Finally!!! Moscow was quite an experience and I will post updates as soon as I can – right now I am just exhausted and ready to hit the bed (it's ~11:30PM here) but very happy to be with dad (Jason) and Zorro. We are all doing well and happy to be finally reunited as a family. Moscow adventures (or lack of) will be coming in the next day or so once we figure out which part of the world we are at!
One thing I have to say: “ Mom, dad, sis, I love you and miss you! Thank you for everything. Vanie is really lucky to have you as part of his family and misses you already. See you soon!"
"Momo, tate, Bobi, mnogo vi obicham i mi lipsvate! Vanie ne moje da povjarva che ima takova (ludo) semeistvo i veche my e muchno za vas! Do skoro!"
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Dec. 26th - Last night in Vladivostok
Not a good start today: Vanie woke up sick, no fever but he is coughing. Also, he was up at 6:30 today b/c he went to bed so early yesterday. Fortunately he ate normally and had two long naps. We got cough meds and nose drops delivered to the hotel and now the torture is on me to give to him. He threw a big tantrum when I tried the drops, threw his dinner bottle, cried for a while and didn’t want to finish dinner. I really hope he is better tomorrow.
Another big update today: he now stands up on his own without holding onto anything (once I make him) and freely walks a few steps towards me or the mirror or the laptop without falling down – no need of a wall. Isn’t that great!?! I really hope he is ready to walk by the time we get home. The funny part, if he hears music, he tries to dance/ shake while walking and ends up falling or walking sideways. It’s so funny. And I have to say that that mirror really distracts him. :-)
Another good thing: WE LEAVE FOR MOSCOW TOMORROW. Big YAY! I just can’t wait to leave this place. It was snowing all night and morning and we got about 4 additional inches but that seems to be it.
My parents and sis are on their way to Moscow as I type this and will be waiting there for us.
This will probably my last post for a while until I get back home as I don’t know if I will be able to post updates from Moscow.
I think I’ve handled being a mom pretty well so far but the big test will be tomorrow’s 9 ½ hours flight.
Ok, off to finish packing. Can’t wait to see my family and for everyone to meet our new addition.
Another big update today: he now stands up on his own without holding onto anything (once I make him) and freely walks a few steps towards me or the mirror or the laptop without falling down – no need of a wall. Isn’t that great!?! I really hope he is ready to walk by the time we get home. The funny part, if he hears music, he tries to dance/ shake while walking and ends up falling or walking sideways. It’s so funny. And I have to say that that mirror really distracts him. :-)
Another good thing: WE LEAVE FOR MOSCOW TOMORROW. Big YAY! I just can’t wait to leave this place. It was snowing all night and morning and we got about 4 additional inches but that seems to be it.
My parents and sis are on their way to Moscow as I type this and will be waiting there for us.
This will probably my last post for a while until I get back home as I don’t know if I will be able to post updates from Moscow.
I think I’ve handled being a mom pretty well so far but the big test will be tomorrow’s 9 ½ hours flight.
Ok, off to finish packing. Can’t wait to see my family and for everyone to meet our new addition.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Funnies from Tokyo
Before I go to the funnies, I have to say that our trip was great and we loved spending two days in Tokyo. Lovely, although quite a crowded city.
• We were in a big hotel but had a really TINY room, so small we could barley fit out luggage in it:
• The hotel must have been built by short people
This is Jason taking a pic of our mirror, you can't even see his shoulders
• The bathroom is so small I felt like Shaq in Bruce Willis’ bathroom from the “Fifth element”. I was waiting for the tub (which you can only sit in) to disappear and be replaced by a fridge like in the movie.
This is the sign on the bathroom door (click on pic to read it). Of course, I had to take a picture of it
• In the morning, Jason spent 45 minutes looking for a coffee shop. After realizing that NOTHING is open, someone told him that he can get hot coffee out of a vending machine….you can get pretty much everything out of a vending machine in this city: socks, shaving cream, floss, etc.
• Of course we ended up in one of the red light districts (or entertainment centers as called in our tour book). Let me tell you, I didn’t see that many girls but there were a lot of guys who looked liked girls
• We ate at one of the many restaurants and made the mistake to leave a tip. All I had to say is “run, run, run” and “read the guide book before you go in a different culture” The waiters were chasing us to give us the tip back. After 5 minutes of haggling we ended up leaving the money in their donation jar. I read afterwards that it is almost insulting to leave a tip.
I think that’s it, the rest of the trip was almost accidents free. We successfully used the subway and made it back to our hotel from a few destinations and I am greatful everyone spoke English there.
Next trip to Japan will be to climb mount Fuji.
• We were in a big hotel but had a really TINY room, so small we could barley fit out luggage in it:
• The hotel must have been built by short people
This is Jason taking a pic of our mirror, you can't even see his shoulders
• The bathroom is so small I felt like Shaq in Bruce Willis’ bathroom from the “Fifth element”. I was waiting for the tub (which you can only sit in) to disappear and be replaced by a fridge like in the movie.
This is the sign on the bathroom door (click on pic to read it). Of course, I had to take a picture of it
• In the morning, Jason spent 45 minutes looking for a coffee shop. After realizing that NOTHING is open, someone told him that he can get hot coffee out of a vending machine….you can get pretty much everything out of a vending machine in this city: socks, shaving cream, floss, etc.
• Of course we ended up in one of the red light districts (or entertainment centers as called in our tour book). Let me tell you, I didn’t see that many girls but there were a lot of guys who looked liked girls
• We ate at one of the many restaurants and made the mistake to leave a tip. All I had to say is “run, run, run” and “read the guide book before you go in a different culture” The waiters were chasing us to give us the tip back. After 5 minutes of haggling we ended up leaving the money in their donation jar. I read afterwards that it is almost insulting to leave a tip.
I think that’s it, the rest of the trip was almost accidents free. We successfully used the subway and made it back to our hotel from a few destinations and I am greatful everyone spoke English there.
Next trip to Japan will be to climb mount Fuji.
Dec 25th - Christmas Day
Not much to say about today except I am glad it’s over. Yes, it’s Christmas day but it doesn’t feel like it. Nothing festive here.
At lest I got to see my family, Jason & Zoro, Zivka & Mitch through Skype.
It was a long day. Vanie only had one 45 min nap and was ready to go to bed by 7:30 PM (which means being cranky since 6 PM). I put him is his crib (lots of crying, screaming and kicking) and he was asleep within 10 minutes – he must have been really tired from not doing much today. I hope he doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night.
We’ve been both sneezing here and there today so we better not be getting sick…
This place is starting go get to us (even the pool table isn't helping) and I am just glad we have only one more night here. I still have to find out from Anya when we leave but it should be in the morning of the 27th.
It started snowing again around 4PM and it’s supposed to continue through tomorrow. Lets hope we can fly out without any problems or delays.
Oh, development today: Vanie barely cried in the tub today and even tried to play with the water a little bit. Big step - it only took how many baths?!?! He is still not completely sold on the bathing idea but we are getting there.
My parents told me that out of all the holiday pita fortunes Vanie got the big one and mom and my sis got the small ones. They are leaving for Moscow tomorrow and I can’t wait to see them. It’s been 2 ½ yrs since I saw my mom and dad and over a year since I saw my sis.
At lest I got to see my family, Jason & Zoro, Zivka & Mitch through Skype.
It was a long day. Vanie only had one 45 min nap and was ready to go to bed by 7:30 PM (which means being cranky since 6 PM). I put him is his crib (lots of crying, screaming and kicking) and he was asleep within 10 minutes – he must have been really tired from not doing much today. I hope he doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night.
We’ve been both sneezing here and there today so we better not be getting sick…
This place is starting go get to us (even the pool table isn't helping) and I am just glad we have only one more night here. I still have to find out from Anya when we leave but it should be in the morning of the 27th.
It started snowing again around 4PM and it’s supposed to continue through tomorrow. Lets hope we can fly out without any problems or delays.
Oh, development today: Vanie barely cried in the tub today and even tried to play with the water a little bit. Big step - it only took how many baths?!?! He is still not completely sold on the bathing idea but we are getting there.
My parents told me that out of all the holiday pita fortunes Vanie got the big one and mom and my sis got the small ones. They are leaving for Moscow tomorrow and I can’t wait to see them. It’s been 2 ½ yrs since I saw my mom and dad and over a year since I saw my sis.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Family Pictures
We tried to take a few pictures of the 3 of us before Jason left last week and took the big camera with him. Here are a few of them:
Vanie with his dad
Vanie with his mom
The whole family - not easy to take a pic with a 1 yr old that can't sit still for a minute
Vanie with his dad
Vanie with his mom
The whole family - not easy to take a pic with a 1 yr old that can't sit still for a minute
Christmas Eve in Vladivostok
It doesn't feel like it and I miss Jason, Zorro and being home (and a few cocktails) but it's for a great reason and still the best Christmas ever.
My parents are making the traditional Bulgarian pita with fortunes tonight and there will be a fortune for Vanie this year – his first one. I wonder what he’ll get.
Best wishes to all our friends and families. We miss you and hope to be with you soon.
My parents are making the traditional Bulgarian pita with fortunes tonight and there will be a fortune for Vanie this year – his first one. I wonder what he’ll get.
Best wishes to all our friends and families. We miss you and hope to be with you soon.
Vanie’s Progress
Warning: LONG update
Updates from the last few days with the kid “home”.
Keep in mind that Vanie is almost 13 months but he’s spent the 1st 12 mmo's in the orphanage. It’s said that a child loses 1 mo of development for every 3 mo’s spent in an orphanage. I don’t think he is that behind. He strikes me as a 1 yr old with lots of energy and readiness to learn. He is a fighter (just missing the horse and sward) and not letting the “1 yr without parents” thing slow him down.
Sleeping: The perfect baby! Sleeps through the entire night (sometimes I have to wake him up in the AM) and usually has 2 naps during the day. Doesn’t like falling asleep but does so on his own.
The daily sleeping rituals: 1) All the toys get thrown out of the crib one by one (hoping someone will pick them up and go play with him). 2) The bed sheets are completely taken out and rolled into a ball somewhere in the bed. 3) When no toys are left, the knocking on the neighbor’s wall starts. We call is the “Free Nelson Mandela” riot. 4) Several attempts to pull the socks off his feet until he succeeds or gets bored. 5) Left thumb in sucking mode (supported by his right hand, in case that thumb decides to escape). 6) Some kind of singing follows (with the thumb in his mouth). 7) A crib corner is picked and the accidental falling asleep starts followed by laud snoring.
Eating: Loves to eat and usually does so 5 times a day. Still on formula 2x a day and prefers the bottle. The rest of the meals: purees, oatmeal and yogurt. Knows how to eat with a spoon but can’t feed himself and uses his fingers a lot. Since mom can’t handle the mess right now in the hotel, he eats everything out of a bottle and loves it. Loves sweet foods only and is not so big on the oatmeal and veggie purees (but will eat them when hungry) and absolutely dislikes soups or meat baby foods. We will have to work on upgrading to chunkier and not so sweet foods once we get home.
Drinking: The kid just doesn’t know or like to drink water. If he does, it has to be warm and with a bit of either sweet or formula flavor or he won’t drink it. Doesn’t know how to use the sippy cup yet.
Walking: Almost ready to walk. In the last week he has made progress from walking holding onto two fingers to holding onto one finger only to letting go off one wall and making up to 7 steps toward mom on his own. Sometimes it’s more like flying than walking. I have to confess: once I saw he is willing to let go off the wall (oh and it’s one specific wall in our room, not just any) I made him do it like a hundred time and didn’t let him go to bed until he got to the 5-7 steps. He seemed to like it and since I can’t potty train him yet I figured I can at least teach him how to walk.
Talking: didn’t say much once we got him but now he is up to the basic “mamama”, “bababa”, “dadada”, “nanana” and all kinds of monkey sounds that I don’t know the meaning of yet. No whole words yet.
Teeth: so far 4 upper and 2 lower front ones, no new ones since we saw him in October.
Bathing: hates the bathtub and water. He doesn’t even cry, he screams while in the tub and I am in with him… but we are making progress, it’s getting a little bit better every day. The screaming stops the minutes he steps on a towel outside of the tub. Becoming a surfer is sliding down on our sports list.
The Mirror and stroller story: so our kid loves the mirror. The problem is his stroller is in front of the mirror and he hates the stroller. So after 2 days not being able to see himself, he started pushing the stroller out to the bathroom and making room for himself in front of the mirror. If that doesn’t tell you he is smart, I don’t know what does. Ok, maybe not smart but practical. :-)
Favorite toys: there is nothing like the laptop, mom’s cell phone (so much better than the toy phone he has) and the remote control, the mirror, a small ball, colorful books and musical toys. Not sure who thought him but he LOVES to dance (baby style) to kids music or someone singing to him. He doesn’t do it to music on TV or radio so it seems to be kids songs for now. Not sure if he is going to be a singer, a musicion or a dancer… yet to find out.
Things he learned over the last few days: shaking his head left/ right and up/ down for ‘no’ and ‘yes’, chasing and playing with a small ball, doing a version of “high 5” with mom, clapping his hands, walking a few steps, pulling the laptop by its cables to get it closer to him, pushing the stroller out of the mirror’s way, taking his socks off, sticking his tongue out, making farting sounds with his mouths… and most probably other things I can’t think of right now.
Updates from the last few days with the kid “home”.
Keep in mind that Vanie is almost 13 months but he’s spent the 1st 12 mmo's in the orphanage. It’s said that a child loses 1 mo of development for every 3 mo’s spent in an orphanage. I don’t think he is that behind. He strikes me as a 1 yr old with lots of energy and readiness to learn. He is a fighter (just missing the horse and sward) and not letting the “1 yr without parents” thing slow him down.
Sleeping: The perfect baby! Sleeps through the entire night (sometimes I have to wake him up in the AM) and usually has 2 naps during the day. Doesn’t like falling asleep but does so on his own.
The daily sleeping rituals: 1) All the toys get thrown out of the crib one by one (hoping someone will pick them up and go play with him). 2) The bed sheets are completely taken out and rolled into a ball somewhere in the bed. 3) When no toys are left, the knocking on the neighbor’s wall starts. We call is the “Free Nelson Mandela” riot. 4) Several attempts to pull the socks off his feet until he succeeds or gets bored. 5) Left thumb in sucking mode (supported by his right hand, in case that thumb decides to escape). 6) Some kind of singing follows (with the thumb in his mouth). 7) A crib corner is picked and the accidental falling asleep starts followed by laud snoring.
Eating: Loves to eat and usually does so 5 times a day. Still on formula 2x a day and prefers the bottle. The rest of the meals: purees, oatmeal and yogurt. Knows how to eat with a spoon but can’t feed himself and uses his fingers a lot. Since mom can’t handle the mess right now in the hotel, he eats everything out of a bottle and loves it. Loves sweet foods only and is not so big on the oatmeal and veggie purees (but will eat them when hungry) and absolutely dislikes soups or meat baby foods. We will have to work on upgrading to chunkier and not so sweet foods once we get home.
Drinking: The kid just doesn’t know or like to drink water. If he does, it has to be warm and with a bit of either sweet or formula flavor or he won’t drink it. Doesn’t know how to use the sippy cup yet.
Walking: Almost ready to walk. In the last week he has made progress from walking holding onto two fingers to holding onto one finger only to letting go off one wall and making up to 7 steps toward mom on his own. Sometimes it’s more like flying than walking. I have to confess: once I saw he is willing to let go off the wall (oh and it’s one specific wall in our room, not just any) I made him do it like a hundred time and didn’t let him go to bed until he got to the 5-7 steps. He seemed to like it and since I can’t potty train him yet I figured I can at least teach him how to walk.
Talking: didn’t say much once we got him but now he is up to the basic “mamama”, “bababa”, “dadada”, “nanana” and all kinds of monkey sounds that I don’t know the meaning of yet. No whole words yet.
Teeth: so far 4 upper and 2 lower front ones, no new ones since we saw him in October.
Bathing: hates the bathtub and water. He doesn’t even cry, he screams while in the tub and I am in with him… but we are making progress, it’s getting a little bit better every day. The screaming stops the minutes he steps on a towel outside of the tub. Becoming a surfer is sliding down on our sports list.
The Mirror and stroller story: so our kid loves the mirror. The problem is his stroller is in front of the mirror and he hates the stroller. So after 2 days not being able to see himself, he started pushing the stroller out to the bathroom and making room for himself in front of the mirror. If that doesn’t tell you he is smart, I don’t know what does. Ok, maybe not smart but practical. :-)
Favorite toys: there is nothing like the laptop, mom’s cell phone (so much better than the toy phone he has) and the remote control, the mirror, a small ball, colorful books and musical toys. Not sure who thought him but he LOVES to dance (baby style) to kids music or someone singing to him. He doesn’t do it to music on TV or radio so it seems to be kids songs for now. Not sure if he is going to be a singer, a musicion or a dancer… yet to find out.
Things he learned over the last few days: shaking his head left/ right and up/ down for ‘no’ and ‘yes’, chasing and playing with a small ball, doing a version of “high 5” with mom, clapping his hands, walking a few steps, pulling the laptop by its cables to get it closer to him, pushing the stroller out of the mirror’s way, taking his socks off, sticking his tongue out, making farting sounds with his mouths… and most probably other things I can’t think of right now.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
We have a passport
Before I start, THANK YOU to everyone from work for all the nice notes about the blog and the photos. This truly is the best Christmas present Jason and I have ever had. You all are great and although I don’t miss work yet I miss all of you and the daily CBRE drama. :-)
And of course, THANK YOU to our families and close friends who have been supoprting us and checking on us while we are so far away from home.
Btw, my Xmas present is staring at me out of the corner of his crib, throwing me charming smiles and long lashes, hoping he will mesmerize me to the point where I take him out of the crib so he can continue to play (it’s bed time).
So here are today’s events:
--- The usual until 1:30 pm (getting up, eating, playing, napping, eating again …) then we left for town.
Let me tell you traffic here is pretty bad and the snow piles don’t make it easier. I felt like I was right back on the 405 just not going to work.
--- Got Vanie’s Russian passport. YAY! His picture is so funny, more of a “just got busted” look. We will get his US visa on the 28th in Moscow. I have to admit that the authorities here have been very friendly to us. No waiting anywhere as soon as they hear it’s for an adoption. In general, everyone and everything here has been amazing (let’s hope I don’t jinx it now). I also have to say that compared to other families with other agencies we have had an almost seemless process so far so I have to thank Diana, our agency director in the US, and Anya, our coordinator here in Vladivostok, for that.
--- Got sign off on his medicals for the US embassy. This is a funny story actually. Vanie was behaving until we got in. Once with the doctor, I had to undress him and he took out the pipes (not those Irish ones, more like Bulgarian gaida – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaida ) and didn't stop until i dressed him again. The exam was over in just a minute. Anya asked if we can weigh him as I really wanted to see how heavy our “cannon ball’ has gotten since we 1st saw him. The doc takes me to the next room, takes the baby scale out of cabinet, unpacks it, plugs it in and we wait…. well, the thing gave us green light but no readings. It seemed broken. The doc (elderly female) looked at me and Vanie, took him out of my hands and said: “About 10 kilograms, about 22 lbs.”, smiled and that was it. Ok, this is not how they weigh kids in Russia but I am sure I will hear comments about this one. Bring it on!!!
A few more days and we will go see a doctor in OC and then we will know if he is a small or big canon ball (I am exaggerating – he is not that heavy, just heavier than all the other kids here :-).
I think we are done with the city trips until we have to go to the airport. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I wish everyone a great family night. No special plans here, I think there will be a dinner event from the hotel for the families here and if so I will attend so Vanie and I are not alone.
Ok, off to finish a few things around “the house” since my Xmas present finally fell asleep.
And of course, THANK YOU to our families and close friends who have been supoprting us and checking on us while we are so far away from home.
Btw, my Xmas present is staring at me out of the corner of his crib, throwing me charming smiles and long lashes, hoping he will mesmerize me to the point where I take him out of the crib so he can continue to play (it’s bed time).
So here are today’s events:
--- The usual until 1:30 pm (getting up, eating, playing, napping, eating again …) then we left for town.
Let me tell you traffic here is pretty bad and the snow piles don’t make it easier. I felt like I was right back on the 405 just not going to work.
--- Got Vanie’s Russian passport. YAY! His picture is so funny, more of a “just got busted” look. We will get his US visa on the 28th in Moscow. I have to admit that the authorities here have been very friendly to us. No waiting anywhere as soon as they hear it’s for an adoption. In general, everyone and everything here has been amazing (let’s hope I don’t jinx it now). I also have to say that compared to other families with other agencies we have had an almost seemless process so far so I have to thank Diana, our agency director in the US, and Anya, our coordinator here in Vladivostok, for that.
--- Got sign off on his medicals for the US embassy. This is a funny story actually. Vanie was behaving until we got in. Once with the doctor, I had to undress him and he took out the pipes (not those Irish ones, more like Bulgarian gaida – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaida ) and didn't stop until i dressed him again. The exam was over in just a minute. Anya asked if we can weigh him as I really wanted to see how heavy our “cannon ball’ has gotten since we 1st saw him. The doc takes me to the next room, takes the baby scale out of cabinet, unpacks it, plugs it in and we wait…. well, the thing gave us green light but no readings. It seemed broken. The doc (elderly female) looked at me and Vanie, took him out of my hands and said: “About 10 kilograms, about 22 lbs.”, smiled and that was it. Ok, this is not how they weigh kids in Russia but I am sure I will hear comments about this one. Bring it on!!!
A few more days and we will go see a doctor in OC and then we will know if he is a small or big canon ball (I am exaggerating – he is not that heavy, just heavier than all the other kids here :-).
I think we are done with the city trips until we have to go to the airport. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I wish everyone a great family night. No special plans here, I think there will be a dinner event from the hotel for the families here and if so I will attend so Vanie and I are not alone.
Ok, off to finish a few things around “the house” since my Xmas present finally fell asleep.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Our new family member
Please welcome our newest family member Yvan Alexander, 12 months and 22 days old.
I saw his adoption certificate with my eyes today … with our names on it. We are officially his parents and he is our son. I wonder if he knows what he is getting himself into. hehehe
I will try to post some updates of what we have been up to (now that i can share HIS details with everyone) in the last few days and how we have made progress but now here are a few pictures of the little bandit,- and yes, he really is one.
Yvan Alexander Maznev (Vanie)
Vanie loves to eat - probably one of his favorite things to do.
And he loves to sleep and nap (sleeps 10-11 hrs through the night and then some during the day).
And he loves to play - very active little boy!
I saw his adoption certificate with my eyes today … with our names on it. We are officially his parents and he is our son. I wonder if he knows what he is getting himself into. hehehe
I will try to post some updates of what we have been up to (now that i can share HIS details with everyone) in the last few days and how we have made progress but now here are a few pictures of the little bandit,- and yes, he really is one.
Yvan Alexander Maznev (Vanie)
Vanie loves to eat - probably one of his favorite things to do.
And he loves to sleep and nap (sleeps 10-11 hrs through the night and then some during the day).
And he loves to play - very active little boy!
Got the passport picture done
Ok, not much got done today. We took his passport picture, not a very good one either b/c he had to pose for it and that’s just impossible when there are so many things to look at and touch and explore. Oh well, it's his Russian one. We'll get a better picture for the American and Bulgarian one.
We will be picked up tomorrow at 10 am to go get his picture, his birth certificate and his adoption certificate and then we go to apply for his passport.
Baby pictures will be posted right after we are back with the adoption certificate.
Another family here got their boy today (they didn’t get the 10 days wait period waived). You should have seen how happy they were to finally have him with them. It’s amazing what this place does for people like us.
We will be picked up tomorrow at 10 am to go get his picture, his birth certificate and his adoption certificate and then we go to apply for his passport.
Baby pictures will be posted right after we are back with the adoption certificate.
Another family here got their boy today (they didn’t get the 10 days wait period waived). You should have seen how happy they were to finally have him with them. It’s amazing what this place does for people like us.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Another day down...a whole week to go
Not much to share today. Jason made it home OK. Apparently, it was a long and bumpy flight. Jason never thinks any of our flights are bumpy (and I do) so it must have been really bad. He said that there were a lot of babies on the flight and all of them cried the entire time. Hehehe – that would be me and Vanie in a few days. Miss you, babe! Hope you had fun at the holiday party tonight.
Last day of wait - we get Vanie’s paperwork tomorrow and I can finally start sharing pictures and actual updates from our life as parents and as a family of four ( you’ll probably correct me to “family of three” but we can’t leave out Zorro). Oh, it did snow a little bit today.
On tomorrow’s agenda: get Vanie’s adoption papers and take Vanie’s passport picture.
Stay tuned, more action to come soon.
Last day of wait - we get Vanie’s paperwork tomorrow and I can finally start sharing pictures and actual updates from our life as parents and as a family of four ( you’ll probably correct me to “family of three” but we can’t leave out Zorro). Oh, it did snow a little bit today.
On tomorrow’s agenda: get Vanie’s adoption papers and take Vanie’s passport picture.
Stay tuned, more action to come soon.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
“Home Alone”
Ok, not really home and not really alone. There are a few families here and they are all great. Leanna and Scott even invited me for spaghetti dinner which was great. Thank you, Leanna. (Actually, I think there are a few more families here that I haven’t even seen or met so I only know 5 or 6 of them)
So Jason is officially gone. Anya picked him up around 1 PM today and drove him to the airport. He must be on the plane from Seoul to LA at this point. Have a safe trip, babe, love you and miss you already.
We attempted to take Vanie’s passport picture today and I can tell you it was a disaster. He cried and screamed during every attempt so Anya had to give up. We will try it one more time on Monday (last chance before applying for his passport).
Leanna’s little boy (6 ½ yrs old – I have to make sure I don’t forget the ½ - he points it out every time I say he is 6) kept me company for a while tonight until he got bored and there was nothing good on TV.
I will post pictures of the families we met there later on. Ok, half a day alone down, another 7 to go before we leave for Moscow and only 1 day until Vanie officially becomes our son.
So Jason is officially gone. Anya picked him up around 1 PM today and drove him to the airport. He must be on the plane from Seoul to LA at this point. Have a safe trip, babe, love you and miss you already.
We attempted to take Vanie’s passport picture today and I can tell you it was a disaster. He cried and screamed during every attempt so Anya had to give up. We will try it one more time on Monday (last chance before applying for his passport).
Leanna’s little boy (6 ½ yrs old – I have to make sure I don’t forget the ½ - he points it out every time I say he is 6) kept me company for a while tonight until he got bored and there was nothing good on TV.
I will post pictures of the families we met there later on. Ok, half a day alone down, another 7 to go before we leave for Moscow and only 1 day until Vanie officially becomes our son.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Why around the world
Here is my itinerary for this trip:
LA – Tokyo – Seoul – Vladivostok – Moscow – LA
360 degrees around the globe - the only way we can get home before NYE
LA – Tokyo – Seoul – Vladivostok – Moscow – LA
360 degrees around the globe - the only way we can get home before NYE
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Preparing mentally to be alone with Vanie
Not much to report from us except that Jason leaves on Saturday and Vanie and I will be alone here for Christmas. Our 1st Christmas as a family and we won’t be together. Well, I look at it this way – Jason is going home so our other “baby”, Zorro, won’t be alone for the holidays. The plan is all of us to be united for NYE. Plus, there is still tons to do at home before our new family member arrives and Jason will have to get it all done in the next 2 weeks.
The good part is Vanie will get to meet his grandparents and aunt in Moscow – even if for 3 nights only. We were hoping to go to Bulgaria for a week or so but it turns out that Vani will be a Russian citizen and will need a visa for BG which we can not get on time because of all the holidays so … my family is coming out to meet us in cold Moscow.
Anya will drive Jason to the airport tomorrow. His flight is around 3:40 PM. Also, we will be taking Vani’s passport picture that day so it’s ready to apply for his Russian passport on Monday once his adoption papers are released.
We will be busy after Sunday: getting the adoption papers, applying for his passport, getting his medical exam done for the US embassy (part of the immigration visa requirements) and who knows what else. I hope the week goes by fast and we get to leave for Moscow soon.
I will keep you posted.
The good part is Vanie will get to meet his grandparents and aunt in Moscow – even if for 3 nights only. We were hoping to go to Bulgaria for a week or so but it turns out that Vani will be a Russian citizen and will need a visa for BG which we can not get on time because of all the holidays so … my family is coming out to meet us in cold Moscow.
Anya will drive Jason to the airport tomorrow. His flight is around 3:40 PM. Also, we will be taking Vani’s passport picture that day so it’s ready to apply for his Russian passport on Monday once his adoption papers are released.
We will be busy after Sunday: getting the adoption papers, applying for his passport, getting his medical exam done for the US embassy (part of the immigration visa requirements) and who knows what else. I hope the week goes by fast and we get to leave for Moscow soon.
I will keep you posted.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Why Yvan Alexander
By the way, for those who don’t know, this is why we are naming him Yvan Alexander:
Yvan – named after my dad and also a Bulgarian Saint we had promised to named him after
Alexander – after Alexander Makedonski (Alexander the Great) who is Jason’s role model.
We figured this kid has been able to survive and strive for the 1st year of his life alone in the home (obviously with a lot of help from the caregivers and the doctors there) but he is a hero to us already and deserves a name of a hero.
We call him Vanie (pronounced same as a “bunny” with a “v”) and will leave it up to him to change it later on to whatever he likes. Maybe he will call himself Temujin!!! hehehehe
Yvan – named after my dad and also a Bulgarian Saint we had promised to named him after
Alexander – after Alexander Makedonski (Alexander the Great) who is Jason’s role model.
We figured this kid has been able to survive and strive for the 1st year of his life alone in the home (obviously with a lot of help from the caregivers and the doctors there) but he is a hero to us already and deserves a name of a hero.
We call him Vanie (pronounced same as a “bunny” with a “v”) and will leave it up to him to change it later on to whatever he likes. Maybe he will call himself Temujin!!! hehehehe
Day 8 in Vlad and day 5 from the ten day waiting period
Today is day 8 in Vlad and day 5 from the ten day waiting period. It’s so cold outside that our window is frozen shut and we can’t open it. Since there isn’t much I can share about our boy, I will post some updates from the 1st few days here and our court date.
Thursday - 12/10/09 – Trip to see our little boy
We drove out to Partizansk to see our little boy before court which is in a day. We arrived just for nap time so they had to wake him up. We had to wear masks because of the flu epidemic. The poor little guy didn’t recognize us and cried at first (not to mention that he lost his nap because of us). He seems the same except he has a bit longer and curlier hair towards the back of his head. Jason thinks he looks like a Russian soccer player. We stay for a just an hour and head back to Vladivostok.
The drive back took us 4 hours on the icy roads and we saw at least 2 completely overturned cars. We stopped to help but the people seemed ok and had already called for help.
By the day the road rules here are the same or similar as the ones in the US but everyone drives Japanese cars so the driver seats are on the opposite side (right vs. left) and it’s all weird. Also, most of the cars here have TVs and DVD players where the GPS is supposed to be so everyone is watching TV while driving….no worries, we made it back to the hotel without an accident.
When we came back, we go to a “party” for all adoptive families here at the hotel. The party is hosted by John Simmons, a man who has adopted 5 children (after having 3biological ones), 4 of the kids are from this region. He is visiting (he does so every year) and wanted to get all the families together.
We stay for a little bit to meet everyone and off we are to prepare for tomorrow.
We have some online homework to do based on what other families were asked during court. There is one family here that had issues and actually had to go back to court a second time a few days later before they were given parental rights for their boy.
Friday - 12/11/09 – Court Date
For some reason I was extremely nervous. I felt like I have a big test. Court was at 2 PM but we were picked up at 11 AM in case there are issues with the snow and roads. We had a different judge than the one Marcy and Doug had so she we were hoping she would be nicer to us…anyway, I looked up all possible addresses of Russian consulates in California and the US and info about the post placement process and reports so we are prepared for any questions.
The driver was on time. Jason and I were all dressed up and ready for court.
We got there early and were picked up by Anya (our coordinator) and her little girl Sasha. Anya had to run a few errands and off we go. The social worker met us there. Irina, Anya’s ex mother-in-law will be our translator.
Here’s who is expected to be in the court room: Jason, I, translator, social worker, court note taker, prosecutor and the judge.
We are asked to wait in the court room and soon the judge and prosecutor got in… here we go… and I am even more nervous than before… I was asking myself if it’s possible to fail, we both want this so much that it can’t be possible to fail…..
Both, judge and prosecutor actually seem to be very nice and reasonable. Yes, they asked a lot of questions but it’s all good. They both looked through the album we had prepared with pictures from the 1st trip, our home, us, Zorro and our families. I saw a few smiles when they looked at some of the pictures.
After 45 minutes of “grilling” we are told that the judge is ready to make a decision, we were asked to step out for a few minutes and to wait until we are called back inside.
It’s funny, Jason was asked a few questions only but I was asked a lot of questions: Is this my first marriage? Why a boy? Why not adopt from Bulgaria? Who would watch the kid after I go back to work? When will he go to daycare and why then? Is the house ready for him? What did I do in Germany? Was I there with the whole family? Did we try to immigrate? Why didn’t we stay there? Do I know where the closest Russian embassy is in California? Do you think your dog will be jealous of the baby? How are our families feeling about the adoption? Are they openly talking about it? What sports will he be enrolled in? Overall, a lot of questions but none of them were ill intended…I feel like we passed and I think we both handled all the questions well. They grilled the social worker a lot as well: mainly questions about the kid, his family, mother, her other children, have they tried to find a Russian family for him first and so on.
We were called back in and the judge reads her conclusion – SHE FINDS US FIT TO BE PARENTS AND GIVES US THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OUR BOY’S NAME TO YVAN ALEXANDER MAZNEV (how can you not… we are even giving him a very Russian, well Slavic, name).
I can’t tell you how excited and relieved I was. Jason handled it much better than me. I am not sure I cried when I heard her say that “in 10 days we will be parents! Good Luck!” I did have tears in my eyes when I was done answering my questions – I think it was because I knew that my answers satisfied the judge.
Now the waiting starts….
Thursday - 12/10/09 – Trip to see our little boy
We drove out to Partizansk to see our little boy before court which is in a day. We arrived just for nap time so they had to wake him up. We had to wear masks because of the flu epidemic. The poor little guy didn’t recognize us and cried at first (not to mention that he lost his nap because of us). He seems the same except he has a bit longer and curlier hair towards the back of his head. Jason thinks he looks like a Russian soccer player. We stay for a just an hour and head back to Vladivostok.
The drive back took us 4 hours on the icy roads and we saw at least 2 completely overturned cars. We stopped to help but the people seemed ok and had already called for help.
By the day the road rules here are the same or similar as the ones in the US but everyone drives Japanese cars so the driver seats are on the opposite side (right vs. left) and it’s all weird. Also, most of the cars here have TVs and DVD players where the GPS is supposed to be so everyone is watching TV while driving….no worries, we made it back to the hotel without an accident.
When we came back, we go to a “party” for all adoptive families here at the hotel. The party is hosted by John Simmons, a man who has adopted 5 children (after having 3biological ones), 4 of the kids are from this region. He is visiting (he does so every year) and wanted to get all the families together.
We stay for a little bit to meet everyone and off we are to prepare for tomorrow.
We have some online homework to do based on what other families were asked during court. There is one family here that had issues and actually had to go back to court a second time a few days later before they were given parental rights for their boy.
Friday - 12/11/09 – Court Date
For some reason I was extremely nervous. I felt like I have a big test. Court was at 2 PM but we were picked up at 11 AM in case there are issues with the snow and roads. We had a different judge than the one Marcy and Doug had so she we were hoping she would be nicer to us…anyway, I looked up all possible addresses of Russian consulates in California and the US and info about the post placement process and reports so we are prepared for any questions.
The driver was on time. Jason and I were all dressed up and ready for court.
We got there early and were picked up by Anya (our coordinator) and her little girl Sasha. Anya had to run a few errands and off we go. The social worker met us there. Irina, Anya’s ex mother-in-law will be our translator.
Here’s who is expected to be in the court room: Jason, I, translator, social worker, court note taker, prosecutor and the judge.
We are asked to wait in the court room and soon the judge and prosecutor got in… here we go… and I am even more nervous than before… I was asking myself if it’s possible to fail, we both want this so much that it can’t be possible to fail…..
Both, judge and prosecutor actually seem to be very nice and reasonable. Yes, they asked a lot of questions but it’s all good. They both looked through the album we had prepared with pictures from the 1st trip, our home, us, Zorro and our families. I saw a few smiles when they looked at some of the pictures.
After 45 minutes of “grilling” we are told that the judge is ready to make a decision, we were asked to step out for a few minutes and to wait until we are called back inside.
It’s funny, Jason was asked a few questions only but I was asked a lot of questions: Is this my first marriage? Why a boy? Why not adopt from Bulgaria? Who would watch the kid after I go back to work? When will he go to daycare and why then? Is the house ready for him? What did I do in Germany? Was I there with the whole family? Did we try to immigrate? Why didn’t we stay there? Do I know where the closest Russian embassy is in California? Do you think your dog will be jealous of the baby? How are our families feeling about the adoption? Are they openly talking about it? What sports will he be enrolled in? Overall, a lot of questions but none of them were ill intended…I feel like we passed and I think we both handled all the questions well. They grilled the social worker a lot as well: mainly questions about the kid, his family, mother, her other children, have they tried to find a Russian family for him first and so on.
We were called back in and the judge reads her conclusion – SHE FINDS US FIT TO BE PARENTS AND GIVES US THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OUR BOY’S NAME TO YVAN ALEXANDER MAZNEV (how can you not… we are even giving him a very Russian, well Slavic, name).
I can’t tell you how excited and relieved I was. Jason handled it much better than me. I am not sure I cried when I heard her say that “in 10 days we will be parents! Good Luck!” I did have tears in my eyes when I was done answering my questions – I think it was because I knew that my answers satisfied the judge.
Now the waiting starts….
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Laguna Beach in Vladivostok
Believe it or not but the local beach is called "Laguna" or to make is easy for everyone one - Laguna Beach :-)
Day 7 in Vladivostok
Here is a picture from the local beach. Mind that the Japan Sea is frozen so people are just walking to the closest island which is about 40 min's from the beach. Quite a few people enjoying ice fishing...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Introduction
In case you don’t know much about us here is our life story (in short) and what happened in the last few months…
Jason (40) and I, Teodora (31) were both born and raised in Bulgaria. We met in Boston, MA in 1997 through friends ….12 years later, we have been together for good 11 years and married 8 ½ years.
We now live in beautiful OC, California with our (adopted) crazy Jack Russell Terrier, Zorro, who has been our baby for the last 6 years or so. Zorro is about 8 years old.
After a few years of trying to have a baby, numerous IVFs, egg donations (thanks to my baby sister wh0 I love so much), surrogacy (another crazy foreign chapter of our lives for another time) and what not, our crazy Russian adoption begins…..
We had the 1st trip to Vladivostok to see our referral (10 month old boy – Oleg) in early October.
We spend almost 2 full days with him and fell in love with the little charming boy. Now we are back in Vladivostok to get him! Who cares about the 7 feet of snow outside the hotel, which by the way seems to be in the middle of nowhere (it probably isn’t but that’s how it feels to me)!
I can’t say much about the adoption until out 10 days waiting period is over which is when we get the official adoption papers but I will say that court went well and we are officially the proud parents of a beautiful 1 year old boy.
While waiting for the 10 days to be over, I can at least share some thoughts about our trip to Vladivostok.
Maybe I will do so in the next few days…
Anyway, I should explain the name of the blog, “Little Temujin”. Our little one is not the typical blue eyed and blond Russian kid. Actually, he has big brown eyes, long lashes and brown (seems curly) hair. He is definitely mixed but we are not sure what races. So, in absence of a true family tree, we decided that he is a distant relative to the legendary Genghis Khan (whose original name was Temujin). (Thanks, Mitch!!!)
Our little Temujin, who we have named Yvan Alexander, has spend the 1st year of his life in the orphanage/ baby hospital of Partizansk which is about 3 hours north-east of Vladivostok (through the mountains) and is about to embark his journey to California with his new parents (us).
Jason (40) and I, Teodora (31) were both born and raised in Bulgaria. We met in Boston, MA in 1997 through friends ….12 years later, we have been together for good 11 years and married 8 ½ years.
We now live in beautiful OC, California with our (adopted) crazy Jack Russell Terrier, Zorro, who has been our baby for the last 6 years or so. Zorro is about 8 years old.
After a few years of trying to have a baby, numerous IVFs, egg donations (thanks to my baby sister wh0 I love so much), surrogacy (another crazy foreign chapter of our lives for another time) and what not, our crazy Russian adoption begins…..
We had the 1st trip to Vladivostok to see our referral (10 month old boy – Oleg) in early October.
We spend almost 2 full days with him and fell in love with the little charming boy. Now we are back in Vladivostok to get him! Who cares about the 7 feet of snow outside the hotel, which by the way seems to be in the middle of nowhere (it probably isn’t but that’s how it feels to me)!
I can’t say much about the adoption until out 10 days waiting period is over which is when we get the official adoption papers but I will say that court went well and we are officially the proud parents of a beautiful 1 year old boy.
While waiting for the 10 days to be over, I can at least share some thoughts about our trip to Vladivostok.
Maybe I will do so in the next few days…
Anyway, I should explain the name of the blog, “Little Temujin”. Our little one is not the typical blue eyed and blond Russian kid. Actually, he has big brown eyes, long lashes and brown (seems curly) hair. He is definitely mixed but we are not sure what races. So, in absence of a true family tree, we decided that he is a distant relative to the legendary Genghis Khan (whose original name was Temujin). (Thanks, Mitch!!!)
Our little Temujin, who we have named Yvan Alexander, has spend the 1st year of his life in the orphanage/ baby hospital of Partizansk which is about 3 hours north-east of Vladivostok (through the mountains) and is about to embark his journey to California with his new parents (us).
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