Minnie Me

Juliana is a very busy little girl. She is always on the move~ exploring, climbing, figuring out how things work. She doesn’t seem to be paying attention to me and what I am saying or doing. So imagine my surprise when my actions are being imitated by my princess. She brushes her hair, pretends to put mouse in her hair, puts blush on with my make-up brush, tries to put earrings in her ears and mops the floors. It is just too funny to watch what you are doing in someone else. I guess she is paying more attention than I thought!
My girl has added some more words to her repertoire. She now says baby and bye-bye. Her babble has changed to include more syllables and sounds. She loves to get on the phone and chat away. When she does start talking, we are all done for!
We started gym class once a week and she just loves it. She walked on the balance beam and is learning forward rolls. She will definitely be a little daredevil as she gets older.

My Favorite Season

Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.--- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is hard to believe that October is almost over. This month marks six months since Juliana has been home. I can’t image a time that she wasn’t here. She is such a joy to everyone who meets her~ you just can ‘t spend time with her without leaving with a smile. She has such an amazing spirit and an abundance of energy. Every week, she surprises all of us with her new found tricks, skills she has accomplished and funny antics. She has refined her climbing ability~ this month she has escaped out of her crib, almost made it to the top of her dresser using the drawer pulls as a foothold, started up her changing table and mastered the stairs. This is from the “tiny little peanut” who is barely making the growth charts. One thing you can say about her is ~ don't let her size fool you! She still has a never-ending supply of energy that exhausts all who watch her. But boy, is she cute!! She also has the best sense of humor and loves to have fun and laugh.
Last weekend, we (along with Aunt Karen, Zeke, Kaleigh and Grandmom) went to Duffield’s for a hayride and pumpkin picking. It was a beautiful fall day and we had a great time. I am posting pictures from that day. We are looking forward to Halloween and hopefully it won’t rain. This weekend is our last swim class. It is hard to get up early to go swimming when it is cold out. I think we will do a gymnastics class for the winter.
I have always said that I can't wait for her to talk (I know, I will regret saying that one day). Well, she now can say apple and Jackson. Yes, Jackson...it is a boy in her room at daycare that she fancies. What is worse is that she says it and smiles. Oh ok, I need to have more talks with her about playing harder to get....first it's Henry, then Milo, now Jackson. I think I still have a good 14 years!

Anyway, right now my life is filled with toys, books, alot of laughter and even more love..... It doesn't get any better than that!!!!

I will post Halloween pictures when I can. Bet you can't guess what she will be??

A Milestone

Occasionally in life, God presents a path that requires a leap of faith to travel. The trailhead looks promising, but the trail farther on is certain to be arduous and long. Those of us on the trail together are going to have to make it up as we go along. Yet, the vision towards which we travel is life-giving, and the journey will stretch the soul.......

It has been 6 months today that, in an unassuming courtroom, I became Juliana's mom. Now, it seems that only weeks have passed! I remember the day like it was yesterday~ I think it will be forever ingrained in my mind. In the 6 months I have been a parent, so much has changed. I may not read anything but children's books or watch anything but Baby Einstein, but my world has new adventures everyday. I know now that the quote written above couldn't have been more profound. The journey to this point has been filled with many emotions, trials and triumphs, but most importantly, it has ended in joy. To those still on the journey to your dream...keep going!!

Last week, Juliana started swimming lessons. She is such a waterbug....loves being in water. Most of the time, she is pouring water all over herself from a cup when I am not looking. She also will lay down in inches of water on the ground. We also took our first trip to the zoo recently with our friends Michele and Galina (2 yrs old). Miss J had another ride on a pony and did so well holding on! That's my girl! What do you think, out of the entire zoo, was her favorite animal? Not the lions or the elephants.....it was the Cows!! She went nuts over them-laughing and dancing. She is just too funny.

Her new favorite pastime is standing at the wheel of the car and turning the radio up really loud and dancing. I will post a video of this. If I close my eyes, I can fast-forward 16 yrs and see a preview of life to come as a teenager. Luckily, I will be old by then and maybe senile, so it won't bother me as much. Life has a way of getting mothers back for what you did as a young person. If that is the case, I am in Big Trouble (my mom can tell you stories!) Anyway, I have time to prepare for the teenage years. Wine and hair dye will cure alot of ills....

Thank you to all who supported me and the princess up to this point. I will continue to update everyone on the tales of life with Juliana.

Paka Paka!!!!

All about J

My favorite things

It is amazing how fast time is going by! I think the best part of having Juliana home is watching her grow and discover the world around her. Everyday is an adventure~ a rock in her path, a bird flying, a mud puddle, an ant~ all hold such fascination. It is just magical to see her explore her world. I am so thankful that we all get to be a part of it. How lucky are we!!! Juliana has definite opinions on what is her favorite things...animals (cows, dogs and birds are the most cherished), books (loves to read and kiss all the animals on the pages- very cute), fruits (all kinds-can eat them all day long), peas (how long will that last!), being in water (it doesn't matter if it is from a glass or the sink), studying how things work (a scientist perhaps?), and best of the best~ climbing (she will try to scale anything she can).
I can also say that Juliana is a very happy, smart and funny little girl. It is so much fun to see her personality develop. She is the darling of everyone who meets her. She is still a little pixie, but don't let her size fool you~ she is very strong!

Some of these pictures were taken at the 4-H fair this summer. She is following in the Kaz tradition of horsemanship and had her first pony ride. She loved the animals and it was a great day. Soon enough the summer will be over and it will be time for pumpkins......

Summer Fun

Juliana's christening and party was on July 22nd. The church service was really nice~ Pastor Chris did a great job and made it personal to her. It was difficult to keep her still during the service and to prevent a meltdown from occurring... but she did better than I thought she would. I chose two Godmothers for the occasion~ Karen and Diane (my sister and my cousin-sister). We all went up to the baptismal stand (not sure what it is called), Juliana decided to be funny. She loves to blow raspberries, especially with food in her mouth. I think it is funny and of course, I laugh when she does it. That encourages her to do it more. My mom always tells me not to laugh at her, because she does it out at restaurants and other public places. There we are at a nice dinner or affair and she is blowing raspberries and food is everywhere. But she starts laughing and I start laughing... she is so stinking cute! Well, she decides that the alter in church is a good place to blow raspberries and to laugh at herself. I can't help but to laugh at her, which makes her do it more. I can just hear my mom's voice in my head saying..." you shouldn't have encouraged this behavior" . The minister was even having trouble not laughing. I just hope God has a sense of humor! It was so funny...
One more word on the service.... her dress was so incredible. It was like a vintage heirloom lace outfit. It was ivory, with matching ivory shoes.... fabulous gown.
Ok, the party.... we had about 50 or so people there. It was so much fun. Again, the weather cooperated and it was a gorgeous day. I was glad to have the family meet the princess. Everyone just adores her! I thank everyone for being there. I especially thank Karen and Diane for being her Godmothers.

Juliana is now walking across the room, but still prefers to crawl if she needs to get somewhere fast. I can't believe she is walking, when just a few months ago, when we first met, she couldn't sit up by herself! She is just amazing to me... so smart, so funny and happy. We are all so lucky to have her in our lives....

Happy Birthday to Juliana!

The day the I have been dreading has finally come.... My baby girl has turned one year old! I didn't want this day to come~ she isn't a baby anymore. I missed her infancy and I am not ready to move on yet. However, time has other ideas! I wrote that when I was in Astana, someone added hours onto the days there. Now, someone is taking them away! Anyway, we had a summer BBQ birthday party for the princess. There were about 24 people~ family and friends~who came to celebrate her special day. It was a fantastic day with great weather. I think she enjoyed her party!


Juliana is standing on her own for minutes at a time, but she still prefers speed crawling to learning to walk. However, the weekend after her birthday, she took her first steps! It was the most exciting thing I have ever seen! She is just to cute!
I realize that I am in trouble now~ she is now learning a new mode of transportation. Eventually, she will be running and will probably not slow down for a long time.

I have planned Juliana's christening for the end of July. It will be a celebration for the entire family to meet Juliana. I am looking forward to it.

Life in the USA

I didn't realize how challenging single motherhood would be! I figured~ I am an intelligent woman who has resources and advice, I will be able to do this without a problem. WRONG! Ok, from the beginning. It took a few days to get used to being home. Everything was strange...driving, time, English signs, noise. Then add a baby who is also feeling that everything is different. Yes, you get a bit of chaos. The first month was a blur.. exhaustion, disorganization and little sleep. Then it started getting better with each week. I was thinking that I was doing fair at this.... more confident... aren't I something? Then, May 14th, I went back to work. Are you kidding me? I have to work and take care of me, the house and the baby? This sucks!!! I know all the mothers out there are laughing right now. Welcome to the exclusive club of overworked, under appreciated working mothers!

Well, enough of that....back to the issue at hand...my wonderful baby girl! In spite of me and my many mistakes, Juliana has managed to become very well adjusted to life in the United States. She amazes me with her spirit and intelligence. She is nothing like the child that I took out of the babyhouse in Astana. She is so much more! This child crawls so fast, it is funny to watch. She is a tiny, mighty petite powerhouse! I think that I will be in trouble in a few years.

I have figured out her favorite things:

animals~ preferably dogs, cats and birds

music~ she dances and laughs to all types of music

climbing~ she will try to scale anything (gymnast in training?)

fast motion~ I hope not a daredevil in training....

She smiles and laughs alot, she understands more words in English after being home only a few months than I can Ever hope to learn in Russian, and she is a joy to be around. We are definitely enjoying life... now if only I could find a way to not work~ all would be perfect!
I at least have support in my other single adoptive moms. I keep in touch with my Astana friends and we commiserate together. I must say that life is good and I feel very blessed. I do miss my friends in Kaz. I have heard from Zuhkra and will write to Alma soon. I want them to know how wonderful Juliana is doing.

My next post: The First Birthday!!!

PS: Happy Birthday to Maya and Milo!

Homeward Bound

Ok, I know that I just left everyone without an ending~wondering "so what happened next?" I will try to catch you up on the story. We arrived in Almaty on Sunday evening and was taken to another apartment. This apartment was very nice, it figures we are only staying for two days! Since we will only be here such a short time, there is no need to get to comfortable. Almaty is a great city.. it is much warmer and has a lot of trees. The best part of the city is the mountains.... they are so incredible. The two days there were a whirlwind~ embassy visit, clinic appointment and shopping. Just as we were starting to take a breath, it was time to start our long journey home. In the middle of the night on Tuesday, we packed up and left for home. It was very bittersweet to leave Kazakhstan. I will miss so much about being here. I know that I will be starting a new and creating a new journey, but this part of our story has it's roots here. This is where it all began and so many memories are wrapped around that. However, the time has come to go home. Unfortunately, Juliana is still pretty sick. She has a bad cough and congestion. I am still giving her the Russian mystery meds... but it is not making a difference. I just want to get her home. It makes me nervous to have her so sick and to be so far away from medical care. Finally, it was time to go...all of us and our luggage piled into a car that wasn't made for everything that was being jammed into it! One the way to the airport, our new coordinator's father was sitting next to Juliana and myself. He was a kindly older man who always had a smile. Juliana held onto his fingers the entire way to the airport. It was really amazing to see.... the energy and wisdom from the elder Kazakh to the infant~ it was a symbolic goodbye to her country as she starts her new life. Well, to make a long story short, after 26 hours of travel time, two airplanes, several time zones and to many hours in Frankfurt's airport....Juliana and I landed home safely. The feeling of touching down in Philadelphia was overwhelming. Not only were we safely home, but Juliana was officially a United States citizen! I have to say that I couldn't have done it without my BFF Trish. She was the best and I can't thank her enough. I am so lucky that she decided to visit us in Kaz. I am forever in her debt!

Even though we are home and one part of our story is told, there is so much more to come. I will always cherish my time in Kazakhstan. I have learned so much about their culture, their history and their people. It is a part of us and will remain close to my heart. I have so much to share with Juliana about her heritage and about our time there. I have come home a different person than when I left. I will miss the people I have come to call my friends, the babyhouse, the city of Astana and being part of the life there. I also will say a prayer for all the amazing children....

I also want to thank everyone for sharing my story with me. Your support meant everything to me. There were times when I didn't think I could do it and your words and encouragement kept me going. I will continue to update this blog.......from this side of the pond.... about Juliana's progress.

Good Bye for now

Life With the Princess

I know that I haven’t written in a while… so I will give a quick update. On Wednesday, we went to the babyhouse in the afternoon to pick up Juliana. We bought cakes and flowers for the caregivers and medical staff (I know how much the medical people like treats!). It was a day of celebration, but also of sadness for the people who have been the only family she has ever known. The hardest goodbye was with the caregivers in her room. I have been there with them for almost 7 weeks and know how much they care for the children. I think they are happy for the children being adopted, but it must be so sad to see them go. However, I thank them for all the times they smiled, laughed and sang to the babies. It was a happy room, granted not a home, but not a miserable place. You always had a lot of friends to play with! After all the emotional well-wishes, Juliana and I walked out of the babyhouse for the last time. In my possession were 5 medicines and her schedule all in Russian. Ok, this was going to be fun. I had no idea what medicine I was giving her and for what. My interpreter had to give me dosage and times….talk about blind faith. She had some type of respiratory illness, besides other things that I won’t get into now. I can do this…. If I can survive here for 7 weeks, I can do anything!
I am happy to report that Juliana is feeling better and we all have survived. My thanks to Mother Earth~ Trish, because I couldn’t have done it without her. She is the best friend ever (not to take away from my other friends).

Even though I thought it would never arrive, I am packing up tomorrow and flying to Almaty. I am officially 3 ½ days from going home. I can’t even imagine it. I am very ready to go. Even though I am fond of snow, and I adore my team here, I want to be where more than 2 people speak English. I am also ready for warmer weather. It snowed here up to Wednesday. Even though it is probably 20-30’s, it is still cold.

As for Juliana’s adjustment~ she is a trooper. She is very active, very determined and so happy most of the time. She will melt everyone’s heart. She sleeps in a pack and play that has been passed through the travelers… and she has figured out how to make it double as a moon bounce.
Well, I must go for now. We have a busy day tomorrow~ packing, flying, paperwork…If I don’t get a chance to post from Almaty. I will see everyone at home. It has meant the world to me that you have been on this journey with me. There have been times that I didn’t think I would be at this point…. With Juliana asleep peacefully in this place. Your support and words have helped me go on.

Bol’shoe Spasibo
Thank you very much

The Day

Tomorrow is one of the days that I have been looking forward to…. I finally get to take Juliana out of the babyhouse~ the only home she has ever known~ into a new life. The end of my 15 day appeal period ended today. The routine of my 2 hour visiting will become a thing of the past~ a memory of the beginning. This routine has been a part of us for the last 6 weeks, but today is the 35th and final time that I will ever take the walk down the hallway from the playroom to the nursery and kiss her goodbye~ tell her that I will be back tomorrow ~that I love her and leave her for the next 22 hours. In some ways I will miss that time together…. It holds many memories; laughter, new friendships, baby’s firsts and uninterrupted time. However, I am anxious to start a new journey and I am anxious to go home.

Tonight, Trish and I went out to a place called Farhi for dinner. It is a very nice restaurant that is shaped inside like a yurt (a really nice yurt). The food was fabulous and they even made cosmopolitans. It has been snowing all day today and it has gotten very cold again. However, it is a vast improvement over what we have been experiencing here. There is so much mud and muddy slush and muddy lakes in the streets, everything is brown from the cars to the sidewalks. Well, it is not all brown... there was still plenty of snow left, the ground is still covered with old snow. The new snow just makes everything look so much better. Of course, because it is colder (it was 15F last night), the mud is now frozen and uneven…. walking is interesting. I am looking forward to spring weather. Could you order some for me when I get back to the states?

Juliana is doing very well. She is learning new things everyday and shows promise of a climber. She can almost pull herself, which I am sure she will accomplish anyday now. In the past 6 weeks, she has gone from not being able to sit up on her own to standing unassisted. I am amazed at the spirit of these children. How love and attention can allow them to catch up developmentally in such a short time. I am honored to be a part of it.

I must go for now. I wish everyone well at home. Thank you for being part of my journey. I love reading your comments and appreciate everyone who sends their encouragement.

Paka Paka

A New Place

Now I have been living in this city for almost 6 weeks, and have been alright with it….not complaining to much (no comments!), but today the mountains were calling to me and I had to go to them. I planned a day trip to a place called Borabay (pronounced borabya). It is about 3 hours north of Astana as part of the Kokshetau steppe. It is a mountainous area with fantastic lakes and rock formations. Many of the huge rock formations form shapes of people or animals and have legends that are associated with them. It is a mysterious place that is filled with the beauty of the mountains. One of the pictures I have posted is of a rock formation in the middle of one of lakes. Looking at the rock from one side it is a young girl and from the other side, it is of an old woman. Legend says that she was separated from her love and when she couldn’t find him again, she jumped into the lake and drowned. After this, the rock was formed. There are many other legends associated with this place, even how Borbay was created. Legend says that when the God created the world, one country was bestowed large woods, green fields and wide rivers, another beautiful mountains and blue lakes. But the Kazakh people received only steppes (a steppe is barren piece of land with trees). It hurt the Kazakh feelings and they began to ask God to give them a small piece of the wonderful nature. God scratched from the bottom of his bag and threw into the middle of the lifeless steppe the remnants of the picturesque cliffs and lakes with crystal-clear water. He covered the mountains with forests, animals and birds, lakes with fish and meadows with insects and butterflies, which cannot be found in the steppes one hundred miles around. Thus Borbay came to light. (It is really in the middle of flat barren land).
I have to say that it was great to get out of the city and be in the fresh air of the mountains. I am thankful to Sian for driving us there! He brought his son and niece and since Zukra was away, we had a student who is studying English go with us to help with interpreting. Considering it was cloudy and very foggy when we left, by the time we got to the mountains, it was sunny and fairly warm (probably 30F). It was a great day!

I have about 10 days left in Kazakhstan….but I only have 2 more days to visit Juliana in the babyhouse! I can take her out of there on Wednesday. I can’t believe this day is actually almost here. She is doing so well… so smart and so sweet! She is starting to pull herself up, but can’t quite get there herself. I have no doubt it will be soon. She is a spirited child and very determined. I can’t wait to bring her home to meet everyone. My fellow playroom friends from NYC went home yesterday after their court date. I will miss their company, although I will be leaving Astana by the end of the week and going to Almaty.

Anyway, I hope everyone is well at home. Thank you for reading about my latest adventure. I will see you soon!

Mae nailuchshie pozhelaniya
Best wishes to you

Happy Nauryz

Yesterday was the holiday of Nauryz. It is one of the most important days of the year for Kazakhs. I wanted to share what I have learned about this day with all of you… I found it very interesting.

There is a legend in Central Asia that every year during the night between the 21st and 22nd of March (the spring equinox), the wise elder Kadyr-Ata walks across the Earth. Kadyr-Ata brings people happiness and wealth, and he also possesses special magical powers. At three o’clock in the morning, Kadyr-Ata opens the door to the sky and lets Spring come to the world. At this time, he breathes life into the earth; in essence he renews the earth from its death-like winter state, and brings it back to spring.
When Kadyr-Ata breathes life into earth, he also signals the Light Spirit to return from
underground, where the spirit had been hiding from the cold of winter. In traditional Kazakh lore, the Light Spirit represents the sun and springtime. When the Light Spirit gets the signal from Kadyr- Ata, he returns to earth and fights the Dark Spirit, the symbol of the cold winter. The Light Spirit brings spring and new life to the Steppe, and makes the Dark Spirit run far, far away.
In ancient times, the Kazakhs were a nomadic people and the arrival of spring was a time for great celebration. Life was hard for nomads on the Kazakh steppes, and Nauryz marked the end of the difficult winter season and the beginning of spring renewal. Nauryz symbolized the birth of a new year's cycle of life.

The day is celebrated with family and friends, traditional foods, dancing and gift giving. The city is decorated with flower displays and lights. It is really very nice. The only bad part of the holiday for us, is that we are not allowed to visit at the babyhouse. We are also banned on Friday (inspection from the mayor). That makes the days really long and boring. The only good news is that Trish arrived here safely today!! I am so happy to have her here. If only her luggage made it here also… it is still in Germany. You can’t have everything! We will go to see Juliana tomorrow afternoon and get her luggage that is flying in tomorrow night. I officially have only 3 more days of visiting in the babyhouse and following their rules before I can take her out of there for good. I am looking forward to that day.

I hope everyone is well at home. I am getting close to the time that I can leave the country. I am very anxious for that to happen. I thank everyone for being on this journey with me.


Nauryz Kuttuh Bolsyn!
Have a happy Nauryz!

Water Everywhere

If there is a one word characteristic of Astana right now is muddy. There is mud and huge masses of water everywhere. I feel like the polar ice caps are melting and it found its way to Northern Kazakhstan! Now that I am in the middle of the city of mud, I think that the ice and snow was so much easier to navigate. At least it is warmer…. 20’s instead of (-) 20’s. There are people who’s job it is to break up the ice and shovel it into truck and cart it off to ??. I have also seen big trucks that function as oversized wet vacs sucking up the floods in the streets. I am talking about a lot of water….. I guess that meant a lot of snow!

Enough of that, lets talk about the little girlfriend. I really think that she is the smartest baby in the whole orphanage. She has learned the alphabet and her numbers…. Ok, not really, but she does show promise of being gifted. Ok, I can’t tell that either… but she is pretty amazing. She loves to be thrown up in the air and anything else that involves movement. Maybe she is a gymnast in training. To bad she is only allowed to play the violin or piano (no chance of spinal cord or TBI). We are officially one week away from leaving the orphanage forever. That day seems a lifetime away… I know that someone keeps adding hours to the day here! It gets longer each day I am here; and I have been here 5 weeks so far. My team here tries to keep me sane, and that is a hard job for them. However, they are abandoning me. I will be left alone in the city from Thursday to Monday. Alma has already left for Almaty for a family matter and Zukra (my English connection) is leaving for Russia on Thursday to see her family. I will be here with Sian who doesn’t speak English. Well, I guess it will put the Russian I have learned to the test. I feel like an adult~ being left alone when your parents go away for the first time!

Anyway, there is nothing else to report from this part of the world. I would love to hear some news from home. Is there anything fun happening? Once again, thank you for being there through my incredible adventure to motherhood and reading my ramblings. I hope to see everyone soon.

Do vstrechi skoro
See you soon

Happy St. Patricks Day

I want to wish all my Irish and honorary Irish friends a Happy St. Patty’s Day from Kazakhstan! I have only seen one place that recognized the holiday today~ it was Chelsea English Pub. Of course, they were native Kazakhs who didn’t speak English, but they were wearing green hats. Got to love it!

Today, the weather went up to the 20’s. I can’t believe how warm it is here compared to when I first arrived. The city is preparing for another holiday that is coming up soon, which I will talk about later. There are lights and huge flower decorations up everywhere. I have actually gotten to like the city, especially at night. I realize that may come as a shock to some (yes, the tree hugger actually said she liked the city), but there is always something going on. Tonight, I walked to what we call the pizza mall. It is really called Semei Tempore Mall. In the middle of the mall, it has an open area with tables and a bar and it serves really good pizza and beer. I had dinner with a couple from Northeast Philadelphia who is adopting a 1 year old girl. Walking home after dinner was so nice. There are lights on all the buildings~ kind of like Christmas lights decorating the buildings. The ice and snow that is starting to melt during the day becomes an ice rink at night. I love to walk at night and watch the city move. I know what some of you are thinking~ that I am looking at the lights and not paying attention to my surroundings. Not true- I am aware of what is around me….. I swear. I do have some street smarts (no laughing!)
Tomorrow is the bad day….no visiting Juliana. I think I will do some shopping to fill my time. Today was a crazy day in the playroom at visiting. There were 7 families and their babies in one relatively small room. It was crazy with all the people and toys. It was fun to see all the babies interacting and it is always great to be with your fellow cohorts. Juliana is getting a cold again. It goes through the rooms… someone always has a runny nose. She is still all smiles and wants to be on the move. She has much to explore and people to see. She likes to be very busy. I can’t wait to bring her home so everyone can meet her.
After visiting, Zukra and I went to the National Museum. It was really interesting and had a lot of artifacts from the early days of Kazakhstan. They also had a yurt, which is a dwelling the looks like a tent that was made of leather and camel hair. The tapestries that they made were incredible. It also had a display of WW11 from the Soviet Union perspective.

I heard that there is some bad weather at home. I hope everyone stays warm and I hope the ice doesn’t stay around long. Thank you for following along and giving me encouragement during my stay here.

Do svidania
Good bye

Dinner With New Friends

Today marks a month that I have been in Kazakhstan. In some ways, it seems like an eternity and at times it is hard to believe that it has been that long. I have become used to life here, but I still can’t wait until it is time to leave. However, I must admit that there are some things that I will miss. The things I miss about home:
Driving~ whenever I want to wherever I want. I hope I remember how to drive. Although I am coming home with new driving tips from here!
My house~ and everything in it
Reading signs and hearing English
Good pizza
Family and friends
Feeling productive

Trees

What I will miss about Kazakhstan:
Being able to walk to any shop or grocery store
New found friends made here
The food~ especially the bread (brown bread like in Ireland)
The cultural experience
The place I met Juliana

Yesterday, I received a surprise invitation to dinner at my coordinator’s (Alma) home for that night. Zukra and I went there after visiting and had an amazing time. Alma prepared many traditional Kazakh foods that were absolutely delicious. There was 3 courses~ it looked like she could have fed an army. I was very honored to have been invited into her home. After many toasts and much to eat and drink, I left for home. Zukra and I managed to drink an entire bottle of some type of alcohol~ besides the vodka, of course! I just adore my team!

Even though I have gone to court and had a favorable decision to register me as Juliana's mother, I can't take custody of her until the appeal period is over. Therefore, I continue to visit her for two hours a day until next Wednesday. She is completely mobile, motoring around the playroom wanting to see and touch everything. If it is at all possible, she gets cuter everyday! I think she may be a budding musician~ she has a toy that if you blow in it, it makes noise. She has watched me do it and now she does it all the time. Pretty good for an 8 month old?!

I just got in from outside and for once, I feel that the weather is starting to change. I may be 20F out there.... it is practically a heat wave! I hope it will stay like this. The cold and wind is so depressing. I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather at home.... I can't wait to feel that.
Must go for now. Thanks for being involved in my journey and thanks for the comments.

Paka Paka

PS: Don't you just love girlfriend with a babushka!

Court Day

Today, I was scheduled for a court hearing at 12:30. Now, did you ever read a book or watched a horror movie or two about an unsuspecting tourist who goes into a foreign court and ends up in a dirty, miserable jail cell, infested with rats, for the next 20 years for a crime they didn't commit. Ok, it may have been a fleeting thought in my mind and I may have an active imagination….. but I digress! Anyway, back to the story….. I had court today. It was fairly quick and painless. I had my interpreter with me who translated the proceedings to me. I was asked a few questions by the judge and prosecutor, I had to make a speech and then everyone got up and started walking out. I asked where everyone was going…. To Lunch. Are you kidding me?? In the middle of my case? The judge was hungry….So, after everyone went to lunch (my stomach was in knots waiting for the decision), we met again. Well, the end result is that in a quiet courtroom, without any pomp and circumstance: Juliana and I became a family! YEAH! Her name is officially Juliana Aruzhan Lambertson. There was a lot of happiness and well wishes from my team here. I now start my final countdown to going home. I have to wait out a 15 day appeal period. Then, we can prepare Juliana’s documents to leave the country. I am hoping to be home by Easter.

I have to say a word of thanks to my team. They are the best and I couldn’t have survived to this point without them. My coordinator is Alma. She has amazing connections and can get things done. She figured out the name dilemma and made Aida disappear and Aruzhan reappear (still don’t want to know how she did that). She is so kind and warm. She worries about me all the time. I must be a mess! My interpreter is Zukra. She is my English connection to the rest of the country. She is fun to talk to. Her job in court was to distract the judge (I will do whatever it took) We had her wear red lipstick and a short skirt to show some leg. I guess it worked! The judge was a young, single guy-very handsome (we were trying to fix them up). My driver is Cyan. I give him props for driving in this crazy city. I used to close my eyes and hope that the crash wouldn’t be so bad; however, now I cheer him on! He speaks as much English as I speak Russian, but somehow we can communicate. It is amazing how two people who do not speak each others language can have a conversation (mind you, not a deep meaningful one).

Speaking of conversations…. My neighbor heard me coming out of my door and she came out to talk to me~ of course in Russian. She was going on and on about something. I was on my way to meet Cyan, so I just said my usual….Ya ne ponimayu (I don’t understand you) ~ sorry and left. Well, she kept at it every time I saw her. Finally, I called Zukra and asked her to talk to her and find out what she wanted. Turns out she wanted some of my chairs…. So, I let her in my apartment and told her to take her pick of my HoJo chairs and she made off with two of them. Don’t know why she wanted them or if I will ever get them back because no one asks questions. What a strange country this is! However, I am making friends with my neighbors. I want her to teach me how to make borsch ~ chairs for a cooking lesson! It works for me...

Ok, enough of that~ nothing else to report here. Juliana continues to develop new tricks each day. She can now go from crawling to sitting and vise versa. I know everyone thinks that their kid is amazing, but come on... 2 weeks out of her brace?!

I hope everyone is well at home. Thank you for all the comments~ I love every one of them. We will see everyone soon!

Dobryi Vecher
Good Evening

Trade Dealings

Hello everyone!

It is Saturday evening here and since the same episode of Heroes is on once again, I thought I would post another entry. Well, I am less than 2 days away from my court date. I realize that it seems like everything gets broken down into a countdown…. I feel like a prisoner who is waiting for parole and scratching off the days on the cell wall! Time moves very slowly in this part of the world, I swear there are more hours in the day here. There are some really fun times, so don’t let me lead you to believe it is all bad. Last night, I went out to dinner with the couple from NYC, adopting a baby boy, a couple from Spain (He is from Scotland and she is from Spain) adopting a baby girl that is in Juliana’s room, and a couple from France (adopting a baby girl). We had a great dinner, conversation, a lot of laughs and of course, beer. The bonds that are made here become very special. Besides the fact we are all in this together, we understand what it is like to come halfway around the world and live in a completely different lifestyle, all while doing the most important thing that you will ever do in your life~ become a parent. You do rely on those you meet for not only emotional support, but for trading commodities! Today, the playroom after visiting became like an exchange on the black-market. I have books for an English newspaper and someone had a colander and some spices for some DVD’s. Yes, it has come down to this…. Anything in exchange for something to read, watch or do in English. It is impossible to find it here. Once you run out and read your last book or magazine or watch your last DVD, you need to find more. An underground system develops, those that are leaving pass on stuff…..the circle of life!!
The visit today with Juliana was very good. She has become the darling of the playroom. She is so tiny, but has such an amazing spirit. She crawls around the room, flashing a million dollar smile to anyone she sees. She is so intent on watching everything and everyone; she doesn’t want to miss a thing. Zukra (my interpreter) and I can’t even be in the room when she is eating, because she would rather watch what we are doing than eat. No wonder she is so tiny! I think all these children have such spirits considering their circumstances. Yesterday, while we were walking outside with Juliana, there were a group of 2-3 year olds playing in the snow. They were so adorable and all smiles at the attention we were giving them. I wanted to take them home too. However many of the children are not eligible for adoption because their family did not relinquish them. Because they cannot afford to keep them in their homes, they live in the orphanage, sometimes for many years. It is very sad for both the children and their families.

On a happier note, I am posting a picture of Juliana with her boyfriend Henry. I have to have a talk to her about not being quite so available. I am sorry to Massarod, he will have compete for her affections! Henry's mom and Dad are from California. I am also happy that Kim has made it home safely. It is not the same without her.
I hope everyone is doing well. Please send me all the positive thoughts you can for Monday's court procedings and for the rest of my trip. Thank you for joining me on this adventure.

Good night!

A Holiday!

Happy Woman’s Day!

Today is a national holiday in Kazakhstan. It is Woman’s Day. From what I can understand, Woman’s Day dates back to the first years of the Soviet Union when Bolsheviks admitted that “a woman is a human being too” (nice guy). On this day men give gifts and flowers to all women and girls. It would be equivalent to our Mother’s Day, but for all women. It is a pretty big deal here: the men buy cakes and flowers for the special women in their lives for them to be celebrated. It is also big enough holiday that the babyhouse is closed for the day for us to visit.
So I celebrated the holiday by shopping and walking around the city. The men tell you happy holiday on the street; you can feel that it is a holiday, it is really nice. I walked to the Isham River today. It is frozen solid so that you can walk across it. The river separates the city into the north which is the old city and the south, the new city. It is still pretty cold here, so walking for any distance gets difficult. However, the apartment can get really claustrophobic. It is certainly better than the (-)26 F we had recently. What I so want to do is to get into a car and drive somewhere! Today, I have been here 3 weeks; and I still have 31/2 to go.
You do hear pieces of American culture wherever you go. On the radio they play Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion and some rap. If I hear “smack that” one more time… It is on a lot of ringtones. I do have two English TV stations now~ well, three counting Fox News. I find it hard to believe that the only news worthy story coming out of the US is Anna Nicole Smith. How embarrassing!! I do get Star channel with the first season of Heroes. I still can’t get into that one~ Danny says it is better than Lost. No way! But then there is Fashion House. Now that is quality acting!


I will get to see Juliana tomorrow. We are sharing the playroom with a new couple adopting a big baby boy from NYC. They are great people and it will be nice to have someone to hang around with. Also, Trish is arriving in less than 2 weeks! YEAH! I miss seeing Juliana on the days we can’t visit. It is strange to think of yourself as her mom and you can’t even see her. It is like you are caught in limbo. I sometimes get to put her in crib at the end of the visit. That is like a special privilege. I know the day will come that I will never have to see her for 2 hours and leave her for the next 24. My heart goes out to the children who will not even have the 2 hours of undivided attention. My wish is that every child in that home will find a family of their own. They are such amazing and beautiful kids with great spirits.


I hope everyone is well at home. I heard there is snow today, it will hopefully be gone soon. Thank you for following along~ I love the comments!


To all the amazing and wonderful women I know in my life…. I wish you a Happy Woman’s Day!

The Good and The Bad

I have good news to share….I have an official court date. My court session is scheduled for Monday March 12th at 12: 30. This is my final climb to the top and after court it is all a downward slide. After court, there is a mandatory 15 day waiting period and then I will be home about a week after that. It is hard to believe that I have been here for 3 weeks. I am looking forward to getting court over with…. I just hope it goes smoothly.

Now for the bad news, or just a realization. You know how there are the Ritz Carlton of accommodations and there are the Howard Johnson’s of accommodations? Well, I realized yesterday that I am staying at a HoJos. I visited an apartment of a couple who is adopting a baby boy from Juliana’s room at the babyhouse. They are staying in a really nice apartment….really nice. I thought that I didn’t have it so bad until yesterday. I do realize that I have a roof over my head, a place to sleep and make meals and my walls keep out the cold, but that is about all I can say about my apartment. Think of a bad Brady Bunch home interior and make it worse than that. They are living in penthouse style compared to me. I have bad checked linoleum floors, they have hardwood. I have wallpaper that is peeling off with some unknown design, they have custom painted walls. I have a couch that could pose as a table it is so hard, they have comfy sofas. I have a small TV and they have a flat screen TV. Their bathroom is the size of my bedroom, and they have a Jacuzzi tub. Now, I realize that I sound like I am complaining, but I am not. I have just come to the realization that someone must stay at HoJo’s and that someone is me. I am just venting…… thanks for listening!

Juliana and I are both sick. Nothing serious, just colds. She is doing so well. She is crawling and able to sit on her own. She is starting to stand, although I think the brace has set her back some. She is very sweet and everyone makes a fuss over her. Her hair is starting to lay down and doesn’t stick straight up as much. I miss that! It is hard to only visit for 2 hours a day. It doesn’t leave enough time to make a connection. I have to play by the rules.

Well, it is getting late and I must go. I hope everyone is well at home. I love reading the comments you have written… they make me laugh. I really miss going to work and seeing everyone at the hospital. If the NeuroSurg group wants to send me work ~ I would be happy to have something to do! Send away… oh, and there are some holidays coming up that I could use Omar’s help with. I will explain next time.

Good night!

Sunday

Today is Sunday….. Sunday’s are the day we all hate the most. First of all, you can’t visit the babies at all. I guess the workers need a day off from us, although no one can give an explanation of why we can’t visit. I wonder what the children think~ do they think we all left them? So that makes Sunday a very long day. This day is really sad for me because Kim, the friend that I made here, left today to start her journey home. Having a buddy here made time go fast and it was someone who understood what it was like to go through this process. Besides, we became good friends. I wish her well on her trip home and I know we will keep in touch. Anyway, there is plenty to do today. I must do the wash, clean the apartment, and go to the grocery store. I bet you are regretting reading this now!!
Ok, here comes the boring part….but I must share. The washing machine (although I am thankful that I have one) takes over two hours to do a load of wash. What is it doing in there and why does it take so long? Of course, I have no idea what setting I am using because it is in Russian….. but really. Then you have to hang the wet clothes around the apartment. Of course, thank god my social calendar is empty right now, because what would guests think? Then, while I am waiting for the clothes to dry, I walk to the grocery store and try to guess at the mystery meat at the deli. I am not really sure what to make of it…. It looks like chicken, but not really like chicken. I think I will pass on that. I decide on vegetables for dinner. And forget about the beef... I am afraid it will be horsemeat...No way!
There is a new thing on the ground today…. Water! Yes, we are having a heat wave (well, not really a HEAT wave) and some (SOME) of the ice has melted. Amazing! And by the way, my theory about the roads not having traffic lines is true…. There isn’t any. I am still amazed at how people drive here. As I have spent some time in this country, I am still trying to figure them all out. However, I have made some observations. This is a country of dichotomies. It is often described as a third world country; however, most people you pass have on fur coats and designer clothes. The people tend to be a little pushy and not very friendly~are they angry at something? Perhaps, the years of repression has collectively affected them. They do value family and children and are very proud people. I do want to find out more about this country and its rich history. For all the differences, I am glad to experience and live in this part of the world for such an extended period of time. I don’t think as a tourist, I could ever get this opportunity to integrate myself for 7 weeks. I have to say that I am enjoying being here. I am even beginning to understand and speak some Russian.

Well, I must sign off for tonight. I hope everyone is well. I am so glad to share my journey with you all.
Bye for now..

First part down

Privyet!
Hello all..... I have really good news! First of all, there is no longer frost on the inside of the car I was in today~ a car that had the heat on by the way~ which means it is actually fit for human life outside here! And the biggest news is that I have completed my first hurdle. We are finished with the mandatory 15 day bonding period. Since the time here is so painfully long.... all of us break the time down into manageable sessions. The first 15 days, then countdown to court ( which may be in 10 days), then the 15 day waiting period after court and then 4-5 days for paperwork, then fly to Almaty for 3 days, then HOME. So, one down and we won't look ahead yet because it is to depressing.
Juliana is doing so well without the brace. She is learning to crawl without it and doing quite well. She mimics what the other kids are doing and what I do. I can see the little changes in her development over the past few weeks. It is often a free for all in the playroom with all the kids, and it is just great to watch them.
She turned 8 months the other day, but is still very petite. She is still wearing 3-6 month clothes, but I am sure she will get bigger in the next few months.
I hope all is well at home. I thank everyone for reading and following along in this journey. I am looking forward to being home to introduce her to you all. In the meantime, I am getting very good at Russian and walking on ice! (I still don't wear a hat though!)

Paka Paka

More Names

How can one little girl have so many names? It was found out recently that my baby girl has yet another name! I would have thought that all the names that may have been associated with her would have been made known before she was available to be adopted. However, within the past few days, a new name has surfaced. Apparently, her birth mother named her Aruzhan....... some crazy person at the hospital (not my words) decided she should be named Aida and put that on the birth certificate. I come along and name her Juliana. How is all this to be made right again? With the amazing team I have here, I have no doubt they will set the record straight. I honestly don't want to know how they will do it. However, I have decided on the name we are going home with......Ready? Drum roll.......
Juliana Aruzhan........I really liked Aruzhan ~ it means beautiful soul in Kazakh. I think it sounds beautiful. Anyway, that was a big drama here for a bit and we have until tomorrow to make it all fit.

I will be starting day 15 of bonding soon and that will mark the end of the first milestone. I can't believe I have been here for 2 weeks. I am learning alot about the culture here and some of the old wives tales. They are very big on keeping the babies warm... I mean very warm. They layer so many clothes on them, that they are usually sweating. Juliana was sick the other day and they gave her a ? Tylenol ?supp. and I was told to keep her flat for 50 minutes.... Ok.....
They also feel that if a woman's legs are exposed to the cold, it will cause infertility. I know they are obsessed about wearing a hat and I get yelled at by the older women when they see my without one. Considering that last night it -26F, they may have a point! I have never felt cold like that. It hurt to breathe. It didn't stop Kim and I from walking to dinner at Samovar~ it actually gave us an excuse to drink to forget about the inhumane temperature outside. Probably not one of our best ideas!

I hope everyone is well at home. I really miss everyone!

Paka Paka

Catching up

Ok, I know that I have been not keeping up with the happenings here. I will tell you why.....Does anyone remember dial-up connections? Well, imagine slower than that! It is at times painful (spoiled American!) Here is the update: I am now on Day 11 of bonding with 4 more to go. On Friday we can apply for a court date.~ first hurdle is coming up! It is funny how everything becomes a count down until you can go home. I have settled into life here, although not without kicking and screaming a bit. I am staying in a fairly comfortable apartment. It has two doors with so many locks that I can't even get in-no less anyone breaking in. That should make some people happy. Of course, I have to keep track of four keys! Anyone who knows me well would know how dangerous that is! Since I have a lot of time on my hands, I have made the following observations.....

The weather: Did I tell you how cold it is here? Ok, I probably did.... but I must say it again. It is really cold here! I snows all the time.... there is no such thing as snow removal..... and the temperature yesterday was -4F. Why didn't I decide to adopt from Guatemala? Well, what would be the adventure in that....
Traffic: I have yet to determine if there is any rules for driving. It is unknown if there is any painted lines on the road, because I haven't seen the actual road yet. However, it is doubtful. People here drive insane. Everyone is out for themselves on the road. No one follows lanes of traffic. I think this is a great place for a trauma center! One thing that you do figure out the first day is that pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. Either you get across the street quickly or you are just out of luck. You must run across the street, on the ice to safety. I am not sure what would happen if you fell in the middle of the road... I don't want to be the one to find out!

Hats: People cannot get the fact that there are times that I do not wear a hat. They stare at me with disbelief~ kinda like I have lost my mind. On several occasions lately, they yell at me in Russian~ probably saying " stupid girl, where is your hat" I either smile at them or tell them in English " I am a grown woman and if I don't want to wear a hat, I don't have to" It is a no-win situation! People tend to stare at us alot... I am pretty sure that they don't know that it is not nice to stare. I usually just smile at them and go on my way.
Things to do: So far, I have gone to the circus and the ballet. So yes, I am not suffering that much! Well, I did have a mental breakdown recently. The isolation, exhustion, snow and lack of people to converse with in English can get to you. Luckily, I met another single who is a former East Coaster that has been a lifesaver for me~ thank you Kim. I will be forever in her debt. She is adopting a sweet baby with an awesome smile named Maya. We hang out for dinner, drink beer and commiserate about how much we miss being home. She is almost done her time here and has helped me get myself together. This a picture of Juliana and Maya hanging out~ probably talking about their new moms and how they need some help!
Juliana: My bright spot!!! She is sick and has been for a couple of days. It seems like a cold, which is all I hope it is. I don't like seeing her not feeling well. They don't let me visit her for long ~ only 30 minutes. That is the hardest part. The great news of today is she is out of her brace!!!! She is just so happy and curious. Lets hope she is better tomorrow.
Well, that is it for now. I just wanted to give you all an update on my time here.
Hope all is well at home......Keep those e-mails coming, I like hearing from everyone!

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my blog: I love reading them!!

До Свидания
Do Svidania
Good Bye

Why I am here...

We need to discuss why I am really here....my sweet Juliana. I started visiting her on Saturday. We are allowed 2 hours a day~ either in the morning or the afternoon (but not both). My time to visit is the afternoon. She is a very happy, content, laid-back little girl, and she has the best hair-do! Most times it sticks straight up~ we have nicknamed her punk rock baby. The babies are well cared for, but they have no one on one attention. That explains alot of their developmental lags. The caregivers are very loving, but very busy. A lot of the babies, at the start of visiting, cannot sit up by themselves, do not know how to play, do not crawl and are very good at self-soothing. It is amazing how the attention everyday of someone talking to them, playing with them and constantly holding them will accelerate their development in a short time.
During visiting, everyone sits in the playroom. This room is actually very nice with balls, toys, a slide and a circle filled with balls that they can sit in. However, all the families go in this room and visit with the babies. It can get very noisy and it is hard for the kids to focus on you. They are fascinated with everything around them. They have never had so much stimulus before. The time also goes by so fast, and then you just wait until the next day to be able to visit again.
Juliana is very petite. She is currently about 15 lbs. She is still wearing the brace, probably until next week. However, since I have been visiting her, she has started to crawl in the brace. That is a pretty good trick! She is very curious and alert to everything. She also has started to say da-da and become more vocal. It is true that they really start to progress and it is something to see it happen. As of today, I am on day 9 of bonding with 5 more to go before I can apply for court.
Must go for now...... I hope you like the pictures of punk rock girl!!!

Paka Paka
(Good Bye)

Update from Astana

I know it seems that I disappeared last week, but I did make it safely to Astana, Kazakhstan. I arrived last Thursday night and have been adjusting ever since then. I guess I should start from the beginnning..... Believe it or not, the most trouble I had with the flight was in Philadelphia. We sat on the runway for 3 hours while the plane was being de-iced~ what a great start to the trip here. When I arrived in Astana, I thought the weather was similiar to what I left in Phili. However, I couldn't have been more wrong about that. It is cold in both places when I left, but the cold here is at times unberable. It gets so windy, combined with the snow that blows around and the ice everwhere, walking is an amazing feat! Given the fact that if you want to go somewhere, you must walk to it, you tend to get over the danger of frostbite and falling really fast! I try to blend in with everyone else (the hair may give it away) with my babushka and long coat, but people can tell you are American. No one speaks English, so I have gotten really good at charades.
Anyway, I went to the baby house Friday morning and met with the director of the orphanage. Everything is discussed through an interpreter. A caregiver brought in Juliana (who's name is Aida) and my whole world changed. She was so tiny and beautiful~ very alert, taking everything in. I got to hold her for just a minute...then there was more talk in Russian and just like that she was taken away. It was nap time there and I would not be allowed to visit with her today. Ok, have a nice day. There is no bending of the rules, no questions, this is the way it is. It was at this point that I felt very alone, very overwhelmed and so exhusted. So fine, what do I do now until tomorrow? Not much......you are pretty much left on your own until someone picks you up for a visit. I did go to the grocery store and then went back to my apartment. I had no internet, no TV, a phone that I didn't know how to use or call out on, didn't know where I was and what was around me, couldn't read the street signs and there was no one to talk to and the city was covered in snow. I was kind of left to my own defenses without any map to help me through. I thought that this would be the worse 7 weeks of my life. Besides the fact that night was really daytime because Astana is 11 hours ahead of the east coast, so sleep wasn't an option.
There it is.... a summary of my first day here. Can't wait to hear more?!

LOI

When adopting from Kazakhstan, there is three initials that we all wait to get~ your LOI (letter of invitation).... These insignificant letters mean that we are given the OK to go. My agency called me yesterday to say that I have received my LOI~ my letter of invitation. I am expected to be in Astana on Friday morning... no later. WHAT?! It's Friday for goodness sake! I am not prepared for this. After months of waiting and waiting and waiting, I am leaving in 5 days! The tornado has been started! There is so much to do and prepare for. I am so sorry to all my OR and Trauma friends who planned the Connie Mac's get together~ I was so looking forward to it. However, the good news is that when I return in April, it will be starting spring and I will have the princess with me. She will hopefully be here in time for Easter!
In one week, I get to meet my baby girl. Wish me luck~ I am about to fly half way around the world into unfamiliar territory!
Next post will be from Astana, Kazakhstan.

Time Moves Along

Where is Kazakhstan anyway and how do you spell it!
Kazakhstan is a former soviet republic, located in between Russia and China. It is actually the 5th largest country in land mass. The city I am traveling to backs up to southern Siberia~ luckily it is the southern part!! Needless to say, it is really cold there right now. Maybe two weeks and counting.....There is much to do before I can leave.

The Story Begins

Since every story must have a beginning, I think I will start there. In just a few short weeks, I will become a mom. It feels weird to even say that. After years of infertility and disappointment, I never thought this day would come. Soon, I will be traveling to adopt a baby girl. So what inspired me to start on this roller coaster of a ride in the first place?
I have always wanted to be a mom, but my life path had not allowed me to see that dream through. I had a wonderful family, great friends, a good job and my life was really comfortable. However, I wanted something more. I started researching adoption in 2005, but thought I couldn't do it alone.The decision to be a single parent is overwhelming... was it fair to the baby, could I manage her and work, would I be a good mom? Then one day I passed by a sign that read " Don't let your fears become the boundaries for your dreams" and in that moment I realized that I needed to make the first step~ that I would handle whatever challenges I came across.
So, in December 2005 I started my homestudy and decided to adopt from Kazakhstan. I was drawn to this country for an unexplained reason. Maybe it could have been that I learned how to spell it and thought that was a sign! But really is was the care they gave to the children that was most significant. Kazakhstan has a mandatory bonding period that helps create comfort between child and parent. Taking a deep breath, I signed on with my agency ~ KidsFirst ~ in February 2006.
It is now a year later and I have been through more than I can ever describe~ massive amounts of paperwork (the dossier), multiple delays, lost pieces of the dossier, fingerprinting by many levels of the government- 4x in all, notaries (thanks to Miss Pat!), apostilling and the waiting and waiting that comes with this process. That is nothing compared to the emotional roller coaster that is ever present. However, as I am nearing the end of my wait and the start of motherhood, it was an experience that I would gladly go through again. It is just like a pregnancy~ only on paper! It is not an easy journey, but it prepares you for the years to come...
As I complete one part of my story, I am now preparing to travel to Astana, Kazakhstan in the next few weeks to meet my daughter, Juliana. I am anxious for all of you to make this journey with me. I read a quote somewhere that read " Leap and a net will appear." Well, hold on, I am about to jump!