Our First 24 Hours

Well, I am sure that many of you have been cursing the blog Gods due to my inability to post yesterday. I am so sorry, but as you can imagine, I have a new pastime that’s getting in the way! Also, we don’t have internet at our hotel unless we want to pay $40 a day, so I am revamping my blogging strategy and writing at night and hopefully posting in the morning at the internet café up the street in the morning.

I will start by saying that I was so completely exhausted when I blogged last night that I can’t remember at all what I wrote, so I will recap with a few details and hope that will suffice our discerning blog fans. I want to post some updated pictures of the baby house interior, which was undergoing a complete renovation this summer and was a total disaster. Now, all of the walls have been repainted, there is lovely new artwork all over the hallways, there are brand new linoleum floors: It looks amazing and I was so thrilled to see the major improvements happening at the baby house.

As you know, Anelya recognized me right away and it was just honestly the moment of my life. When she saw me from across the room she got this HUGE smile and then when I announced myself and called her named she started laughing and furiously kicking her little legs and reached up for me from her belly position. Dad was just beside himself and all emotional. They had a wonderful meeting and she kept looking straight at him and smiling. We had a lovely playtime in the bonding room and then left to go to dinner and, most importantly BED. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel this morning with Tammy and Karen, another single LMI mama who just finished her bonding and has court next week. As you can imagine, the schedule was a whirlwind and you pretty much cannot make any plans at all. We were picked up at 8:45a.m. by Pasha and Larissa who took us to bust our girls out of the baby house and officially make this our “Gotcha Day”.

Look at me! Mama's busting me out in Emelie En Rose!

At the Rich Hotel in Semey with Dad, Karen, and Tammy


Good morning, munchkin!

Our last picture at the Semey Baby House - GOTCHA!

There were several of Anelya’s caregivers there to bid her farewell. A couple of them stayed beyond their shift to say goodbye to her. I was absolutely bawling. Here are some pictures of these amazing people who were the first mothers Anelya has ever known. They dressed her for me as I got organized and she wore a super soft pale pink footie sleep and a matching hat and her snowsuit, of course. Anelya was more than happy to go with me.

Aneyla's caregiver, Alia, who stayed two hours past the end of her shift to watch her leave. She just held and smelled her for several minutes and then hugged us together.

I had asked the caregivers for two bottles of Kefir and a pair of the standard issue flannel overalls that tie at the shoulders. They also have a number stamped into the crotch to identify which baby room they belong to. When I asked Larissa to help me get these, she came out with two cute little outfits and I said, “No, I want the overalls that tie at the shoulder.” She said, “OH, the UGLY ones!” I said, “Yes! The ugly ones! That’s what I want.” And they all laughed and thought I was crazy. I think they are priceless.

Clearly psyched to see each other!

Look familiar?

Our new forever family certainly includes the Clark/Gilpatricks

At the airport I was asked to show Anelya’s documents proving that she is my child. There I showed her new birth certificate (with her new name and my name as the mother), along with the adoption decree; two precious documents. We made our way through security and Anelya proceeding to jump on my lap until it was time to board. The flight left about an hour after her morning mealtime, so she was good and hungry upon take off and I gave her a bottle of Kefir that she sucked down faster than anyone will believe. It was familiar to her, filling, and the sucking helped her with the air pressure problems. She was just a dream on the flight. She didn’t fuss at all! In fact, she just wanted to play with her rattle and laugh at her mama. Kalmakas also did perfectly on the flight. Tammy and I were both prepared for a much tougher time, but it was great!

Look who's crawling!

7 a.m. picture of the Almaty Mountains from our balcony

She's into everything.

Kate and Leo met us in Almaty and we loaded into the van. Anelya stared out the window the whole way and was pretty zoned out from all of the stimulation, but it was also past her nap time and she only slept 30 minutes on the plane (which I TOTALLY loved). Once we got to the hotel, we chose our rooms. Dad and I got a suite which has three small rooms with no doors, but enough room for Anelya to be able to nap and us to be somewhere else other than sitting on our beds. We are very happy with the room and Tammy is three doors down, which is even better. Well, by the time we were all checked in and settled we were STARVING, so we found bar and grill type place a block away. Again, Anelya was a blast, babbling up a storm. We ordered the girls some mashed potatoes, a little of my hamburger and I had brought some carrot baby food that they shared. They were both very happy. Once we had eaten, we walked two blocks to the grocery store and bought some necessities. Wow, so shopping with a baby is different and even when you have a designated cart person and another mom with you. Wow.

First time in a restaurant

We walked back to the hotel and Anelya was so over-tired . I tried and tried to put her down for a nap but she was just not having it. She screamed bloody murder, I held her and finally after one last protest, she fell asleep in the hotel crib. She only slept for 30 minutes, but she woke up happy and playful. Dad was PASSED OUT for a solid hour and I was running around trying to get us settled. God, I wished Mom was here with her storage bins and OCD organizing habits. Oh, by the way, it is Halloween and since I couldn’t fit her Gerbera Daisy costume, I brought this instead:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Tammy and Kalamkas came over for a visit and we noted that they both have colds with green boogies (although they act like they feel fine) and we all know what that means, so I whipped out my natural antimicrobial tincture from work and gave it to Anelya just the way I had watched the naughty nurse do it in Semey a couple of months ago. She loved it! She actually wanted more! HAHAHA Well good, because there will be a lot of it until we get her healthy. Kalamkas (who will become Julia once she is back in the States) liked it so much that she refused to let the medicine cup go from between her teeth. It was really funny. We had a little hotel floor picnic of leftover mashed potatoes and carrots again (it will be a bit boring until we get home, Anelya) and then Kalamkas had had it. She barely slept today either.

I love my Hoovie.

After that, Anelya had her first bath EVER! At the baby house they sponge bathe them. Once the temperature turtle told me it was ok to put Anelya in the tub she was in there smiling, splashing and playing with all of her toys. She just loved it. We got some good photos and a video, which I will post.

First Bath!

That was FUN! Ribbit!

A that time, it was about 8p.m. and Anelya was tired. Thank GOODNESS! She protested a bit when I put her to bed, but I reassured her I was there and she finally passed out cold. It’s now about 10p.m. and I will dream feed her a bottle of formula, which they do at the baby house so they won’t wake up from hunger. Anelya is used to waking up at 6a.m. for another bottle of Kefir, so I am glad that I got that second bottle for tomorrow morning when she will likely be a bit disoriented. Usually, they give them the Kefir and put them back to bed. Something tells me she won’t be having that!

I have not sat down all day until now to write the blog. I am absolutely wiped out, but it has easily been one of the best days of my life. Thank you all for your comments and notes. It means everything to me and I cannot wait to share my giggle Kazakh beauty with you we get home.