GET THIS!!!

HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS...So the landlord was to come to the apartment at 7pm (NOT the hot one - his Mother in law) to drop off extra sheets. Gusanna told us earlier that she was also "bringing some meat to store in the freezer" Whatever. At 9pm Zach is sleeping, Pam and I are in the living room. The doorbell rings. I open the door to a short, stout Russian woman and tall young man each holding a large cardboard box. On top of hers is a plastic bag. She smiles at me (first person to smile at me) and nods to the bag. I take the bag of sheets. They walk past me to the kitchen and put down the boxes. The inside of the boxes have BLOOD on the sides. Both boxes are FILLED with fresh butchered MEAT! I mean there are ribs and bones, and BLOOD! She opens the freezer, takes out what I have in there and starts shoving a COW in there! My mouth hanging open, I turn to Pam. She says call Gusanna. By now the first box is empty except for drying blood and the first drawer is full. She forces that drawer shut, opens the second, and shoving AGAIN! Pam is saying ,"Nyet! Nyet! Nyet! (No, No, No) I hand the phone to the landlord and Gusanna tells her to stop. Landlord smiles at me again (first damn person in this country to smile at me and she has a whole butchered cow in my kitchen!) She takes out only what is in the second drawer and refills the box. Takes our dish towel and wipes up the blood on the freezer and floor and leaves! Now those of you that know me well know I can't even eat chicken on a bone! God FORBID anything that could potentially be a pet. And anything in its original form makes me sick! After they leave Pam looks in there and says, "I think its Horse". Well that is it. Now Black Beauty is in my freezer. I'm going to throw up. Then she says, "You are really pale." Is it March yet?

So nice to have a friend

Privyet! (Hello!)

Maya is still sick but determined to crawl for most of our visit. The rest of the time she was staring (upside down) at her new boyfriend Zach and lastly fighting sleep.

Pam is really is just great. Today was her day to bring Zach home to the apartment so I am watching everything she does. She learned from the families before her. When she and Kevin were here there were 2 other families with our agency so they were together all the time. Don’t know what I would have done now that I see all that is involved. We don't learn much from the baby house – we get their schedule on the last day. I don’t get to feed her before I bring her home. Learning A LOT about how the rest of this is going to go. Zach is an absolute cutie pie.

We took him to lunch first and he slept. Have I mentioned this? Every restaurant (at least those we have gone to) as you enter you check your coat (furs, furs, furs) and nearby is a LARGE mirror where all the women check their hair and apply fresh lipstick on the way in and out. I am still amazed at how beautiful and beautifully dressed they are. We are slobs in the US. By the way, Pam tells me fur coats are WAY cheap here. She bought one (Siberian Wildcat, collar is polar fox - very stylish, she calls it "kicky") when she and Kevin were here. She knows all the best shops for everything. I am going steal an idea of hers. Pam bought a little cultural gift to give to Zach for each birthday until he turns 18. So sweet I'm doing that. We stopped in a souvenir shop after dinner last night and she gave me ideas. My favorite is the Kazak cloth doll. Seriously, how lucky am I that she is here????


Oh, back to lunch, Beehet saw that I was envious and got the calendar out. "If all goes as it should" wave of finger, "as it should" meaning all depends on when I get my court date, I will bring Maya back to the apartment on March 2 - 4 weeks and 2 days and yes I am counting. Monday, February 5 is the 15th day of bonding period so I should know next week when my court date is. Zach is stitting here on the floor playing with his Mama. I can't wait for that to be me and Maya. Das Vindanya! (Goodbye!)

Passport Photo Day

Today we left the Baby House to get Maya's passport photo taken. Needless to say, the Caretakers believe in OVER dressing for the outdoors.

She was so hot, poor baby. And still sick. Cute though!

I have a roommate for a week. Pamela is adopting precious baby Zach. She arrived yesterday and is staying with me at the apartment. She and her husband were here a few weeks ago for the bonding period, court, etc. went home for 2 weeks and now Pamela is back for Zach. We'll pick him up this morning. We had girls night last night - beer and pizza at the mall. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have someone to talk to. We've had similiar exeperiences and observations here so fun to laugh about it and have some validation. Zach is a cutie pie. It will be great to see how Pam manages having a baby at the apartment and then I'll know what to do when Maya comes home. Pam is really great, my kind of gal. Too bad we don't live in the same city. Zach and Maya seem to really like each other he puts his arm around her - very cute.

Oh and I fell on the ice. Just a matter of time! I'm hobbling like an old lady - charming.

Sick Baby

Start of the second week of bonding period. Miss Maya is sick with a cold and ear infection. Although you would never know it except for a runny nose. Today there were 2 new families in the playroom, plus Dan, Lisa and the twins. Both new couples from Boston and adopting baby boys. Soooo much for Maya to look at, no time for sickness. The nurse told me not to put her on the floor. Fine with me, we cuddled the whole 2 hours, as long as she was positioned to see everything.

At the end of visitation I put her in her crib for the first time and covered her with her snuggly blanket from Aunt Amy. She cried for a half a second and fell asleep. Angel girl.

Ok I'm gushing

Ok you all emailed me and told me I can gush.

What can I say? perfect......

Tips for families in process

There are things that I wish I had known before coming over so I thought I'd jot them down as they come up and edit this post. I don't know how much of this applies to other regions in Kazakhstan but I've found to be true in Astana.

- no matter how much money the agency tells you to bring - bring A LOT more either in cash or MC/VISA (Astana anyway doesn't take American Express except to draw cash). Beehet went over all of the fixed expenses of my trip both here and in Almaty on my 2nd day. Needless to say, I do not have enough beyond fixed expenses. Apparently this happens to a lot of families.
-it is customary to bring a cash donation for the Baby House. Ask your cooridinator how much. It is given at the end to the Head Doctor.
-The Baby House is HOT!!!! Wear layers. I wore a tank top with a cotton sweater over it yesterday and still hot. Everyone wears t-shits/tank tops and jeans.
-You can buy just about anything you need for toiletries, etc at similiar prices to US. EXCEPT for DIAPERS. They are outrageously expensive here. $20-30 depending on brand and size pack. But the rest helps keep your baggage weight down. I packed all of it and was 14 lbs over.
-Definitely bring a laptop if you can. Most apartments will have cable internet access($100/month and as fast as at home). Much more comfortable than internet cafe.
- you are only in a hotel for a night or two when you first arrive. I think it is worth the extra money to stay in a nice hotel. I stayed in a cheaper hotel for only one night in a room that wreaked of smoke. All of my clothes smelled like I'd been in a bar even though they weren't unpacked. And a nice hotel probably has internet access to let family know you arrived safely. My hotel had no internet and couldn't get through to the US on the LAN line.
-SKYPE!!! The best invention! www.skype.com You can sign up for free, have your family sign up for free - add each other to your address books and talk for free through your computers! You just need to pack a headset with a USB plug at the end (at any Circuit City or Best Buy) and have family get one. FAB!
That is all I can think of for now.

Tough to leave today

This is her infectious laugh. It just kills me.

I tried to give her the pink teething toy she seemed to love you much, but you know "that is soooooo yesterday...."

We had 30 minutes alone before the twins arrived. It was wonderful. She was tired and focused more on looking at me, touching my face, and of course, pulling hair. I am hoping we are close to her recognizing me when I arrive. If nothing else I am the keeper of cool toys. Today was the first day it was really, really hard to leave. The 2 hours went by way too fast. I guess I am attaching first.

It is STILL snowing here! Gusanna says it snows pretty much every other day. Thank God for Driver. I could get used to this. I walk out of the apartment building, Baby House, grocery store, and THERE IS DRIVER! FAB......

Bonding Day

Today was Day 3 of the 15 day bonding period before applying for a court date. We decided to go to the 2-4pm visiting hour instead of 10-12pm to see if the playroom was less crowded. Maya and I are still getting familiar with each other and with her intense curiousity, she would never look at me with all the people around. Entering the Baby House each day smells deliciously of fresh baked bread. The caretakers recognize me now. They smile and say to Maya, "Mama!" Beehet continues to be Maya's most favorite person. Maya just looks at her and cracks up. I don't know what she says to her in Russian but Maya finds it funny.

We got lucky and there was only one other family. A very, very nice couple, Dan and Lisa. They are adopting 9 month old TWIN girls. They have a 5 yr old and a 4 yr old girls at home. I brought along clothes this time, binkie, teething ring, and toys.

I promise this is the last post from me gushing about the simpliest things she does as if she is the first child ever in the universe. First child, third day - I find it all miraculous. Forgive me. Maya seemed to focus more on my face this time. Mostly because I wore my hair down and she loved pulling on it. At least it kept her looking at me for a bit. As you see she LOVES her binkie and teething ring. Frequently trying to put both in her mouth at the same time. She has a few teeth already. I read in my book that it is good for them to be on their stomachs to gain strength and learn to crawl. Although after watching Dan and Lisa chase the twins, not sure why I am encouraging that. She is determined little girl. She decided she really wanted my camera. I placed it away from her and called her to me. She did take a couple crawl steps(?) and then pulled herself, crawl steps, pull, but by God she got to that camera. I have to say much of what I do with her reminds me of being with my dogs as puppies. Same behavior, different species, I swear. The twins would cry a bit. Maya thinks that is very funny. When one does, she whips her head in the direction of the noise, eyes wide, scrunch of the face and giggle. She coos but I have yet to hear her cry or fuss except to arch her back to get down and explore. By the end of the 2 hours she is content to sit in my lap and rest. I kiss on her face and neck constantly, she opens her mouth as a kiss back. When I stop, she leans in for more. She is a lovey.

Beehet, Gusana, Dan, Lisa and I went to dinner together tonight. $7.00 for pizza and beer. Love it. The food here has been very good and inexpensive. I am in love with Borscht. I need to learn how to make that. The pizza place was in a mall similar to the Cherry Creek mall. Beautiful stores and expensive. Outside of the mall is the most gorgeous light display from Christmas not taken down yet. I'll try to get a picture.

I added Maya's middle name to the blog - Marie. She is the latest in a long line of strong, independent, and fabulous Taylor women to have the middle name Marie. I think my Grandmother would be touched. More pictures, less talk to come. Thank you for all of the kind wishes, they mean so much.

My little Love

How cute is my precious little chunkster?! This is day 2 and already taken a million pictures, I've narrowed it down to these few. Of course more to come! I met Maya yesterday, Monday the 22nd at the Baby House in here in Astana. She is just perfect. Healthy, active, and a cuddler. She has a great laugh and scrunches her whole face when she does. Maya was born on June 15, 2006 (my dear friend Deidre's birthday, not to mention 2 of her 3 children's birthday). She was 6 lbs at birth and now 19 lbs. She is very curious and has to check out everything going on in a room. She fights sleep for fear of missing something good (very much like her Grandmother). On the floor she is trying sooooo hard to crawl. The nurses all love her and tell me (via translator) that she is such a good girl and "clever". I think they mean curious. The Baby House is outstanding. Colorful, cheery, toys and stuffed animals in every room. Doctors, Nurses and caretakers everywhere. They couldn't be nicer or more attentive. There are several American families here and the playroom during visting hours is packed.

Astana

It is cooooold here! 10 below zero when I arrived on Sunday. My flights here were uneventful. My coordinator, Beehet, translator, Gusana, and my driver met me at the airport at 8am. They are just wonderful people - caring, funny and easy to be with. Beehet's cell phone ring is the sound of a baby laughing - cracks me up every time. I feel very fortunate. We accomplished a lot that first day except for the most important thing - calling my Mother!!!! I could not believe in a city were everyone has a cell phone, we couldn't get a LAN line to call the US. It was very frustrating. I didn't get through until Monday. The good news is that once I did, I was able to tell my Mom she was a Grandmother. And just in time. I am pretty sure the Kazak police were going to be notified of an all points bulletin in a matter of hours. So sorry again Mom.

I moved into my apartment yesterday. It is large, comfortable on the 8th floor - I have a beautiful view of the city. The cable guy hooked up my internet here this afternoon.

Astana feels a lot like New York City, people drive so fast and pay no attention to cars driving right at them or people crossing the street – insane. People for the most part do not smile and just shove if you are in their way. I asked Gusana if they don’t like Americans, she said no, that is just how they are. If you smile at them, they think you must be crazy. The women are beautiful - all tall, slender, and stylish. Boots, bags, coats (fur or fur lined) and hat - all out out of Vogue. They all wear high heels even though all of the sidewalks are a block of ice. Reminds me a lot of Paris. The men are HANDSOME. GOD! My landlord is so hot, I am calling him for many, many repairs. They are tall, strong facial features, and well dressed. I wish there was a Man House I could go to after the Baby house and complete the family. Beehet (speaks no english) catches me staring often, laughs and says boyfriend! All and all I am incredibly fortunate for CAI (my agency), the Baby House, and of course most of all my baby girl.

Got the call!

On Tuesday, January 9, 2007 Ashley called to tell me I have an "Invitation to Travel". I honestly cannot tell you much of what she said after those words. I was in shock and just kept saying, "NO WAY! REALLY? NO WAY!" This call came much, much sooner than expected but everything happens as it should. I truly believe that. The mix of emotions is incredible, similiar I am sure to pregnancy. I've applied for my Visa and pray it gets here in time. I've booked my flights - 2 full days of travel - Denver to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Almaty, Almaty to Astana. I will arrive in Astana on the 21st. Astana is 13 hours ahead of Mountain time.

I leave on Friday the 19th and will meet Maya on Monday the 22nd. All I know about her is she will be between 7-12 months old. I'll get her medical history and all other information about her on the 22nd before meeting her.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of good friends, Christy, Meghan, Lindsey, Dan & Tiffany, I am set with all of my baby needs for the trip. Maya will be quite the looker in all of her cute outfits. Thank you guys. You are great.

About Kazakhstan

When Vi mentioned this country as an option I didn't even know where it was. Kazakhstan is located between Russia and China. It is actually the 9th largest country in the world, roughly 4 times the size of Texas but with only 15 million people.

A great resource for information on any country is The CIA Worldbook www.cia.gov

"Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. Independence came in 1991. "

Contrary to what "Borat" would have people believe, Kazakhstan cities are pretty modern. Adult literacy is 99.5% literacy rate and women are represented in every profession. In fact, laws against homosexuality were defeated in 1997. Which is why I was so surprised when they insisted on my Statement of Heterosexuality - a fabulous trip down memory lane of failed relationships but stating "there is hope!"

Maya is in Astana, the capitol of Kazakhstan. From what I have heard it is quite architectually interesting. I'll let you know. All I have been able to focus on so far is that it is below zero there now. I am just not a cold weather girl! This bizarre winter we are having now in Denver is killing me and I keep thinking, man it is going to be sooooooo much colder there!

The Paper Pregnancy

This posting is mostly for families in the process or thinking of beginning the process of international adoption. One thing I really wanted to know when I started this was how much time to expect for each phase. I drove my angel case worker, Ashley, CRAZY with this. The agency will give you the averages and typically very conservative estimates. I wanted to hear from people who went through this recently. So I hope this is helpful.

My first call to CAI (Commonwealth Adoption International) was on the 28th of July 2006. Vi Pierce, the agency Director, spent a lot of time with me on the phone. As a single woman, I wasn't sure what my options were. After talking with her, I chose to adopt from Kazakhstan. There is more about Kazakhstan in a separate posting. I signed the contract with CAI 2 days later. Upon signing, you are assigned a case worker. Mine is Ashley. I have to say I am absolutely THRILLED with CAI. Vi, Ashley, Anna, Pam, and my social worker, Diane are just the best people. Ashley will forever be Aunt Ashley to Maya.

The massive paperwork to be completed (the dossier) arrived within days. Fingerprinting, signed and noterized originals stating everything from yes I have health insurance to - no joke - a statement of Hetersexuality (not required by all countries). Then it all gets apostilled. I had no idea what that was (The Secretary of State confirming your notarized copies are legitimate). The agency quotes approximately 4 months for families to get this completed. Part of how long it will take is how quickly you move on it and part is how long it takes the government to get documents to you that you will need for your dossier. I started in August 2006 and had it all apostilled in October 2006.

In addition to the paperwork is your home study. 3 visits total. I finished this in a month but depends on yours and the social workers availability. Since I am self-employed, it was easier to schedule. The social worker's write up is also part of your dossier.

My dossier went out to Kazakhstan in November 2006. So first call to dossier in country, for me, was 4 months. From there, it is country dependent on how long it will take to get a referral. Mine happened much more quickly than expected and I couldn't be more thrilled. For those in process that have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I have been blessed with wonderful families that have answered all of mine and happy to pass that on.