It's Wednesday!

Well, our departure day is here. We woke up to a winter wonderland outside. Hopefully this snow will stop before we leave. I guess we are lucky that we aren't leaving until late tonight. The storm should be over by then. It better be. I don't want to wait for the plane. Luckily we have an 8 hour layover in Frankfurt so if we do leave late, then we have a big window before we might miss the plane to Ekat.

So, we leave today! It is finally here. We will be staying in Kamensk, at least until the court date on 2/4. The judge has requested that we visit with Colby every day before court. I don't mind that at all. So, we will see Colby on Friday (Thurs night U.S. time)! I can't believe it.

Change In Plans

I just got off the phone with Vica and we have a slight change in plans already. Thankfully, it didn't change our court date or dates to travel. The judge requested that we spend everyday before court seeing Colby. I don't mind that! However, the drive is an hour and a half one way from Ekat to Kamensk. Svetlana is worried about driving in bad weather so she has suggested that we stay in a condo in Kamensk for those 5 days before court. Then we need to decide if we want to stay in Kamensk or go to Yekaterinburg to wait the 10 days. Vica asked what we thought now but I have no idea what to do.

So the journey continues, with all of its twists and turns. We certainly don't make things easy do we?

It's Tuesday

Ok, it's Tuesday. Things are all set. Bags are packed, the passports returned from NYC via FedEx (GO FedEx!), the house is clean.... Can we leave now???

Jill, a fellow Ekat adopter is now on her way to Ekat. She is going for her first trip, to accept her referral. No info yet. It was great to talk to her last night as she was going to the airport. Her and her husband left late last night, the same flight Mike and I are going to take tomorrow. Right now they should be in Frankfurt for their long layover before going on to Ekat. Mike and I wish them a safe trip and we hope to see them when we get there.

So, can we go now????

A Busy Week, Amazing Emails, and Almost Time To Go

Well, here it is Monday. We are planned to leave to bring Colby home on Wed night. That has been the plan for about a week and a half now. Is it Wed yet? This week has been one of the longest weeks ever. I thought waiting to get the news was difficult, this wait is even harder. I guess that is because we know we are seeing him REALLY soon but yet we need to wait still. Ugh!

I spent the week getting things organized and cleaned. Many loads of laundry, sippy cups and bottles and plates all washed. Colby's suitcase is all packed. I can't believe how much stuff we have for him. Maybe I've packed too much but it is hard to know. We'll have him for at least 4 days so we need to bring just about everything for him. Most stuff is too expensive to buy over there, except for diapers and some food. So we have everything else. Mike got his suitcase packed yesterday. It sure is different packing for winter in Siberia than it was for summer in Siberia. So, now today it is my turn to pack and make sure everything is organized. I also need to sit and wait for the FedEx man to bring our passports. They are on the truck ready for delivery so hopefully they are on their way. I don't want to wait all day.

This weekend Mike and I tore through the house and cleaned everything. We even pulled the stove out to clean behind it. I had already cleaned the washer and dryer during the week. (The washer and dryer are in the basement, where no one usually sees them.) I guess this is what people refer to as "nesting". Last night we had our parents over for dinner. We made home-made pizza and just enjoyed having company over. It was sort of our thank you for everything and our last dinner together before they become grandparents. I wanted to thank them somehow and a simple dinner will never be sufficient but it was nice to have them over. We should do it more often. Our parents have been so supportive and amazing through all of this. I'm not sure how we could do this without them. Their excitement and anticipation of having their grandson home has pulled us through many a rough moment. Mike and I can't thank them enough.

On another note, I was pleasantly surprised by an email I received last week. Jill is also adopting from Ekat and she was searching through adoption blogs and came across mine. Amazingly, her and her husband live right here in CT, about 20 minutes from us and are using Wide Horizons for their adoption. At the time, Jill was waiting to go for her first trip to Ekat. A Monday (today) phone call was planned to set their date of travel for later this week. Well, she received the phone call on Friday and are actually leaving TODAY! I can't believe it! I'm not sure how they got ready to leave so fast. Just getting the Russian Visas is difficult, not to mention the airplane tickets. Luckily our agency and the travel agency we both are using, cEventa, is wonderful and they are all set to go. I wish them a safe journey. Hopefully we will meet up with them in Ekat over the weekend.

So, here it is Monday. We leave Wed night, late. Mike's parents are bringing us to the airport. We are getting there.

Go FedEx Go!

Well, I have an email stating that our passports with our Russian Visas are coming soon via FedEx. We should get them no later than Monday. Go FedEx Go!

Paperwork and More Waiting

If ever I thought having a court date would change things....it really doesn't. I still find myself doing paperwork and waiting for things to happen. Our passports are still in NY getting our much needed Russian Visas. Waiting on those to come back. The agency said probably Friday or Monday. They better get here in time. Vica sent us a list of paperwork that we need for the US Embassy visit in Moscow. So more paperwork to compile. At least it doesn't need to be notarized, apostilled, and stamped to death like the other paperwork. Most everything is set to get packed this weekend. I still need to go out and get a few things so more errands to make. A lot to organize and sort through. Thank goodness for Excel spreadsheets. They make such tidy lists. And I sit waiting to go. Instead of wondering when we'll go, now we wait for the day to arrive. I just hope nothing goes terribly wrong, like changing our court date. Ugh!

So today I am off in search of gifts for everyone in Russia who has helped us. We couldn't have done this without them. I also want to return a couple things to Babies R' Us. We received quite a bit of clothing for Colby at the baby shower. Most of which is 18 months old. I'm pretty sure he'll fit into them but I'd like to return a couple things to get the next size bigger. And I need to get to the bank. So much to do. It's a good thing we're not leaving until next Wed. We'll be ready by then but I'm more than ready to go now, emotionally anyway.

Passport Visas, Plane tickets, Hotels, and a Baby Shower

Well, I guess the race is on. I had emailed the travel agency that we used when we went to Russia in June and they were right on the ball. They already confirmed with our agency the tentative schedule and have booked our flights, minus one. He have the same flight we took on the first trip going to Ekat. We will leave on Jan 28 at 9PM from JFK in New York and go through Frankfurt. We do have an 8 hour layover there as we did before. However, my Uncle Gordon has a cousin who lives in Frankfurt and they might meet us and bring us to lunch. We will then get into Ekat at around 5AM on Jan 30th. I think we have a visit with Colby scheduled for that day so we will definitely be tired.

The travel agency has also begun work on getting our Russian Visas into our passports. Mike and I signed the paperwork and dropped it and our passports off at a FedEx box on the side of the road. I just hate that feeling. You just never know what might happen. However, FedEx (our new best friends over the last year and a half) delivered our package safe and sound into Manhattan on Friday.

The accommodations are still up in the air though. Svetlana might have an apartment for us to stay in in Ekat otherwise we will stay at the good old Park Inn. We need to sort out the hotel in Moscow though but the dates that we will be there are still up in the air. We should end up close to the US Embassy and Red Square. I can't wait to see that.

Yesterday I was given the best baby shower ever. My mom and my sisters Kristin and Karin planned it for me. When I mentioned at Christmas that we might travel in late Jan they decided to have the baby shower ASAP. They couldn't have planned it any better. All my mom's family was there and a few friends. We had a great time and I received some great toys, clothes, and baby essentials. I will have one very well dressed young man. I only hope that the clothes will fit. Colby seems to be, from the measurements we were given, just in 18 month clothes. He is a little tall for them but under the weight. Some of the clothes are 18-24 months and some 2T. We'll have to wait and see when we bring him back. The party was really fun and I even got to see Marie. She is a very special lady. She lived next door to my grandparents when my mom was growing up. She and her husband had 9 kids and my grandparents had 5. Marie is like my other grandma. It was great to see her again.

So Mike and I are on a cleaning and organizing spree. Luckily I am not working this week so I can get the last few errands done and get this house cleaned and ready for Colby to come home. I still can't believe he will be home soon! Is this really happening? Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming!

From Very Low to Really High: We're LEaving On A Jet Plane!

Ok, so when I got home this afternoon things looked pretty grim. Mike came home and we were both really upset. We just knew we wouldn't hear anything and we would have another sleepless night. Well, I guess the saying is correct, you need to hit the bottom before you can get lifted up. I had written a two line email to Vica when I got home today just to check in. Well, as Mike was starting dinner, which I didn't think I could eat, I decided to check my email once again. I guess 30 minutes can change everything. We did it! WE RECIEVED OUR COURT DATE! We will be in court on Feb 4th. The agency wants us in Ekat on Jan 29th. Ugh! How can I get everything ready by then? Anyone have a quick list of things to bring for us and for Colby? Ugh! Now I have so many questions I might just have another sleepless night.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! We are on our way to experiencing winter in Siberia. I'm sure we will get some great photos! Oh my gosh! What a head rush. From such a low to such a high!

Ugh!

Today was the longest day ever. The kids in the class I am subbing in were just awful. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep the past few nights or the anxiousness of the wait but I had little patience. The kids just don't stop talking and arguing. And the attitudes on some of the girls, ugh. A very rough day.

As mentioned Mike and I have received our update on Colby. Although there was little info except to tell us how tall he now is and how much he weighs. We do now have 4 terrific photos of our little guy. We were hoping to hear from the agency today though. Svetlana was supposed to meet with the judge, the social worker, and the director of the baby home and hopefully set our court date. It is now 1AM on Thurs in Ekat. But yet no word. I don't know what to think anymore. I was trying to not get my hopes up but I just don't think I can wait anymore. I know there are families who have waited longer than we have. 2 families waited 11 and 13 months in between trips. We are now on 7 months. I don't think I can wait any longer. THis is just too hard. I want my baby. The longer this process goes on the harder the transition will be for him. Don't they understand? Why does everything have to be so hard? I just want my baby.

Perhaps we will hear something soon, but I doubt it. This is just too hard.

Update

Mike and I are still waiting for our official update from our agency. From the emails that we have received, it seems that winter is trully in effect in Siberia. It must be so different from when we saw it 7 months ago in late June. The roads from Ekat to Kamensk are very bad and Svetlana hasn't been able to go to the baby home. Once the roads were better, the director of the baby home was on vacation. The Russian Christmas was just 1/7 so things are now back on track.

I mentioned not receiving the official update from the agency, but this morning I received a wonderful surprise. I guess I was so excited that my yell to Mike to get up (he was still in bed, I had gotten up to let the dog out) startled him and he was worried something bad happened. Nothing bad today! Today Svetlana was so sweet. She sent the official update to the agency which we should receive tomorrow but she also sent us 2 updated photos of Colby. He is even cuter than I remember. He certainly has grown a little and he has lost some of that "baby face". He is standing in both photos so I am sure he is now walking. What a difference a day makes. Today is a good day and so should tomorrow be. We will receive more info and more photos! YEAH! Svetlana mentioned that she and the social worker are meeting with the judge on Wed. Perhaps a court date will be set! Keep your fingers crossed!

A New Year

Well, a new year has come. Welcome in 2009. So much has happened in 2008, I can only imagine what 2009 can bring. I can hope for so many things. Mainly, I hope that it will bring my baby home to me. And soon.

On New Year's Eve Mike and I went to my Aunt Doone's house. Anut Doone and Uncle Gordon have a few friends and family members to their house for New Year's. It is all about having fun and being with the ones you love. We have a great time and the kids that are usually there get to play together. This year it snowed most of the day so most of the people who usually go to their house didn't show up. My cousin Carmen and her family stayed at their house I think near Hartford. However, my mom and dad did come. And my cousin Jason and his family were there. It was a lot of fun. We played dominoes and just enjoyed the company. A nice low key party.

Something did strike me as odd all day though. As the day progressed I knew that a part of our family was missing, Colby. It felt awful celebrating a new year without him. Around 2:00P.M. here, an odd thought crept in my head. It had kept me up most of the night before too. At 2:00P.M. here, my little boy was not only in a different country, on a different continent, thousands of miles and hours away, but he was also in a different year. There are some days when I do stop and whisper to him to have a good morning but now I had to stop and whisper to him to have a great year. I am sure that we will have an amazing year together once he is home. I can only hope that that happens soon.

We have not received our update on Colby as of yet. The agency was sure we would have it this week but with the holidays I didn't honestly think we would. I hoped but I didn't think so. I am not sure if I am upset or not. I really want the update but if Svetlana doesn't have the time to travel to the baby home, about 1 1/2 hours away on a good day, because she is talking with the judge or working on our paperwork, than I hope she is doing just that. I'd rather get back sooner than have the update. I am not sure what is going on over there but hopefully we will hear something soon. We shall see.