Greetings from Moscow. We arrived safely this morning after a great flight. We were a little delayed getting out of JFK because Air Force One (the President's plane) had arrived and backed up departures. We saw the plane parked outside a hanger as we were taking off. Pretty cool!
In Moscow, we were greeted by Irina (our host) and Valery (our driver) who took us to the Marriott. We are staying at a different Marriott this time because it has more amenities what will help occupy Hannah. It is beautiful and thanks (again) to Marc's frequent travel, we were upgraded to a suite that has it's own butler!!! No kidding. Seconds after arriving at the room, the butler knocked on the door and bought us some champagne and told us to call him if we needed anything. A ½ hour later he arrived with cheese & crackers and a full bottle of wine. I could get used to this!
We got caught up on sleep, took a shower, and are now relaxing in the Executive Lounge (another perk) and enjoying appetizers and drinks and getting caught up on emails. Tomorrow we plan to visit the inside of the Kremlin. Irina will pick us up at 5pm to go to the train.
It is strange to think this is our last trip. Although I am sure we will be back when Hannah is older. It is still hard to believe we will be coming home with another daughter. We feel very blessed that everything has gone so quickly and smoothly. God has been in control of everything and we trust that he will be with us over the next 2 weeks as we finalize everything and bring her home. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and can't wait for you to meet her.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hannah is our daughter!
The judge agreed to the adoption! So, Hannah is now part of our family. We are overjoyed.
The morning was quite stressful. After breakfast at the hotel, we headed across the street to the court house and took a small elevator up to the 6th floor. After a security check, we were taken to the court room which was about 20 ft x 20 ft with benches at one end, where we sat, and 3 large, ornate wooden chairs at the other end of the judge. In the middle were 2 rows of tables facing each other where the prosecutor and the social workers sat. There was also a computer where the secretary sat and prescribed the proceedings. There was also a cage on the right of the room; I imagine this is for criminals.
Irina had warned us about a male prosecutor she has seen in the past who is against international adoption and asks lots of tough questions and is rather rude. We were very fortunate that the prosecutor was a woman – she was much nicer. Once everyone arrived, we stood up as the judge walked in and sat down. We introduced ourselves and answered the many questions from the judge and the prosecutor, standing up when we were addressed. The questions weren’t very difficult, but we had to be careful about how we answered them to make sure we didn’t accidentally say anything wrong. Irina sat behind us and translated everything. The questions lasted for about 30 minutes and then the judge read from a large folder containing all of the documents we had prepared at the beginning of the process. The social worker read her conclusion, followed by the prosecutors conclusion (both of which recommended the adoption) and after our final remarks, the judge left for 15 minutes. She returned and read a paper that has been prepared that stated she approved the adoption. As she read, we held back tears. We couldn’t wait to go to the orphanage to give our daughter a big hug! Everyone congratulated us and then it was all over. In total we were there for about 1 ¾ hours.
We returned to the hotel to pack, check out and have lunch. We got to the orphanage around 4:30pm and played with Hannah until 6pm. We played with skittles, in the ball pit and she scale
d the wall a few more times. People over here carry blue shoe coverings that they put on when they enter buildings after it has rained. We were wearing some of these and Hannah was very curious, so Irina gave her a set. She was so proud of herself and walked around the gym showing off her “shoes”. She was so funny. At 6pm she had to join her group for dinner and we had to go to the train, so we said out goodbyes. We desperately wanted to take her with us, but we can’t take custody until after the 10 day waiting period.
We return to Moscow on October 23rd and will see her again on 26th. She will stay with us in the hotel in Petrazavodsk until her International passport is ready on October 30th. Then we take the overnight train back to Moscow. A doctor will visit us in the hotel over the weekend and on Monday we will apply for her visa and on Wednesday will register her with the consulate. Everything should be completed by Thursday November 5th, and we will return on the 6th. It will be a long 2 weeks without the conveniences of home, but it will be great bonding time. 
The morning was quite stressful. After breakfast at the hotel, we headed across the street to the court house and took a small elevator up to the 6th floor. After a security check, we were taken to the court room which was about 20 ft x 20 ft with benches at one end, where we sat, and 3 large, ornate wooden chairs at the other end of the judge. In the middle were 2 rows of tables facing each other where the prosecutor and the social workers sat. There was also a computer where the secretary sat and prescribed the proceedings. There was also a cage on the right of the room; I imagine this is for criminals.
Irina had warned us about a male prosecutor she has seen in the past who is against international adoption and asks lots of tough questions and is rather rude. We were very fortunate that the prosecutor was a woman – she was much nicer. Once everyone arrived, we stood up as the judge walked in and sat down. We introduced ourselves and answered the many questions from the judge and the prosecutor, standing up when we were addressed. The questions weren’t very difficult, but we had to be careful about how we answered them to make sure we didn’t accidentally say anything wrong. Irina sat behind us and translated everything. The questions lasted for about 30 minutes and then the judge read from a large folder containing all of the documents we had prepared at the beginning of the process. The social worker read her conclusion, followed by the prosecutors conclusion (both of which recommended the adoption) and after our final remarks, the judge left for 15 minutes. She returned and read a paper that has been prepared that stated she approved the adoption. As she read, we held back tears. We couldn’t wait to go to the orphanage to give our daughter a big hug! Everyone congratulated us and then it was all over. In total we were there for about 1 ¾ hours.
We returned to the hotel to pack, check out and have lunch. We got to the orphanage around 4:30pm and played with Hannah until 6pm. We played with skittles, in the ball pit and she scale
d the wall a few more times. People over here carry blue shoe coverings that they put on when they enter buildings after it has rained. We were wearing some of these and Hannah was very curious, so Irina gave her a set. She was so proud of herself and walked around the gym showing off her “shoes”. She was so funny. At 6pm she had to join her group for dinner and we had to go to the train, so we said out goodbyes. We desperately wanted to take her with us, but we can’t take custody until after the 10 day waiting period.We return to Moscow on October 23rd and will see her again on 26th. She will stay with us in the hotel in Petrazavodsk until her International passport is ready on October 30th. Then we take the overnight train back to Moscow. A doctor will visit us in the hotel over the weekend and on Monday we will apply for her visa and on Wednesday will register her with the consulate. Everything should be completed by Thursday November 5th, and we will return on the 6th. It will be a long 2 weeks without the conveniences of home, but it will be great bonding time.
Visiting Hannah
It is official; I am no good at Skipbo. Marc is beating me 14 games to 1. Pitiful! After 12 straight losses, I did finally win a game, but my luck was short lived.
The train ride to Petrazavodsk was long. After a dinner of ham and cheese sandwiches and delicious Russian cookies, we played a few card games then tried to get some sleep. We tossed and turned, and both woke up around 3am as the train was pulling into St. Petersburg for a pit stop. Since we were both wide awake, we played a couple of more games of Skipbo (I lost again!). We did manage to get a little more sleep before arriving just before 9am.
The train ride to Petrazavodsk was long. After a dinner of ham and cheese sandwiches and delicious Russian cookies, we played a few card games then tried to get some sleep. We tossed and turned, and both woke up around 3am as the train was pulling into St. Petersburg for a pit stop. Since we were both wide awake, we played a couple of more games of Skipbo (I lost again!). We did manage to get a little more sleep before arriving just before 9am.
Train hallway
Our cabin
Fayodor, our driver, was there to greet us. We went to the court house where Irina dropped off some paperwork and then we went to the orphanage. We met with the Orphanage Director and the head Social Worker both of whom were not there on our first visit. Then we met Hannah outside with her group and took her to another part of the playground. She was bundled up in a snowsuit, 2 hats, a scarf, boots and gloves. She had so many clothes on, she could hardly walk. We played on the swing and the slide and after about 30 minutes our toes were frozen, so we went inside to play in the gym.
Hannah is taking to us very quickly and is really enjoying our company. She has an adorable laugh and comes to us when we ask. She loves playing the piano and in the ball pit. She is incredibly strong. She scales the small climbing ladder attached to the wall with no assistance. We were really impressed!
Just before noon, we took her back to her room for lunch and nap. The kids know exactly what is expected. There were 2 little tables each with 6 chairs. Hannah knew where to go and ate what was served with no fuss. They had vegetable soup, mashed potatoes, zucchini and pot roast. Although Emily will be teaching Hannah a lot, she can learn a thing or two about trying new foods.
Hannah is taking to us very quickly and is really enjoying our company. She has an adorable laugh and comes to us when we ask. She loves playing the piano and in the ball pit. She is incredibly strong. She scales the small climbing ladder attached to the wall with no assistance. We were really impressed!
Just before noon, we took her back to her room for lunch and nap. The kids know exactly what is expected. There were 2 little tables each with 6 chairs. Hannah knew where to go and ate what was served with no fuss. They had vegetable soup, mashed potatoes, zucchini and pot roast. Although Emily will be teaching Hannah a lot, she can learn a thing or two about trying new foods.
Bedroom
We had lunch at the Parisienne restaurant again then checked into the hotel. Irina went over a ton of details about court – what we should and shouldn’t say, what will give a good impression to the judge, the types of questions they will ask, and information we need to prepare in advance. Tomorrow is the day we have been building up to for the last year and will determine if we can adopt Hannah. The social worker from the orphanage and the city social worker will be speaking in our favor, but there will also be a prosecutor who will be arguing to keep Hannah in Russia. We are quite nervous but Irina assures us everything looks positive. After our 2 hour appointment, the judge will give her decision before we leave court.
From 4-6pm, we went back to the orphanage and played with Hannah in the gym. It was so much fun. We buried her in the ball pit, played basketball, looked out of the window at the snow (yes, snow!!!) and enjoyed some cuddles. Irina gave Hannah her cell phone to play with and when it was time to give it back, she had a little temper tantrum. It was so cute. She fell facedown on the floor and crawled forward with her head still on the ground, screaming… it was quite the sight. She eventually got over it just in time for dinner.
We are now enjoying a quiet evening in the hotel and will fall asleep pretty early so we are ready for what will most likely be a very emotional and stressful day.
From 4-6pm, we went back to the orphanage and played with Hannah in the gym. It was so much fun. We buried her in the ball pit, played basketball, looked out of the window at the snow (yes, snow!!!) and enjoyed some cuddles. Irina gave Hannah her cell phone to play with and when it was time to give it back, she had a little temper tantrum. It was so cute. She fell facedown on the floor and crawled forward with her head still on the ground, screaming… it was quite the sight. She eventually got over it just in time for dinner.
We are now enjoying a quiet evening in the hotel and will fall asleep pretty early so we are ready for what will most likely be a very emotional and stressful day.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Back in Moscow
Greetings from Moscow. We arrived safely and were greeted by Valery (our driver) and Irina (our host). We were not expecting to see Irina until the evening, so that was a pleasant surprise. We talked about the trip briefly, but she will give us more information about the court appointment on our way up to Karelia.
We were spoiled in Business Class on our first trip, but it was back in coach this time. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep – an hour at best. We were lucky, however, to get an upgrade to a junior suite at the Marriott – another perk of Marc’s frequent travel. We spent most our time in Moscow catching up on sleep, the time change really affected us this time. We did make it to the gym and went to a local grocery store by the Kremlin to get some snacks and dinner.
Although it has been 6 weeks since out 1st trip, it feels just like yesterday we were here. We are less nervous about the trip because our schedule and surrounds are more familiar. It is cooler; about 40 degrees in Moscow and people are walking around in heavy winter coats, scarves, and hats with kids in snow suits. Seems a bit overkill for 40 degrees, we would have thought they were used to the cold. It is going to be in the 30’s in Karelia, but we are prepared with warm clothes and winter jackets. I see that it is 34 degrees in Milford today with a chance of frost, so we are all feeling the start of winter.
We do feel slightly underdressed when we walk around the city. Most women wear skirts (some of them very short!) or slacks with high heel shoes or knee high boots. We stick out in our jeans, sneakers and colorful ski jackets…. lol.
Right now it’s Sunday afternoon and we are relaxing in the hotel lobby waiting for Irina to arrive to take us to the train. I am on my 2nd cup of tea so hopefully that will keep me alert enough to study all the medial terms we need to memorize for court on the train ride.
We can’t wait to see Hannah again tomorrow. We will go to the orphanage directly from the train station. I wonder how much she has changed and if she will recognize us. I don’t believe we have much else to do on Monday, so hopefully we will be able to spend a lot of time with her. We hope to see more of where she has been living. Last trip we just peeked into the playroom, but we would like to see where they eat and sleep. Currently we have a “big girl” bed set up at home, but need to know if we should bring down the crib.
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us. We are truly luck to have such wonderful family and friends. We can’t wait for you all to meet Hannah when we are home in early November.
We were spoiled in Business Class on our first trip, but it was back in coach this time. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep – an hour at best. We were lucky, however, to get an upgrade to a junior suite at the Marriott – another perk of Marc’s frequent travel. We spent most our time in Moscow catching up on sleep, the time change really affected us this time. We did make it to the gym and went to a local grocery store by the Kremlin to get some snacks and dinner.
Although it has been 6 weeks since out 1st trip, it feels just like yesterday we were here. We are less nervous about the trip because our schedule and surrounds are more familiar. It is cooler; about 40 degrees in Moscow and people are walking around in heavy winter coats, scarves, and hats with kids in snow suits. Seems a bit overkill for 40 degrees, we would have thought they were used to the cold. It is going to be in the 30’s in Karelia, but we are prepared with warm clothes and winter jackets. I see that it is 34 degrees in Milford today with a chance of frost, so we are all feeling the start of winter.
We do feel slightly underdressed when we walk around the city. Most women wear skirts (some of them very short!) or slacks with high heel shoes or knee high boots. We stick out in our jeans, sneakers and colorful ski jackets…. lol.
Right now it’s Sunday afternoon and we are relaxing in the hotel lobby waiting for Irina to arrive to take us to the train. I am on my 2nd cup of tea so hopefully that will keep me alert enough to study all the medial terms we need to memorize for court on the train ride.
We can’t wait to see Hannah again tomorrow. We will go to the orphanage directly from the train station. I wonder how much she has changed and if she will recognize us. I don’t believe we have much else to do on Monday, so hopefully we will be able to spend a lot of time with her. We hope to see more of where she has been living. Last trip we just peeked into the playroom, but we would like to see where they eat and sleep. Currently we have a “big girl” bed set up at home, but need to know if we should bring down the crib.
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us. We are truly luck to have such wonderful family and friends. We can’t wait for you all to meet Hannah when we are home in early November.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Back to Russia
We leave for our 2nd trip to Russia tomorrow morning. My mum arrived yesterday to take care of Emily while we are away. It is such a blessing that my mum can stay. Although Emily is sad that we have to go, she really looks forward to spending time with Nannie. Living so far away, these trips are giving them a chance to spend some quality time together.
We have almost everything ready, just need to get a couple of documents notarized at the bank on my lunch break.... oh yeh, and we need to pack. We have a list of medical terms to memorize too, but we will have plenty of time on our long plane ride on Friday and even longer train ride on Sunday. Besides the court appointment on Tuesday, I don't believe we have any other "official" responsibilities, so hopefully we will have lots of time to spend with Hannah. I am not sure if at the end of this trip the court declares her officially part of our family, or if we have to wait until after the 10 day waiting period. I guess we will have to see. All we pray is that it goes smoothly and there are no problems.
Other last few weeks, we've finished her room and brought some books and toys down from the attic. Emily is really intrigued by the baby toys and has spent a lot of time in Hannah's room playing and reading the board books. She's even asked to include some of Hannah's books into bedtime reading time. It's been interesting to see her process all the changes and see her get more and more excited to have Hannah home.
The next month will be very hectic. If all goes well at court, we will be travelling 3 out of the next 4 weeks. But, after that we will be home. Please pray for safe travel, a successful court date, quality time with Hannah and safety for Emily at home.
We have almost everything ready, just need to get a couple of documents notarized at the bank on my lunch break.... oh yeh, and we need to pack. We have a list of medical terms to memorize too, but we will have plenty of time on our long plane ride on Friday and even longer train ride on Sunday. Besides the court appointment on Tuesday, I don't believe we have any other "official" responsibilities, so hopefully we will have lots of time to spend with Hannah. I am not sure if at the end of this trip the court declares her officially part of our family, or if we have to wait until after the 10 day waiting period. I guess we will have to see. All we pray is that it goes smoothly and there are no problems.
Other last few weeks, we've finished her room and brought some books and toys down from the attic. Emily is really intrigued by the baby toys and has spent a lot of time in Hannah's room playing and reading the board books. She's even asked to include some of Hannah's books into bedtime reading time. It's been interesting to see her process all the changes and see her get more and more excited to have Hannah home.
The next month will be very hectic. If all goes well at court, we will be travelling 3 out of the next 4 weeks. But, after that we will be home. Please pray for safe travel, a successful court date, quality time with Hannah and safety for Emily at home.
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