Saturday, May 27, 2006

Pictures from the Last Day at the Orphanage



The pictures are of Askar eating his last supper, last bathroom session on the bowls and the good-bye hugs from the children. He told me not to include him in the toilet time picture - lol - he was on the right side of the room. As you can see in the supper picture, he had a purple girl shirt on with little ruffles down the front as you can see in the picture. It's funny when they put girl clothes on him at times because his personality is 100% boy.

Friday, May 26, 2006

We Got Em'!!

Well, Askar is finally with us! After waiting all day yesterday and going to the orphanage a couple of times and to the Notary etc., we were able to take him out at about 6:30 last night. The caregivers and the kids had a last supper with Askar and then the caregiver had all the kids line up their chairs and sit down and watch as she dressed Askar in his new clothes that we brought him. The caregiver called each one up individually for them to give him a hug and it was the cutest thing I ever saw in my life. We all watched and I was crying because it was sad that he was leaving his friends, his caregivers (his Mama’s) and the only home he has ever known. When he was hugging one of them, his shorts fell down and we all started laughing, it was so funny.

SO, when we brought him outside into the car, he was screaming, crying and kicking yelling something in Russian and was pointing at the orphanage. We all got in with the interpreter and we were saying it’s ok, it’s ok, and don’t cry in Russian. The interpreter was saying things about being with his mama, papa, and sister and going to the home and it will be nice etc. but he was still crying and scared. He stopped after about 5 minutes which surprised us all and we gave him raisons. He cried a couple more times when we were driving when he thought about things but for the most part, he was a trooper.

SO, when we got him into the apartment, we played legos until we could tell he was tired. Haley and John went to bed and I just rocked him and held him while he just cried until he fell asleep. I got up and brought him to the bed and layed him down. I layed next to him and realized he was not sleeping. He was just laying there looking around the room, listening to the sounds and thinking and not moving. I kept the TV on with Russian music in the other room. He was adorable and so brave to do what he did. I thought of all the nights he must have layed in the crib alone having to figure out the sounds and where he was

Today, he is so happy and smiling. We are all playing with him and he is running around, eating and having fun. Right now he is laughing so much running around with Haley chasing him.

I’m not sure when we can go to Almaty but I’m thinking early next week.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Out of the Orphanage




This afternoon we'll be going to the Notary for something then we are going to take Askar out of the orphanage. Yesterday we got his birth certificate and some other adoption paperwork from a city office saying that we are his official parents. We visited him yesterday and today. He was so sweet yesterday. Today he was a little difficult when we got back inside the orphanage. I think he knows he's leaving because the caregivers keep telling him and I think he senses it is close. We're a little nervous too.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

We're Here!

(sorry no pictures-they are not uploading)
The airplane ride was brutal as usual. They didn’t have an apartment for us in Almaty as they did the last two times we were there so we waited in the airport 6 hours which was torture after traveling for so many hours (15 hrs. to Almaty and a 2 hr. layover in Germany, 6 hours wait in Almaty airport then a 2 hour flight to Ust) Haley stayed up for most of the trip and asked when are we getting there about a thousand times. We lost her Game Boy on the second plane and she was very upset about it in Germany. She had dark circles under her eyes but wouldn’t sleep until the last hour on the small plane to Ust-Kamenogorsk when she finally fell asleep. Our new driver Serge and interpreter Sveta were at the airport to meet us and they took us back to an apartment to drop off our luggage then we went to the orphanage. The apartment is not the same one as before but it is nice for the most part. This country is much prettier with the leaves on the trees and the grass.

SO, even though we were totally exhausted, we went to the orphanage after the airport to see Askar. I was worried about Haley and her lack of sleep but she really wanted to go and has been waiting for so long to meet him.

When we got to the orphanage, we found Askar behind the orphanage with the other kids and his caregiver. He had the cutest colorful hat on. He looked adorable. When he saw us, he smiled his big smile and walked to us. We picked him up and he was smiling and checking us out. He was then staring at my purse and was preoccupied with it. It wasn't the one I had last month that he knows always had the crackers and drink in it.

He seemed a bit detached from us but he was being good and not crying. I think it was overwhelming for him with all of us saying hi etc. Haley had the biggest smile and was so happy to see him. She kept saying he is so cute! he is so cute! look at his hands they are so small! hi Askar! Since he kept looking at my purse, I couldn't let him down so I opened it up and he saw the crackers and I said, are you looking for these? and he said Da! and he had a big smile on his face.

We have to get Askar back to where he was with us before we left. I’m not sure when we can take him out of the orphanage but it may be as early as tomorrow.