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.