Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas!
We went to Greg's parents on Christmas Day. It was wonderful. Elsa was very open to her new family. We can't let anyone but Greg and I hold her, feed her, or take care of her needs because she has had so many caretakers and she has to learn that only Greg and I are her parents, but the family found ways to connect with her. She even doled out hugs without being prompted. She really loved her Aunt Drew. We all sat on the floor and played with a crochet ball that was a Christmas gift for Elsa, rolling it back and forth to her. She enjoyed all the attention. When she ran up to her cousin Jack, to give him a full body hug, he thought he was under attack and stepped aside, in what he thought was the nick of time. Elsa ended up doing a face plant on the carpet. We had no idea that Jack had become so agile. Once Jack understood that Elsa was attacking him out of love and not aggression, he was happy to let Elsa jump on him. Elsa is quite tough and didn't hold it against him. In fact, she was delighted that he accepted several hugs after the face-plant incident. Elsa even gave hugs to her Grandpa, Papa-Paul. That is big progress considering that she was terrified of men a week ago.
Jack is 8 now, but when he was a baby he named his Grandma "Waga." Somehow, it sounded like "Grandma" to him. It stuck, so we all call Greg's mom, "Waga." The word for Grandma in Russian in Babushka. "Baba" for short, like "Gramma," then the first name after it. So, Ursula's name now is "Baba Waga." Is that the cutest or what?
So, in addition to playing with Jack, Elsa also played with Finn, 6. Finn was kind enough to bring out big legos for Elsa to play with, and Tyrone, 8 months. Uncle Dylan was there, and Elsa liked him, too. She really liked Baba Waga and asked her to pick her up. I'm sure it was very hard for Baba Waga not to...
What a difference a year makes. My mom died last Christmas day. I was by her bedside in Illinois. Our nephew, Seth, was gravely ill, at the time, as well. And Greg and I had been in the China adoption program for a few years at that point. It has been a difficult year, with many changes. Mom is gone, Seth has had some very difficult, but highly successful surgeries. He turned 17 and is healthy and happy. Greg and I have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Not Chinese, as it turns out, but Russian is just fine with us. My sister, Vickie, told me last New Year's Eve that the year would be filled with trials and tribulations but that by the end of the year, we would be victorious. How is that for a good, solid, and very TRUE word? We got in right under the wire, but victorious we are...and very, very blessed.
Jack is 8 now, but when he was a baby he named his Grandma "Waga." Somehow, it sounded like "Grandma" to him. It stuck, so we all call Greg's mom, "Waga." The word for Grandma in Russian in Babushka. "Baba" for short, like "Gramma," then the first name after it. So, Ursula's name now is "Baba Waga." Is that the cutest or what?
So, in addition to playing with Jack, Elsa also played with Finn, 6. Finn was kind enough to bring out big legos for Elsa to play with, and Tyrone, 8 months. Uncle Dylan was there, and Elsa liked him, too. She really liked Baba Waga and asked her to pick her up. I'm sure it was very hard for Baba Waga not to...
What a difference a year makes. My mom died last Christmas day. I was by her bedside in Illinois. Our nephew, Seth, was gravely ill, at the time, as well. And Greg and I had been in the China adoption program for a few years at that point. It has been a difficult year, with many changes. Mom is gone, Seth has had some very difficult, but highly successful surgeries. He turned 17 and is healthy and happy. Greg and I have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Not Chinese, as it turns out, but Russian is just fine with us. My sister, Vickie, told me last New Year's Eve that the year would be filled with trials and tribulations but that by the end of the year, we would be victorious. How is that for a good, solid, and very TRUE word? We got in right under the wire, but victorious we are...and very, very blessed.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
We're Home!
Elsa is in her high chair eating cheerios. Boy, it is nice to type that. Greg and I have taken turns this morning. We went to bed around 2:30 am. We got home around midnight but there was too much for Elsa to check out and she slept so much of the flights that she wasn't about to go to sleep right away. The flights went well, by the way. She is a good traveler. Anyway, it is exciting to have a new home so she was up before 7:00. I took shift one, then Greg let me get a little sleep and he is down for a nap. I'm hoping that Elsa will be ready for a nap soon but so far she isn't convinced. I'll write more later but Elsa needs me. Just wanted to say we are home and thanks for all the support and prayer. Here are a few photos.
Love, Greg, Laura, & Elsa
Love, Greg, Laura, & Elsa
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wed update!!!
Laura just called from Moscow and said that things are going along wonderfully! Elsa had her physical this afternoon and then they went shoe shopping for her. Currently they are all asleep as it is after midnight there. She said that the baby is attaching so well to them, allows Greg to carry her as long as she can see mama...that she says mama and has started saying dada too! Thursday they have an embassy appt. that they do not attend but wait for a message that all the papers are in order for her visa, then Friday they have their embassy appt and are free to leave after that to come home. Currently they are still set to fly home Monday! Maybe say prayers asking for some seats to come open on the flights and they could come home early! Also include prayers asking that all their papers are in order and go thru so the visa is issued. R
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday update!!!
We made it!!!!! The rescheduled flight from Chicago to Moscow was uneventful and so was our regular flight from Moscow to Stavropol. Yeah!!! And, WONDERFUL news, we take custody of Elsa tomorrow!!! Apparently, the official adoption decree was issued today, along with Elsa's new birth certificate. The team figured a way through it all so we can still get Elsa tomorrow. Actually, we have to split up tomorrow. Greg goes with one of our interpreters to pick up Elsa's passport as they need to see a parent and our passports, and I go with another interpreter and our driver to Elsa's orphanage to get her. I'm sorry that Greg can't be there as well, but just happy that it is actually happening. WE will fly back to Moscow on Wednesday morning and Elsa has her medical exam that afternoon. Our paperwork is dropped off at the American Embassy on Thursday morning and our interview is Friday afternoon. We were told that they expect that we can still go home after the 20th. We have to try to change our tickets BACK from the 24th to the 22nd now, if we can...that is the next project. I think that Greg may have picked up an eye infection on one of the flights. His eyes are bloodshot and don't look very good. One of my eyes is starting to itch, too. Thanks for following along with us, for your prayers and support. Please stay tuned for the next installment....although we are gonna be busy with our little Elsa around now...and we can't wait... Love, Laura
Sunday afternoon update-sorry so late!
I so greatly apologize,my computer was so slow last night that it would not upload this update from Sunday afternoon---Ruthi
Here we sit at chicago ohare airport when we should be in moscow waiting for our flight to stavropol. The whole flight was canceled due to mechanical issues. What an adventure this has been. For a while we thought that we would make it to moscow by way of brussels but that didn't work either. Too bad. Neither one of us has been to Belgium. I hear they have good chocolate. Anyway, our flight isn't for another for another 3 hrs and if we catch any hint of there being trouble with this flight, we are going to insist that they get us as close Moscow as possible. There is supposed to be severe weather in Chicago but not until late tonight. You never know, though, considering how things have gone with our adoption. Dan n Sandy Roberts at our agency here in the States find it hard to believe all the stuff that has happened too. Dan agreed that if there is an issue today, getting to Frankfurt would be in our best interest. It is amazing how everythin is scheduled so there is no room for error, yet nothin ever works the way it is supposed to. Greg and I were very grateful to have a nice meal last night and a comfortable hotel room. We live in a country where Airlines rebook tickets, give hotel and food vouchers, and they don't just cancel flights and close airports without notification or accomodating passengers. We did have to change our tickets to fly home on the 24th. We had to ensure that there will be enough time to get everything done and we will have seats to get home. Since it was AA's fault, they made the changes at no charge. We were very concerned that this delay could set us back a few thousand dollars. The agency must be quite concerned about the timing as the famous Natasha, head of the Frank Foundation in Washington called herself this morning. I get the impression that there are issues with it being the holidays. There is a bright and shiny silver lining in all of this. Little Oksana at Elsa's orphanage is being adopted, too, and her adoptive parents will be in the region but we were going to miss them by a day. We will probably get to see each other now. See, Christine, God works all things for the good of those who love and trust in Him....boy, am I leaning on that scripture!!! Love you guys. Thanks for the support, prayer, and encouragement. And the cookies, Waga. They hit the spot on the way to the airport. Hugs, Laura
Here we sit at chicago ohare airport when we should be in moscow waiting for our flight to stavropol. The whole flight was canceled due to mechanical issues. What an adventure this has been. For a while we thought that we would make it to moscow by way of brussels but that didn't work either. Too bad. Neither one of us has been to Belgium. I hear they have good chocolate. Anyway, our flight isn't for another for another 3 hrs and if we catch any hint of there being trouble with this flight, we are going to insist that they get us as close Moscow as possible. There is supposed to be severe weather in Chicago but not until late tonight. You never know, though, considering how things have gone with our adoption. Dan n Sandy Roberts at our agency here in the States find it hard to believe all the stuff that has happened too. Dan agreed that if there is an issue today, getting to Frankfurt would be in our best interest. It is amazing how everythin is scheduled so there is no room for error, yet nothin ever works the way it is supposed to. Greg and I were very grateful to have a nice meal last night and a comfortable hotel room. We live in a country where Airlines rebook tickets, give hotel and food vouchers, and they don't just cancel flights and close airports without notification or accomodating passengers. We did have to change our tickets to fly home on the 24th. We had to ensure that there will be enough time to get everything done and we will have seats to get home. Since it was AA's fault, they made the changes at no charge. We were very concerned that this delay could set us back a few thousand dollars. The agency must be quite concerned about the timing as the famous Natasha, head of the Frank Foundation in Washington called herself this morning. I get the impression that there are issues with it being the holidays. There is a bright and shiny silver lining in all of this. Little Oksana at Elsa's orphanage is being adopted, too, and her adoptive parents will be in the region but we were going to miss them by a day. We will probably get to see each other now. See, Christine, God works all things for the good of those who love and trust in Him....boy, am I leaning on that scripture!!! Love you guys. Thanks for the support, prayer, and encouragement. And the cookies, Waga. They hit the spot on the way to the airport. Hugs, Laura
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Hi everyone, Bad news
This is Vickie again, I just spoke with Laura. She and Greg are still sitting in LAX. the flight to Brussels didn't work out. LAX couldn't locate their bags they had just checked in, and so they are waiting to fly to Chicago where the airlines will have to put them up in a hotel and they will fly out of Chicago tomorrow night at 5:30. Pray, Pray, Pray that everything will go fine.
Urgent Prayers Please.
This is Laura Sister Vickie posting for Laura and Greg. Their 1 flight from Chicago to Moscow has been canceled due to mechanical problems with the plane. They have made arrangements to flyto Brussels and then on to Moscow. PLEASE pray they make all flights and ON TIME. There is NO ROOM for error folks. This is critical. Please pray that connecting in the air and on the ground are met and that they get Elsa and bring her home as planned. Thanks. I'll keep you posted as I hear.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
It was nice to have uneventful flights for a change. Everything worked the way it was supposed to. It was a pleasant surprise considering how things have worked for Greg and I so far. While picking up our luggage from our Stavropol flight, Greg noticed that someone had checked 2 large smoked fish. They were wrapped in paper but their heads were peaking out. No wonder things smell funny in Russia. There were quite a few adoptive families on the flight from Moscow to Chicago. You could tell the kids were adopted because the parents were enjoying them way too much. It was obvious they had gone through a lot to get them. All the other travelers looked bored or frustrated and the adoptive parents looked tired but relieved and happy.
It's nice to be home. We haven't made it all the way home, actually. We are still at Greg's parents. Paul picked us up at LAX last night and we came home to have some wonderful soup and oatmeal cookies that Ursula made for our homecoming. It was wonderful. We didn't get up until after 1:00pm. We were desperate for sleep and it felt great to get caught up. Greg and Paul watched football this afternoon and I shopped for flights.
Planning trips is always tricky as we never know what we will encounter until we get there. We have had to change the dates of our return tickets on each trip. We have been told to purchase changeable tickets but they cost 4x the price of the economy tickets. Instead, we buy the economy tickets knowing that we have to pay the $250 change fee per ticket and whatever the price difference is for traveling a different day. So far, it has been a more economical choice. This time around, if the dates don't work, we can be in big trouble due to prices climbing over the holidays. Our team on the ground told us that they aren't sure if we will be finished at the American Embassy on Friday and able to fly out on Saturday, the 20th or finished on Monday and able to fly out on Tuesday the 23rd. Due to a dramatic price difference, I purchased our tickets to fly out on Monday the 22nd. I checked it out and even if we have to go to the American Embassy again on Monday the 22nd, we should be able to go first thing in the morning to get Elsa's visa and still make our 2:30 flight. That is what we are praying for anyway... It would be nice to have everything done on Friday and spend a few days getting to know each other before taking a transatlantic flight.
It doesn't look like we are going to make it home tonight. We are just way too tired. Paul & Greg picked up Chinese food, which was wonderful, and we have made quick work on the cookies that Ursula made. I'll try to share more about the trip when we get home.
Hugs,
L
It's nice to be home. We haven't made it all the way home, actually. We are still at Greg's parents. Paul picked us up at LAX last night and we came home to have some wonderful soup and oatmeal cookies that Ursula made for our homecoming. It was wonderful. We didn't get up until after 1:00pm. We were desperate for sleep and it felt great to get caught up. Greg and Paul watched football this afternoon and I shopped for flights.
Planning trips is always tricky as we never know what we will encounter until we get there. We have had to change the dates of our return tickets on each trip. We have been told to purchase changeable tickets but they cost 4x the price of the economy tickets. Instead, we buy the economy tickets knowing that we have to pay the $250 change fee per ticket and whatever the price difference is for traveling a different day. So far, it has been a more economical choice. This time around, if the dates don't work, we can be in big trouble due to prices climbing over the holidays. Our team on the ground told us that they aren't sure if we will be finished at the American Embassy on Friday and able to fly out on Saturday, the 20th or finished on Monday and able to fly out on Tuesday the 23rd. Due to a dramatic price difference, I purchased our tickets to fly out on Monday the 22nd. I checked it out and even if we have to go to the American Embassy again on Monday the 22nd, we should be able to go first thing in the morning to get Elsa's visa and still make our 2:30 flight. That is what we are praying for anyway... It would be nice to have everything done on Friday and spend a few days getting to know each other before taking a transatlantic flight.
It doesn't look like we are going to make it home tonight. We are just way too tired. Paul & Greg picked up Chinese food, which was wonderful, and we have made quick work on the cookies that Ursula made. I'll try to share more about the trip when we get home.
Hugs,
L
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Elsa likes her Daddy
We went to see Elsa today. What a different since she recognized us. She only fussed for a few seconds then she was a happy girl. She let Greg hold her and play with her and she didn't cry at all. She showed things to him and recognized the taggie blanket that we brought with us and she has a matching one in her crib. She liked it when Greg put it over his face and played peek a boo. Elsa enjoys running around and checking stuff out. We were outside in the play area and she fell over a few times and waited to see what I would do. I scooped her up, of course, which she liked. Vickie, she really liked the Twisty Bug toy that you gave her. It makes sounds when you pull on it and it made her laugh. The auquafor that I asked the nannies to put on her face really helped clear the rash up. I gave them a small tube two days ago and today the rash was almost gone. We will bring some for the orphanage when we come back to get Elsa. They let us feed her again. Elsa is on to us and knows that we won't just shovel the food down her throat. They seriously only take a few minutes to consume mass quantities of food. I have no idea how they don't throw up. Meal time is not time for interaction, it is just about eating. Well, Elsa really enjoyed having the extra attention. She kept scooting closer and closer to me until she came off her little chair then finally just insisted on sitting in my lap and getting cuddled. That was just fine by me. It was awful handing her over knowing that we won't see her for a few weeks. Then we have to get reacquainted again. We are flying home tomorrow and are looking forward to coming home. Thanks to all for your encouragement, prayer, and support. Greg and I appreciate it more than you know. I'll update once we get home.
Love,
Laura
Love,
Laura
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Court Was Today
Court is over! The judge officially granted our petition to adopt Elsa. The adoption isn't official until the end of the 10 day waiting period when the adoption decree is granted, but still, Elsa is ours!!!!
Everyone was really nice today. Many of the questions and things they went over were the same as yesterday, with the exception of the fact that there was a prosecutor present. We got the good prosecutor. He doesn't ask any questions. The director of Elsa's orphanage was there, the social worker that observed us with Elsa, someone from the Ministry of Education, and someone from the Ministry of Health. Everyone testified on Elsa's behalf and our behalf, saying that it was in Elsa's best interest to be adopted by us. The director said that Elsa is very particular about who she likes, even with the caregivers at the orphanage and that she was impressed that Elsa let us feed her and cuddle her and interact with her. The judge really wanted to get a feeling for what Elsa is like and how much we knew her. It was an interesting experience but we are really, really glad that it is over.
We get to visit Elsa tomorrow at the orphanage and then we are flying out on Friday. We had intended to spend the waiting period in Germany but the cost of the flights skyrocketed. That, on top of the fact that the expenses for this trip were considerably more than we expected made us decide to just fly back home. I am going to return on my own to pick up Elsa. They want me back on the 14th and will do everything that they can to get me home on the 21st. It will be the 4th trip to Russia and with it being Christmas, we need to cut down on costs wherever possible. The airfare shot up like crazy. Greg and I are sad as we both want to bring her home. I'm sure it will be harder this way, but the important thing is just that Elsa is coming home.
Other important news...there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken next door to the hotel. Apparently, it is called KFC, only in the Russian alphabet, so we didn't recognize it. Inside, there is a picture of Colonel Sanders. The chicken is GREAT. We have had 2 meals there since we found out about it. They don't have mashed potatoes or biscuits but it is a wonderful taste of home.
I'll post more tomorrow after we see Elsa. Feel free to email or post. We find it very encouraging and really appreciate it. We would also love to hear what is happening with all of you!
Everyone was really nice today. Many of the questions and things they went over were the same as yesterday, with the exception of the fact that there was a prosecutor present. We got the good prosecutor. He doesn't ask any questions. The director of Elsa's orphanage was there, the social worker that observed us with Elsa, someone from the Ministry of Education, and someone from the Ministry of Health. Everyone testified on Elsa's behalf and our behalf, saying that it was in Elsa's best interest to be adopted by us. The director said that Elsa is very particular about who she likes, even with the caregivers at the orphanage and that she was impressed that Elsa let us feed her and cuddle her and interact with her. The judge really wanted to get a feeling for what Elsa is like and how much we knew her. It was an interesting experience but we are really, really glad that it is over.
We get to visit Elsa tomorrow at the orphanage and then we are flying out on Friday. We had intended to spend the waiting period in Germany but the cost of the flights skyrocketed. That, on top of the fact that the expenses for this trip were considerably more than we expected made us decide to just fly back home. I am going to return on my own to pick up Elsa. They want me back on the 14th and will do everything that they can to get me home on the 21st. It will be the 4th trip to Russia and with it being Christmas, we need to cut down on costs wherever possible. The airfare shot up like crazy. Greg and I are sad as we both want to bring her home. I'm sure it will be harder this way, but the important thing is just that Elsa is coming home.
Other important news...there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken next door to the hotel. Apparently, it is called KFC, only in the Russian alphabet, so we didn't recognize it. Inside, there is a picture of Colonel Sanders. The chicken is GREAT. We have had 2 meals there since we found out about it. They don't have mashed potatoes or biscuits but it is a wonderful taste of home.
I'll post more tomorrow after we see Elsa. Feel free to email or post. We find it very encouraging and really appreciate it. We would also love to hear what is happening with all of you!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Please pray
Pre-court went well and tomorrow is the official court day. Please pray for us and that we will be home with Elsa in our arms soon. Love, Laura
Rough Night. We Need Support from Home!
Hi everyone,
Sleep has been elusive this trip. The overnight at the airport didn't get us off on the right foot. I'm operating on 2 hours sleep from last night and court is this afternoon. Not a good combination as I'm supposed to be sharp for the questions. Is anyone reading this? I would welcome comments or emails. It is sort of lonely here and a little taste of home goes a long, long way. Greg isn't feeling too well. He thinks that he may have picked up a bug sleeping at the airport. It wasn't the most hygenic of conditions. I'm doing much better. The antibiotics seem to have knocked the strep out pretty quickly but I'll be sure to finish the prescription. Thanks for checking in. I'll post again after court.
Love,
Laura
Sleep has been elusive this trip. The overnight at the airport didn't get us off on the right foot. I'm operating on 2 hours sleep from last night and court is this afternoon. Not a good combination as I'm supposed to be sharp for the questions. Is anyone reading this? I would welcome comments or emails. It is sort of lonely here and a little taste of home goes a long, long way. Greg isn't feeling too well. He thinks that he may have picked up a bug sleeping at the airport. It wasn't the most hygenic of conditions. I'm doing much better. The antibiotics seem to have knocked the strep out pretty quickly but I'll be sure to finish the prescription. Thanks for checking in. I'll post again after court.
Love,
Laura
Monday, December 1, 2008
An update from Laura and Greg
Hello Everyone,
Well it has been a full day. Greg & I had trouble sleeping and were sort of just dozing on & off in the wee hours of the morning. We stopped trying around 4:30am. There is a supermarket around the corner so we headed over for a little shopping at 5am. We picked up some coffee & cream and a few other little goodies then hung out in our room until breakfast started in the cafe at 7. The hotel provides a free breakfast buffet every morning. They serve a wonderful yogurt that Greg & I both love, and we fill up on hard boiled eggs, yummy instant coffee (don't know how they do it but it is really good), weird juice, pastries, and an odd assortment of pastas and cheese type dishes. I generally stick to the yogurt & eggs, myself, but Greg ventures out and eats the little sausages and such. We have to eat a good breakfast as the Russians do not stop for lunch. If there is an itinerary, we may not be given the opportunity to eat again until late afternoon. I carry breakfast bars and snacks in my purse for the road. So, this morning we were on our way to Mashuk, Elsa's orphanage at 7:30 this morning.
Igad (nickname for Igor), our driver, usually gets us to Elsa's orphanage in his Honda Civic in about 2 hours. If we took a mini-bus (van), with another driver it could take over 3. Igad is an impressive driver. We tell him that only Nascar people and stuntmen can do what he does in the States. Somehow, he can jut in and out of traffic at incredible speeds, in the face of incoming traffic, dart back into the proper lane just in time, and we still feel safe and, importantly, do not get carsick from how he drives. He isn't a chauffer, he is professional "driver."
Upon arriving at Mashuk, we met with the orphanage director and a social worker from Russia's ministry of Education. The social worker was there to observe Greg and I with Elsa and to interview us. The director was kind, as always. I had intended to ask to see Oksana, a little girl at the same orphanage that will be adopted by another family in our agency. I could not ask as it would not have been appropriate in front of the social worker. All adoptions are confidential in Russia. Instead, I said that Oksana's adoptive mother, Christine, had sent a gift for Oksana. The director told me that I could give it to the nannies when we saw Elsa.
It was a brief walk over to Elsa's building and when we entered the courtyard we found that some children were outside playing. Oksana was one of them!!!
We recognized her immediately. Our interpreter told one of the nannies the situation and she called Oksana over to us. She is the sweetest, most charming almost 4 year old girl. She is just delightful. It was wonderful to see her and give her the little pink fluffy tiara. She loves to dress up and "feel pretty." The tiara was because she is a little princess. Greg and I are so grateful to have been able to see her for those brief moments. Note to Christine: You will be here before you know it and she will be THRILLED to see you!
We went into Elsa's building to find her in her nannies arms getting bundled up for us to take her outside. She looked unhappy already and when I scooped her up she cried. And kept crying. They made us take her outside, just Greg and I, our interpreter, and the social worker. Elsa doesn't like strangers. She was very upset and she isn't a child that gets over it just because she is distracted. She REALLY didn't want Greg to touch her. There was good amount of crying while I held her, carried her, and talked to her. She didn't want her car, blanket, or a cookie. She was just UPSET. She has a runny nose and raspy breathing and a rash on her face from sucking a pacifier. This was an uncomfotable and unhappy little girl. There is nothing wrong with her expressing it. I would be upset, too. We had seen how she reacts to strangers before. She didn't like us when she first met us, but at least the conditions for interacting were more comfortable for her and her nanny was there, so she eventually warmed up. This time, everything was off for her. The whole time we were trying to console her we were being watched by the social worker and she and our interpreter were offering suggestions on how to distract her. Elsa didn't want distraction. She wanted comfort. It was a less than ideal situation but she calmed down eventually. She let Greg sit next to us and the animal crackers I brought along went a long way in convincing her that we were ok.
The social worker is interviewing Greg and I through this process, asking questions like, "Why are you adopting from Russia?" and "Do you have any experience caring for children?" She asked if we had a house and if we owned it then asked if we were effected by the economic crisis. No pressure. All the while we are trying to connect with our daughter. The social worker will testify in court as to how we interacted with Elsa and her findings from the interview. We answered her questions as simply as possible. They seem quite concerned that we know that there are unknowns and health concerns and that we are prepared for it. See, it is illegal for completely healthy children to be adopted out of Russia. So ALL the children are given some kind of diagnosis. This way, it is documented and the process is still legal in Russia. For Elsa, they just added up the delays she has due to being institutionalized and called it something. Russian families take children all the time and then bring them back when they realize that it is more work than they thought it would be. They get paid monthly for taking care of the children (like our social system) but they are not equipped to handle the responsibilities. Foreign families are required to do much more work and are more prepared for adoption, but as the system sees kids returned all the time, they want to make sure that the foreign families are not entering into the adoption niavely or with misconceptions.
The social worker left soon after Elsa calmed down. The nannies were going to take her from us for lunch but we asked if we could stay and at least watch. 30 minutes with your daughter in 3 weeks time isn't exactly enough time and it certainly wasn't quality time. The nannies agreed that we could feed Elsa lunch after they were finished feeding the other children. There wasn't enough space in the tiny room for all of us. Finally, Elsa sat on a tiny, tiny chair and I perched on another one. Greg wasn't about to fit on a chair so he crouched by Elsa. She waited patiently for her lunch and the nanny served a stew of some sort in a metal bowl with a huge soup spoon. There was a lot of food in this bowl. She wasn't allowed to touch the bowl and knew the rules regarding lunch. It was obvious that she had been trained to sit and wait and quickly eat the food. She let Greg feed her and she gulped down huge bites. After a few bites, her eyes would get big and a little shiver would run through her body. She was literally quaking with happiness over the food. It is really funny. She did it several times. I tried to catch it on video on the camera but don't think it picked up. Elsa was a very different girl once her needs were met. She began interacting with Greg. She picked up little pieces of food from her bib and "shared" it with me. She had a HUGE bowl of stew and then a plate of ground beef and boiled potatoes. We have no idea how so much food fit into such a little girl. We couldn't believe it. It looked like an adult dinner. I don't know if she really eats that way all the time or if that was for our benefit but she goobled it all up, let out a healthy belch, and then we got to see what our baby is really like.
Our daughter smiles, AND laughs. We have been waiting a long time to see a smile on that beautiful, sad little face of hers. Her entire countenance changes. She likes to be tickled and cuddled. She even did the head resting thing that she does - against Greg's head!! It was SO sweet. We got some great photos. Greg was so sweet with her and is just letting Elsa take her time getting comfortable with him. We didn't see her walk. She wasn't into it and they didn't give us a lot of time. We will see her again on Thursday. Can't wait!!
So, we have what they call "pre-court" paperwork tomorrow. It is actually court, and the most difficult day. "Official" court is Wednesday. Tomorrow, we will be interviewed (interrogated?) by the judge. There will be a prosecutor present and he/she can ask questions also. The orphanage director and social worker will testify. We pray that the paperwork was done properly and that they do not request anything further. Our coordinator, Farida, said that she didn't know if our paperwork was ok or not because she didn't recieve it all at once, but in several packages. I don't know what she is talking about, but that is not unusual in our case. The people in the U.S. and those on the ground have had some issues communicating. I try to just go with the flow and PRAY that there are not going to be any problems. It is hard to relax as we have encountered so many problems so far...it is sort of like waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm sure that it will all work out in the end, just getting though the hoops is the hard part. Especially when the hoop is small and on fire. So, there are 2 days of court and the official decree is to be given on Wednesday. There is a 10 day waiting period after court when the decree is published. It is in case Elsa has some biological family that didn't know that she was in an orphanage. Farida says that the waiting period is a result of the widespread belief that orphans are adopted by foreigners so that their organs can be harvested. Yes, you read that correctly.
Tomorrow morning we will pick up photos of our little family. We bring them to court so the judge can see us interacting. We still plan to spend the waiting period in Germany but can not make plans until after court on Wednesday. BTW, the weather here is pretty warm. It seems to be in the low 50's or high 40's. Moscow will surley be much colder!
Thanks to all for checking on our progress. Thank you for the support and prayer. We appreciate all of you so much! Greg said to make sure to tell everyone hello.
Love,
Laura
Well it has been a full day. Greg & I had trouble sleeping and were sort of just dozing on & off in the wee hours of the morning. We stopped trying around 4:30am. There is a supermarket around the corner so we headed over for a little shopping at 5am. We picked up some coffee & cream and a few other little goodies then hung out in our room until breakfast started in the cafe at 7. The hotel provides a free breakfast buffet every morning. They serve a wonderful yogurt that Greg & I both love, and we fill up on hard boiled eggs, yummy instant coffee (don't know how they do it but it is really good), weird juice, pastries, and an odd assortment of pastas and cheese type dishes. I generally stick to the yogurt & eggs, myself, but Greg ventures out and eats the little sausages and such. We have to eat a good breakfast as the Russians do not stop for lunch. If there is an itinerary, we may not be given the opportunity to eat again until late afternoon. I carry breakfast bars and snacks in my purse for the road. So, this morning we were on our way to Mashuk, Elsa's orphanage at 7:30 this morning.
Igad (nickname for Igor), our driver, usually gets us to Elsa's orphanage in his Honda Civic in about 2 hours. If we took a mini-bus (van), with another driver it could take over 3. Igad is an impressive driver. We tell him that only Nascar people and stuntmen can do what he does in the States. Somehow, he can jut in and out of traffic at incredible speeds, in the face of incoming traffic, dart back into the proper lane just in time, and we still feel safe and, importantly, do not get carsick from how he drives. He isn't a chauffer, he is professional "driver."
Upon arriving at Mashuk, we met with the orphanage director and a social worker from Russia's ministry of Education. The social worker was there to observe Greg and I with Elsa and to interview us. The director was kind, as always. I had intended to ask to see Oksana, a little girl at the same orphanage that will be adopted by another family in our agency. I could not ask as it would not have been appropriate in front of the social worker. All adoptions are confidential in Russia. Instead, I said that Oksana's adoptive mother, Christine, had sent a gift for Oksana. The director told me that I could give it to the nannies when we saw Elsa.
It was a brief walk over to Elsa's building and when we entered the courtyard we found that some children were outside playing. Oksana was one of them!!!
We recognized her immediately. Our interpreter told one of the nannies the situation and she called Oksana over to us. She is the sweetest, most charming almost 4 year old girl. She is just delightful. It was wonderful to see her and give her the little pink fluffy tiara. She loves to dress up and "feel pretty." The tiara was because she is a little princess. Greg and I are so grateful to have been able to see her for those brief moments. Note to Christine: You will be here before you know it and she will be THRILLED to see you!
We went into Elsa's building to find her in her nannies arms getting bundled up for us to take her outside. She looked unhappy already and when I scooped her up she cried. And kept crying. They made us take her outside, just Greg and I, our interpreter, and the social worker. Elsa doesn't like strangers. She was very upset and she isn't a child that gets over it just because she is distracted. She REALLY didn't want Greg to touch her. There was good amount of crying while I held her, carried her, and talked to her. She didn't want her car, blanket, or a cookie. She was just UPSET. She has a runny nose and raspy breathing and a rash on her face from sucking a pacifier. This was an uncomfotable and unhappy little girl. There is nothing wrong with her expressing it. I would be upset, too. We had seen how she reacts to strangers before. She didn't like us when she first met us, but at least the conditions for interacting were more comfortable for her and her nanny was there, so she eventually warmed up. This time, everything was off for her. The whole time we were trying to console her we were being watched by the social worker and she and our interpreter were offering suggestions on how to distract her. Elsa didn't want distraction. She wanted comfort. It was a less than ideal situation but she calmed down eventually. She let Greg sit next to us and the animal crackers I brought along went a long way in convincing her that we were ok.
The social worker is interviewing Greg and I through this process, asking questions like, "Why are you adopting from Russia?" and "Do you have any experience caring for children?" She asked if we had a house and if we owned it then asked if we were effected by the economic crisis. No pressure. All the while we are trying to connect with our daughter. The social worker will testify in court as to how we interacted with Elsa and her findings from the interview. We answered her questions as simply as possible. They seem quite concerned that we know that there are unknowns and health concerns and that we are prepared for it. See, it is illegal for completely healthy children to be adopted out of Russia. So ALL the children are given some kind of diagnosis. This way, it is documented and the process is still legal in Russia. For Elsa, they just added up the delays she has due to being institutionalized and called it something. Russian families take children all the time and then bring them back when they realize that it is more work than they thought it would be. They get paid monthly for taking care of the children (like our social system) but they are not equipped to handle the responsibilities. Foreign families are required to do much more work and are more prepared for adoption, but as the system sees kids returned all the time, they want to make sure that the foreign families are not entering into the adoption niavely or with misconceptions.
The social worker left soon after Elsa calmed down. The nannies were going to take her from us for lunch but we asked if we could stay and at least watch. 30 minutes with your daughter in 3 weeks time isn't exactly enough time and it certainly wasn't quality time. The nannies agreed that we could feed Elsa lunch after they were finished feeding the other children. There wasn't enough space in the tiny room for all of us. Finally, Elsa sat on a tiny, tiny chair and I perched on another one. Greg wasn't about to fit on a chair so he crouched by Elsa. She waited patiently for her lunch and the nanny served a stew of some sort in a metal bowl with a huge soup spoon. There was a lot of food in this bowl. She wasn't allowed to touch the bowl and knew the rules regarding lunch. It was obvious that she had been trained to sit and wait and quickly eat the food. She let Greg feed her and she gulped down huge bites. After a few bites, her eyes would get big and a little shiver would run through her body. She was literally quaking with happiness over the food. It is really funny. She did it several times. I tried to catch it on video on the camera but don't think it picked up. Elsa was a very different girl once her needs were met. She began interacting with Greg. She picked up little pieces of food from her bib and "shared" it with me. She had a HUGE bowl of stew and then a plate of ground beef and boiled potatoes. We have no idea how so much food fit into such a little girl. We couldn't believe it. It looked like an adult dinner. I don't know if she really eats that way all the time or if that was for our benefit but she goobled it all up, let out a healthy belch, and then we got to see what our baby is really like.
Our daughter smiles, AND laughs. We have been waiting a long time to see a smile on that beautiful, sad little face of hers. Her entire countenance changes. She likes to be tickled and cuddled. She even did the head resting thing that she does - against Greg's head!! It was SO sweet. We got some great photos. Greg was so sweet with her and is just letting Elsa take her time getting comfortable with him. We didn't see her walk. She wasn't into it and they didn't give us a lot of time. We will see her again on Thursday. Can't wait!!
So, we have what they call "pre-court" paperwork tomorrow. It is actually court, and the most difficult day. "Official" court is Wednesday. Tomorrow, we will be interviewed (interrogated?) by the judge. There will be a prosecutor present and he/she can ask questions also. The orphanage director and social worker will testify. We pray that the paperwork was done properly and that they do not request anything further. Our coordinator, Farida, said that she didn't know if our paperwork was ok or not because she didn't recieve it all at once, but in several packages. I don't know what she is talking about, but that is not unusual in our case. The people in the U.S. and those on the ground have had some issues communicating. I try to just go with the flow and PRAY that there are not going to be any problems. It is hard to relax as we have encountered so many problems so far...it is sort of like waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm sure that it will all work out in the end, just getting though the hoops is the hard part. Especially when the hoop is small and on fire. So, there are 2 days of court and the official decree is to be given on Wednesday. There is a 10 day waiting period after court when the decree is published. It is in case Elsa has some biological family that didn't know that she was in an orphanage. Farida says that the waiting period is a result of the widespread belief that orphans are adopted by foreigners so that their organs can be harvested. Yes, you read that correctly.
Tomorrow morning we will pick up photos of our little family. We bring them to court so the judge can see us interacting. We still plan to spend the waiting period in Germany but can not make plans until after court on Wednesday. BTW, the weather here is pretty warm. It seems to be in the low 50's or high 40's. Moscow will surley be much colder!
Thanks to all for checking on our progress. Thank you for the support and prayer. We appreciate all of you so much! Greg said to make sure to tell everyone hello.
Love,
Laura
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday afternoon update from Russia!!!
Hi everyone, this is the first chance that I've had to get on the Internet. Greg and I got to the hotel at noon today, Sunday, here in Russia. We were supposed to be here last night but were rerouted to nearby Mine**ya **di due to thick fog. They kept delaying the flights and finally our translator and driver made the 2 hour drive and picked Greg and I up at 10 AM this morning. They say you have not lived until you have spent the night in an airport in a foreign country. Well we can check that off our list! There were a couple of people that took pity on us. I was game to visit a hotel outside the airport but our guide warned us that we "were not allowed to leave the airport". By the time we were finally picked up, there were very few people left from our flight. It is unfortunate that we were not able to take photos of the airport but wanted to not loose our passports as others have done for doing this...
So, Greg and I caught up on some much needed sleep this afternoon and had some dinner in the hotel cafe. I ran into two sets of adoptive parents from the states. We spent about an hour chatting. They are staying in St**ol during their waiting period after court. They are allowed as they have a different agency. It is really nice for them as they can see their kids every day and bond with them prior to leaving the country.
We will go see Elsa tomorrow!!! We are really excited to see our little girl. I'll post tomorrow and let everyone know how it went.
Thank you for all of the prayer and support!! We really need it. Love you all!! Laure
So, Greg and I caught up on some much needed sleep this afternoon and had some dinner in the hotel cafe. I ran into two sets of adoptive parents from the states. We spent about an hour chatting. They are staying in St**ol during their waiting period after court. They are allowed as they have a different agency. It is really nice for them as they can see their kids every day and bond with them prior to leaving the country.
We will go see Elsa tomorrow!!! We are really excited to see our little girl. I'll post tomorrow and let everyone know how it went.
Thank you for all of the prayer and support!! We really need it. Love you all!! Laure
Friday, November 28, 2008
Friday Nov. 28th update 7:30 pm
Hi, updating for Laura and Greg...they have been at O'Hara airport since 2 pm C.T.Flight out has been delayed 2 hours and are supposed to leave at 7:30 pm...Laura said there is some time cushion in the layovers etc and are praying to still catch the Moscow to ** tomorrow....please pray that they do! Greg and Laura are both on their way to healthy, just both very tired. Please pray for their health and connections, and for the new daughters transition to her forever family! R
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
So, we finally have a blog.
Here we are, 2 days before leaving for Russia, and we finally have a blog. Our friend, Ruthi, set it up for us. Thanks, Ruthi! Now you can just check in whenever you want. Perfect. Sorry that there aren't photos of Elsa on the blog yet. Due to Russian law, we won't be posted pics of her until we get home. The photos are of her room.
We have an early flight Friday morning. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are supposed to be at Greg's parents to celebrate, then stay over and they will take us to the airport Friday morning. Greg and I were going to pack today but I am curled up with a cuppa tea, sick. My stomach is less than happy and there appears to be something growing in my throat. Hmmm. Our lovely friends, the Drs. Smith, (Dean & Sally) will see us this afternoon. Sally will be Elsa's pediatrician and she jumped through many hoops to help us with adoption paperwork. Greg and Dean grew up together and he's been treating Greg. Now they are bailing us out the day before Thanksgiving!
We have gotten a lot of help with the adoption. I was making a list yesterday and it is really amazing to see how much support we have received. It ranges from the clothes and gear that my sisters sent for Elsa, the duffel bag full of stuff that Ruthi gave us as a gift to the orphanage, to the countless things that Rebecca and Pam at Postnet in Santa Maria did for us. Bloo and Coco, our dogs, are with their Autie Dorothy and will be until we get back. They are very happy there and we are happy that they are happy. The love, support, and prayer has guided us through this process and Greg and I are extremely grateful.
So, check in with us and I'll be posting to say how things are progressing. We will arrive in Stavropol on the 29th and will see Elsa the next day. Greg and I are so excited that we can hardly wait!! We are grateful to those that will continue to pray that the process with go smoothly. We really hope that the 10 day waiting period after court will be waived. We are prepared to spend the time in Germany with family (which would be LOVELY) but we really want to take custody of Elsa and get her home.
Thanks for checking in. I'll try to post again before we leave.
We have an early flight Friday morning. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are supposed to be at Greg's parents to celebrate, then stay over and they will take us to the airport Friday morning. Greg and I were going to pack today but I am curled up with a cuppa tea, sick. My stomach is less than happy and there appears to be something growing in my throat. Hmmm. Our lovely friends, the Drs. Smith, (Dean & Sally) will see us this afternoon. Sally will be Elsa's pediatrician and she jumped through many hoops to help us with adoption paperwork. Greg and Dean grew up together and he's been treating Greg. Now they are bailing us out the day before Thanksgiving!
We have gotten a lot of help with the adoption. I was making a list yesterday and it is really amazing to see how much support we have received. It ranges from the clothes and gear that my sisters sent for Elsa, the duffel bag full of stuff that Ruthi gave us as a gift to the orphanage, to the countless things that Rebecca and Pam at Postnet in Santa Maria did for us. Bloo and Coco, our dogs, are with their Autie Dorothy and will be until we get back. They are very happy there and we are happy that they are happy. The love, support, and prayer has guided us through this process and Greg and I are extremely grateful.
So, check in with us and I'll be posting to say how things are progressing. We will arrive in Stavropol on the 29th and will see Elsa the next day. Greg and I are so excited that we can hardly wait!! We are grateful to those that will continue to pray that the process with go smoothly. We really hope that the 10 day waiting period after court will be waived. We are prepared to spend the time in Germany with family (which would be LOVELY) but we really want to take custody of Elsa and get her home.
Thanks for checking in. I'll try to post again before we leave.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Welcome Family and Friends
Thank you for joining us in this journey of gathering our daughter into our arms!
Greg and Laura
Greg and Laura
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