Home at last

Will and I got home Wednesday evening. It was a grueling 24+ hours of flights for both of us. Poor Will was sick and even barfed on the plane seat just as we landed in Atlanta. He didn't really want to eat any food, but did drink lots of formula.

He is slowly adjusting to his new life, as are the rest of us. I am praying he starts to feel more comfortable and begins to be the happy, active boy we know he is!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Final Day

Well, this is it. Our last day in Kazakhstan. Honestly, thank goodness as the last few days have been challenging. The doctor said Will is great and on track for his age, but does have some sort of infection (cold type with green snot – I know, TMI), so he prescribed some antibiotics and told me to give Will some Tylenol before boarding the plane. Will is just so cranky, doesn’t really want any food (just formula in a bottle) and sleeps sporadically. Poor Dave said that Katie is sick at home too. Said the preschool called on Monday to pick her up. Yep – some sore of ear/nose/eye infection. I gather it has been raining for days in Atlanta, so everyone has been stuck inside, no wonder she is sick. Dave and I were thinking a man-on-man strategy for these two kids, but we might have to play zone for a while. WWTTD?? (What would Tim Tebow do? - I know, I know, he doesn't play defense.)

I will go to the US Embassy today at 3pm where they do a quick exit interview, give me Will’s passport, visa and a special sealed envelope with papers to hand the US immigration when we land in Atlanta. I assume it is just all of the official document required to file with the government. Our plane leaves at 2:30am (charming, huh?) so I assume the driver will get us at about midnight. As soon as I get through the check in and get on the Lufthansa plane, I breathe a little easier as they have normal food and speak English!

Overall, the people here have been kind to us and the adoption teams were great, just like the first time. We were fish out of water in this country, but endured to the finish line. I’ve said it before and will say it again, international adoption is not easy, not any part of it. But to have these kids in our family, that would otherwise have a very different fate, makes the pain of the process wash away. We won’t be back again, so I will bid a final adieu to Kazakhstan tonight.

I’ll post again when we get home to Atlanta. Thanks for reading and all of your support.

Love, Kelley

In Almaty

Picture is of Will waiting patiently at the Karaganda airport.

After spending Thursday evening and all day Friday in Karaganda, Will and I boarded a plane this AM for Almaty. Will has been such a good sport these last few days. He is very active and mostly happy - but VERY clingy, so if I took one step out of the room, he would cry and start crawling my way. I felt really bad for him the first night in the crib. I realized that this was the first time in his whole life that he was sleeping in a room with no one else. I'm sure the silence was deafening to him. He always cries for about 5-10 minutes before he falls asleep – just enough to make me feel awful.

It was -17F when we got to the airport, but a sunny, clear, beautiful day. The flight is about two hours long, and Will fell asleep as soon as they turned on the plane engines (and propellers – not kidding). He was pretty good the rest of the time, a little squirmy, but as was I. I had a backpack as my carry-on, and a man carried it for me to board the tram, then another man picked it up and carried it to baggage claim. It was really nice – and really out of character for these folks. They usually just go about their business not noticing anyone else exists.

We arrived at the airport and I had to wade through the sea of taxi drivers wanting my business. Nyet! One problem, there was no smiling face waiting for me! I knew our flight arrived early, but come to find out it had arrived 40 mins early! So I stood there with a brave stern face, but as I wondered if they were just late, or had they forgotten me…my nerves started to swell. Just before I panicked, Sasha came rushing in apologizing. He said he checked the flight and saw that it arrived so early – so he rushed over.

We made a quick stop to drop off the paperwork, then went to the Ramstore for some water and baby food, then on to the apartment. I gave Will some food, then put him down for a nap (yes, crying ensued, but now he is out). The plan is just to stay here tomorrow, then Sasha will pick us up at 9:30am. We will go get Will’s visa photos taken, then to the adoption agency (the Sisters) then to a medical exam. They take the information from the babyhouse and translate it into something I can take to the pediatrician in Atlanta. After that, we will go to Lufthansa to buy Will’s plane ticket. So that is all for now.

The boy is ours!

Hi all!
It is Thursday and I am in Karaganda safe and sound. Vadim, Oxana and Natasha were all at the Astana airport waiting for me when the plane arrived at midnight. Luggage arrived ok, as did I! It is bitterly cold here with a thick blanket of snow on the ground and about –9F during our drive home last night, probably in the single digits today and snowing.

We just got back to the apartment – yes – I said WE! Will and I said our goodbyes at the babyhouse, (snow)suited up and promised to never look back! The care givers were happy to see me and both came to give hugs (very unusual) – they were very sweet and wished him a happy life. There is nothing to sign or do officially (which I think is odd), so off we went into the big world!

We will be here in the apartment until Saturday morning, when we will leave Karaganda for good and venture to Almaty for a couple of days to wrap things up. Love, Kelley

Leaving again soon

I will be going back to Kazakhstan this week to pick up sweet Will! My flight leaves Tuesday afternoon from Atlanta, and I arrive in Astana at 12am on Thursday. I'll spend a few days in Karaganda then off to Almaty with Will on Saturday, 12/12. We will go to the US Embassy and for a medical exam, then back home on Wednesday, 12/16. I can't wait!!

Videos

Here are a few short videos of Will. Enjoy!

We are home!

We made it home late on Thursday evening. I think we were both delirious from almost no sleep in over 24 hours. Katie seemed to have grown and matured a year over the 30 days that we were gone! Though we are missing our boy, it is so great to be back home!

Now that I am back on a high-speed internet connection, I have gone into some previous posts and added some additional pictures.