to get in the habit of posting each day. Back to my to do lists.
I have started thinking about things I will miss when I am in Kazakhstan:
1. The way the garbage men on my street play a game of "Toss the Garbage Cans Wherever on the Street You Can" on garbage day. Extra points if they land nowhere near a yard.
2. Target. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes knows I will go through Target withdrawal. Target will likely have to fire a few people without me here to shop.
3. American Idol. I wonder what if there is a Simon Cowell in Kazakhstan. I'm sure Simon speaking Russian would still be Simon.
4. Flip Spiceland. For you non-Atlanta people, he is a weather guy here. Actually he usually manages to get on my nerves every morning but come on. You have to miss someone who, though above the age of five, voluntarily wears a red blazer.
5. Mellow Mushroom. Enough said.
6. Sweet tea.
OK - enough for today. Just trying to get in the habit of posting each day. Back to my to do lists.
Monday, December 29, 2003
It is officially one week until I leave on what is without doubt going to be the trip of a lifetime! To say that the last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind is indeed an understatement. :-) Ever since I received that amazing call on December 19, 2003, telling me I was to arrive in Kazakhstan on January 6, I have been scrambling around trying to make sure I get everything done. I have been steadily marking things off my to do list. Most things are simply a matter of planning and have not been too bad. Well, unless you count my visa picture which made Michael Jackson's mug shot look like a cover for People Magazine. The visa picture lady diplomatically asked if I would prefer to have another picture taken but after I had already waited for 40 minutes for the first one, I firmly declined. The good news is I did receive my visa and passport back on December 24, so I guess the good people at the Kazakhstan Consulate office must not have been too frightened.
I truly don't know how people manage to continue to work after receiving travel dates. Thank goodness I had already taken vacation this week, but I seriously could not have finished everything I had to do if I had been working. As it is, I am having to carefully plan each day so as not to waste any time. I think I have now bought all the cold weather paraphernalia I need. I have become a regular at REI! The guy selling me the bulk of the stuff asked where in Siberia I was going. Ahh, he was quite surprised to find out just how close I am going to be!
Ok - so back to my big ole' list of things to get done. Just had to see if I could get this up and working. More tomorrow. Did I mention that I leave in one week?? :-)
I truly don't know how people manage to continue to work after receiving travel dates. Thank goodness I had already taken vacation this week, but I seriously could not have finished everything I had to do if I had been working. As it is, I am having to carefully plan each day so as not to waste any time. I think I have now bought all the cold weather paraphernalia I need. I have become a regular at REI! The guy selling me the bulk of the stuff asked where in Siberia I was going. Ahh, he was quite surprised to find out just how close I am going to be!
Ok - so back to my big ole' list of things to get done. Just had to see if I could get this up and working. More tomorrow. Did I mention that I leave in one week?? :-)