Day 9 – The One With The Birthday

Bonding Day 7 – November 12, 2007

So you say it’s your birthday? Yes, today is my 3_ birthday and I can’t think of a better present than that cute munchkin you see in the picture above (ok, I know he’s not a munchkin but I can nickname him anything I want; especially on my birthday). He is a precious gift and I thank God every night that he put me on this path. I can’t believe we have already been here a week and the bonding period is half over. Olga told me yesterday that she would petition the court for the adoption next Monday. Hopefully, I will get a court date about a week later. She asked me if this was the baby I wanted to adopt. Duh!! I mean, really, look at that face.

Another couple came into the bonding room today after having arrived last night. They are from Florida and are here with their 3 year old daughter, who was adopted from Russia. They are adopting a 15 month old, very tiny girl. It was fun having more people in the room today and BabyKaz really seems to enjoy watching people. He sat up today for the longest I have seen yet and is really catching himself more when he starts to topple over. He also gripped some toy keys I brought for longer than I have seen him today. He got more Oragel today and fought me at first but then decided he kinda liked it as he smacked his lips. He is fascinated by these sheer drapes they have hanging in the bonding room and he loves for us to get lost in the drapes and have them in his face. He just cackles. I just hope we don’t bring the whole thing crashing down. When we picked him up this afternoon, he seemed tired so I don’t think he got his nap. And he did fall asleep in my arms for the last 20-30 minutes of the visit. It was very sweet.

Until today, we only had been taken to a small mini-market to buy groceries. Today we got to go to their version of a supermarket. It was much bigger than the mini-market but still much smaller than what we are accustomed. It was no Super Walmart. But it did have almost everything you would need.

The Irtysh River divides the city of Semey. And instead of calling each side East or West or North or South they say Left or Right. The right side is older and is the side where we are staying and is also the side where the Baby House is located. It is more crowded and noisy. The left side has less people, newer buildings and is more quiet. The buildings looked the same except newer. They still had that Soviet look about them. We saw a women’s monastery there where nuns still live today.