November 1, 2006

• Picked Up Allison and Went to Almaty

  November 1^st will be a day I will always cherish and celebrate because today I took physical custody of Allison and officially became a Mom.  I picked Allison up at the Baby House today at 7am and we then proceeded to the airport to catch the 9:30 am flight to Almaty.  She seemed very happy to see me and didn’t cry once before we left.  To manage Allison, her diaper bag and my computer case, I carried her in a Baby Bjorn carrier.  She loved being in the Baby Bjorn carrier in which she can face forward and see everything that is going on around her.

   

  Allison was a great traveler!  She wasn’t scared of riding in either the car going to the airport or the plane.   Since the plane ride was only 1.5 hours long, I did not get her a separate seat and she sat on my lap because the plane was full.  Thank goodness we had a window seat, which gave us a little more room!  She loved looking out the window of the plane and standing on my lap holding onto the seat in front of us.  I was afraid she might pull the hair of the man sitting in front of us, but fortunately her arms couldn’t reach that far!  After 15 minutes into the flight, she fell asleep and slept the rest of the way to Almaty.

   

  Once again, I was impressed with the kindness of strangers.  In Ust, they do not have jetways and you have to climb portable stairs to reach the aircraft.  While I was gathering Allison and all our stuff, a very nice woman suddenly appeared and offered her assistance.  She wouldn’t let me carry anything, but Allison.  I don’t know if I would have been able to carry all my stuff and Allison without her assistance.  After we landed in Almaty, one of the airline stewards helped me gather my stuff and then proceeded to carry it all the way to the baggage claim area!  I was very grateful for the assistance and kindness of these two strangers.

   

  Before leaving the U.S., I made my own hotel reservations because I could never find out whether Galina was making hotel reservations for me and I definitely did not want to stay in an apartment like the one I stayed in the evening before I left Almaty the last time.  It turns out that Galina did make hotel reservations for me at the Hotel Almaty and tried to convince me to cancel my reservations at the Intercontinental Hotel.  She had the driver stop at the Hotel Almaty where she showed me the room I could have.  While I could have saved a lot of money staying there, Allison and I would have been miserable.  The room was small with beat-up dirty looking parquet floors, a hard twin bed and a very outdated bathroom.  I know other people have stayed at the Hotel Almaty and liked it; therefore, I think they have some nice rooms, but I wouldn’t have been staying in one.   I am so glad I made my own reservations.  The Intercontinental Hotel is very nice and our room is fairly large with a king size bed that Allison likes to play on.   I also feel comfortable with letting Allison crawl and play on the floor.   They provided a crib for Allison and room service even brought boiling water for her bottle.  In addition, Allison  loves looking at herself in the full length mirror and giving kisses to the baby she sees!

   

  We went to the SOS clinic in the afternoon where a doctor examined Allison and they drew blood for an HIV test.  The doctor said Allison appeared to be healthy although small.  She now weighs 6.7 kgs or about 15 pounds.  She is about 26 inches tall and her head circumference is a little over 43 cms.  She was very good while the doctor examined her, but she did not like getting her finger pricked and having blood drawn, which means she is just like every other baby! 

   

  After her checkup we went to the Ram Store, which is similar to Target back home.  I was able to buy baby food, diapers and other things we will need while in Almaty.  Once again Allison was a trooper.  She loved being carried in the Baby Bjorn carrier and looking at all the stuff in the store as well as all the people. 

   

  This is it for tonight.  Allison is asleep and I need to go to bed and get some rest as well.  I’m hoping she will sleep through the night.  Keep your fingers crossed!

  • 12:56 pm
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