My Adoption Journey

New Beginnings

2011-01-23T18:15:00.000-05:00

Hello All, For those of you who followed my adoption journey to Kazakhstan, I apologize for completely abandoning this blog. I fought for over a year and a half after my last post to bring my baby boy home but in the end I was unsuccessful. I then tried to adopt a little boy from Astrakhan Russia, that journey went very well until the little boy was sent back to Russia by his adoptive Mother. Her actions effectively ended my Astrakhan adoption.

My desire to have a child of my own has not waivered, neither has my adoption journey.

I decided to create a new blog for this new journey. My new blog is called New Beginnings In Russia. Please feel free to follow along and I encourage you to comment along the way.

The URL of the new blog is: http://newbeginningsinrussia.blogspot.com/

I will not update this blog anymore. I hope to see you on the new blog, thanks, Chris

Things To Do While Waiting

2008-05-22T17:03:00.001-04:00

We all know that there are various waiting periods during this process. Unfortunately some of us, me, get to repeat some of the waiting periods. So what do you do while waiting; fix the house, gardening, reading parenting books, these all sound like good ideas to me. I‘m redoing my dossier and updating my homestudy. I was notified Wednesday that most of my documents are going to expire in early June and since I don’t know when I will be going back to court again, I need to redo them and I need to redo them as quickly as possible. I’m kind of stuck, I don’t know when my court date is, will my documents expire before or after my court date, will my documents be OK if they are submitted to the court before they expire even if the court date is after they expire, what if I get a court date and they are not updated, will that delay court yet again? So I’m incurring the additional expense, redoing a lot of my documents and trying to get this done as quickly as possible so if I do get a court date, I will be able to back again. This should keep me busy for at least some of this repeat wait. Take care, Chris

No New News

2008-05-18T07:31:00.002-04:00

This is just a quick update to let you know that I don’t have any new news. They are still trying to find out more information about the court decree. I’m guessing that after they are able to find out about the decree decisions will be made about when I may be able to go back to Kazakhstan again. Waiting and not knowing are hard. Chris

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2008-05-10T10:57:00.005-04:00

Some of you have heard me say that this process is one of extreme highs and extreme lows. The joy you experience is often tempered by the reality of the process. This past week I hit what I hope will be the lowest low in my adoption process.

I have to go back to Kazakhstan for another court date. That means that I have taken a huge step backwards in this process. I am now back to waiting for a court date. I am not sure when I will be going back; a temporary legal decree put forth by the higher court in the region prevented me from going before the judge. We are trying to find out when the decree expires so I can go back then.

I was hoping after this last trip that I would be at eight long flights down and four to go. It didn't work out that way, now I'm back to eight flights down and eight more to go.

I would like to thank all of you for your support, kind words and prayers. Please continue to keep me in your prayers so that I get a quick court date and a positive outcome in court.

On a sad note, at home this morning I had to put my cat, Midnight down. I have had Midnight for almost sixteen years and she was healthy up until the last couple of months. She showed her spirit this morning when she growled and hissed at the vet one last time. I’ll miss her. I put some pictures of her below. Chris

2008-05-10T10:55:00.001-04:00

Things Did Not Go As Planned

2008-05-05T10:58:00.001-04:00

Very quickly, a legal decree stopped us dead in our tracks today. This means that I will have to make two more trips back to Kazakhstan, one for court and one to bring BB home. Before anyone asks what happened today or when I will be coming back, please don’t! Just let me be. Chris

Baby Boy

2008-05-05T10:58:00.000-04:00

At about 4 PM today I was able to see BB. It took him a minute or two and then he realized who I was, his large play mate from some time ago. We played with bubbles (I never leave the USA without them) and his See ‘N Say. He has two new top teeth, the two that were making him miserable the last few days I spent with him. He is still not walking; I going to go with he’s saving his first steps for me! I was only able to spend about an hour with him today; then they came in to take him for a nap. My translator questioned that because his nap time is scheduled for 2 to 4 PM. Well apparently little BB has given up on the 2-4 nap so they put him down at 5 PM for an hour before dinner. He is messing with their schedule. I’m not sure if I’ll see him again this trip, we’ll have to see.

After they took him away, the Baby House Director came in to talk to me about court. She wanted to know if I had any questions, if I had my speech ready, what was in my speech, what needed to be in my speech, possible questions they can ask me, etc. She expressed some of the same concerns that Bayan expressed to me yesterday, apparently they weren’t all worst case scenarios. It was very nice of her to take the time to talk to me.

I’m going to re-write my speech now and try to memorize it before tomorrow. Wish me luck tomorrow; I’m going to need it! Good night, Chris

Six Down, Six To Go

2008-05-04T04:02:00.004-04:00

I’ve made it to Almaty once again; six of the twelve flights I will have to take to complete this journey are done. From the flight standpoint I’m half way there, from the process standpoint, halfway is a long time ago. This trip took me to Amsterdam with a seven hour layover. Like many others, I spent the layover being a tourist. I went to Keukenhof. Keukenhof calls itself ‘the most beautiful spring garden in the word’. It’s hard to argue, there were beautiful grounds, fresh hot waffles, and tulips everywhere. I’ve added some pictures below.

I just met with my court translator and the CHI Kazakhstan coordinator, her name is Bayan, to prep for court. I had not met the Bayan before, she was filing in for Olga who is with another family today. We went over a lot of what they can ask me, how the process can go, the problems that can occur, what to expect, etc. They told me the best and worst case scenarios. They told me I have to be calm in court; I’ll make an attempt to be calm on the outside. While speaking with them my translator from the last trip called to wish me a happy birthday, she says that since I arrived in Almaty on my birthday, my birthday will bring me luck in court on Tuesday, I hope she’s right! During this meeting Bayan said she had to leave for a few minutes, she said she had to make a phone call. She came back with flowers for me for my birthday; that was very nice of her.

I get to go see BB tomorrow afternoon, I can’t wait!

It’s a nice spring day here in Almaty so I’m going to go for a walk now. Take care, Chris

Happy Birthday to Tommy and Gavin.

2008-05-04T04:01:00.001-04:00

Pictures from Keukenhof, Holland

Off I Go!

2008-05-01T22:01:00.002-04:00

I’m packed and ready to go. As it turns out I have to be in Kazakhstan early on Sunday May 4th so I can meet with my coordinator. This moves my flights up one day; I am leaving tomorrow night, May 2nd for arrival in Almaty at 5:10 AM Sunday morning. The good news is I will get to see my BB on Monday, I can’t wait! Thanks to all of you for your prayers and good wishes, they really mean a lot to me. I’ll post again when I get to Almaty, take care, Chris

I Believe It's Time For Me To Fly!

2008-04-26T03:14:00.002-04:00

At about noon yesterday afternoon I received another of the long awaited calls in this process, I have a court date! It’s Tuesday May 6th. I will be leaving on May 3rd for a May 4th arrival and coming home on May 8th. This will be a very short but very important trip. After the Judge rules in my favor, and of course I hope and pray that he/she will, I will be going back to Kazakhstan in early June to bring BB home. I am still waiting to hear about whether or not I will be able to see BB on this trip, I hope so! I have lots to do to get ready for my trip, I’ll keep you all posted. Chris

Six Weeks

2008-04-22T17:18:00.003-04:00

While I'm waiting for my court date I decided I would continue to post to my blog so here you go. Last Monday I went to NYC to try to get the new documents the Judge requested notarized, authenticated and apostilled, it was not as simple as it should have been to say the least! I was able to get six of the eight documents done; they are on their way to Almaty now. Yesterday I received new copies of the other two documents he requested so this morning I went back to NYC to get all of the required stamps and approvals, those two documents are on their way to St. Louis now, from there they will also be sent to Almaty.

Today is six weeks since my papers were submitted to the Ecik court, no update. Missing my baby boy a lot today, Chris

One Month Ago Today

2008-04-11T17:33:00.002-04:00

Exactly one month ago today, March 11th. my papers were submitted to the court in Ecik. Today I received an update; apparently I will not get a court date for at least another month. My coordinator in Almaty has frequent contact with the Judge and he has decided to ‘take advantage of all of the time given to him by law’ before he assigns my court date. When I received my invitation to travel in February, CHI was told the time allowed by law to assign a court date is three months, the information CHI received today implied that the time allowed by law is two months, we are not sure which is right and in this process it may be very difficult to find out which it is. I know of two other families adopting from Ecik who have been waiting over four months for their court dates. So I am basically in limbo for at least another month if not two or more. The good Judge has decided to keep me occupied while I wait, he has asked for new and multiple copies of several of my documents. The process to notarize, authenticate and apostille will begin once again for the requested documents.

To those of you who have seen me type Issyk before, Ecik and Issyk are the same place, one is the Kazakh spelling and one is the Russian spelling.

That’s it for now and apparently for quite awhile. Chris

A Shower, But No Rain

2008-04-06T21:32:00.001-04:00

Yesterday my sister Maria and friend Emily through a baby shower for me and BB. Many of my family and friends came to help me prepare for the eventual arrival of BB. We received many gifts, clothes, a car seat, a stroller, many books, gift cards, and a hand made blanket to name a few. It was great to see my friends and family. I think a good time was had by all. Thanks to Maria and Emily for throwing the shower and to all my family and friends who came and made the day special. Special thanks to Margery and Ibby who sent gifts but were unable to attend, I hope you are both feeling better soon. Take care, Chris

My Holiday…

2008-03-31T14:12:00.002-04:00

Today is a holiday for me; no it’s not the date March 31st. that’s the holiday. My holiday falls on a different spring date every year; my holiday is Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. I have been going to Opening Day since I was a teenager; let me say it for you, that’s a long time! I have sat through the first game of the New York Yankees baseball season on glorious sunny spring days, in the pouring rain, in frigid cold and in blinding snowstorms. The weather on Opening Day is just as much a part of the ritual as the tailgating is before the game.

Every Opening Day offers eternal optimism for the die hard baseball fan, will my team have a chance, will this be the year that my team wins it all? Before I became a partial season ticket holder I used to buy tickets for two games before the season started, Opening Day and the last game of the season. I would have tickets in my hands for the start of something that could truly be magical and tickets for the end of something that just might mean something, who knows, they might have to win the last game of the season to get into the playoffs. Once again, the baseball optimist strikes!

This year I did not buy tickets for Opening Day, tickets go on sale months before the season starts and as many of you know, I am waiting for travel dates to go back to Kazakhstan. So my streak of Opening Day games ends, but only temporarily. Once my BB is old enough, we will have to start another streak, my spring holiday will become his spring holiday and we will share this spring ritual together. I hope I can impart my love for the game and my eternal baseball optimism to BB. I'd like to start that soon!

On that note, I am still waiting for my court date and I have not heard anything yet. I’ll post it here when I hear something. Missing BB…. Chris

P.S. This morning it was very strange for me to get ready for work and to not be getting ready to go to the game. I felt that familiar tug that meant I should be on my way to the Bronx. Right now it is 2:10 PM and the Yankees Home Opener is in a rain delay, they are not sure they will get the game in today. Been there, done that! Go Yanks!!!

As Promised, More Pictures.....

2008-03-26T18:38:00.007-04:00

A little boy checking out the pigeons in Paniflov Park.

A little girl feeding the pigeons in Paniflov Park.

A little boy in Paniflov Park.

Taking wedding photo's at Republic Square on International Woman's Day.

On the way to Ecik, these men lit this pit every morning, seems like they were preparing it for lunch.

I think she was a homeless woman in Almaty.

Young men in Paniflov Park.

Women walking in Paniflov Park.

Taking pictures in front of the War Memorial in Paniflov Park on International Women's day. Are they retired soldiers?

A little boy on a horse in Panoflov Park on International Women's Day.

A street vendor outside of the Green Market.

A vendor inside of the Green Market.

Three young men leaving a supermarket in Ecik.

Two men having a conversation almost every morning on the way to Ecik.

A woman on a park bench in Almaty.

On the way to Ecik, people walking to get water.

A future ice skating star and her coach at the ice skating rink at RamStor.

Two men at a bus stop on the way to Ecik. Each bus stop has a unique mosaic design.

Happy Spring!

2008-03-20T19:53:00.003-04:00

Today, the first day of spring is my favorite day of the year so I thought I would wish you all a happy spring! I hope you enjoy all the changes and renewal that spring brings. Unfortunately I don't have an update, it's much too soon. I miss my BB. Take care, Chris

Four Down, Eight to Go

2008-03-16T17:29:00.002-04:00

I made it safely back to the U.S. today, it took twenty-six hours door to door. I have now completed four of my twelve long flights to bring my BB home. Before anyone asks, I have no idea when I will be returning to Kazakhstan, as soon as I know I will post it here.

I had my last visit with BB for awhile on Saturday morning. He was feeling a little better but not great. He has four teeth coming in on top and he is suffering. The Russian woman was also visiting her son again, this kept BB interested for a little while. I fed him and then was asked if I would like to take him outside. As they say in Kazakhstan, ‘of course’. They gave me a heavy snow suit, I bundled him up and we went outside. They told me, don’t let him fall asleep but they didn’t tell him not to fall asleep. He feel asleep again in my arms, they are probably happy I won’t be visiting for awhile so they can get him back on their rigid schedule. It was very hard to say good bye to him at the end of my visit.

After my visit, I went back to the hotel to pack. A little later in the afternoon, Sara and Julian picked me up; they bought tickets for the circus. It was a water based circus and it was interesting to see what another culture performs in a circus. They had some acts I had never seen before, one was with bubbles of all sizes and another one with trained house cats, I never thought house cats could be trained, I always thought they trained humans! After the circus they took me out to dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. The food was very good, Julian thought it was Moroccan with a Kazakh flare, either way it was very good. It was very nice of them to take me out on my last day in Almaty. I have enjoyed walking all over Almaty with Sara and Julian for the last two weeks. We walked, talked, ate, had many ‘friendly competitions’ and laughed our way through the city and this adoption experience. I will miss spending time with them. I hope they get to bring their beautiful baby girl home soon!

Until I am ready to travel again, I will not be updating my blog regularly. I will post more pictures over the next couple of weeks, so if you’re interested, check back occasionally.

As my translator said to me, ‘Chris, you have to say goodbye before you say hello again.’ I look forward to saying hello to my BB again soon. Take care, Chris

Sleep Little BB

2008-03-14T21:20:00.000-04:00

Today I was back on schedule for my 8:30 AM pickup to go to the baby house. Asiya, my translator joined us today, it was a good day to have her with me. Once we arrived at the baby house we went into the office and I had to sign several papers which Asiya translated for me. While in the office they bought BB in who looked a little surprised, but not happy, they said it was because he had never been in this room before. What can you say; you just go with what they tell you. Once I finished signing all of the papers, I took BB into the playroom. Let’s just say I’ve seen him happier. Shortly after we got into the playroom they bought his food in, usually I can’t start feeding him fast enough. Not today, he started screaming when I put him in his chair so I tried the high chair, he was still screaming and refusing to eat. After I walked around with him for a few minutes to calm him down and knowing they would not be happy at all if he didn’t eat, I fed him while holding him in my arms and standing, it worked, he ate about 95% of his food. Well 95% wasn’t making the care taker happy, she told me through my translator that he eats this amount every day and he would have to wait until 2 PM to eat again. She tried to give him the rest of his food then finally decided to tell him to be patient for his next feeding and left. Not long after that he fell asleep in my arms and slept there for about an hour, until they came to get him. The first question out of the caretakers mouth was how long has he been sleeping? Of course we said he just fell asleep because she was taking him for his nap. I thought he was sick, but as it turns out she told us that he did not sleep well that morning. When I handed him to her he woke up with that big bright smile again, all was good for me, not sure how well he slept during his nap after I left but I enjoyed my visit!

Today was an absolutely beautiful spring day in Kazakhstan; it had to be at least sixty-five degrees out. I walked down to Paniflov Park, met Sara and Julian and then we did a little shopping on our way over to Yubileyny. It is a food stand that sells tortilla-wrapped doner kebabs. They are stuffed with meat, onions, carrots, pickles, sour cream and French fries. We picked some up and went and sat in one of the numerous parks here to eat, they were good. While in the park we heard very loud music so we walked to it. There was a stage set up and a rally going on, there were signs and hats which translate to something like ‘For a Green City’. We think it has to do with the upcoming national Spring Holiday on March 22nd. Several different people performed, kids were dancing all over the place, police were everywhere and it was being filmed. We started to walk back to my hotel; the park that was behind the stage was lined with Military personnel, one about every ten feet. It put an entirely different feel on what we had just seen, makes you wonder how peaceful this rally really was. Anyway, it was a fun night and we all got free hats!

Tomorrow will be my last day to see BB for a while. I hope he's feeling better tomorrow. I’m not looking forward to leaving him especially since I don’t know how long it will be before I see him again. Hopefully it will be soon! Take care, Chris

Spring Rally

2008-03-14T21:19:00.001-04:00

The stage at the rally, several different performers played.

2008-03-14T21:18:00.000-04:00

Sarah and Julian, then me and Sarah at the Rally, all wearing our new hats!

2008-03-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

A statue in the park behind the rally and Sara using her 'HUGE' tripod to take a night picture of the statue.

Let Sleeping BB’s Lie

2008-03-13T23:32:00.001-04:00

Today was an interesting day, I was told yesterday that my coordinator needed to take care of some business on my behalf and she needed my driver to do it so I would not be picked up to go to the baby house until 2 PM. OK, since I always see BB in the morning, I was interested in seeing BB in the afternoon. At about 11 AM, my phone rang, Dusen, my driver was on his way to pick me up and he’ll be at the hotel in about twenty minutes. Five minutes after that the phone rang again, Dusen was down stairs waiting for me. It took me a few minutes to get downstairs and when I did he was standing outside, not in his car. I was having a problem with my phone so I asked him to call my translator for me; he did and told her to call me back. I was concerned that we were going to arrive at the baby house during BB’s nap. I was asking the translator if someone called the baby house to let them know I was coming now, during BB’s nap, her reply to me was that the baby house doctor and the Director of the Ministry of Education were in the car so they knew I was going at that time. I was shocked, someone is in the car and here I am standing outside of the car for five minutes talking to my driver and translator and making the people who are trying to help me wait. Of course I said hello and I’m sorry I made you wait but the only part of what I said that was understood was hello. So for the next hour I sat quietly in the car and listened to the three of them laugh and talk in Russian.

When we arrived at the baby house I went into the playroom and waited for BB. When they bought him in it was obvious they had just woke him from his nap. Needless to say he was not a happy boy; he was very sleepy and didn’t want to leave his caregivers arms. He exercised his displeasure with being roused form his nap and he exercised his lungs as well. After a few minutes I got him to settle down, but he was not his usual happy self for most of the visit. He played a little bit but he was basically weepy until probably about the time he was supposed to get up from his nap. Shortly after he started playing with me, they came and got him for whatever he has on his day planner at 2 PM.

The bad part of this whole thing is that they were unable to complete the business that they were trying to do so they will try again in a few days.

We got back to the hotel later this afternoon, by this time the rain had cleared and it turned out to be a nice day. You guessed it, time to walk again. Sara called and asked me if I wanted to see the American Idol results show so I headed out again. This time, I took a different route, one without my unintentional detours and made it to her and Julian’s apartment in about 30 minutes. We had dinner, watched Idol and had a nice evening. Then Sara and Julian walked me back to the hotel, they escorted me back after dark, I appreciate that!

I only have two more days to visit with BB. Although I am anxious to come home the thought of leaving him gets harder and harder every day. I can only hope I get a quick court date and get back here to see him again as soon as possible. Take care, Chris

Walking

2008-03-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

Today was an interesting day at the baby house, when I went into the play room, for the first time there was another person there with a baby. She was singing in Russian or Kazakh to the baby. The baby was very young; I asked her how old and she held up four fingers, four months. I asked her adoption and she said yes. Many of you know the children are on a registry for six months before they are available for international adoption, during that time Kazakh citizens can adopt the children. That’s what appeared to be taking place. I wonder if the Kazakh citizens have to do the required fourteen day bonding period like we do. It was good to see and another new experience for me in Kazakhstan.

BB was good today; he cried when I finished feeding him, he always wants more. I know he gets fed several times a day but I wonder if he knows what it’s like to feel full. That will be something new for him in the future. BB was not feeling great today, we played for a while and then he just didn’t want to be put down so I suffered through it and held him for most of our time together. He still has a cold and he spit up four times today, he hasn’t spit up once in three weeks. Maybe it was bad porridge, ha ha ha.

On the way back from the baby house, I finalized my travel arrangements home for Sunday. I will be taking the 4 AM flight out of Almaty on Sunday morning, lucky me! I’m looking forward to coming home but once I’m home I will be anxiously waiting to come back. Hopefully I’ll know my court/return date soon.

It was a pretty sunny and warm afternoon so when I got back to the hotel I took a walk back down to Paniflov Park. There were a lot of people in the park enjoying the nice day. It was a nice day for a walk. When I returned to the hotel they had the lobby torn apart, they are putting in all new lobby furniture, makes me think I was gone for a long time!

Sara called and invited me over to their apartment for a home cooked meal. I walked over to their apartment; however I took an unintentional detour. The walk that should have taken me thirty-five minutes or so, it took over an hour. I knew the street name to turn on but of course I know it in English, you would think by now I would have learned to read Russian or Kazakh, not! The walk wasn’t bad, I saw new parts of the city that I had not seen yet and of course it was in the daylight. So needless to say, I did a lot of walking today but it was well worth it, Julian made a delicious pasta dinner for us and we watched a little bit of American Idol. After good food and good conversation they walked me back to the hotel.

Three days left on trip number one. By the time I'm done here I may be able to sponser city walking tours, ha ha ha! Have a good day/night, Chris

Still Here, Still Visiting BB

2008-03-11T22:05:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I showed BB a picture of himself on my camera, today BB showed me a sneaky side, every time he thought I wasn’t looking he went straight for my camera. He’s quick, but not subtle! We had a good visit today, he was very active and apparently very hungry, and when I finished giving him all of the food they prepared for him he started screaming for more, he’s got a good appetite. But he settled down and we played for the rest of my visit.

Today I did a lot of paperwork, today is the first day they were able to officially submit my adoption request to the court, now it’s time to wait for a court date.

I met Sara and Julian for dinner tonight; we went to the Guinness Pub. The food is decent and we had a good time talking and laughing about this process. Who knows what it has in store for us next? Everyday is a new adventure in a foreign land and language. Have a good day/night. Chris

Baby House Day 14

2008-03-10T19:37:00.000-04:00

BB was in a much better mood today and somehow we were able to avoid chewing on wood! When I was feeding him today he reminded me that I was not doing it fast enough, I paused and he opened his mouth wide as if to ask me where’s the food? We played for a while and he chewed on every toy he could get his little hands on except his teething ring! Today completes my required fourteen day bonding period, but since I am staying for several more days I’ll get to see BB each day. It’s going to be very hard to leave him.

After my visit with BB, I met my coordinator, translator and driver, we had some business to take care of and then we went out for lunch. We went to Mehpamxaha, an authentic Kazakh restaurant. The food was good and we all had a good time.

It’s a little rainy today so I won’t be able to walk, time to watch a couple of movies and relax. Take care, Chris

National Women’s Day

2008-03-09T19:30:00.000-04:00

I think even Mother Nature knew it was National Women’s Day in Kazakhstan yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the low 50’s. I spent the day with Sara and Julian. We walked, shopped, walked, ate, talked, walked and acted like tourists taking pictures along the way. We had a very nice day. The streets were full of people celebrating the holiday. It seems that prominent gifts for Women’s Day are flowers and cakes; the streets were lined with vendors selling gorgeous flowers, mostly roses and tulips. We went to Paniflov Park which is named for the Paniflov Heroes, they are the twenty-eight soldiers who died fighting off Nazi tanks in a village outside of Moscow in 1941. There is a huge war memorial to the Paniflov Heroes and an eternal flame in the park commemorating the soldiers of the Civil War and WWII.

The Zhenkov Cathedral is also in the park, it is made entirely of wood, even the nails are made from wood. From there we went over to the Zelyony Bazaar, otherwise know as the Green Market, it is recognized as the city’s most colorful market, we spent quite a while strolling through the market. We continued through the Silk Way walkway and mall over to TsUM and did some shopping. We ate then went back to Sara and Julian’s, they are staying in a nice apartment which is about a 40 minute walk from my hotel. We were out walking for about eight and a half hours, sorry I didn't post when I got back last night.

Today, Sunday, March 09, 2008, I went to see BB. It takes about fifteen minutes less traveling time to see him on the weekends. I think they were still in the holiday mood at the baby house, we arrived there a few minutes early and he had already been fed. He too seemed to have to much holiday spirit remaining from yesterday, he was fussy all morning and was totally mad at me when I wouldn’t let him put a wooden box in his mouth, then he tried to chew a wooden table and was even unhappier when I wouldn’t let him chew that either. His caretaker came in early to get him, so I only spent about an hour and a half with him today. Hopefully he will not be so fussy tomorrow.

This afternoon Sara and Julian came to meet me and we walked around my end of the city, we went to Republic Square and then to the RamStor. At Republic Square we saw several wedding parties, it seems like a tradition to get your wedding photos taken at the square and then make a wish on the golden hand. Later we went to dinner at the Guinness Pub. It had looked like it was going to rain all day, when we came out of the Pub it finally was. I’ve posted some pictures of our National Women’s Day walking tour and some pictures of the landscape that I see every day on my ride to the Issyk baby house. I hope you like them. Take care, Chris

2008-03-09T19:29:00.002-04:00

Vendors lined the streets selling beautiful flowers on National Women's Day.

2008-03-09T19:28:00.002-04:00

The war memorial and eternal flame in Paniflov Park.

2008-03-09T19:27:00.000-04:00

The catherdral and Sara, Julian and I standing in front if the catherdral.

2008-03-09T19:26:00.000-04:00

Fruits, nuts, caviar and a Uzbek vendor who told us he doesn't speak Russian!

2008-03-09T19:25:00.000-04:00

Once you leave the city, life is very different for the Kazach people. This is an electrical source, these are everywhere and nothing is done for safety, it appears they were installed where needed for functionality.

These are like many houses that I see on my ride to Issyk.

I've seen this every few days, people come with all sorts of containers to get water. I see outhouses near there homes and apparently they do not have running water. On days when water is not being given out, the water tanks are locked up behind huge fences.

Baby House Day 12

2008-03-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today’s trip to the baby house took new and different turns. To start with my translator was thirty minutes late. It’s not like my day is full, but the one thing I have to do is be at the baby house on time otherwise I have less time with BB. So because we were late, I was unable to feed him today. All was forgotten when they bought him in to the room, for the first time he reacted to me like he reacts to his caretakers, he was excited and what seemed like surprised to see me. It was great! We played for a while, he climbed all over me and we had fun. He was much more active and talkative than yesterday, I hope this means he is getting over his cold. His caretaker told me that he is in a group of twelve children and now he is not happy being with his group, she says he wants the one-on-one time with me. Not sure how she knows this, but I’ll take it.

During my visit the baby house director came in and asked if I could stay a few more days past my required bonding period which ends on Sunday. She said it would be better for the court if I stayed. I met with my coordinator this afternoon, who also said it would be better if I stayed. Apparently it will look much better if I don’t just do my fourteen days and leave, they like to see more of a commitment. So, I am trying to change my flights so I can stay a few extra days. It looks like I will come home next Sunday, the 16th if I can make the flight changes. This change will make going to work on Monday the 17th interesting to say the least, how well do you think I’ll be able to concentrate after the flights and time change, should be a fun day.

Tomorrow is a national holiday in Kazakhstan, it’s National Women’s Day. It seems to be a very big holiday; the schools will be closed Monday because the holiday falls on Saturday. The baby house director told me I could visit with BB tomorrow; she would let the guard know I would be coming. Slight problem, my driver wants the holiday off so my coordinator asked me if I could take the day off so he could enjoy the holiday with his wife and daughter. I agreed, although I’m going to miss my little BB tomorrow.

One of the families that I have spent a lot of time with this past week is going home tonight; they will be leaving with their new baby boy, James. It has been great getting to know them and spending time with them and I wish them a safe trip back to Virginia.

Thanks to all who have been e-mailing and responding to my blog, both provide a nice connection to home. Good morning/night. Chris

Baby House Day 11

2008-03-06T15:44:00.000-05:00

I have been riding in a car for 2 ½ hours a day back and forth to the baby house. I don’t mind the ride at all; the prize at the end of the ride is well worth it. For eleven days my driver has been playing a couple of cassette tapes of various Russian/Kazakh songs. I thought I was ignoring this music pretty well until I realized that I keep repeating it over and over in my head even when I’m not in the car. I don’t know how to speak Russian or Kazakh but apparently now I know some of their most popular rap and rock songs. To top it all off I don’t even like the music, but I can sing it!

My visit with BB was good today, he seemed a little tired and fussy but we had fun. I fed him again and them we played for a while. My watch stopped the second day I was here so when I’m with him I have no idea what time it is, but, I can tell when my visit is almost over. About twenty minutes before it ends, he starts getting tired and he rubs his eyes and kind of winds down. His schedule is that he goes in for a nap at noon, about twenty minutes before he is getting himself prepared. He’s a cute little clock.

Asiya, my translator was with us today. She hasn’t been with me while I visited BB since early last week. Asiya commented that he seems much more comfortable with me. He climbs all over me now and seems to like sitting on my lap or on my legs or just wants me to hold him, we are making progress! I have been asking him, where’s Mama? BB now looks up at me when I ask the question; again, we are making progress.

Last night I went to an Indian restaurant with another adoptive family. It is called Govinda’s, it is a Hari Kristner restaurant which means it is all vegetarian and it was not spicy but the food was very good. We had a good time.

Take care, Chris

Baby House Day 10

2008-03-05T18:00:00.001-05:00

Today BB’s cold seemed a little better and he was a much happier boy. He ate his white mush and his brown mush for me and drank all of his milk, no fussing and no help from any care takers. Then we played for a while, he was into every toy in the room. I can see why he gets such good care, when his caretaker came in to get him he took off over to her and smiled and laughed, he was so excited to see her, he was as happy as could be. She was just as happy to receive all of that love from him, he is very attached to his caretakers and they are just as attached to him. I can’t wait until he reacts to me that way, in time.

I finally made it to the TsUM today, it’s huge. I picked up a few things for BB so he will have some things that relate to his birth country when he is home.

When I arrived in Kazakhstan, it was cold with ice and snow every where. In the last ten days it has gotten progressively warmer and you can tell spring is coming. My ride to the baby house is about an hour and 15 minutes each way. When we first started going, we passed many large snow covered farming fields. Over the last couple of days I have been watching men prepare the fields for the spring plantings. I don’t know when I will be back for my next trip but it will be interesting to see nature’s progress when I return. Hopefully it will be soon and there will be very little progress!

Chrissy, a.k.a C2, happy birthday!! Have a good day/night. Chris

2008-03-05T17:59:00.001-05:00

Some pictures from my stroll yesterday. I thought I was in Kazakhstan, not France. I think this is the front of a casino. Thanks to Beth who commented, this is not a casino, it is a high end clothing store, she said think $1000 shoes. It might as well be a casino, at least if I wsa going to throw away $1000, I would have some fun doing it!

2008-03-05T17:58:00.000-05:00

Coming soon there will be a big Spring celebration in Kazakhstan. These spring flags line Republic Plaza.

2008-03-05T17:57:00.001-05:00

The staute in the center of Republic Plaze, at the top you see a statue of the Golden Man.

2008-03-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

A view of Almaty from the top of Kok Tobe Mountain. You can see my hotel in the distance.

Baby House Day 9

2008-03-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

BB’s cold is not getting any better but we had a good visit today. He was very playful and there were a couple of firsts. Every time he took off, he would go a few feet, turn around then look back at me to make sure I was right behind him, then he would laugh, smile and do it again. The other thing he did was climb up on my lap a few times; I think he’s actually starting to like me!

I’m still waiting for that big bright smile and all the excitement that he gives his caretakers when they come in the room; I know I’ll get it at some point. It is very obvious that he loves his caretakers, that they love him and that he is very well taken care of. He is fortunate to be in this baby house, that’s not to say that others aren’t as good, I’m just grateful that he gets such good care here.

After BB’s visit I did a little tourist stuff. I took a walk over to Republic Square then I took a different path back to the hotel passing some Kazakh casinos. When I got near the hotel, I went to the top of Kok Tobe Mountain. Kok Tobe can be seen from my hotel room. It was a somewhat clear day so I had a pretty good view of Almaty. One thing I found out when I got to the top, if you want a ride down you have to buy another ticket, the local walk down, I bought another ticket. As you are coming down the mountain you see some new construction, big houses with big driveways and a great view of the city.

Didn’t make it to TsUM today, I’m going tomorrow afternoon with Welby and a translator.

Tonight I went out to dinner with another adoptive family, Sara and Julian from Toronto; we had a really good time and they are very nice people. I feel very fortunate to be a member of this adoptive community. Everyone I have met here at all different stages of the process are so friendly and so helpful to the new arrivals. There is a true bond between the families and I’m grateful to be a part of it. That’s it for now, have a good night/day. Chris

Baby House Day 8

2008-03-03T21:45:00.001-05:00

As of this afternoon, I have completed day eight of my fourteen day bonding period and I’m pretty sure BB is enjoying himself. Today his cold was a little worse and he was cranky but it came and went, he was moving all over the place when he forgot to be cranky. In between his laps there were moments of whining but he was laughing and enjoying himself too! Overall I think we had a good visit.

I believe it is against their better judgment but they are still letting me feed him. I think I’m getting credit for persistence. Today all went well with his porridge but he didn’t want to drink his milk. They heard him fusing and came in, poured the milk into his empty porridge bowl and fed his milk to him with the oversized spoon they use to feed BB with. Another speed feeding trick, I guess I’ll learn more of their tricks as I show my inability to feed him to their standards. Little do they know, soon he will have a baby spoon and he will be using one himself, but we’ll keep that to ourselves for the time being.

It seems to be getting warmer here, the snow is melting and the sun is shining, not bad weather to walk around the city. I get back to the hotel from the baby house at about one o’clock so I have plenty of time to explore the city. With help from other adoptive parents who have been here before, I have been making some progress, I have been getting off the main street and seeing some of the sites on the side streets. Today we met a translator from another agency who took us to Ramstor, it’s a huge mall with an indoor ice skating rink and it’s very close to my hotel, only about a fifteen minute walk.

Tomorrow I have my sites set on TsUM, it is supposed to be the place to go to get all things Kazakhstan. After that, the market is next! We’ll see if my plans and my execution come together. Take care, Chris

2008-03-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Not sure why they have painted camels in front of buildings here, but they are colorful!

2008-03-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

Me with two other adoptive families at the craft fair, Welby, Duncan, Hanna and newly adopted James and Mary Ellen and Katie who are adopting new baby sister Evelyn.

Baby House Day 7

2008-03-02T17:10:00.002-05:00

BB was better today, he still has a cold but he didn’t let it stop him, he was all over the play room. We spent two hours playing today and one nice thing about today was that he was playing with me instead of just playing with his toys; maybe he thinks I’m just another big toy!

BB’s feeding went better today, as soon as he saw his food he got very excited. The care taker did motion that I was going to slow and apparently BB agreed. If I hesitated he opened his mouth wide to let me know to keep it coming. He likes to eat! Another odd think about how they are feed, when I finished the bowl of food he wanted more until I gave him his milk. Apparently he doesn’t get any liquids until the end of the meal and that signals that the food is all done. They really do have some system here.

It has been really nice spending time with the other two adoptive families that are here now, MaryEllen is here with Katie and she is adopting her second daughter, Evelyn. She will be here until Tuesday. Welby and Duncan are here with Hanna and they are adopting their second as well, a little boy, James, they will be here until Friday. We went to dinner last night and to a crafts fair this afternoon, it is nice to talk to someone without getting or giving that blank stare.

Thanks to all of you who are posting and sending e-mails, it’s a great connection to home and it really makes my day. I'll put up more pictures soon. Take care, Chris

Speed Feeding

2008-03-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Today is the day I was finally able to feed BB, unfortunately BB is coming down with a cold and he was not a happy camper. When they gave him to me he was breathing heavily and he was very cranky. A short time later they bought his food in and showed me how they feed him. They sit him in a chair, stand behind him, hold the bowl of food next to his chin and spoon it in. OK, so I tried that, there were two problems, he was so miserable he didn’t want to eat and I didn’t know that the object of this is to get the food into him so quickly that he doesn’t have time to cry. They heard him crying with me and came in and showed me the speed technique. Once he was done eating, they put him right in for a nap because he is getting sick. That was disappointing because my time with him today was cut very short.

The care giver through my translator on the phone told me to come back tomorrow to try it again. She said she was happy I wanted to feed him, that I was doing well but I needed more practice. I guess the speed technique is a learned skill. I’ll give it another shot tomorrow but if they put him in right for a nap I think I’ll have to wait till I get him home to try the speed technique again. I’d rather spend more time with him now than feed him and leave right away.

I have read on several of the adoption groups that the kids eat very quickly when they go home, now I know why.

When I got back to the hotel I decided to try and find this amazing market that everyone says you have to see, you might have guessed it, I still can’t read the street signs or the abbreviations on them. I walked further than I had before but I couldn’t tell which street I was supposed to turn on. The book I have shows a street name but nothing matched up so two and a half hours later I went back to the hotel and watched a movie. I’ll give it another try, maybe I’ll get lucky.

Tonight I am meeting another adoptive family for dinner; it will be nice to talk to someone without an interpreter or who doesn’t look at me like I’m from another planet when I speak. They will be here a few more days. Enjoy your weekend! Chris

Bubbles

2008-02-29T19:40:00.001-05:00

Today’s visit with BB went very well. I introduced him to the magical world of bubbles, he loved them, he was totally enchanted until I wouldn’t let him put the little bubble blower in his mouth, he is definitely strong willed! A little later in the visit he decided today was a good day to show me his crawling and climbing skills, he was all over the play room today. It was nice to see that he was comfortable enough to move around and show me his stuff!

This afternoon I had what I thought was a good idea, I decided to ask the front desk at the hotel for a street map so I could take a different path on my walk. Sure, they gave me a map, no problem, not for them anyway. I think it’s in Kazakh, if not it’s in Russian, neither of which I can read. Even if I could read one of the two, some of the street signs are in Russian and some are in Kazakh so the map didn’t do me much any good, I don’t know what I was thinking.

I walked during their ‘rush hour’ today, the traffic and noise are just like New York City, it’s very heavy and they are not afraid to use their horns! I must look like I belong, twice I was stopped and I’m assuming asked for directions. I have no idea what they wanted and I’m pretty sure they had no idea what I was saying either. To those of you who said I should have learned a few words of Russian before I left, maybe you should have told me to learn a few Kazakh words too! There is no way I could have learned enough of either of these two languages for it to be of any assistance to me. I would’ve also had to learn to differentiate between the two, no way, I’ll stick with my few English words and be happy with that!

Tomorrow I’m going to the baby house very early so I should be able to feed BB, we’ll see. Have a good day/night, Chris

Baby House Day 4

2008-02-28T20:15:00.000-05:00

Today was the day that the doctor was finally available to come to the baby house to see BB. We got to the baby house late this afternoon and the medical went well. BB still does not react when he sees me but today when the caregiver tried to take him he turned away from her and grabbed onto me. The caregiver was impressed, I know I liked it. I have a meeting with my translator and coordinator so I’ve got to go now. Take care, Chris

Very Special Delivery

2008-02-27T19:14:00.002-05:00

Today was an interesting day, my translator is a college student and she had exams today so she was unable to join us on our trip to the baby house. I had to go to the baby house early today because we had to make a ‘special delivery’. My driver, Dusen picked me up at 8:30 this morning. I was told yesterday that we would be going to a hospital to pick up three babies, the ‘special delivery’, and transport them to the baby house. Off we go to a very remote hospital, we wait awhile and three nurses come out with three very small swaddled babies. Two of the babies were lay down on the back seat of the car, one of the nurses joined us and she held the other baby for the ride to the baby house. The nurse was a very interesting looking woman; she was all dressed up and had a shinny gold tooth. As it turns out, it was two baby girls and a baby boy, one was 12 days old, one was 5 days old and the other was 3 days old. Apparently at least two of the mothers were teenagers who delivered the babies and left. The babies slept all the way to the baby house, we pulled right up to a different door, a nurse came out and the three babies were swept inside immediately. There were a lot of images of that trip that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. The hospital was in an extremely remote and what seemed to be a very poor area. I say it seemed to be a poor area but I really can’t tell, it looked like many of the other areas I’ve seen as we drive out of the city to the baby house each day. All of a sudden I realized that these people may not be poor, this appears to be just the way they live in this part of Kazakhstan. It was actually enlightening as well as upsetting to realize how much we have at home and how little some of these people have but to them it’s just their way of life. Interesting and enlightening.

One of the things that I have to do everyday is to have a couple of pictures taken with me and BB. These pictures have to be dated and they will be submitted to the court with the adoption petition. The past two days my translator took the pictures, but as I mentioned earlier, she was not with us today so Dusen my driver had to come in to the baby house and take the pictures. Let me tell you a little about Dusen, he is a Kazakh who speaks Russian and he likes to talk! Dusen knows a few English words and when we try to talk if he doesn’t know the words in English he just switches to Russian and talks to me like I should understand every word he’s saying, it’s funny. Needless to say our communication is very limited. The drive to the baby house is a little over an hour each way. Dusen has a cassette player in his car and he plays a Russian/Kazakh rap music tape most of the time. My translator told me the people singing switch back and forth between Russian and Kazakh. Dusen also sings along to the tape on occasion, now that’s entertainment! So we go into the baby house and into the room where we are waiting for BB. Dusen notices that there is a piano in the room so he goes right over and begins to play. He plays a song or two and then he starts playing ‘My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea’, I said, I know that one and he says American music, cowboy music. I just laughed at him, it was pretty funny.

BB was good today. He likes to be held and he likes to be held up high, good thing I’m tall! I have tried to put him on his blanket so he will play with his toys but he’s not too happy about that. The orphanage director told me through my interpreter that he wants love so he just wants to be held. Today was the first day he let me put him down on his blanket, he crawled a little and played for a minute or two and then he had enough. He also sat on my lap, which he hasn’t done before because it's not high enough up, and ‘played the piano’. He was banging on the keys for quite awhile. Hopefully he’s becoming more comfortable with me. We spent about an hour and a half together and then they came to get him. Tomorrow I am going to the baby house with my coordinator and the doctor for BB’s medical. Hopefully all will go well. Take care, Chris

2008-02-27T19:13:00.001-05:00

We got back early today so I took a long walk through the city. Here is a picture of my hotel, it is the tallest building in Almaty, it makes a good landmark if you happen to loose your way.

2008-02-27T19:12:00.001-05:00

On the way to the baby house we spend time on a road that would take us all the way to China if we kept going. The road is flanked by these mountains, the Zaiilisky Alatau (I believe that is the correct name) mountains. This mountain range runs form Kazakhstan to China and on the other side of the mountains is Kyrgyrstan.

2008-02-27T19:11:00.000-05:00

This is the view from my hotel room, these are the same mountains at sunrise.

Baby House Day 2

2008-02-26T18:56:00.000-05:00

Not long after I posted last night, I received a phone call, today's schedule had changed. We had to go to the baby house today after lunch and nap time so I didn't get to feed baby boy (BB) today, I think I'll have that opportunity tomorrow because we're going in the morning.

Today's visit went very well, I gave BB a toy, he immediately picked one of the pieces up, had a really good grip on it and tried to put it into his mouth. That's pretty much where it stayed the entire time. He's got two bottom teeth in already and two top teeth coming in so after my visit today I went and got him a teething ring. I'll see tomorrow if he still wants the toy or the teething ring.

On Thursday the doctor is coming from the SOS clinic. These are doctors who are trained in Western medicine and understand the Kazakh diagnosis. He will review BB’s medical records, discuss them with the baby house doctor, let me know what he finds in them then do a full evaluation and discuss everything with me. I will have plenty of opportunity to talk to the doctor because we will be picking him up and driving him back to the clinic. At least my fee includes a house call, ha ha ha. I spoke to an International Adoption doctor at home and read a lot about what to look for when you meet your child. Right now BB is showing a lot of signs that he is a very healthy little boy. He makes great eye-contact, he smiles and laughs, he can pick up a toy and hold onto it tightly, he responds to his name, and he gets very excited and happy when he sees his caregivers. I’ll see what the doctor says on Thursday, hopefully all is well.

This morning I went for a walk and made a couple of observations, one is that Kazakh people have an innate ability to walk on ice. There can be anywhere from a sheet to a couple of inches of ice on many of the sidewalks here in the city. They walk along as if the ground is dry, today I saw a man in dress shoes running on the ice, show-off!! When I mentioned it to my translator, Asiya, she was surprised that I even observed it, they just do it. Let’s hope I learn to do it before I take a fall, so far so good! Another observation is that most cars are driven by men; I saw only a handful of women driving. Asiya told me that in the younger generation more women are driving but in the older generation women just don’t drive as much as men. Last observation for the day, a large part of the population here smokes, they smoke a lot and they smoke everywhere. It is not uncommon to see someone with a cigarette in one hand and a fork in the other. Asiya was very surprised when I told her that we are not allowed to smoke in public places but she liked the idea.

I’m going to end this now; I’m hoping that I finally get some sleep tonight. Talk to you all tomorrow. Chris

Two Down, Ten To Go

2008-02-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

As you can tell, I arrived safely in Kazakhstan, the flights were good with no problems and my luggage arrived with me so it’s all good. While I was on the first flight I realized that I will be making twelve very long flights to complete this process, then on the second flight I realized that two were down already and I only have ten more to go, what’s better than that? Don’t answer that! One more comment about the flights then I’ll tell you what you really want to know, on the first flight I watched a beautiful sunrise then only a few short hours later I watched an incredible sunset, the colors were so vivid on both, I coulden't stop watching them. What an experience in just a few short hours to see the sun rise and set like that, it was amazing!

After a very short night’s sleep, I was picked up at the hotel and started a day that will change my life forever. This morning after two interviews, one at the Ministry Of Education and one at the Baby House in Issyk, I was approved to go forward, I went through the required processes and then I met my son. He’s a happy little boy, he was smiling and laughing at me while I was playing with him. I was only able to see him for a short time today, we were running right up into nap time. They asked me if I wanted to visit at a time when I can feed him, of course I do, so I think my visits will be scheduled early in the day. They also told me he loves to eat, that he gets excited when the meals are being prepared and he hears the silver-ware, Gary does he remind you of anyone???

As most of you know I can’t post any pictures or any information about him until this is final, so you’ll have to just listen to me.

That’s it for now, I going to try to get some sleep tonight. Keep those comments and e-mails coming, I look forward to them. Take care, Chris

Last Post Before I Fly

2008-02-23T13:56:00.002-05:00

My visa arrived yesterday along with eight inches of snow... but my flight is still scheduled to leave on time tonight, thant's the good news. Now if only I had heat. I woke up this morning with no heat, five hours later and I'm still waiting for the service guy to show up. I'm just having too much fun right now. I'll post again when I can.

I Received My LOI!!!

2008-02-13T18:50:00.003-05:00

Today I received my LOI - Letter of Invitation to travel to Kazakhstan. I will be leaving next weekend, 2/23 or 2/24 for Almaty Kazakhstan. I have to be in Almaty on the morning of the 25th. I will be going to Issyk once I arrive in Kazakhstan and I will be there until March 13th. Issyk requires three trips, the first trip is about twenty days, then I come home and wait for my court date, once I get that I go back for two to three days. Then I come home once again and wait for the final processing to be completed, when I go back it is for three or four days, then we come home as a family. My heart is racing, I'm very excited and I can't believe how much I have to do before I go, but it's all good!

New Year, New Things To Come

2008-01-05T09:38:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! At this point I am still waiting but I am hoping that now that the holidays are over and everyone in the US and Kazakhstan government offices returns to work that things will start to move along. New Years Eve was very nice, I spent it with friends. When 2008 arrived I was thinking about how different this year would be for me, I look forward to the changes, the chaos, the noise, the exhaustion and everything else that goes with this. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

And the wait continues.....

2007-11-28T21:03:00.000-05:00

My dossier is still at the Ministry of Education, it has been there for nine weeks now and it may be there for quite a bit longer. As December and January approach, many offices and the courts in Kazakhstan close down for holidays. They try to work it so that you are not traveling and waiting for the courts and offices to reopen. Timing is everything! Hopefully I'll hear something soon.

On To The Misistry of Education

2007-10-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

I found out today that my dossier was moved from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Education on September 28th. (September 28th. just happens to be my Grandmother's birthday, so I know it's a special day.) CHI told me that the Ministry of Education will search a database and pre-select a child for me based on my dossier. Once they do – they will forward my dossier to the region where the child is and then we’ll start working on my travel arrangements. I'm moving along...

Still Waiting For My Dossier To Move

2007-10-05T22:11:00.000-04:00

Six weeks ago today my dossier was registered in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan. It hasn't moved yet but I've been told by my coordinator that it should be moving to the Ministry of Education soon, I hope so! Each phase seems to have a time frame and so far I seem to be on the long end of each time frame, I hope this changes as I move through the next steps. In the mean time I have been keeping busy painting rooms and trying to get things together for my travel. Hopefully I'll have an update on my dossier soon.

My Dossier is in Kazakhstan!

2007-08-29T20:29:00.000-04:00

I received word today that last Friday August 24th. my dossier left the Kazakhstan Consulate and was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan. It will spend about six weeks there before it moves again but this is a big step because it is now 'in-country'!

Consulate of Kazakhstan

2007-06-29T21:51:00.000-04:00

On Friday June 29th. I received word that the translation of my dossier had been completed and that it had been sent to the Consulate of Kazakhstan in New York. This is very exciting, my dossier has taken on a life of its own now and its next stop will be Kazakhstan. While in the Consulate, my dossier will be checked again and registered. It will spend quite a while in the Consulate but once they are done, it will be on its way to Kazakhstan. Great News!!!

My Paperwork Is Done!

2007-06-23T12:18:00.000-04:00

I received my I-171H from CIS, that's Citizen & Immigration Services. This is the last document I was waiting for. I have completed all of the required paperwork and my dossier is currently being translated so all of this means that the wait for my son has begun!

Waiting for my I71-H

2007-06-09T21:50:00.000-04:00

This week I went to CIS to get my digital fingerprints taken. This will result in the final document I need, my I71-H. Once I get that document from our government my dossier will be completed. It will take another four weeks or so to get this form from CIS. In the mean time, I also had all of my other dossier documents notarized, authenticated and apostilled. They are on there way to the adoption agrency's main office for review and translation. Once I receive my I71-H it will have to be authenticated and apostilled and it will also be sent to the main office for review and translation, and the waiting continues.

My HomeStudy is Complete!!!

2007-05-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

On Friday May 11th. I received word that my home study was completed. CHI is sending me a notorized copy so I can send it to CIS to be processed with my I-600A which CIS has had since April 30th. The I-600A will eventually turn into the paper that will allow me to bring an orphan into the United States. This is the last document I am waiting for and I don't expect to see it before the end of June. I have a call scheduled with CHI for Thursday, at this point I will complete more documents and get everything notarized and apostilled and continue to wait for CIS.

2007-05-02T20:27:00.000-04:00

On Saturday April 28th. I received my FBI criminal record clearance back. I mailed it in on April 11th. and was told it would take about two months to process, I was happily surprised when I got it back so quickly. So, on Monday April 30th. I was given the go ahead to send my I-600A into CIS. This form is expected to take six to eight weeks to process. By the time I get it back my dossier will be just about completed. Moving along......

2007-04-23T20:21:00.000-04:00

Things are moving along, last week I had my medicals done and on Saturday I had the final meeting with my social worker. My homestudy is just about complete and once she submits the draft to the adoption agency I will submit my I-600 form to US Immigration Services. This will be the last form I am waiting for to complete my paperwork. Everything has slowed down a little for me now, I have done everything I can do up to this point, in a few weeks I will have more to do but timing is important on the paperwork so I wait.

2007-04-06T00:04:00.000-04:00

Today I got good news, when I go to Kazakhstan I can take my laptop. This is something that is relatively new, it seems that the hotel or apartment where I will be staying now has internet access so it will be better for me to communicate with you and the doctors I need to communicate with in the US.

2007-04-01T21:06:00.000-04:00

So now it's April 1, 2007, I have been quite busy. I have been fingerprinted twice and cleared by New York State, the FBI, and I have received my child abuse clearance, I created my Home Study Autobiography, I have filled out more questionaires than you can count, I have had the first two meetings with my social worker, I have been interviewed by a psychiatrist who has approved me to be an adoptive parent, I finally received my passport, I sent out documents to be notarized, I have taken, tested and passed the required ten hours of Hague Accrediation education for adoptive parents, I have received my recommendation letters (special thanks to those of you who took the time to write these for me), and I have created the first draft of my Dossier documents for review by CHI. Much more work to do in the coming weeks, I am trying to get the paperwork aspect of this done as quickly as possible. I'll keep you posted.

Welcome

2007-03-14T23:26:00.000-04:00

Hi, This is my first 'blog'. I have been talking to other adopting parents and they told me that while you are traveling the best way to communicate with family and friends back home is through a blog. So, I'm giving it a try.

Today is March 14, 2007, I am into the Home Study process and have been making appointments that are required for my Dossier. The home study is done through a social worker, it is done to evaluate me as an adoptive parent and to prepare me for adoption. The dossier is a lot of paperwork that is required by the US and Kazakhstan governments. The home study and dossier need to be completed before CIS will give me approval to bring home an orphan child.

I'll update this as I go. Please feel free to add posts to my blog.