We are here!

We are doing great!  I have been emailing my friends who are in the process of adoption with all the details of our trip so they know what to expect when they get to Russia and thought maybe you would like to read as well?  We met Sergey and are smitten:)  I am having a hard time posting pics on my blog so I will as soon as I can...sorry!

Day 1~ Random Thoughts

Okay so we are here safe and sound:)  This will probably not go in any kind of order but I am just going to share my random thoughts of travel and what we have seen so far.  We got up early to catch our flight to JFK, it was muggy and hot at the airport and it was really kind of dirty and gross. I guess I expected a fancier airport for New York?   We flew Delta, not a bad airline but definitely take a bottle of water or two for each flight so you stay hydrated.  We only got drinks when they served and I was dying by the time we got to Russia.  By the way compression hose are the BOMB!!!  Hardly any swelling but a sore tail bone for sure.  We got complimentary headphones and movies on the flight to Russia and had a pillow and blanket on our seats and that was coach.  The SVO airport in Moscow is VERY nice.  There are English signs right under the Russian so you know exactly where to go.  I used the bathroom at the airport and there was toilet paper but it was very rough...no big deal though.  Oh and you can't flush it you have to throw it away.  We got our luggage and then exited to where we met Irina, she was a little late so we had to wait for a few minutes but she came with a sign with our names on it.  She is sweet and very pretty.  She is soft spoken and she speaks English but not much.  I think she is unsure of her English and let's Boris do most of the talking, but she understands you perfectly.   We met Boris outside where he was waiting with the car.  He is nice but I think he over explains because of the language barrier.  You can understand him but it takes your ear a while to adjust. Irina laughs at him by how much he tries to explain. We went straight to the money exchange office after we left the airport.  It was weird, the parking spaces are up on the sidewalks not on the streets.  They have lines painted on the sidewalks directly outside of the shops.  We went in and it looked a little shady at first but you just give them your cash through the window, they put it through a money counter machine and have you verify the amount that you gave.  Then they count you out the rubles.  The rate we got was 32.50 rubles to every dollar. We then went to our hotel, the Lomonosov.  It's really decent actually.  All the buildings are surrounded by iron gates and have security and the hotel is no different.  We had to check in at the drive up gate and Boris spoke to the guard and gave them our name.  He had to check and then let us in.  We went in to the lobby, the other thing that I've noticed is that everything seems to be located in the back of the building.  The check in desk was on the second floor and it was muggy, I was kind of bummed thinking I was going to have a sweaty night's sleep but there are air conditioners in the room and they work very well.  The language is softer than I thought as well.  I thought maybe it would be louder and it would sound like they are all fighting, I guess that's just in the movies lol!  After we checked in we went and bought a sim card for a phone they provide you since our cell phones don't work internationally.  I'd say it was about 6 or 7 dollars and we paid 200 rubles, it crazy you feel like you are spending so much money.  Irina gave us an itinerary for daily expenses when we got to the airport.  There is a cafe and a 24 hour grocery across the street, right next to the hotel.  We couldn't wait for Boris and Irina to leave so we could get some sleep.  It was 1:30 in the morning our time and we were running on fumes.  We slept really well, even though the bed was very firm, fyi a double room is actually two twin beds pushed together to make a big bed:)  The beds seemed really firm but felt like a cloud because we were so tired.  Again the room is really nice for a $115.00, there is a fridge and flat screen tv.  No alarm clock so make sure to bring one or set your phone.  We were already up though because of the time difference.  We went to the cafe last night and if you stay here we highly recommend it.  The vibe was intimate night club.  It had a Russian/Moroccan style to it, we dined at low tables on cushioned couches with fluffy pillows and a giant lamp shade overhead.  They had people puffing on hookas (sp?) all around us but they weren't smokey more like vapor.  And everyone was drinking tea and lots of people smoke.  You can't get away from it here although our room does not smell like smoke at all.  They also had belly dancers during dinner, it was a fun and surreal experience to say the least.  They had English menus but we had to ask when we walked in.  We went to the grocery afterwards and picked up a few snacks for Ash, he's daring and will try anything.  Like at dinner he ate horse meat!!!  I had chicken and bread, the bread is yummy.  I had brought my own snacks in my suitcase and bottled water so I was good.  Sleep was off and on during the night, but I feel rested this morning.  Oh and the hotel has WiFi but it only started working this morning.  The hotel also serves breakfast for free.  So we will be heading out in a bit.  We are off to Tver today and will check into our hotel and we won't see Boris and Irina until Friday.  I guess our hotel is a block away from the orphanage so we will walk there each day.  He is going to give us the rest of the info today.  He also gave us the number to the American Emergency Hospital if we need it and there is a pharmacy attached to the Lomonosov hotel.  Not sure about the one in Tver yet.  So I think that is all that I have today.  If you guys have any questions or things you want me to keep a look out for let me know and I will do my best to answer them.  I have to say that other than meeting Sergey I want to be home in the US already.  I don't know what it is just feels weird here, but it's probably just because I'm out of my element.  Pray for us!  I'm trying to remember that God is for us and is with us:)

Love 

Danielle

Day 2~In Tver

So today went a lot better as I think having some rest had a lot to do with it.  We went back to the cafe for lunch today after we checked out of the Lomonosov, I got this dish called the Shamura (sp?)  I asked for chicken with it.  It was like a hot wrap with chicken, tomato, pickles, onions, mayo and spices.  It was delicious. Ash just got a Greek salad...no horse meat today:)  Ash took pictures of what it looks like inside and posted them on Facebook.  Boris and Irina picked us up at 2 and we left for Tver.  The freeways here are very similar to the U.S. but people I guess think the lines are just guidelines or preference.  People are constantly merging into lanes and come very close to touching.  We only saw one fender bender but that was it.  I found myself holding my breath a lot.  Pedestrians have a death wish I guess cause they just walk out into traffic and we almost hit this one lady who clearly saw us but just kept walking.  I did let out a squeal that time.  Boris and Irina were very casual about it all though.  Oh and everyone hitchhikes, we have seen it a lot where people, old and young, will just stick there hand out and a random stranger just picks them up.  I don't know if they pay them or if this is just hospitality but my mind was going to this would be a rapist or serial killer's paradise!  We stopped off at a McDonald's at about the halfway point to use the restroom, either they were out of toilet paper or they don't carry it so I was glad I had tissues handy.  It was amazing to see how many people were there, we walked in and there are hundreds of people inside and there is no line at the counter just a mob of people all shouting out things and the workers literally throwing food into bags as fast as they could.  It looked like chaos to me but it works for them.  We then headed out for another 40 minutes, all the while if Boris saw something along the side of the road he would tell of it's history.  He is kind of like a tour guide as we are out as there has been no time for sightseeing this trip.  He was really funny today and we were all laughing a lot.  He made a comment that he hopes we are out of risk at this point.  I don't know what to think yet.  We meet with the head doctor tomorrow and the interpreter.  We leave at 10;30 for Konokova for some paperwork, he said they might ask us some questions of why we want to adopt a special needs child as well as other questions.  Please pray that we have all the right answers, I am so nervous about tomorrow!  We are aloud to take pictures, in fact it is required for the judge to see the interaction, as well as video.  And we can post pics so I will as soon as we can.  The Volga is nice, there is no air conditioner though.  The weather in Russia has been wonderful, around the mid 60's and clear skies.  We are on the sixth floor and can open the windows but were told we will probably be eaten alive by mosquitoes:)  I haven't seen much of Tver other than what we saw driving in, the buildings are old and have a lot of Russian character.  Boris has told us to not talk to too many people so they won't know that we don't speak Russian.  I have tried to be friendly and smile or nod but people just stare at you.  So I am giving that up.  Of course when we do have to talk to people they have been either really nice or have tolerated us.  We were told by the lady behind the counter in the lobby that we look Slavakian so we should be good to venture out.  Whatever that means?  We are staying in the hotel though because they said they have to hold our passports overnight, Boris was okay with it so we are just going with it.  There is a 24 hour cafe attached to the hotel and we ate there, it was really yummy.  It was kind of like a cafeteria where you slide your tray down and we just pointed to what we wanted.  It was about 17 bucks for us to eat.  They have coke, beer, bottled juices and water.  Breakfast is not included with the hotel..  After tomorrow we are on our own until Friday, Boris and Irina will be heading back to Moscow and we will do our daily visits with Sergey on our own.  That is all I have for today, hope this is helping:)

Love 

Danielle

Day 3~Konakova

Alrighty....sooo we got up this morning and luckily had not been eaten by any mosquitoes since we kept the window open all night.  Let me tell you the mosquitoes here are the size of birds!  We got ready and Ash ran down to the cafe to get some pastries for breakfast.  They did not have a breakfast menu, they serve the same foods morning, noon and night.  Ash said a guy was ordering exactly what I had for dinner for breakfast.  Which was rice and some sort of meat with gravy.  Let me just stop and say that when it is your time to come either bring a huge wardrobe or bring some Febreeze, because when you leave the restaurants here or eat food here for that matter you smell awful!  Don't get me wrong the food is great but the scent really lingers!  We have had to bag our  laundry to keep the smell from getting on anything, which it does if you touch it to anything:(  I have to wash some things in the sink tonight cause I need them for the rest of the week and can't and don't want to rewear them...ewww!  Just think the worst B.O. you've ever smelled mixed with bacon grease and that about covers it.  We packed up and headed down to the lobby to meet Boris and Olga, the interpreter.  She is very nice and sweet just like Irina.  I don't know if she is the usual interpreter or if they hire a new one each time.  But hopefully you will get to work with her.  Today the weather was really muggy and hot and it was a difficult day for me in the beginning.  I think my blood pressure was a little high this morning cause I was seeing sparkles, so I took it easy and wore my compression hose again to get better circulation.  I started feeling better as the day went on, but it was a long drive and all five of us were crammed into a tiny car.  And I'm not small by any means at the moment so I was very uncomfortable and was having some braxton hicks contractions on the ride over.  I prayed a lot!  Before we got on our way we stopped by the ministry of education in Tver.  It is a really old building with no ac and no elevator.  I had to walk four flights of stairs and was so glad the office was on the fourth floor cause there was at least another flight and I knew I would not make it.  We went into the office and met with a lady, she did not smile but she was nice.  Olga interpreted for us, we were told up front she might ask us questions but she didn't.  She just gave us some info on Sergey, that we already knew, and saw an updated picture of him.  She made sure we understood everything and then we signed some paperwork...that was it.  There was one glitch in the paperwork, Ash has two middle names and they put his second middle name as his last name so the document had to be changed.  And since we were already at the ministry it was done very quickly. We then headed to another office, possibly the courthouse, where Irina ran inside and I'm guessing turned in the paperwork. The part of Tver I saw from the car is a very poor looking place.  We then headed to Konokova, we arrived at our hotel, the Konokova Hotel, and at first thought it was the orphanage.  It looked very rough on the outside but once you stepped inside it was really nice.  By far the best place we've stayed.  They do not however have an elevator so Boris worked his magic again.  We were originally on the fourth floor in a room with no ac, now we are on the second with a huge room and lovely, lovely ac! He told the manager that we were on a special mission for a special child and she felt compelled to give us a better room with a better rate, lol!  Thank you Boris!!!!  We quickly ate some lunch and then headed out to the orphanage.  It is a short drive, but is going to be a long walk so Boris and Irina are going to stay the week with us to drive us for a low transportation rate.  I am so thankful cause I would have died walking in this heat.  We had a hard time finding the entrance at first but circled the building and eventually found it.  It looks like a kiddie castle of sorts from the outside, run down with unkempt flower gardens all around.  At this point I am really nervous and Ash's pulse is rising cause he knows Sergey is in there.  We go in and there is a receptionist and she goes and gets the Dr. I would say that the orphanage is very nice from what I was aloud to see. The Dr. is very kind and smiles...yay!  She told us to wash our hands and put booties over our shoes.  We are then led into a play room, which smelled like B.O. but you don't even recognize it after a while.  There are couches and toys inside.  They told us that Sergey was getting up from his nap and they would bring him in shortly.  The Dr. talks with us a lot but it was all good conversation.  It was about 10 minutes into the conversation that they brought Sergey in and he was so little.  He cannot walk like the medical said he could but he does crawl.  I asked if I could hold him and they said yes and so I grabbed him in my arms and he nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck and I started crying happy tears.We played with Sergey while we talked with the Dr., she seemed very positive and liked that we had pictures of our kids to show her.  She of course asked me if I would have help as well as other things, I told her I would in the beginning after the baby was born.  She wanted to know about after and I was honest and told her I do it by myself all of the time but that my big girls do help out.  She seemed okay with that answer. They all then left us to be alone with him for a while.  He is awnry!  He likes to throw the blocks we gave him and smiles after he does it.  He laughed when I tickled him, he does not like his feet to be touched and he didn't resist my touches although did watch my every move and would give me a scowl if I did something he didn't like.  I would just giggle and then he would smile.  He liked it when I sang to him.  He smelled very nice and was dressed nicely although he had girly butterfly sandals on.  His teeth are a completely different story, completely yellow and coated in plaque.  Thank goodness they are his baby teeth!  His breath was really bad as well.  He was wearing a diaper and had a few bug bites on his body.  We got his full medical and family history, we pretty much knew all of it.  No big surprises.  He has been at the orphanage since he was two months old and we were told that we came just in time because he was to be transferred to the internaut this year. The Dr. was very nice and kept saying he needed to be with a family, that children with Down syndrome do well with families and actually will progress both physically and mentally.  After the Dr. left the Social worker came in and she was also very nice and smiled.  She was great with Sergey, loving on him a bit as well.  She told us more of the same info and then at the end asked if we wanted to proceed or not, we said we were positive and then filled out some paperwork.  She said she would be at our court date and would testify to a positive meeting.  When she left we were able to play with Sergey a bit more and then it was closing time.  We asked Irina if the Dr. and Social worker were positive towards us and she said they were very sympathetic and compassionate towards us and even the woman who was looking over our documents felt positive.  So it went way better than I could have hoped for.  I was mainly nervous about how I was going to react when I saw him.  Would I feel for him as a mother feels for her child?  So many thoughts were running through my head.  I felt love for sure!  I feel it will be easier though when I can get him home.  You feel like you're on stage when everyone is around so it will be nice when we can have more alone time with him.  Okay I am exhausted and am going to get some sleep.  If I missed anything or if you have any questions feel free to let me know and I will answer them as best as I can.

Love 

Danielle