Trip 3: Day 7 Saturday (September 1st, 2012) Home!!

Ok I now have time to sit and process my thoughts about our trip home.
That day started early for Caleb and I. We woke around 4 :( We managed to occupy time until 530 then got up and packed the rest of our loot. At 6 we woke James and headed to eat breakfast in the lounge one last time. The girls that work it are just the sweetest and they loved James. It was hard to say goodbye!
After breakfast we FaceTime'd, got James dressed and headed out at 7. We arrived at the airport a bit early, but that was ok. We loved our driver and walking away from him solidified that we were leaving Russia. He was too sweet to go get a cart or us, which was necessary with all our luggage. We said our goodbyes, then we were off!
We checked in and headed to the gate and waited.... Finally wheels were up at 10:40! Overall the flight was okay. I mean what 14 month old wants to sit in the same place for 12 hours??? He cried...first time since we got him on Monday...played...fussed...ate...played...etc. Yup slept very very little. Oh well. We made it.
Our plane arrived early and I was sure we had enough time to make our connection. We had barely any line at passport control, presented our sacred yellow packet, and I was ushered to another room with James, without Caleb... I was in there for just over 30 minutes. It was only after James had enough and started screaming that the agent decided to pick up our packet to process it.
Finally left to get our luggage, got through customs, hopped on the train to go to the connecting terminal. We stood in line at Americ*n Airl*nes FOREVER, knowing we will most likely miss our flight. We were about 5 people back, but they were only taking the first class line. :( I have NO sympathy for that company and have no doubt that it's their own fault for going bankrupt. They single handedly caused us to miss our flight. AND they couldn't guarantee us a seat on the next flight. Ok now I LOST IT. 'Devastated' doesn't even explain how upset I was. I was extremely sleep deprived, exhausted, emotional that my baby is now a US citizen, and also knowing that our family, friends, photographer, and videographer were going to be at the airport waiting on us. We missed out on James' important 'airport moment'. :(
I couldn't even talk when I called my mom. Caleb stepped up, of course, since he wasn't an emotional train wreck like me, and decided to get a rental car. So we booked it to the bus to the rental center. Hertz won our business since it had no line, then we were on the road. It's just about a 3-31/3 hour drive home. We stopped at sonic to get my diet cherry vanilla coke (!) And food and then had to stop at a gas station so I could get sick :(. But then James and I slept and I woke up in a much, much better place. James woke up mad, but we were almost home.
So our incredible family and friends moved the airport party to our house. And we were able to get our amazing photographer to join!! We pulled up to a driveway full of love and cheers. Banners and American flags everywhere!! THIS was so much better than the airport, seriously!!! We immediately learned that James actually really liked us and didn't want anyone else. :D Warmed and melted my heart to have seen that our attachment has formed in such a little time! (btw, it's only getting stronger :)). There was a ton of food, balloons, loved ones, it was just wonderful. We are so grateful to everyone!!! My SIL video'd the arrival and party and it's the sweetest thing! Hannah was so good with James and, although she fights over toys, will ask where he's at if he's not around. Shes a great big sis! We all FOUR of us crashed at about 10.
I think that sums up that day, it was long and exhausting, but ended better than I could have imagined! God is so amazing and we are so blessed to have James in our lives!!! He is also always reminding me to let go of my control and let Him do it. Always a struggle for me. His hands were all over this and I just know we were not meant to make that flight. We praise God everyday for leading us to our son!!

I can't wait share pics. I'll add some later.

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Introducing....

James Matthew!! We are almost home and so glad. It's been a wild day and I'll blog about it later. God is so good and that enough to say for now :)

Trip 3: Day 6 Friday

Today we again had our usual morning then headed to the US Embassy at 11am.  We met the other family there, paid for James' visa, and sat in a waiting room with 4 or 5 other US families that are adopting as well. It was completely uneventful (except we got James' passport and visa!!) along with other important documents. There was no one there, which was a vast difference to Caleb's experience yesterday. He said it was wall to wall waiting...in which they got to cut in line. ;) We then headed back to the hotel to pack and take it easy for the rest of the day! We leave early morning and can not wait to see our family and friends at the airport! So excited!!!!
Next post will be from the States!!!

Trip 3: Day 5 Thursday

Today was fun! After our typical morning, Caleb had to go to the Embassy at 9, so James and I hung out in the hotel room. At about 1030 Caleb came back and our driver took us to Red Square. It was chaos there, because the city is setting up for a week long celebration, International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower", but we were able to walk around it to St. Basils and got some pictures of James in front of it. Our driver then took us to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Amazingly beautiful church!!! Inside there are so many murals you just can not take it all on at once. Then we walked over to a pedestrian bridge over the Moscow river that looked on to the Kremlin. The architecture here just blows me away. We ran into the other family here as we, so we took some pics of our boys. So cute :)
The rest of the day we took it easy and did our usual routine. Back to the Embassy tomorrow to get James' passport and visa!!!

Caleb with our driver, Slav

Outside of Red Square

Part of the festivities

Church in Red Square

NICE Cars

The Gum (Mall)

More Red Square festivities

In front of the Tomb of the unknown soldier

Street view of St. Basil's

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

View of The Kremlin

Trip 3: Day 4 Wednesday

This morning we had to wake up James at 730 to get ready in time for his medical appointment. He's such a happy baby in the morning!! We got dressed, FaceTime'd(of course) and headed to the lounge for some grub. We rolled out of there and met our driver at 850. And he had a car seat!!! Whoohoo!! I was one happy mom. With the rain and the usual suspects of crazy drivers, these people are nuts for not using car seats! Anyways, he didn't mind it at all! He's seriously such a laid back child! We got to the clinic and basically went right on in.
The doctor was very nice, but his beliefs are, well, just odd! I had heard about him before from other adoptive Mommy's, but wow. Basically he believes that a baby's cry is just for pure attention. Well dang right it is!!! How else can they communicate?? He said its their way of manipulating adults and we should just ignore the cry's. :O yep that was me...speechless. Thank goodness because I'd like to teach him a few things j/k ;) Anyways he did say something that I actually agreed with and that was that James was definitely favored in the baby home. I still have no current weight on him, but he's most definitely way above the norm for a child from an institutional setting (as the Dr remarked about his Sumo wrestler belly :)). Not to mention he's right on target developmentally. They definitely fed him well as far as the calories are concerned, but his skin is dry, hair is a little brittle (which tells me his nutrition was poor) and we went through tons of wet diapers the first two days while his kidneys adjusted to water intake, as I'm sure he didn't have a sippy cup of water available to him whenever he wanted. But overall, you can tell he was very well taken care of!!! More than you could ask for in a baby home. He's so happy and I just know in my heart he wasn't left to lay in bed all day, like some of the things you hear about in other orphanages.
We left the clinic and headed over to Arbat street. It was rainy, but well it's always rainy, so we borrowed our drivers umbrella and James was covered in my Ergo baby carrier (in which he had a nice catnap while we shopped).
Then back to the hotel. We ate lunch, played, napped, FaceTime'd/Skyped, had dinner, then James crashed laying next to daddy. (and I will never hear the end of that from Caleb! He thinks he's James' favorite...no way, he's gonna be a mamas boy for sure ;)) But, oh my goodness, it was the sweetest thing!
Tomorrow, Caleb goes to the Embassy and little man and I will hang out here. We hope to go do some more sightseeing and shopping tomorrow as well. This has been such a great week, but we are SO ready to get home!! Just praying that dang hurricane moves on out so out flight doesn't get delayed!

Trip 3: Day 3 Tuesday

Well today we never left the hotel as we were advised to (or rather told to) by our coordinator, to allow a little time for James to adjust. Honestly he's done so well, I think it would have been just fine, but we stayed. So we woke up and stood over James' crib until he stirred :) We then FaceTime'd our peeps and ate breakfast....James had an 8oz bottle of formula, a ton of scrambled eggs, a whole thing of prunes, and pancake! Seriously this boy can put it away! We than played and played and played. I went to run on the treadmill...um I have no idea how far I ran since its all in Russian and in kilometers! Will be better prepared tomorrow! Then came back and at about 1030 James was done. He doesn't get cranky or winey, he just slows down and starts sucking his right thumb :) He was exhausted! I put him in his crib and, no kidding, the boy did not move an inch and was out within minutes! So we all napped...for 3 hours! Oops. James had lunch at 2 then we played some more! We took a walk around the hotel while the maid cleaned our room. He had so much fun and it was neat to see him react to anyone speaking Russian. He was like 'ya I know what their saying' ;) He even talked back to them. I would love to know what words he says. He definitely has 3-4 words that he distinctively says when doing certain things. I think one is 'book' (referring to the picture book we left on trip 1. Along with the 2 disposable cameras, it was the only personal item we got back that we left with him. Oh well. But you can tell he either had it in his crib at all times or was shown it often, b/c he loves that book!!!) Another word is 'here or that' or something like that when he hands me something. We came back to the room and FaceTime'd some more. We played some more, ate some more, FaceTime'd some more :) then he crashed in my arms at 730 while talking to my mom and Hannah. Big boy had a fun day with his mommy and daddy!!
Tomorrow we go get his medical exam done for the US Embassy. We'll most likely do some sightseeing as well!
Only 3 more full days here!! Yeah!!

Trip 3: Day 2 Monday-Gotcha Day!!

Wow today was amazing... James' Gotcha day!! We woke pretty early and FaceTime'd Hannah and our parents. We got dressed then headed over to the Executive lounge for an awesome breakfast! See pics below ;) Then we came back to the room to get ready for the day.
At 10 we headed down to exchange some money and waited for our driver, Slav. He took us to the grocery store to buy a cake for the orphanage. This is a tradition to bring a cake for the caregivers on Gotcha day. Well, the options weren't just vanilla and chocolate! I wish I had taken a pic of these amazingly yummy cakes! We picked one out, paid, then headed to meet Anna, our coordinator this time, and the other family.
We met at some building to apply for James' passport. 20 minutes later we were on our way to the baby home!! We went on in and met with the Director. She went over a few things, we got his baptism record and cross, and then we handed over the clothes we brought to change him into. We tried to see his room, but nyet was our answer (No!) well then they were about to wake them and it was time for their lunch. We asked if they wanted to feed them first, as it would be better for them than wait until we got them to the hotel...well we thought 15 minutes maybe? Nope she told us to come back an hour and a half later! What?!
So we left. We walked around
the area with the other driver, Boris, then returned 45 minutes later ;) They agreed to bring them out! James came out second and very scared and crying :( He stopped by the time we got in the car, then fell asleep in Caleb's arms. So sweet!
We got back to the room and he was quite stoic and clingy to me. We FaceTime'd my mom and Caleb's parents, then took a nap. He fell asleep in my arms, then slept between me and Caleb for 2 hours! When he woke up, he was so happy! We played and played and played! And ate! Oh my he eats so much! I had to give him a little at a time, so that he wouldn't get sick, but needless to say, we'll be needing to go to the store by Thursday ;)
We FaceTime'd and skyped our family again, gave him a good, quick wipe down (bath time is not his thing yet!) then it was bedtime! I tried rocking/holding him first, but I could tell he just wanted in bed. So in the crib he went and 5 minutes later he was out!
We had a great day and pray tomorrow is the same. I expect to see some grieving from him at some point, but we'll tackle that when it comes. Ok must go to sleep now!
Oh and no pics of him on the blog until Saturday, since its so public....if you're friends with me another way....enjoy the pic!


The Executive Lounge








 

Our Hotel Room

Someone selling produce just a few yards down from the orphanage

Same church I think I posted before on Trip 1. Walking distance from the orphange.

A pretty cool strip mall

The Metro Train Station

They feed the birds everywhere!

About to see James!



 
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Trip 3: Day 1 Sunday

We finally made it after traveling 14 hours. This flight wasn't bad at all this time, as I'm sure we've become world travelers at this point! We stepped outside the airport, after locating our driver, to the usual smell of smoke, sounds of techno music, and sights of crazy drivers and high heels ;)
We sat in traffic forever, but finally made it to the hotel. I asked for an upgrade to a bigger room and got it!! We have a living area and a much bigger bathroom than last time. Whoohoo! Hey if you're going to be held up in a hotel room for a week with a 14 month old, who's week will most likely be a hard adjustment, then why not do it in style ;)
It's now 5 am Monday morning here, and we will get picked up at 1030 to go run errands before we head to the baby home. We have to go do some passport paperwork, get a cake gift for the baby home (a long tradition in this orphanage), the grocery store to get some stuff for James, then to the baby home!!! So hopefully by 1 or 2 we'll have him in our arms forever! Stay tuned for the next post....Today is James' Gotcha Day!!!!!!