Bonding Day 14 – Sunday, November 18, 2007
Evidently my count of the bonding days was off by one day. The first night counted as the first day and I was not aware of it. So, tomorrow will be the 15th day and Olga will submit my petition to the court for the adoption. Hopefully, I will know my court date a couple of days later. In the meantime, before court, I will continue to visit BabyKaz at the Baby House twice a day as normal.
After the afternoon visit, we all met with Larissa and Olga to talk about how court works and the information to include in the speech. It is a lot of information to memorize. There are certain things that must be said and some things have to be said twice. I don’t know why. So, I’ll be working on that speech over the next few days and the day before I go to court I will practice it (or “make practice” as Larissa says) with Olga and Larissa. Olga is very thorough and she seems very concerned about making sure we get it right. I don’t feel nervous about it yet but I will be nervous that day I am sure. So, if I don’t update every single day over the next week then I am working on my speech.
I am at the halfway point of my time here in Semey. In many respects, it has really been easier than I expected. Kazakhstan is not nearly as primitive as most people believe. You can really get anything you need. Don’t get me wrong, it is not America. However, the people here are really doing everything they can to make their lives better and they are very proud of that fact. The staff here has been even more amazing than I expected. I heard great things about Larissa, Olga, Pasha etc before I arrived but you really cannot get a sense of how hard they work on our behalf until you are here and you see it. I will forever be grateful to them and they really make a point of making sure you have everything you need and you have no problems with your apartment. The staff here run a very well-oiled machine.
Evidently my count of the bonding days was off by one day. The first night counted as the first day and I was not aware of it. So, tomorrow will be the 15th day and Olga will submit my petition to the court for the adoption. Hopefully, I will know my court date a couple of days later. In the meantime, before court, I will continue to visit BabyKaz at the Baby House twice a day as normal.
After the afternoon visit, we all met with Larissa and Olga to talk about how court works and the information to include in the speech. It is a lot of information to memorize. There are certain things that must be said and some things have to be said twice. I don’t know why. So, I’ll be working on that speech over the next few days and the day before I go to court I will practice it (or “make practice” as Larissa says) with Olga and Larissa. Olga is very thorough and she seems very concerned about making sure we get it right. I don’t feel nervous about it yet but I will be nervous that day I am sure. So, if I don’t update every single day over the next week then I am working on my speech.
I am at the halfway point of my time here in Semey. In many respects, it has really been easier than I expected. Kazakhstan is not nearly as primitive as most people believe. You can really get anything you need. Don’t get me wrong, it is not America. However, the people here are really doing everything they can to make their lives better and they are very proud of that fact. The staff here has been even more amazing than I expected. I heard great things about Larissa, Olga, Pasha etc before I arrived but you really cannot get a sense of how hard they work on our behalf until you are here and you see it. I will forever be grateful to them and they really make a point of making sure you have everything you need and you have no problems with your apartment. The staff here run a very well-oiled machine.
With that being said, this is still a very difficult process. So far, it is not any harder than I expected. But, make no mistake, this journey is not for just anyone. You have to really want this baby more than you’ve ever wanted anything in your life. It’s so hard to be so far away from all of the people who love you the most and who you love the most in the world. (And pets for that matter; don’t get me started on how much I miss my dog, Kelsey). And I’m told it can get even harder once court is over and you have custody in the apartment. But, I keep reminding myself how precious that time will be without the distractions of the normal day to day life at home. At this point, I have to say I am happy with the process. But, I don’t want those coming after me to think these times are wonderful and rosy all of the time. But the benefits far, far outweigh the costs!
3 comments:
You are a very stong person and always have been. It shows in you determination and spirit. "Babykaz" will learn that very quickly. Glad your Mom is home safe and sound. Not much longer, you can hang in there. Sounds like you have some great help. Wish we were all there to help out. Take care of yourself. We love you!
What a wonderful picture of mommy and son! You both look so happy. So glad to hear that your process is going smooth. From all I have heard and from my own experience, as difficult as the process is, Semey is the best place in all of KZ to be from. I love the staff and this time of year my memories coming flooding and I miss them so much as it has been 2 years since I was with those special people. We did not have Larissa, but Pasha and Olga are just awesome. Please tell them that Joe, Beckie, and Lana send their greetings from Chicago.
Beckie (home with Lana since Jan 06)
I will pray that things continue to go well for you. I love the picture of you and BabyKaz! - well, I love all of the pictures you have been posting! Nothing much new going on here in Columbia. Gordon and I are trying to prepare for his upcoming surgery. His pre-op appointment is Dec. 4th. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We can't wait for you and BabyKaz to come home!
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