I have to start out by saying I am not a city girl. Most of you know that I was brought up in the country. Living in a city that never sleeps is not much fun. I think I have slept one full night here. I am getting really use to not sleeping. I guess that is a good thing soon enough baby Larrick will be keeping me up. We also have an upstairs neighbor that is either working on the remodeling or I have no idea what else but normally he starts about 9am and goes to 5pm. Then sometimes he starts back up at 6:30 till 8:30 or 9pm. It sounds so much like a dentist office when they are drilling.
Now to the better subject, baby Larrick, we got to see him for 2 hours today. He is trying to crawl and sit up. Still has some problems with both but this is only really our first day of working with him. We got there right after they fed him which was not the best thing he was spitting up the whole time we were there. I forgot to say that he has 6 teeth already and I think he is teething right now. We brought a teething toy and he really likes it and always has it in his mouth. Hey Heather your blanket you made for baby Larrick is getting broken in. We brought it with us to let him play on it while we are with him. Baby Larrick has learned how to make a noise just like Drew makes at him, when he is trying to get his attention, it is so funny. Drew got to feed him today that was a treat he kept lunging forward to the food the only problem we had was Drew was holding the food down low so Baby Larrick was looking down and lunging for the food once Drew picked it up it was a lot easier to feed him.
We found out today that our bonding period started yesterday so we are on day 2 of the 14. We also found out that tomorrow is a holiday they thought the orphanage would be closed but we lucked out and can go there is another holiday on May 9th we are not sure if we will be able to go then or not. We also can’t see him on Sundays the orphanage is closed. I guess we understand but we would really love to see him as much as possible right now. So he gets to know who we are.
Okay one more thing about living in the city I can not stand traffic. And with the way the locals drive around here. The road is marked for 2 lanes each way but they just make lanes where ever they want one and they just lay on the car horn like it is just natural to make noise at some thing in there way. Well on our way home today we were stuck in a really long traffic jam with people just pushing there way in and out of lanes in the pouring down rain. So much fun.
We have now had 3 blackouts and we are only on our 4th full day. We got home and had no power. The stairs to the apartment are mostly in the dark except for a couple of lights anyway. Once on our floor we enter a hallway that has one light and no windows. I am so glad some one said that blackouts are very common in Kaz. I had a flash light in my bag.
Oh mom, guess I should have grabbed those throw away burp rags. I could have used them today. Not easy to clean him up with a small package of Kleenexes.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Day 3
Well we just got back from the SOS clinic Baby Larrick’s check up. The results were like we expected them to be. He weighed 16 lbs and was 72cm. He has all the normal delays for being in an orphanage. He needs to get a lot more exercises for his legs and sitting up. We will work on this with him everyday while we are here. We know once he comes home and we have more time with him he will bounce back. We also know with all the support we have behind us that will help him leaps and bounds.
We will see him again tomorrow I will update more after the visit. Thanks again to everyone family, friends and our adoption group friends for all of you support and loving thoughts.
We will see him again tomorrow I will update more after the visit. Thanks again to everyone family, friends and our adoption group friends for all of you support and loving thoughts.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Day 1 & 2
Sorry it has taken so long for us to post any updates. We have had an issue with contenting to the internet. So get ready this will be a long post.
This was to be yesterdays post. Ok, the flights are over. Well, at least the flights TO Almaty. After a crazy morning, we got settled into our apartment and were able to meet with Olga our coordinator and our translator Asiya. We went out for a quick bite and to discuss tomorrow’s proceedings. We also made a quick shopping trip for a few essentials. It might take a while to get used to milk sold in a box, and not kept cold. (its cold now =P) I will now add a lot more.
Let me start with our flights. They were fine we only had one real delay and that was from Cleveland to Detroit. After that all of the flights went fine they were just really long. With Drew and I both being so tall our knees were most of the time in the back of the person in front of us. The Detroit airport is really neat it has a tram in it. I took a picture I will post in once I have the blog figured out. Then our next stop was the Amsterdam airport well let me tell you at first I was not impressed with it. But then Drew and I went for a long walk and found this large area that had shopping, dinning, games, and much more. Next we landed in Almaty our home for the next month. Our driver took us to the apartment. Once we got to the apartment we tried to call and connect to the internet but both failed. We tried to call our coordinator and we could not get the phone to work. At that point I was a little worried. But a few hours later we got a call from Asiya, saying her and Olga would be over shortly. I felt much better about everything. They both were a lot of help for our first day here they made my nerves about being here a lot better. After our meeting Drew and I came back to the apartment and took a very long nap. That night we had our first power outage. I am so glad that everyone let me know about the power outages. I was prepared for them.
Today Monday April 28th we went to the MOE and got our letter of approval to go to the baby house to see our little one. Well let me tell you that was the most amazing trip ever. When they brought Baby Larrick in he just smiled and was looking around like crazy. He was the cutest little thing. We sat and played with him for a while then went in to the orphanage doctor. She let us know all about Baby Larrick (which I will talk about more in a little while). Olga talked to the orphanage to see if we could take Baby Larrick out of the orphanage to the SOS doctor and they agreed. On our way back to the apartment Olga set up our appointment at the SOS to have a doctor of North American medicine look at him. So on Tuesday we will not go to the orphanage but they will bring him to Almaty to see the SOS doctor and we will go with him then. Wednesday will be our first normal visit with him. I can not wait he was having so much fun with the toys we brought him. But he was really interested in our video camera and camera. We got some good footage of him today.
Well now for the part I know most of you would like to know. He is 11 months old. We will actually be here with him on his first birthday. He was found on the side of the road on May 12 2007 as a new born. So they really have no family history for him. We sat him down and he can almost sit up on his own. He can hold him self up when he is on his stomach. He tried to crawl for a ball that was in front of him. He has a really strong hold. We tried to see if he could stand. He tried but his legs could not hold him yet. He loves to try and pull my glass off my face, he wanted Drew’s beard. As of right now unless something major happens at the SOS I think we have found our son.
Well I think that is enough for today. We miss you all. Danielle please give both Angel and Hercules big hugs form us. Talk to you all soon.
This was to be yesterdays post. Ok, the flights are over. Well, at least the flights TO Almaty. After a crazy morning, we got settled into our apartment and were able to meet with Olga our coordinator and our translator Asiya. We went out for a quick bite and to discuss tomorrow’s proceedings. We also made a quick shopping trip for a few essentials. It might take a while to get used to milk sold in a box, and not kept cold. (its cold now =P) I will now add a lot more.
Let me start with our flights. They were fine we only had one real delay and that was from Cleveland to Detroit. After that all of the flights went fine they were just really long. With Drew and I both being so tall our knees were most of the time in the back of the person in front of us. The Detroit airport is really neat it has a tram in it. I took a picture I will post in once I have the blog figured out. Then our next stop was the Amsterdam airport well let me tell you at first I was not impressed with it. But then Drew and I went for a long walk and found this large area that had shopping, dinning, games, and much more. Next we landed in Almaty our home for the next month. Our driver took us to the apartment. Once we got to the apartment we tried to call and connect to the internet but both failed. We tried to call our coordinator and we could not get the phone to work. At that point I was a little worried. But a few hours later we got a call from Asiya, saying her and Olga would be over shortly. I felt much better about everything. They both were a lot of help for our first day here they made my nerves about being here a lot better. After our meeting Drew and I came back to the apartment and took a very long nap. That night we had our first power outage. I am so glad that everyone let me know about the power outages. I was prepared for them.
Today Monday April 28th we went to the MOE and got our letter of approval to go to the baby house to see our little one. Well let me tell you that was the most amazing trip ever. When they brought Baby Larrick in he just smiled and was looking around like crazy. He was the cutest little thing. We sat and played with him for a while then went in to the orphanage doctor. She let us know all about Baby Larrick (which I will talk about more in a little while). Olga talked to the orphanage to see if we could take Baby Larrick out of the orphanage to the SOS doctor and they agreed. On our way back to the apartment Olga set up our appointment at the SOS to have a doctor of North American medicine look at him. So on Tuesday we will not go to the orphanage but they will bring him to Almaty to see the SOS doctor and we will go with him then. Wednesday will be our first normal visit with him. I can not wait he was having so much fun with the toys we brought him. But he was really interested in our video camera and camera. We got some good footage of him today.
Well now for the part I know most of you would like to know. He is 11 months old. We will actually be here with him on his first birthday. He was found on the side of the road on May 12 2007 as a new born. So they really have no family history for him. We sat him down and he can almost sit up on his own. He can hold him self up when he is on his stomach. He tried to crawl for a ball that was in front of him. He has a really strong hold. We tried to see if he could stand. He tried but his legs could not hold him yet. He loves to try and pull my glass off my face, he wanted Drew’s beard. As of right now unless something major happens at the SOS I think we have found our son.
Well I think that is enough for today. We miss you all. Danielle please give both Angel and Hercules big hugs form us. Talk to you all soon.
Friday, April 25, 2008
April 25, 2008
Well today is the day we leave for Kazakhstan our flight is at 5:10 tonight. We are very excited to make the journey it is going to be a long one. I am sure once we are there it will be the biggest adventure of our lives and a life changing one to.
We will miss everyone here. We will try to keep everyone updated the best we can. We will post again once we have landed in Kazakhstan.
We will miss everyone here. We will try to keep everyone updated the best we can. We will post again once we have landed in Kazakhstan.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The start of our journey!
We are going to start this at the beginning.
Drew and I started this amazing journey on April 5th 2007 that is when we sent in our application to the adoption agency. On April 9th 2007 we found out that they approved our application. From there we started on the long journey to get our dossier done. We finalized our dossier and sent it in, I think, on August 30th. Our Dossier arrived at the Embassy in New York on Sept 28th. The next step on our dossiers journey would be Ministry of Foreign Affairs which it arrived there on November 30th. Next would be the last step for our dossier which is the Ministry of Education and it arrived on February 20th 2008. We were told at that time it would be a while before we would receive our call to go over. So our wait began.
Drew and I decided we would go on a last minute vacation to Alabama to see a NASCAR race and my parents. We booked our flight on March 9th we were to fly down on April 23rd and come home on April 29th. Then we received an email from the air line on March 19th that they no longer where flying to Chattanooga TN. So our vacation was off. We did not want to drive down. I told my mom and Drew that the big guy had something better for us to do during that time. Well on March 28th my mom called to tell me the air line we were to fly down to see them had just closed there doors. Again I told my mom something better was going to happen.
On April 9th 2008 Drew took the day off and we were both sitting down playing on the computer when the phone rang Drew answered it and it was Kellie. She told Drew that she was going to call right back and that we should answer the phone. Drew turned around and said to me that was Kellie, she said she will call back, and the look on his face was like oh my do you think. I told him no way, that she was calling with our new contact since she would be leaving soon. When she called back Jeff and Kellie where both on the phone, then I started to feel like Drew might have been right. Then Jeff said “if you want to cry, scream or jump please do because you have received your referral”. We both looked at each other and were in shock. Then Jeff said you are to be in Kazakhstan on April 27th 2008. I could not believe it but I guess the big guy was looking out for us after all. We were supposed to be at the NASCAR race that weekend, I told Jeff and Kellie, and we were all in shock.
We have scheduled our flights we will be leaving Ohio April 25th and arriving in Kazakhstan on April 27th. Our first visit with our little one will be April 28th. We will keep everyone updated.
Drew and I started this amazing journey on April 5th 2007 that is when we sent in our application to the adoption agency. On April 9th 2007 we found out that they approved our application. From there we started on the long journey to get our dossier done. We finalized our dossier and sent it in, I think, on August 30th. Our Dossier arrived at the Embassy in New York on Sept 28th. The next step on our dossiers journey would be Ministry of Foreign Affairs which it arrived there on November 30th. Next would be the last step for our dossier which is the Ministry of Education and it arrived on February 20th 2008. We were told at that time it would be a while before we would receive our call to go over. So our wait began.
Drew and I decided we would go on a last minute vacation to Alabama to see a NASCAR race and my parents. We booked our flight on March 9th we were to fly down on April 23rd and come home on April 29th. Then we received an email from the air line on March 19th that they no longer where flying to Chattanooga TN. So our vacation was off. We did not want to drive down. I told my mom and Drew that the big guy had something better for us to do during that time. Well on March 28th my mom called to tell me the air line we were to fly down to see them had just closed there doors. Again I told my mom something better was going to happen.
On April 9th 2008 Drew took the day off and we were both sitting down playing on the computer when the phone rang Drew answered it and it was Kellie. She told Drew that she was going to call right back and that we should answer the phone. Drew turned around and said to me that was Kellie, she said she will call back, and the look on his face was like oh my do you think. I told him no way, that she was calling with our new contact since she would be leaving soon. When she called back Jeff and Kellie where both on the phone, then I started to feel like Drew might have been right. Then Jeff said “if you want to cry, scream or jump please do because you have received your referral”. We both looked at each other and were in shock. Then Jeff said you are to be in Kazakhstan on April 27th 2008. I could not believe it but I guess the big guy was looking out for us after all. We were supposed to be at the NASCAR race that weekend, I told Jeff and Kellie, and we were all in shock.
We have scheduled our flights we will be leaving Ohio April 25th and arriving in Kazakhstan on April 27th. Our first visit with our little one will be April 28th. We will keep everyone updated.
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