Today Alex is going for a ride around Perm. Roma and I will be picking him up at 10:00 to go get his passport pictures taken. I am so excited to take him out for a car ride. He will be all bundled up and there will be no stops at the park, which I really wanted to do. The temperature dropped from 69F to a very cold 19F in just one day. Chris sure planed this trip right! He is back in AZ where the temperature will be close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a different note, it has been three days since our court date and I get to pick Alex from the orphanage first thing next Tuesday, so I am starting the countdown! We will have to wait until the following day to file for his passport since that office is only open M-W and Fridays. We should have the passport back on Friday. Alex and I will fly out to Moscow on Sunday where we will be meeting with Chris. Our meeting at the US embassy will be Monday or Tuesday; we will have a bit of time to check out Red Square and all the other tourist spots in Moscow.
8 days to picking Alex from the orphanage. Yeah!!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Alex Riding Around Perm
Friday, April 11, 2008
First Day as Mom and Dad
Boy, Oh Boy…we need a van! We don’t even have Alex with us yet and we are already hauling so much stuff. We were up early and were happy to get and read so many encouraging and supportive emails from home. Our visit to the baby house yesterday was our best one yet. To start things off we had to stop at a separate building to get our pass for the baby house that allows us to get by the grouchy guard. There were a few different couples also visiting that day, plus two from our hotel and us. We counted that a total of at least seven kids will be leaving this baby house in the next couple of weeks to become part of loving families! We arrived at the soon-to-be former casa de Alex around 11:00 and visited for about 3 hours. The work is still going on so it was loud all over the place but I thought it was great because it made it feel pretty lively. They brought Alex to us in no time at all. He looked rested and was happy to see us. We have been visiting with him in the same room every day so he is now pretty used to the toys in there and knows what to grab where.
A few minutes later my favorite caretaker came in with a tray full of warm food…a hamburger patty, rice and chicken noodle soup with lots of bread in it. We put him in the high chair and let him have a music toy he likes and started to feed him. I was told by the doctor back in Phoenix that he should have more protein that carbs right now so I made sure he ate all the meat and the chicken in the soup, but I also fed him quite a bit of the rice plus all the carrots from his soup. Today for the first time he ate most of his food and that was so great to see. A caretaker had told us a day or so ago that he wasn’t a good eater but I highly doubt they are able to sit with the kids for an hour to make sure they eat everything. They just don’t have the time.
After dinner we played for a couple of hours or so, and then it was time for a nap again. Darn! I didn’t have to ask for an additional ten minutes this time. Anastasia came by and told us we had ten more minutes before she came to pick him up, so my trick of asking for those additional ten minutes with him no longer works. Time with Alex at the baby house flies, and we can’t wait to take him home and spend more quality time with him. Yesterday he was all about Chris; he was sitting on his lap touching and feeling his face a lot. He was also imitating everything that Chris did, including putting one of the toys on top of his head; it was so cute! The difference is so obvious already and everyone at the orphanage, including the resident doctor who comes by during every one of our visits, mentioned the difference in Alex’s attitude and demeanor.
Although we want to take him home right now, this ten day waiting period will actually be a blessing. Bonding with him while the only people he has ever known are around, is going to be a lot easier on him than if we had shown-up the day after court and had taken him from the only people he knows and loves. Plus, now I get to introduce him to a few new meals while he is still eating his regular meals from the baby house.
After the baby house we went to the Central Market and bought baby Alex a pair of Russian leather boots to wear when he leaves the orphanage. We stopped at a sports stand to look for a hockey jersey and the first thing we saw was a Phoenix Sun’s Steve Nash jersey number 13. Good thing we are not superstitious! Roma drove us around Perm and stopped at a couple of malls. We bought a DVD player and some children’s CDs for the baby house then later in the evening we went out to S36 for dinner. The place was packed and the food was great. We even got to meet two players from the US who play here for the Perm Region basketball team. It was a great day and we were so thankful to God for all the blessings we have received on this trip.
We will miss Alex today and tomorrow. The baby house is closed to visitors Saturdays and Sundays. Chris and I will take it easy today; he leaves for Phoenix tomorrow at 4:00 AM which means Roma and I will be dropping him off at the airport at 2:00 in the morning. Yikes!
I hate to see him leave now that baby Alex was getting closer to him plus I won’t feel as safe here alone. I will continue to visit Alex every day and Roma already told me that his girlfriend Marina will have a couple of days off next week and is already planning to spend some time here at the hotel and running around with Roma and me. Perm is a great city and the weather now is really nice. This whole week they have had record temperatures and we love it! Yesterday it was a whooping 66 degrees! I just looked outside and it looks like another warm sunny day to be out and about.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
WE HAVE A SON!!!
After two journeys far into Russia and miles of paperwork we are now the proud and joyful parents of Alexander William Kaminski. We can't wait to go to the baby house and tell baby Alex that he is coming home with us!!!
We left early yesterday morning and drove four hours to the town of Kudymkar. Court was scheduled for 2:00 PM and we were to arrive at 1:00. At the hearing it was only the Judge, a Prosecutor, a Court Reporter, a Social Worker for the Perm Region, our translator and us. The Judge openned the court session by re-stating our petition then asked us to introduce ourselves. After the short introductions we were asked to give our statements to the court so we each got up, talked about Alex, our experience during our visits to the orphanage on both trips, our desire to bring him home and our motivation for adopting a child from Russia.
Chris had to give a full speech on our jobs, finances, the layout and safety of our house, our kids and how they were doing in school and their feelings on the adoption. There were several questions to both of us from both the judge and the prosecutor regarding our beliefs in disciplining children and she made one last statement about Russian children being abused and sometimes even killed in the United States.
As soon as she brought this up my heart started going a hundred miles an hour. There was a case in Utah of a couple who killed their Russian adopted down-syndrome child just a couple of weeks ago, and the news of it is still fresh in their minds here. I have heard that if/when something like this were to happen, following adoptions are often delayed and even cancelled so we were really nervous. Chris did most of the talking and was asked for closing statements or additional requests. The Judge asked me if I had something to add so I got up to the podium and talked about Alex and our feelings for him, summarized our visits, his medical needs, and I also acknowledge the awful news from Utah, which by the way, I only found out about two days before court. The Prosecutor and the Social Worker gave their closing statements, which supported our adoption, then the judge called for a fifteen minute break.
She came back and read a long page that summarized everything that had been petitioned, then told us we were now the legal parents of baby Alex. This was a very emotional moment for both of us and all I wanted to do was jump up and down but I had to keep my composure until she left the room. The Judge lady, the social worker and the prosecutor were all really nice, and we felt so lucky and thankful for our coordinator/translator who did a remarkable job and ensured we had a smooth process.
We can't wait to go visit our son today and tell him he has a Papa, a Mama, a brother and a sister, grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles and a bunch of cousins who can't wait to meet him!
Life Is Terrific!!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wednesday's Visit
We had a great visit with Alex today. We got to the orphanage at 11:00 and stayed until 1:00. They had him dressed very cute and he seemed pretty relaxed and happy to have us there. After a couple of hours playing and one-on-one attention that he is probably not used to, he started to rub his eyes and we took that as a hint that it was nap time and we had to go. The caretaker took him upstairs and stood by the window with him for a few minutes. He was really jumpy, smiling and waving Pacah, the Russian word for Bye-Bye, several times. We loved seeing him happy and enjoying the time we spent together.
On the way into the orphanage this morning, there were some small kids enjoying some outside time with a few of the caretakers. A little three years old pointed at us and said out loud, ‘there come Alex’s parents again’. It was so cute but sad at the same time. We were later told he is an orphan with a major medical issue and would probably never be adopted. It is heartbreaking to think about him not having a family of his own and we will be praying that perhaps someone out there does find it in their hearts to bring this beautiful little one into their family.
Tomorrow we will miss going to the orphanage to see baby Alex. However, tomorrow is a very BIG DAY for us. Court is scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM and we are supposed to arrive at the courthouse at 1:00. The town of Kumdikar, where the court is located, is four hours away which means this will be a whole-day event. We met with Roma this afternoon and prepared our court statements, reviewed all the documentation and read our entire home-study several times. I am very nervous about being in front of a Russian judge but I’ve heard that although they seemed pretty tough, they understand what we are trying to do and all we have done to get to this point. We also know they are doing their best to ensure the integrity of the process and their main focus is what’s in the best interest of the children. That is something we definitely admire and appreciate, and one of the reasons we decided to come to Russia to adopt our son.
Thank you for all the support, prayers and good wishes!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Emotional visit yesterday
We played on the floor for a little while, fed him lunch which consisted of meat, mash potatoes and a big piece of bread all mashed in what looked to be some chicken broth. The food did not look very appealing this time and he only ate about half of it. What he does finish in a matter of seconds is a cup of apple-looking juice at room temperature that they give him every day. I think he is always really thirsty and can’t wait until he gets his share of it at lunch time. Yesterday and Monday I try to give him some fresh bottle water but he spits it right out. I am concerned he doesn’t get that much to drink and when he gets this cup of juice he drinks it all at once because he is so thirsty.
Watching him drink so desperately, watching his un-appealing food and watching his little and pale frame really hit us hard yesterday and I couldn’t help breaking down. Roma had stepped away for a minute at the same time the caretaker came around to check on us while Alex was still eating so I asked her myself, in English and pointing at the zippy-cup, to bring another cup for Alex. She did and again, he drank it in a matter of seconds. I kept asking about why he didn’t drink water or whether he drank milk, but really didn’t get an answer.
His main caretaker is very caring and baby Alex seems to be quite attached to her. But our dear God, she has to take care of another twelve to fifteen kids at the same time. I can only imagine how at times this would be very frustrating for her. Lord, please continue to bless her and give her the strength she needs. I wish so much I could just sit with her for a few minutes and ask about Alex’s routine, what he eats, how and where she bathes him and so much more, but a few minutes with us is a few minutes she would be taking away from another of the many precious, and some of them ill little boys and girls living at Baby House Number 6.
On the bright side, the inside paint job looks like it will be finished soon; the smell of paint was either almost gone or we just got used to it. They have smoothed-out the walls outside with cement and fixed all the cracks. It looks like the outside is also going to be painted. We saw them replacing the old wood windows with nice, double paneled aluminum ones. Pretty soon all the snow will be gone and with the large number of trees there are, I am sure it will be pretty green in another month or two.
Preparing for Court
Time for a nap but I will have lots of updates later on our visit with baby Alex, the Doctor and Roma regarding court on Thursday.
Our Living Quarters at the Amaks
My kitchen for the rest of the month!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Today in Perm
It’s Monday night not Sunday; I’m not sure why the blog is one day behind. We spent three wonderful hours with Baby Alex this morning. He is doing great and was all smiles shortly after he was dropped off by the caretakers. I wondered if he remembered us, or if he was too sleepy to worry about the two strangers in the room. I’d would like to think he knew exactly who we were and was probably thinking ‘where the heck were you two for the past ten weeks’!!!
This time the caretaker was not holding him when she came into the play room…he was walking with her help and it was so adorable. He even took a couple of steps by himself! I don’t think he has grown much in the last ten weeks, but he is definitely more aware of his surroundings, wants to grab all the toys around and really enjoyed playing catch with his daddy. We were also able to feed him his lunch which actually looked pretty good. They brought a tray to us with quite a bit of food and juice and he ate most of it. I brought some juice, cheerios and crackers and was told later that was a No-No…, so I won’t be doing that tomorrow, even though he loved them. Last time we were here we asked and they said it was okay; we were not sure why the rules changed but…Oh Well!!!
The caretakers at the orphanage were wonderful to him and to us. One of them kept talking to us in Russian and for some reason she thought we understood everything she was saying, or thought we should. They came to the room to check on Alex about every thirty minutes, and later told Roma that they were really happy to see him with his new family. I can’t ask for enough blessings for these wonderful women at the baby house. They seemed so dedicated, cuddled with him, kissed him and hugged him every time they came around, and you can tell he has a strong attachment to them as well.
The place was also getting some nice upgrades, new paint as well as some work to the floors. We figured this was the reason why we didn’t see any little kids around…the smell of paint and thinner was pretty strong just about everywhere. It was sure great to see the pride they take on the place and the effort they are putting into it to make it a better for all the little ones.
After a great three-hour visit we headed back to the hotel, rested for a while then went on to complete the required medical paperwork. We came back to the room and watch Gone Baby Gone, and at least for me, it was a mistake to do, especially since we are here to take our baby home. Chris crashed right after the movie and I am having a hard time going to sleep so I thought I would write for a while. I am still experiencing some jet-lag and my three hour nap this afternoon didn’t help me any.
Tomorrow we will visit Alex again from 10:30 to 1:30, then meet with the coordinator in the afternoon to start preparing for court on Thursday. We are hoping to go out to dinner in the evening and have some real food instead of the granola and raisins we have lived on since we arrived here. We do get a breakfast buffet in the morning which Chris loves, but I just can’t have meat balls, cabbage and curds that early in the morning. I am sticking to their great coffee and bread, then granola for lunch and dinner. ..Yuk!!!!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Last Monday
Silvia from the agency called shortly after I arrived to work last Monday morning. I knew as soon as she said her name and giggled, that she was calling with good news and that was the case! We had to be in Russia the following Monday (today)!!! I managed to contained myself but it wasn’t easy. I can’t even put into words the happiness and excitement I felt, and all I wanted to do was get off the phone and call Chris. Silvia gave me some of the details, including the court date of April 7th. For us this meant sending our Russian visa applications to New York that same day and getting the one-day expedited service. Fortunately, I had those all ready as well as the pictures that go with the applications because we knew we would probably get a short notice before travelling. Another call came on Tuesday letting us know that the court date was actually set for Thursday April 10th.
Chris was delighted with the news and started working with the travel plans right away. He did an amazing job getting our reservations made and approved by the agency by Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday and Wednesday we both had to work so we packed and prepared for the trip in the evening. We did get a call from the agency again Wednesday about another document Russia had asked for at the last minute. This was a bit nerve-racking. The agency had to sign-it, express it to our home-study agency in Tucson, and I had to pick it up there, and then take it downtown to have it apostillled. A thousand thoughts went through my mind of course, but it all worked out perfect and I had the document, with the golden seal from the state late that afternoon.
We left for Russia on Friday at 7:00. We had several connections to make and a long wait in Chicago, but overall the whole trip was very smooth. All our flights were on time and we (and our luggage) made it to Perm at 3:00 AM Sunday morning. It was nice not to have to go through Moscow and spend the night at their domestic airport as we had to do ten weeks ago. Instead we flew directly from Chicago to Frankfurt, the Frankfurt to Perm.
Just before we arrived to Perm another flight had arrived from Middle Asia so our pilot was instructed to stay on the runway until they were done with those passengers. We thought it was going to be just a few minutes but we ended up waiting for about 30 minutes. Later we learned that every single person on that flight was questioned and their entire luggage checked. I was the first person in line when it was our flight’s turn at Customs.
After an extended starred from the Customs Officer he stamped my passport and gave me the green light. However, another Customs agent took my passport and questioned the reasons for our visit. I had been warned about this and I was told to say that I was a tourist, which I did, but he didn’t buy it. He asked me if I had some proof or documentation about my trip and I told him I had an entire book in my suitcase and I think that threw him off. I was referring to the adoption book which has copies of every document I have supplied in the last 6 months. He asked me what I meant by ‘a book’ so I just told him that I was here with my husband to finalize the adoption of a child. I thought he would question the fact that I had originally told him I was a tourist but he didn’t. I also pointed at Chris hoping that when he came through he wouldn’t be questioned and that worked. A few miles from the airport we got stopped at a police checkpoint but this time they just talked to our Coordinator and after he showed all his paperwork we were let go. We arrived at the hotel around 5:00, slept for about ten hours, went out to dinner and then back to sleep until now. Roma will pick us up at 9:00 and we get to see baby Alex again in four hours and we can’t wait!!!
Back in the USSR - Bendito sea Dios
Thank you God!!!After 30 hours of traveling, we are safe in Perm! All the flights were on time and we made it to Russia without any issues. we even got to turn our seats into beds on our flight from Chicago to Germany and that made a huge difference. We are still exhausted and feeling the jet-lag so we are heading to bed now. I will post the events of the trip and our Monday visit to see Alex tomorrow night.
