Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
We're off to the baby house
Thanks for all your comments. A quick update, be/c our driver will come in about 15 minutes, and we're not ready yet.
Yesterday, we celebrated Robertson's birthday with a "Chinese" lunch and a very nice dinner at an elegant restaurant in a former museum. The food was delicious, they use a lot of nuts and pomegranate and other exotic spices. The city is laid out like a small European University town. It is much more charming than we had dared to hope. People promonade, arm in arm, along pedestrian walkways, with the snow shoveled in piles as high as their shoulders. The people watching is excellent-- fashionable furs, boots and hats are everywhere, on both the men and women.
We have had four excellent restaurant meals-- we are directed to places that have English menus (Mango Cafe, Dolce Vita pizza, Vkusnaya Djizn, and one with names to come). We are learning more and more Russian, but have a long way to go. Our co-ordinator and driver have been incredibly generous with their time.
The baby house is an amazing institution. Dr. Irena is a formidable administrator-- she oversees a staff 112 taking care of 92 kids!
That's all for now-- view pictures at Flickr--http://www.flickr.com/photos/rga/
Love,
M & R
Yesterday, we celebrated Robertson's birthday with a "Chinese" lunch and a very nice dinner at an elegant restaurant in a former museum. The food was delicious, they use a lot of nuts and pomegranate and other exotic spices. The city is laid out like a small European University town. It is much more charming than we had dared to hope. People promonade, arm in arm, along pedestrian walkways, with the snow shoveled in piles as high as their shoulders. The people watching is excellent-- fashionable furs, boots and hats are everywhere, on both the men and women.
We have had four excellent restaurant meals-- we are directed to places that have English menus (Mango Cafe, Dolce Vita pizza, Vkusnaya Djizn, and one with names to come). We are learning more and more Russian, but have a long way to go. Our co-ordinator and driver have been incredibly generous with their time.
The baby house is an amazing institution. Dr. Irena is a formidable administrator-- she oversees a staff 112 taking care of 92 kids!
That's all for now-- view pictures at Flickr--http://www.flickr.com/photos/rga/
Love,
M & R
It's a girl!
We're cautiously ready to give out some details about the adoption, but we are well aware that this is not finalized, and that will hopefully be near the end of March.
Her name is Morgan Anara Adams, and she's a healthy Kazakh girl born Aug. 6, 2006 and weighing 7.5 lbs. at birth. She's already grown to 7.5 kg, which is 16.9 lbs. That's a size 3 diaper going on 4 :-)
We met her on Saturday for the first time (March 3) and signed papers to proceed with the bonding process on Monday, March 5. Today, March 6, she turned 7 months old and we got full medical records on her, which appear to be excellent.
Each morning at 9:30 we go to the Delphin Baby House for 90 minutes of bonding time (yeah, that means play time) with Morgan, who is rapidly responding to our attempts at baby physical therapy.
We'll be posting some photos and maybe even a video later tonight if all goes well -- but the internet connections have been intermittent.
Four days down, and 11 to go before we can apply for a court date. Then we'll have a better idea of when we're coming home. It could be as early as April 1.
We love your comments and we read them and re-read them. Thanks to all who are following along from back home.
love
R & M
Her name is Morgan Anara Adams, and she's a healthy Kazakh girl born Aug. 6, 2006 and weighing 7.5 lbs. at birth. She's already grown to 7.5 kg, which is 16.9 lbs. That's a size 3 diaper going on 4 :-)
We met her on Saturday for the first time (March 3) and signed papers to proceed with the bonding process on Monday, March 5. Today, March 6, she turned 7 months old and we got full medical records on her, which appear to be excellent.
Each morning at 9:30 we go to the Delphin Baby House for 90 minutes of bonding time (yeah, that means play time) with Morgan, who is rapidly responding to our attempts at baby physical therapy.
We'll be posting some photos and maybe even a video later tonight if all goes well -- but the internet connections have been intermittent.
Four days down, and 11 to go before we can apply for a court date. Then we'll have a better idea of when we're coming home. It could be as early as April 1.
We love your comments and we read them and re-read them. Thanks to all who are following along from back home.
love
R & M
Monday, March 5, 2007
Our Apartment
Our apartment is a recently renovated one bedroom/one bath on the second floor. Our unit faces a courtyard with snow, trees, cars and clotheslines which are used to clean rugs. The building faces a pedestrian walkway which leads to a lovely "central park" area. The following pictures were all taken yesterday, a beautiful sunny day.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Good Morning, Kazkhstan!
We are now writing to you from glorious nation Kazakhstan. Happy to report our travels in Frankfort and all went well, but details will come later. This first posting, written on Monday morning, includes Saturday and Sunday activities.
We arrived in Kostanay Airport (KSN) at about 9:30 am on Saturday March 3rd, and encountered a couple of stoic security guards at Customs. Nobody among about 75 passengers is talking at all. Getting past Customs took about an hour, and we were assisted greatly by the Maps Representative, Zhanat.
Upon getting in the car, we got a surprise: Our first visit to the Delphin (Dolphin) Baby House would be today (Saturday) instead of Monday. Gennadiy was our driver, an outgoing guy who speaks no English but understands some of our grunts and gestures. He insisted on carrying everything.
Everything was covered in about 2 feet of powdery white fluff. It was extraordinarily cold - about 2 degrees F - but the sun shone brightly and abundant lush evergreens made for an entirely positive first impression of Kazakhstan.
We were taken to our apartment, in a downtown district that, um, didn't immediately reveal itself as charming. Got unpacked and changed instantly. Arrived at baby house before 1 pm.
We went to the director's office, and were greeted by Dr. Irina and a woman whose name might be Iana, from the Ministry of Education. They seemed to like us, and showed us the portfolios of four infants right away. We met two of them in the office right away. We were so apprehensive that it was really hard to focus on meeting kids.
We really can't describe the children in detail because we've agreed to confidentiality and it wouldn't be discreet since the next round of parents will be coming shortly and I might be describing the child that they find to be perfect.
Anyways we were truly amazed to have made it so far so quickly in this process, and we are delighted with our options at this point.
Saturday night Michele made some spaghetti with puttanesca sauce, and it was our first food since wieners in Frankfort. We slept like rocks and dreamed of new babies in our lives.
On Sunday, we returned to Delphin and played in the children's room, and took a long walk on the central park downtown. The weather warmed to about 22 degrees F, and it made for very pleasant strolling. We went to TSUM department store to get electronics and to Gros to get foodstuffs, and our apartment is now generously stocked with all kinds of stuff.
More to come soon!
We arrived in Kostanay Airport (KSN) at about 9:30 am on Saturday March 3rd, and encountered a couple of stoic security guards at Customs. Nobody among about 75 passengers is talking at all. Getting past Customs took about an hour, and we were assisted greatly by the Maps Representative, Zhanat.
Upon getting in the car, we got a surprise: Our first visit to the Delphin (Dolphin) Baby House would be today (Saturday) instead of Monday. Gennadiy was our driver, an outgoing guy who speaks no English but understands some of our grunts and gestures. He insisted on carrying everything.
Everything was covered in about 2 feet of powdery white fluff. It was extraordinarily cold - about 2 degrees F - but the sun shone brightly and abundant lush evergreens made for an entirely positive first impression of Kazakhstan.
We were taken to our apartment, in a downtown district that, um, didn't immediately reveal itself as charming. Got unpacked and changed instantly. Arrived at baby house before 1 pm.
We went to the director's office, and were greeted by Dr. Irina and a woman whose name might be Iana, from the Ministry of Education. They seemed to like us, and showed us the portfolios of four infants right away. We met two of them in the office right away. We were so apprehensive that it was really hard to focus on meeting kids.
We really can't describe the children in detail because we've agreed to confidentiality and it wouldn't be discreet since the next round of parents will be coming shortly and I might be describing the child that they find to be perfect.
Anyways we were truly amazed to have made it so far so quickly in this process, and we are delighted with our options at this point.
Saturday night Michele made some spaghetti with puttanesca sauce, and it was our first food since wieners in Frankfort. We slept like rocks and dreamed of new babies in our lives.
On Sunday, we returned to Delphin and played in the children's room, and took a long walk on the central park downtown. The weather warmed to about 22 degrees F, and it made for very pleasant strolling. We went to TSUM department store to get electronics and to Gros to get foodstuffs, and our apartment is now generously stocked with all kinds of stuff.
More to come soon!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Departure Day
We're both so happy to say that we've got our tickets, our visas, passports and ... well almost luggage ... in order for departure at 4pm today. Dad's driving us to the airport, but first we'll have a send-off from Mom, Lee, Carla, Larry as well as Laurie for especially good traveling mercies.
Weather in Kostanai is 2˚F now, and was at a high of 10˚F today. Sunday and Monday will be clear and it will warm up to about 20˚F we are told (www.wunderground.com then search for KSN). By the end of March it could be as warm as 45-50˚F and that would be balmy!
Libby Walch at MAPS in Portland, Maine, and Dina and Zhanat in Almaty and Kostanai, Kazakhstan have been terrific at making this adoption plan come together, and Countryside Travel got us an amazingly gentle itinerary direct from Miami to Frankfort and then Kostanai. Thank you all for your professionalism and support.
We're going off to have FUN now!
-- R & M.
Weather in Kostanai is 2˚F now, and was at a high of 10˚F today. Sunday and Monday will be clear and it will warm up to about 20˚F we are told (www.wunderground.com then search for KSN). By the end of March it could be as warm as 45-50˚F and that would be balmy!
Libby Walch at MAPS in Portland, Maine, and Dina and Zhanat in Almaty and Kostanai, Kazakhstan have been terrific at making this adoption plan come together, and Countryside Travel got us an amazingly gentle itinerary direct from Miami to Frankfort and then Kostanai. Thank you all for your professionalism and support.
We're going off to have FUN now!
-- R & M.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Three NYT slideshows on Kazakhstan
Shaping Kazakhstan's Capital
The chief architect is really the president himself, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
October 12, 2006 - (NYT) - World - Slide Show
Slide Show: A New Look for Almaty
A new tower in Almaty, Kazakhstan, has become a symbol of the city's coal-hot potential, an iconic structure that reflects Almaty's potential economic might.
June 21, 2006 - (NYT) - World - Slide Show
Movie Minutes: 'Schizo'
A. O. Scott reviews "Schizo," a coming-of-age story from the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.
March 18, 2005 - (NYT) - Movies - Video
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
VISA COMPLICATION
We have just learned that the US consulate has not been receiving from the MFA the necessary confirmation numbers needed to process visas for adoptive families. The consulate thinks the problem is with the MFA. We are told that a special faxed letter will be accepted, so that would mean that if he gets the letter from the MFA tomorrow he would be overnighting the visa (which means our passports), which we would receive Thursday, the morning we are to travel!!!
So, we may need to prepare and pack for a month long trip, and then not go, if our Visa/Passports don't arrive from Fed Ex.
Yikes . . . stay tuned.
So, we may need to prepare and pack for a month long trip, and then not go, if our Visa/Passports don't arrive from Fed Ex.
Yikes . . . stay tuned.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Baby Photo Album
We both love this book which I had originally found online, and saw at Target (Sassy makes it). We hope it will make US feel better when we have to leave little Morgan behind after the first trip.Saturday, February 24, 2007
Kazakhstan DVD from Kz Embassy DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyNBu_s1euY
"We still have a few copies available of Kazakhstan: Reaching for the Future, a 9-minute video documentary prepared by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to the United States. It tells the story of what Kazakhstan has become in the 15 years of its independence and of the importance of strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the U.S. The video is available at Youtube here. Those in the United States and Canada who would like to receive a copy on DVD, please contact Roman Vassilenko at the Embassy."
"We still have a few copies available of Kazakhstan: Reaching for the Future, a 9-minute video documentary prepared by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to the United States. It tells the story of what Kazakhstan has become in the 15 years of its independence and of the importance of strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the U.S. The video is available at Youtube here. Those in the United States and Canada who would like to receive a copy on DVD, please contact Roman Vassilenko at the Embassy."
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Run Sally Run!
So, thanks to SALLY CAMPBELL-EVANS, we were able to have our second set of documents apostilled in Tallyhassee with no delay. We overnighted them last night, and she was able to shimmy on into the Clifton State Building in downtown Tally, and turn around and overnight to Portland, Maine.
This enables us to be on schedule to depart Miami on MARCH 1, 2007.
Yeah!
This enables us to be on schedule to depart Miami on MARCH 1, 2007.
Yeah!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Paperwork crunch and possible travel!
We just been given an enormous amount of additional paperwork to do. Some our co-ordinator, Libby, hasn't had to deal with before. It has to do with Florida not licensing social workers, and problems created by Kaz' normal requirement for documentation reflecting a current license for the social worker who prepares our home study, among six other documents that need to be updated/redone.
However, this is all by way of buildup to the news that we could travel the weekend of March 2 or March 9th! (That would be two weekends away!) We are not ready, but we're working on it! We'll keep everyone posted, but right now, we've got to get our . . . stuff together.
However, this is all by way of buildup to the news that we could travel the weekend of March 2 or March 9th! (That would be two weekends away!) We are not ready, but we're working on it! We'll keep everyone posted, but right now, we've got to get our . . . stuff together.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Adoption News: It's Kostanai, Kazakhstan
Hi to family and friends... I wanted to share some news we got today about our adoption plans.
We're happy to hear a report that our "dossier" has been approved in all the federal-level government ministries in Kazakhstan, and that means we're now on a waiting list for a child at the local level. We'll be traveling to Kostanai, Kazakhstan, within two weeks after getting our invitation to travel.
Q. When will we get the invitation to travel?
A. We don't know. (Awwww!) But it's probably coming in March or as late as April.
Q. What's to know about Kostanai?
A. First, you can spell it about five different ways so it's tough to look up. It's cold, even in the middle of summer it's rarely over 95 degrees. It's dry - they get about 12 inches of rain in a whole year. Think of it as the Dakotas of the former Soviet Union - their main product is wheat and iron ore.
Q. Will you get a boy or a girl? What age?
A. We don't know yet, but we will find out after we get there. The odds are strong that it'll be a girl under 1 year old, and we don't know if is Asian, European or mixed ethnicity. We don't know anything until we arrive in Kostanai and are matched to a baby.
Q. How long will you be traveling?
A. If we could leave in mid-March (that's a big IF) we would travel from Miami to Germany, and change plans to fly to Almaty, which is in south Kazakhstan. Then we fly to Kostanai. We'd meet babies and pick one, then spend at least 15 days visiting it in the "baby house." Return to Miami -- without a baby -- in early to mid April. Then wait two to four weeks, and make a second trip to Kostanai, for a trip of about 1 week, to pick up the baby and bring him or her home to Miami. After that, we have some "family medical leave" to get used to parenthood, before returning to work possibly in mid-May.
Q. What will you do for fun in Kostanai?
A. There's a pizza restaurant and not much else. We'll spend a lot of time going back and forth to the baby house, which is 15 minutes outside of Kostanai (it's truly in the middle of nowhere!). We might help work on the orphanage to improve it for future families, or something like that. ( i.e., we're not going to seek work, teach or translate.)
Q. Do you have a gift registry started?
A. We do have registries for gifts started, at these shops. The baby's room is yellow and white with green, and has a bumble-bee theme to it (since we don't know if it's a boy or girl yet).
Q. What's the baby's name?
A. Wouldn't you like to know! (Wouldn't we like to just pick one already!). "Morgan" is the code name for now.
Q. That's just not enough info! I gotta have more!
A. Visit our new blog, to keep up on developments:
http://findingmorganadams.blogspot.com
Here are some other links for organizations and information that we refer to frequently:
We're happy to hear a report that our "dossier" has been approved in all the federal-level government ministries in Kazakhstan, and that means we're now on a waiting list for a child at the local level. We'll be traveling to Kostanai, Kazakhstan, within two weeks after getting our invitation to travel.
Q. When will we get the invitation to travel?
A. We don't know. (Awwww!) But it's probably coming in March or as late as April.
Q. What's to know about Kostanai?
A. First, you can spell it about five different ways so it's tough to look up. It's cold, even in the middle of summer it's rarely over 95 degrees. It's dry - they get about 12 inches of rain in a whole year. Think of it as the Dakotas of the former Soviet Union - their main product is wheat and iron ore.
Q. Will you get a boy or a girl? What age?
A. We don't know yet, but we will find out after we get there. The odds are strong that it'll be a girl under 1 year old, and we don't know if is Asian, European or mixed ethnicity. We don't know anything until we arrive in Kostanai and are matched to a baby.
Q. How long will you be traveling?
A. If we could leave in mid-March (that's a big IF) we would travel from Miami to Germany, and change plans to fly to Almaty, which is in south Kazakhstan. Then we fly to Kostanai. We'd meet babies and pick one, then spend at least 15 days visiting it in the "baby house." Return to Miami -- without a baby -- in early to mid April. Then wait two to four weeks, and make a second trip to Kostanai, for a trip of about 1 week, to pick up the baby and bring him or her home to Miami. After that, we have some "family medical leave" to get used to parenthood, before returning to work possibly in mid-May.
Q. What will you do for fun in Kostanai?
A. There's a pizza restaurant and not much else. We'll spend a lot of time going back and forth to the baby house, which is 15 minutes outside of Kostanai (it's truly in the middle of nowhere!). We might help work on the orphanage to improve it for future families, or something like that. ( i.e., we're not going to seek work, teach or translate.)
Q. Do you have a gift registry started?
A. We do have registries for gifts started, at these shops. The baby's room is yellow and white with green, and has a bumble-bee theme to it (since we don't know if it's a boy or girl yet).
Q. What's the baby's name?
A. Wouldn't you like to know! (Wouldn't we like to just pick one already!). "Morgan" is the code name for now.
Q. That's just not enough info! I gotta have more!
A. Visit our new blog, to keep up on developments:
http://findingmorganadams
Here are some other links for organizations and information that we refer to frequently:
- Wikipedia on Kostanai:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kostanai - Kazakh Adoptive Families:
http://kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/cities/qostanay.html - Our adoption agency:
http://www.mapsadopt.org - Our social worker:
http://www.lifelink.org - Weather in Kostanai :
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/28952.html
Kostanai
This morning I received a phone call from Libby, our MAPS coordinator. She was happy to report that our dossier had been approved "through all channels", including both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, and been assigned a region-- Kostanay. This was wonderful news, and a bit of a surprise. We had been hoping to hear that we had cleared MFA.
So,we'll be busy planning for our trip, which we were told would be "sometime in the next two months". Of course, that is a little too vague to help our employers, but we'll work with it.
Meanwhile, we're going to spend more time with our Russian language tapes, working on a picture book for Morgan, and finalizing the house plans while researching Kostanai.
More later . . .
So,we'll be busy planning for our trip, which we were told would be "sometime in the next two months". Of course, that is a little too vague to help our employers, but we'll work with it.
Meanwhile, we're going to spend more time with our Russian language tapes, working on a picture book for Morgan, and finalizing the house plans while researching Kostanai.
More later . . .
Adoption News: It's Kostanai, Kazakhstan
Hi to family and friends... I wanted to share some news we got today about our adoption plans.
We're happy to hear a report that our "dossier" has been approved in all the federal-level government ministries in Kazakhstan, and that means we're now on a waiting list for a child at the local level. We'll be traveling to Kostanai, Kazakhstan, within two weeks after getting our invitation to travel.
Q. When will we get the invitation to travel?
A. We don't know. (Awwww!) But it's probably coming in March or as late as April.
Q. What's to know about Kostanai?
A. First, you can spell it about five different ways so it's tough to look up. It's cold, even in the middle of summer it's rarely over 95 degrees. It's dry - they get about 12 inches of rain in a whole year. Think of it as the Dakotas of the former Soviet Union - their main product is wheat and iron ore.
Q. Will you get a boy or a girl? What age?
A. We don't know yet, but we will find out after we get there. The odds are strong that it'll be a girl under 1 year old, and we don't know if is Asian, European or mixed ethnicity. We don't know anything until we arrive in Kostanai and are matched to a baby.
Q. How long will you be traveling?
A. If we could leave in mid-March (that's a big IF) we would travel from Miami to Germany, and change plans to fly to Almaty, which is in south Kazakhstan. Then we fly to Kostanai. We'd meet babies and pick one, then spend at least 15 days visiting it in the "baby house." Return to Miami -- without a baby -- in early to mid April. Then wait two to four weeks, and make a second trip to Kostanai, for a trip of about 1 week, to pick up the baby and bring him or her home to Miami. After that, we have some "family medical leave" to get used to parenthood, before returning to work possibly in mid-May.
Q. What will you do for fun in Kostanai?
A. There's a pizza restaurant and not much else. We'll spend a lot of time going back and forth to the baby house, which is 15 minutes outside of Kostanai (it's truly in the middle of nowhere!). We might help work on the orphanage to improve it for future families, or something like that. ( i.e., we're not going to seek work, teach or translate.)
Q. Do you have a gift registry started?
A. We do have registries for gifts started, at these shops. The baby's room is yellow and white with green, and has a bumble-bee theme to it (since we don't know if it's a boy or girl yet).
Q. What's the baby's name?
A. Wouldn't you like to know! (Wouldn't we like to just pick one already!). "Morgan" is the code name for now.
Q. That's just not enough info! I gotta have more!
A. Visit our new blog, to keep up on developments: http://findingmorganadams.blogspot.com
Here are some other links for organizations and information that we refer to frequently:
- Wikipedia on Kostanai:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kostanai - Kazakh Adoptive Families:
http://kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/cities/qostanay.html - Our adoption agency:
http://www.mapsadopt.org - Our social worker: http://www.lifelink.org
- Weather in Kostanai:
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/28952.html
Sunday, February 4, 2007
February Update
While waiting, we've been working on the baby space. We've painted, and redecorated, and re-organized to make room for baby Morgan. The walls are "Pismo Dunes" yellow and the trim is "Swiss Coffee," or off white. There are stuffed animals and diapers at the ready. We need a crib and it looks like this might come from our friends Dominique and Alex (thanks David for your crib in advance). In terms of the sheets and pillows, it's "honeybee" by Wendy Bellissimo, a gender-neutral gingham-plus-bugs design in green and yellow.
(Update: thanks to Nana Marlene for the wonderful white crib!)
(Update: thanks to Nana Marlene for the wonderful white crib!)
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