I finally arrived in Ust-Komenogorsk at 9:00 am this morning.  I think I have been traveling for a day and a half and I am exhausted!  I had just enough time to check into the Irtysh Hotel and freshen up before leaving at 10 am to visit Allison at the Baby House.

I’ve been concerned that she wouldn’t remember me, but when I walked into the room and called her name she grinned and seemed to recognize me.  I’m amazed by how much she has progressed in the last four weeks.  She can pull herself up to stand and cruise along a bench or a play pen.  She is also crawling and going just about anywhere she wants.  She crawled to a doorway and holding onto the wall pulled herself up to stand!  I can see I’m going to be very busy keeping up with her!  I was also pleasantly surprised at how much she smiled today.  She seems to be a very happy baby, which I give credit to  her permanent caregivers.  I think they gave her extra attention while I was gone.  I’m very grateful her caregivers are so caring and kind.

Allison reached for me several times today wanting me to pick her up, which she never did before.  That simple gesture filled me with so much joy and pleasure!  She also cried when I left for the first time today.  When I put her in her crib for her nap after our morning visit, she cried and reached for me.  I felt very sad that I had to leave her and couldn’t take her with me and I’m glad I will be taking her home with me tomorrow.

Our afternoon visit also went very well.  The baby room has a slide and Allison enjoyed sliding down with a little help from Mommy.  Towards the end she was scooting herself down the slide!  I will upload pictures tomorrow from Almaty where I should have a faster internet connection.  The connection in Ust is to slow to attempt uploading any pictures tonight.  Sorry!

I will pick Allison up from the Baby House tomorrow morning at 7am to go to the airport.  Our flight to Almaty leaves at 9:30 am.  Once we arrive in Almaty, we will go to the SOS health clinic operated by the State Department where Allison will be examined and tested for HIV again.  My coordinator thinks the results of the HIV test may be available Friday, which means Allison and I could come home on either Saturday or Sunday.  While that would be very nice, I think it is more likely the results will not be available until Monday and we will leave on the 3:30 am flight on Tuesday, November 7^th.

The Baby House was crowed today because there are three families from the U.S. who arrived on Monday.  Each family is adopting a baby from Allison’s group.  I had spoken to one family while in the U.S. about the little girl they are adopting.  Bret and Kathryn Nelson are from Minnesota and are adopting a beautiful little girl.  There is another couple and their daughter who are adopting a little boy.  Jana, Mike and Bree are also from Minnesota.  The last family is from Texas and they are also adopting a little boy, but unfortunately he is sick right now and in the hospital.  Joanie and Nick are hopeful that he will be released from the hospital by the end of the week.  I wish them all the best and hope their adoptions go smoothly.

That’s it for tonight.  I need to get some sleep so I can keep up with Allison tomorrow!

I am on my way to pickup Allison as I write this posting.  I’m in Frankfurt, Germany waiting for my flight to Almaty.  I’ll have a 6 hour layover in Almaty before my flight to Ust-Komenogorsk.  The last few days have been very hectic trying to get Allison’s room ready and trying to finish a few things at work.   My friend Laura helped me finish packing and arranging Allison’s room before driving me to the airport on Sunday.  Thanks Laura!!

I would also like to thank my family, friends and colleagues for the kindness and support they have given me during my adoption journey.  I’ve truly appreciate your encouragement and support.  I really enjoyed the comments folks posted while I was in Kazakhstan the last time and look forward to sharing this last leg of my adoption journey with you.

The next day or two will be very hectic and I will probably not be able to post again until Wednesday.  I hope to have some new pictures of Allison to share with you by then.  The Hansen family that just came back from Ust told me Allison has cut two teeth and is cruising around her play pen! 

That’s it for now.  I have to catch my flight to Almaty.

The weather was beautiful again today and Allison and I spent the first part of our afternoon visit outside.  We played on the swing and walked around the building.  We saw some very pretty birds and a cat!  Allison found the birds and cat very interesting.

After I setup our quilt and toys just outside the baby room downstairs, Allison’s permanent caregivers came down and gestured that I should move and take Allsion upstairs.  It appears that while we were outside, the caregivers had transferred all of Allison’s things (diapers, formula, clothes, etc.) upstairs to her baby group’s permanent rooms.

When we arrived upstairs, we were greeted by two of her permanent caregivers, Natasha and Ulla.  Allison immediately held her arms out for Ulla to pick her up.  It was very comforting to see that she recognized her caregivers and had formed attachments to them.  They also seemed very fond of Allison.

Allison, Alesha and I then played for about an hour.  I think they had more fun tearing apart a magazine than playing with Allison’s toys!   Allison tolerated fairly well my trying to give her enough kisses and hugs to last the next five weeks.  I’ve uploaded a picture of Allison, Alesha and me playing.

Just before I left, I fed Allison a bottle and then carried her to her crib for her afternoon nap.  I feel very fortunate to have such a beautiful, loving daughter.

I’m also grateful that she has been transferred back to the care of her permanent caregivers because it is obvious that she recognizes them and has formed attachments to them.   While I will still miss her and worry about her, I feel better knowing that she is being taken care of by people she knows and loves.

I will be leaving Ust tomorrow morning and Almaty Wednesday morning.   This is my last blog posting from Kazakhstan until I come back to pickup Allison.  After I get home, I plan to post some additional pictures on Saturday. 

Court Day

This morning I went to court to ask the court to approve my petition to adopt Allison.  The process was a little nerve racking, but the Judge approved my adoption application!  

Adoption court is held in an office with only the Judge, Prosecutor, Court Clerk, Ministry of Education representation, Orphanage Head Doctor, Interpreter, and me present.  I gave a speech to the court that I had prepared in advance with assistance from Ahz and my local attorney.  The prosecutor then asked me if I lived by myself and how did I plan to take care of Allison.  Then Oksana, the Ministry of Education representative, gave a report in which she described Allison’s medical condition, attempts and failure to locate her birth parents, and her recommendation the Court approve my adoption application.  After Oksana, the Orphanage Head Doctor gave her report and she recommended my application be approved as well.

The waiting to finalize Allison’s adoption now begins.  The Judge’s decision will not be final for 15 days.  After the 15^th day, Galina will apply for a new birth certificate for Allison that will show her new name and me as her mother.  It will take a day or two to obtain the new birth certificate.   Once Galina has the new birth certificate, she will apply for Allison’s Kazakhstan passport.  It now takes 10 to 14 days to obtain a passport.

Just before or immediately after Galina obtains Allison’s passport, I will return to Kazakhstan to pickup Allison from the orphanage and we will then go to Almaty to finish the paperwork required by the U.S. Embassy before they will issue Allison a visa to enter the U.S.   The U.S. Embassy requires all children adopted from Kazakhstan to be examined by a doctor at the SOS clinic in Almaty.   They are now requiring the clinic to perform an HIV test on all children due to the recent outbreak of HIV cases in children from the Shykempt (sp?) region of Kazakhstan.  This outbreak is due to the contamination of the blood supply in that region and is thought to be limited to that region.  Allison has already been tested for HIV and the results were negative, but she will have to be retested. While the HIV test is important, it does add two more days to the U.S. Embassy process. 

After we complete all the U.S. Embassy requirements, Allison and I will be able to come home.   I’m estimating we will be able to leave Almaty on or about November 15^th.  I will be anxiously waiting that day!