In Moscow and loving it!!!!!!!!

Just a quick update b/c Nikolay is sleeping. He is doing great and had a fantastic day!!! We just LOVED Moscow--my favorite city so far, even beats Rome, I think!! The Kremlin with all the churches is just breathtaking as is Red Square. Nikolay is getting cuter every day and really enjoyed walking around today. We leave day after tomorrow. Can't wait to see everybody on Friday!

First hospital visit and last day in Kras

Yesterday, Nikolay wasn't feeling well. He was very hot when he woke up, so I have him baby tylenol, which seemed to help. By the afternoon, he was inconsolable. The coordinator and translator came over and they also thought he should see a doctor, so they had one come to the hotel. She examined him, but thought that he should go to an ENT and also to have his stomach checked out. The ENT gave him nose drops and told me to wipe him down with spirits if he gets a fever. We left there and went to the children's clinic to have his stomach looked at. After they examined him, they wanted to xray his belly, which was awful b/c he screamed bloody murder. They looked at the xray and said there was something wrong with his bowels and that he would have to stay overnight. That was like getting kicked in the stomach b/c there hospitals are not like what we have. They even kept apologizing for the poor conditions when they found out I was American. I told them that I didn't want to stay overnight, if possible, so they arranged for a barium xray to make sure there was no blockage. I was there for about 4 hours waiting for the barium to make its way through Nikolay's body. He was really good there and loved interacting with the little girl in the room. He would scream and shake his hands to get her attention and clap when she would turn around. About 3 hours into this I was exhausted, and the woman with the little girl asked me in Russian if it was time for him to go to sleep. I knew what she was saying and just shook my head yes. He did finally fall asleep and they came in around 10:30pm to take the xray. It turns out that everything was OK and it was an intestinal problem b/c of change in diet from the orphanage. They told me to just feed him formula and cereal until I get home. They thought the fruit in particular caused too much gas. The barium stuff seemed to clean out his system, which was good!

The upside of all this is that he definitely knows now how I am and feels safe with me. He was screaming when they took the xray and would turn his head and look at me. As soon as they were done and I held him he would stop crying and put his head on my shoulder.

He slept well last night, but woke up at 5am starving since he hadn't eaten since 2pm the day before, so he had a bottle and a half and slept then until 9am. He had two more bottle this am and felt back asleep around 11:30 and 2 hours later is still sleeping.

We have finished packing for tomorrow and have one last appt at the passport office--had a bit of a stressful day on friday. They needed my passport to get Nikolay's and asked for my immigration sheet. I didn't think I need it b/c I had never needed it before and had thrown out--not good! Luckily, the hotel had made a copy when I checked in, so that was a BIG relief! It is amazing that no one tells you that you need these tiny little pieces of paper, especially when you are carry so many other important documents. I just hope that will be the last hiccup before I get home. It is really feeling close now--we fly out very early tomorrow and will be in Moscow Tues, Wed, Thurs and then leave friday morning for JFK! Cannot wait to get home and for everyone to seem him! He is a very happy and playful baby.

Our first day

just a quick update--Nikolay did great last night. We didn't get home until 10pm--he seemed a little apprehensive when we first go to the hotel, but when we got to the room and saw the toys on the ground, he was fine. He loved crawling around and playing with everything. I rocked him to sleep around 11pm and put him in the crib and he was fine. He did wake up crying once and I took him out of the crib and rocked him and let him sleep with me until he was sound asleep and then put him back in the crib.

When he woke up this am, his eyes got huge when he saw me and then he smiled. It was so cute. He was also very happy to see the frog blanket and was smiling at that.

He is doing so well! He smiles and talks so much more here than at the orphanage. He is perfectly happy just to be on the ground playing with the toys. He has liked all the food I have given him and loves the bottle. He likes to play with my hair and put his fingers in my mouth when he has his bottle and he curls his legs and feet around my arms. It is unbelievable how happy and comfortable he seems.

He took a long nap this morning and I took a short one. I couldn't fall asleep last night b/c I was worried that he would wake up and be scared. I fell asleep for a short time this morning. Hopefully, I will sleep better tonight.

I will post more later--we are going to take him outside now.

Today is THE day!!

Today is the day I am going to change Vladimir's life and he is going to change mine. He will learn what it means to have a mom and I will learn what it is to have a child. After waiting a lifetime for this day, I cannot believe it is finally here. It is really a dream come true!

First car ride and final visit

I had my final visit today --the next time I go to the orphanage will be to pick him up and take him home. I cannot believe it is finally happening and now feels very close. We got to take him out of the orphanage and take him to the photographer to get his picture taken. It was very exciting to take him in the car because it was the first time he was ever in the car. We kept saying we wonder what he was thinking. He was fascinated with everything--looking all around inside the car and watching as things went by. He also really enjoyed looking at everything in the photographer's office. I didn't seem the least bit scared or nervous--just very interested! When we were in the car, I remember thinking to myself that I wish that we could just keep driving and not return--I was ready to kidnap him!

When we got back to orphanage we went back inside to play with toys and he was going nuts crawling from one toys to the next to play with them. He just loves the toys! He really enjoyed the stuffed animal that sang Russian song and would bang his head against the stuffed animal's when he got excited. When the worker came to pick him up, I just thought to myself that this will be the last time that I will ever have to give him back and am so happy about that. The whole drive home, I was thinking that the next time I drive home, he will be will us--a very strange feeling--I just can't believe it and cannot wait to go get him.

one more day until my next visit

I get to go back to the orphanage tomorrow--finally! It is not easy being here for so long without seeing the baby. We will be in Russia two weeks tomorrow with another week and a half until we are home. The hotel has a cat that comes to breakfast every morning and it makes me miss Max and Ruby. It is a long time to be away from my pets and a long time for them too.

We are going on a 5 hour hike today--I hope I will do OK since I have been doing nothing but sitting around and reading. I have a new appreciation for John Grisham! I am sure that by the time this hike is over, I will be thrilled to get back to the hotel room and just sit and read! I am hoping that in 4 days that I will have no time to read as I will be hopefully entertaining the baby!

Thanks to all who posted comments--I really appreciate it b/c it makes me feel like others are here with me. Dan--loved your comment! Cindy

feeling better

It is Sunday morning and I am feeling much better--no fever or sore throat. It is now only 3 days until Wednesday--have been doing a lot of reading and try to go out a couple of times a day for a walk and something to eat. I am looking forward to Wednesday and even more to Friday.

miserable in Kras

I woke up with a fever again today. It is not high, but it is still making me feel MISERABLE! My throat is still killing me. I brought antibiotics which I started taking yesterday--hopefully that will help.

I found out yesterday that I won't be going back until the orphanage until WEDNESDAY--that is such a long time to be here and not see him and not have anything else to do. I was very upset when I found that out. I was hoping that if I was feeling better we could go mon, wed and p/c on friday. atleast it fills your time here. 5 days with nothing to do here is torture. the ballet and opera house is closed, so we can't do that in the evening. rain is predicted for the whole next week, so that doesn't present too many opportunities. I have had it here and am definitely ready to come home. I don't know how I will make it through this next week.

If anyone has spare time, post a comment or send an email--it is literally the only thing I have to do here.

sick today

I wasn't feeling well all day yesterday and my throat has been sore--I am definitely sick. I have a low fever, my throat is really sore and feeling generally ill. This is so upsetting b/c there is no way I can visit the baby today! I am so upset. There is a doctor in the hotel that I may go to see. What a bummer being sick in a foreign country and the day I am supposed to go to the orphanage!

I'm a mom

Today was the most stressful day that I have ever lived through. Even though my coordinator and translator said court went very well, it was very difficult to go through. I am just so relieved that it is over and look forward to seeing the baby on Thursday knowing that the next time I see him, I will be seeing my son--pretty unbelievable!

Today is the day

Court is today at 2pm. It is kind of funny--all during the wait, you cannot wait to get your court date, but now that it is here, I am dreading it and just can't wait for it to be over. Of course, I am exhausted right now b/c I was up at 4am--I may have to take a nap later this morning, so I am not so tired. I am just hoping that the court appearance will not be too long and grueling. It is very stressful knowing that so much rides on this appearance.

Visit back to orphanage

I saw Vladimir yesterday--we went to orphanage about an hour after we landed. Even though I was tired, I was happy that I was going to see him. He smiled right away when he saw me and it was the biggest, sweetest smile and even the orphanage worker commented on it. I was happy to see that he still is small and looks like a baby, but he does seem older b/c he can sit up on his own. One of the orphange workers came in to update me on his progress and told me that he loves that picture cube that I left for him and plays with it all the time. He did say his first word when I was there--it was baby talk and so cute. He also giggled really loud when I tickled him.
His legs are much stronger b/c when I pull him up he can stand. He is not walking yet, but I am very glad about that. I want him to crawl for a few more months b/c I think that is so cute.

I just cannot wait until I can leave the orphanage with him--that will be the most exciting day! I have court tomorrow at 2pm and if all goes well than 10 days from tomorrow he will really be mine. Say a prayer that all goes well.

Arrived in St. Pete's

It is 4 am on Friday morning. We arrived in St. Pete's late yesterday afternoon. Our first flight over was great. We got bulk head seats, which made a huge difference, the food was delicious ( thanks to Air France), wine with the meal was free, and a 7 and a half hour flight only took 6 hours. It could not have been better! The second flight was not so good--we were supposed to get an aisle and window seat in same row--hoping no one would take the middle seat--and we ended up with two window seats. The food was awful and the final straw was that my seat did not recline. We decided to move and got two aisle seats in rows with only 1 person. That 3 hours flight seemed longer than the 6 hour one!

We were too tired do sightseeing yesterday, so napped and then went to dinner. Had a great meal and met a guy whose English was very good--he helped us order, which was nice. The food was delicious, but by 9pm I was ready for bed. We will be touring the city today, which I am looking forward to. The hotel is in the city but several miles from historic sites. There are boat tours of the city that we are going to try to take tonight, which are supposed to be very beautiful.

I am looking forward to seeing the city, but really cannot wait until Monday to see the baby and see if he recognizes me to see how he is--if he looks much bigger and still makes those cute faces.

I still can't believe that I am here and will be coming home with a child--it still isn't entirely real yet.