Ontario

Holy moly, it's been a while since I posted but we've been super busy.   Mike is in and out to sea and it makes life that bit more difficult.   Dania and I did just go to Ontario and had a wonderful time.  We had a hell of a ride there though.  Delayed 5 hours so that we landed after 10 pm when we were supposed to land at 5.  I had planned it so she would hopefully nap on the plane and then be in a good mood when we got to Gramma's house.  Nope!  She didn't get to bed (without nap) until what would have been 1:30 am AST.  We both crashed hard that first night.

She played in the snow with Aunt Kitty, went to the butterfly conservatory, let me catch up with great friends and played with their kids, saw all of her great-grandparents on my side of the family, jumped a lot on a trampoline, and had a 3rd birthday party!  I'm so glad I did do it there because Mike now won't be here on a weekend when I would have a party at home and therefore, I don't want to!   Too much work for just me!  She had a rocking good time at the early birthday party though!  She had tonnes of cousins to run around with, pizza, a Frozen DQ cake, and lots of people fawning all over her.  I loved it too because I got to see so many people and have a huge catch-up/show off period.  Dania sang Happy Birthday to herself with everyone, blew out the candle (twas not possible last year!), and entertained people by singing Let it Go.

She's not going to remember the birthday anyway... but we have lots of people who will!   It was also a party that was a breeding ground for germs.  A whole bunch of us got sick, starting with 1 person vomiting at the end of the night (you know it's a good party when...) and the result has been sick days from work, rescheduled appointments, and me and Dania sitting around like lumps on a log not wanting to move much.  We just eat a lot of oatmeal.   She seems to be getting a bit of her energy back today though.  I am still fatigued and it's in my throat and chest now but it keeps moving around so I'm hoping it will move on soon!  I just realized that this is my first big sickness since she's been with us.  I am now synonymous with the Nyquil/Dayquil commercial parents...  guh.

Good thing she's been singing along to songs a lot more and singing them on her own so that she keeps me entertained!

Home, Sweet Home

I only just realized that our recent trip to Ontario had us flying back to Halifax on the exact day, but one year later, that we landed in Halifax with Dania.  I remember bringing her home that night and giving her a bath and putting her to bed and checking on her a few times (before crashing so hard that I didn't hear her cry in the night!).  This time it was Dania who had the wonderful feeling of coming home because she understands what a home is now.  It provides comfort for her!  She even says now, "me, home!" and nods her head enthusiastically.  If I hadn't been so tired at the airport, I probably would have been a bit more nostalgic and emotional!  Ha!

The travelling was fine other than having too much stuff and not enough arms since Dania's aren't going to carry anything!  She was not shy around Aunty Kitty and Grandpa when she saw them right away and even performed all her wacky dance moves for their entertainment.  She went down to sleep okay (I do not think she ever slept really deep because she was always very tuckered out from all the excitement and has been sleeping 12+ hours a night here AND 2+ hour naps in the afternoons).   In the morning, she wasn't shy around Gramma either and made herself right at home.  She even surprised me by walking around the next day asking, "where Meeko?"  She had already adjusted to a different dog and learned to say his name!  We went to the beach with Grampa and visited her Great Grandparents and then headed North to my favourite place - the cottage.

Uncle Fil was an excellent driver and I will never be able to thank him, Kitty, and Mum enough for the constant availability of a car for us (and for the delicious lunches and dinners!  I dreamed about those burritos and will totally make her next grilled cheese like the lumberjack).  We hit the rock in the early evening and she grasped the fact that she needed to wear a life jacket in order to be by the water in a timely manner.  She LOVED the boat ride over to the cottage and throwing rocks into the lake!

But she did not love the water!  I thought for sure she would be fine but I think it was the fact that she couldn't touch or see the bottom that frightened her because she didn't even like it when Katie or I jumped in.  She actually refused to say 'go' for us to run and jump.  She completely tensed up if we put her in unexpectedly and just cried when she was expecting it.  I did make her go in everyday though.  Floated around with her to different things and tried to make it happy but didn't push it for more than 10 minutes each day.  She was quite content to sit in the boat and watch us.  She also gets cold so flipping fast!  I mean, c'mon, her limbs are as thick as bananas!

We did discover the game 'where's Elmo?' at the cottage and we would hide him all over the place and she learned to look up and down and in all kinds of different spots... also to follow some verbal clues if she was struggling.  It was hilarious to watch her and she played it for hours each day and got progressively MORE excited each time she found him.   She slept pretty good up North.  Everyone does though.  It's the air - it makes you sleepy.

After the cottage trip, we just stayed at my childhood home and visited people and places within the city.  I would have loved to venture further to visit more people but I knew that with her it would be harder.  I also didn't want to over 'schedule' us and wear myself out too.  I will never have enough time with 2 weeks to see all the awesome people back home!  We did travel to Mississauga and have a lovely dinner on a yacht - I felt fancy there!  It was pretty and sounded so nice when you were in the downstairs of the yacht (yes, downstairs; there were 3 floors) and the water lapped at the sides making nice ambient noise.  Dania liked this boat too.  I'm pretty sure she wanted to jump off (even though you couldn't see the bottom... I don't think she registered that and just saw the water!).  It was something different and enjoyable and I can't wait to brag to Mike!

We went swimming at the Gretzky Centre with GG Miklos, went to friends' homes and met two gorgeous new little boys and played with their older siblings, impressed people with her gymnastic skills, ate a lot of chicken wings, started saying all kinds of new words (she said 'Howie' after seeing a grey striped cat!  I was so touched that she clearly missed her kitty!), went to the zoo and kissed a lot of animals and reptiles!

Seriously, the woman from Ray's Reptiles wanted to keep Dania as part of the show!

We got lost in Brantford because so many intersections have changed, hesitated to hug people goodbye but never to kiss people goodbye, ate blizzards on Children's Wish day, and discovered the greatest place on Earth:  A splash pad.

Water shooting in my face from a million different angles?  Yes, please!

My favourite part of this trip home was seeing how much she remembered from the last one - which was baffling to me.  She went there 2 months after landing in Canada and wasn't understanding English fully yet, hadn't really laughed until that trip (C and K were the laugh-riot trigger!) but still remembered where the 1 toy at my Nana and Papa's place was or the mini-trampoline and how she used it before she could even jump!

Other fun developments that have happened since this trip include her playing the crowd now (she changes the tone of her voice and everything), SINGING!, and starting to recognize emotions.  Man, she really is adorable...especially when singing... I just have to say...

Now that we are home (which included a crash lawn mow, unpack, laundry, weeding, and grocery shop) she is starting to get into her clingy mode because Daddy isn't here... He called the other night, completely unexpected, and she was so confused because she is so used to Skype that she kept looking for him but couldn't see him and only sat there and said "Ga-Ga" (her Da-Da since she started that before the cleft repair).   It was funny.   He actually called twice and I have to say that I probably sounded like that drunk girl at a party because I was so rapid-fire full of stories of all she has done and interspersed with sappy "I love you's" that I'm sure I could have been an SNL character.

Now that we are back though, I have checked the status of her citizenship package and am happy to say that it is being processed (now, that could mean processed and then sent back because of an error or processed because it is good) so, it is at least there in the correct facility.   I have also called the ophthalmologist since it has been over 3 months since we were referred to the Kids' Hospital eye doctors... the receptionist told me that her file shows the referral and that this clinic has a habit of only contacting you a month before your appointment.  I figured something had been misplaced because I'm used to having a call with the appointment date being eons away.   So, those are my serious sides of Dania tasks and they have been done.  Now?  Back to chalk drawings of Elmo, great books, and somersaults on the lawn!

Ontario Trip

We were a little apprehensive about the plane ride since the last one was such a trial... but she was perfect!  What a peach that charmed everyone and now waves 'hi' and 'bye' almost all of the time (we practiced with people coming on and off the plane.  When we landed in Ontario she was clingy towards me... she had never been like that.  I think she was nervous about the change in environment and wanted to make sure I was not going anywhere - melt my heart!  She is completely attached to us and that is the evidence right there.  By the next morning, though, I think she had remembered Aunt Kitty and Uncle Fil (they were the most recent visitors), it took her a bit longer with gramma and grampa.  Just like we did when she first came here, we took it easy with introduction and tried not to do more than one face a day.  There were two parties though, and at those she was a complete charmer again. 

The first party was my cousin J's wedding.  She was quiet at first and then discovered the wall of mirrors!  She walked around with my cousin C's kids and they watched over her and Dania was great.  She didn't get a full length nap that afternoon so she was a little cranky at the restaurant after the ceremony but, all in all, the day was a success!  And she looked darn cute too!

We went to the aquarium in Toronto too.  AMAZING!  It opened the day we arrived in Ontario so it was still VERY new and just a stellar place to visit!  She loved it too.  She likes water so we had a feeling she would the view.  She liked when the sharks swam over top of her.  She was a little hesitant about the glass floors, clearly they were confusing her because they were see through but she wasn't falling in... It was enjoyable for us to watch her mind work.

On this trip she developed so many new habits.  She now goes crazy before bed every night.  It was a once in a while event before, but now she loooves to make herself dizzy and run around from person to person.  She also is more melodic with her talking.  She still isn't saying words but she sounds more like she is having a conversation for sure!  She also is a lot more approachable to people.  She always was easy going with new faces, thanks to the orphanage, but she is a lot more immediately interactive.  She still initial breaks the ice by pointing out her eye, but a visit with O and M had her nodding and waiting for them to mimic her.  She nods, shrugs, tilts her head in a creepy-twins-from-The-Shining manner, head rolls, and will all out laugh now!  She has somersaulted on her own, likes to be startled, and play peek-a-boo!

Dania met and had dinner with her 4 great-grandparents that live in Brantford.  Papa Jim was waiting when the elevator doors opened and yelled down the hall to Nana, "told you I was going to meet her first!"  It was wonderful.  He also declared he was going to hold her first and kind of sent Nana to get her something so he could sit in the chair with Dania!  At her other great-grandparents' it was cute to see Dania sit in the same little rocking chair that I remember sitting in when I was little, as did my mum and gramma!  Perfect! 

To end the whole visit with a bang we had a meet and greet planned and the entire world came to visit!  She looked amazing again... in a unicorn dress, no less!  I loved unicorns as a kid so I HAD to buy this dress when I saw it!

  

Even with 55 people in the room, Dania was not shy!  She actually reached from person to person and went looking for the food she liked best (pretzels) and would let herself be picked up to converse with all of the strangers.  I keep saying it, but it means the world to me how many friends and family came to see Dania and the generosity from everyone!  It was an amazing evening and hear and see Dania giggle and laugh so much now made all the pre-trip apprehensions worth it!  

 

We are back to reality now and will be starting with the doctors again on Monday!  Phew!  What an adventure.  And the plane ride back?  It was great.  She was the best behaved kid on the plane, so much so that she actually started mimicking one other girl who was crying - it sounded like she was making fun of her!  Eeesh.  Had to try and stop that!  She didn't get to nap and was cranky and out of sorts when she went down to bed but she was just fine after a good sleep-in!

I have also just noticed that a lot of her 3-6  month clothes don't fit now!  Yeah!!!!  She's growing!  I love this kid!  She makes me laugh soooo much!

 

For Impatient Sisters...

I only have one!!!  She says I need to stop loafing around and blog already!

Laziness or jet lag... you tell HER after reading this.

I am still tired. guh.  But oh, so, happy.  I KNOW this was the right decision because to me it feels like she has been here always.  I emphasize the knowing because I started to question this decision after the court hearing.  Not because it was now final, but because the prosecutor asked if we would regret this decision because we were so young and could feel in five years that this high needs child would be a mistake.  I had no doubts going into it but you can bet your sweet bottoms that I started to at that point.

Then, at the airport in Toronto, Dad says to me that he could tell I was a great mom for her already.  Done with the questioning.  After day one and how well she has fit here, done with the worrying (well, the worries about this being the right decision...)!  It seriously feels to me that she has been here for her whole life so far.  Other than her not understanding us and us not knowing so many little things about her likes and dislikes, because they are already established, we have slipped back into Canada with no hiccups. 

We woke up around 5 am yesterday morning (Moscow time), traveled to the airport, went through passport control with no problems, and got on the plane.  I never again want to do that long plane ride with a child who is so unfamiliar with change.  She was so overstimulated and cranky and seriously did not sleep longer than 1 hour and 15 minutes, not in one stint, and I just felt so bad for how cranky and exhausted and upset she was getting on the plane.  Her cries were easy to muffle so I didn't give a care about the surrounding people, and she's not large enough to hit the seat in front so that wasn't an issue either.  We were all tired when we landed in Toronto.

I started crying as soon as the wheels hit the runway upon landing.  I didn't expect too... thought I was too tired.  But I looked at Dania and said 'you are home'.  I looked at Mike and we were both grinning.  Customs was a breeze, the immigration officer we had was so nice and excited for us, it was just a smooth procedure. 

I was then excited to see the family!  Yeah!  Mum was there first and then Dad, and then my sister and cousin.  It was great.  Dania was tired but she was so watchful.  As soon as we sat down she was all cute and flirty and kissing people and fist bumping and being her great self.

The same could have been said for Halifax if it hadn't been 7 hours later and she was Extremely exhausted.  She did give them a few fist bumps and smiles, but she hit the car seat and fell asleep within ten minutes.  She woke up and was excited to see the bathtub, and then was out like a light as soon as she was lowered into the crib.  She didn't even move and she is normally traveling all over the crib while she sleeps!  She slept 8 hours still and didn't have a massive freakout when she woke in a different place... it must feel right to her too.

She has spent the day puttering around here, meeting a few new faces, but mostly finding her places in the house and still being her cute self, of course.  She definitely knows Mike and me and smiles huge when she sees one of us.  I love that.  She also is really comfortable and relaxed being put into all these new rooms and fixtures around the house.  It will be fun to find out what food she likes (steak, we found out tonight) and to get her routine here now that she can have more room to run around and a yard to play in!  And friends that don't spend every minute of the day with you! LOL!

Other than the crying baby on the plane (mine, if there was any misunderstanding about how upset she was) the whole trip went smoother than any other.  In 6 - 8 weeks her permanent resident card will be here and we can start her official immigration process!

 

her one 45 minute long stretch of sleep on the plane

 her performing for everyone at the toronto airport

 

her asleep at the end of her 22 hour long day!

Meanwhile, in Moscow...

The internet has been out so I am posting all days I was MIA all at once, while I sip a coffee in the Dunkin' Donuts across the street and scam on their wifi!

Sunday.

She slept 9 hours! I know I keep mistakenly thinking in newborn terms for things, like she should be up several times a night, but she's new to me so you can see where I blur the lines. It was a quick morning of walking practice before she crawled into the bedroom, threw Boublik into the crib, and pointed at me to be lifted up. Just like that, nap for three hours! Not only do I believe she never slept enough, but I KNOW she never ate enough. We are discovering with her that she does feel full really quickly because of air intake with her food, so we will be giving her smaller meals at quicker intervals instead of packing as much in before she starts to cry a la the orphanage. She will get fussy if it is packing into her nasal passages and refuse to eat more. This will also cause her to sneeze more and then it is like the play d'oh factory... yikes!

After lunch, we walked the old Arbat pedestrian area with D and S and G. I think they liked seeing each other again! Both girls looked happy. Dania was in the carrier with Mike and was doing really well until she just got too hot and sweaty being against him. We all sat down and had a drink or two and then went home for naps.


After nap and dinner she was more than excited to have her bath as she kept crawling into the bathroom every chance she got! She always goes to bed easy, I think she is used to being put in the crib and left. She will warm up to the cuddles, I hope! I was sitting and listening to her talk to herself for an hour and a half before going to sleep. She just loves it. I'm willing to bet it is a first for her as she has never slept alone like this before! All of a sudden she can imagine whatever and as squeelingly happily as she wants without disturbing anyone or being disturbed!!!

Monday.
207 days to the Olympics as per the big countdown in the city center!

It cooled down with the rain and thunder last night so we decided to go for along trek right after breakfast. Mike wanted to don the carrier again and we bundled her up a bit more so she was toasty but not sweaty. We took her to some of the famous spots, the Kremlin wall, the Red Square, St. Basil's, the Bolshoi Theatre, so she can know she visited her homeland's capital's hot spots. She fell asleep right after the cathedral and just slept against Mike until we stopped to eat. What a cutie. After lunch we went to Alexander's Garden, the place with all the water fountains and pretty flowers from our first trip here. I figured she'd like the fountains since she loves the tub. Did she ever! Loved them so much we had to leave because we wouldn't let her go in them or drink from them!

After lunch and naps, all around, we did a lot of walking practice. She is getting sooooo much sturdier. We are both very impressed. She was also a bit more independent today with the food...just a bit though, she fed herself some pieces of grilled cheese, Mike did more though. Later on she fed herself all of the banana and apple we cut up; she was getting delightfully frustrated with the slimey banana. Then at dinner she did a few bits of chicken and wanted the rest fed to her. She did pick up the empty spoon and put it in her mouth a few times though. I don't think she's ever had to hold a spoon! We are also really trying to encourage her independent drinking. It is at the point now where she will pick the water up off the table and hand it to us if she wants some. When playing, she has actually done it a few times on her own. Lots and lots of changes and she is adapting well.

After another fun bath we had her into bed and cooing to herself without problem. Music to my ears. She just sounds so happy playing with her reflection and the Boublik stuffy. We've actually heard it talk a few times without us squeezing it but we don't think she has figured a consistent way to activate it on her own, just luck. She loves him though! Mmmm, I'm going to sleep with the smell Johnson & Johnson in my nose and her coos ringing in my ears! I love it!

Tuesday.
This whole no internet thing really sucks, especially when waiting to hear if you have to change your flights and find accommodations! We won't have to, by the way. Fantastic relief. The visas should have been finished today and O will take them to the consulate tomorrow.

I am sick. I don't know if I caught it from Dani's cold or if I just had a lucky draw. I woke up in the night feeling like I was swallowing glass. Blah. I tried to shake it off with a walk while she was napping but no luck. I was useless today.

We have been working hard on the walking and I am proud (but nowhere near as proud as Dani) to say she IS walking! She isn't just back and forth between me and Mike, now she can get up and go on her own, steady herself, and kind of steer. We just need to work on turning on the spot. Four days was all it took for her to get that she can do it on her own.

She is also getting more comfortable with eating herself. She still prefers to be fed but we try to only do that with soup, yogurt, porridge. Loves bananas and banana yogurt.

She even likes getting her teeth brushed! The only thing she hates is us wiping her nose or mouth. She also loves making the 'h' sound. She will do it while she walks now. Kind of sounds like a dog panting...

Wednesday
She slept ten hours and I'm fairly certain she was sore from all the walking and getting up from a squat position. We decided to take her to the Moscow zoo. She slept. We enjoyed the nice day and Mike revelled in the fact that Dania slept on him for an hour. She did get a chance to mimic then parrots who were louder than a dump truck in a nitro glycerin plant (reference anyone?).

When we got home and ate she immediately began being upset and we could tell it was the belly. Pore girl. It didn't get better until after dinner and her relief was akin to a state of elated drunkeness. She couldn't walk straight and was extra goofy until the fingers went to the mouth. She settled happily in bed, thank goodness, since she had no real naps today.

She is just the best!

Paka Paka

That is goodbye in Russian.  We said that to a lot of people today.  The nice ladies who fed and sheltered us, the driver, the staff, and the city of Sterlitimak!  It was actually quite a quick process.  We showed up at 4, sat and waited a bit, then brought in her clothing to a small room and they brought her to us.  We changed her, said goodbye and left!  Wow!  No tears there.  She didn't even seem to mind the reverse goodbye!

She was good in the car form the most part.  First big poop we had to do an emergency roadside change! Lol!  Later on,in Moscow, Mike will change his first poopy diaper!!!  At the airport in Ufa, we fed her some porridge and gave her her first cookie, an arrowroot-ish kind, which she adored!  Eyes lit right up!  Then plane was OK too.  She was definitely getting super tired but overstimulated and couldn't sleep!  She was 3 hours past bedtime when we landed.  Four and a half hours by the time she went down.  Which she just did.  I just put my daughter to bed for the first time.  I loved it.  She is clearly not used to being held or rocked before bed.  I held her a bit and rubbed her back then put her in the crib in our apartment here.  One little whimper and she was down for the count.  I hope we all sleep tonight! Lol!

I will keep things updated for sure this week, will probably be pretty relaxed though.  Going to let her sleep and eat when she wants and not cut her off.  Will have to try to find an adapter for an three prong cord for my computer..duh...brought it for the sole purpose of doing schoolwork while she napped this week and probably won't be able to! Lol!

The apartment is nice. Fully functional and in a great location.  Close to where we were last time so we have an idea of how to get to what we need.  For now, what we need is to put our suitcases away, go to sleep, and do laundry in the morning!  How mundane and how delightful to be doing it as a three person family!!!

Where is Ze Child?

Back home after my first day with Dania again!  It was a funny trip here because apparently the kids show up on the itineraries for both ways even if you only actually have them one way... Every airport had us being asked where the infant was.  In Halifax, we were given a boarding pass for her and knew there was an error there.  We had to make sure to get our reservation changed so that they weren't looking for her on board!  In Toronto, when the man at the counter asked, I indicated she was in our luggage.  He laughed.  I wouldn't have tried that anywhere where English wasn't the primary language!  In Moscow, the woman stands up and almost sounds angry/aghast when she asks, "where is ze child?"  I thought it was funny.  It was even funnier for S & D because they had a stroller and no kid!

After crashing for a long and deep sleep, (well, Mike didn't because he had to get up at 5 and go back to Ufa and spend the day there getting Dania's passport.  I feel bad because he didn't get to see her at all today!  I did *BIG SMILE).  there were no tears and much less confusion.  She reached for the mouth right away and started cooing right away too.  She was definitely tired on both visits.  She doesn't get enough sleep there!  She also had a bruised eye on the second visit today - I think they sleep with multiple babies in a big crib - it looks an awful lot like the result of a head-on-head bang!  We went in the fun room, went outside.  She laughed a lot in the fun room at the mirror.  She was playing peekaboo with herself and kept holding different things and then looking at her reflection.  Really trying to figure it out.  A few head butts in there too! LOL!  I also put her on a rocking horse toy and she gave herself a good back and forth.  I got that on video to show Mike when he gets back.  I hope they didn't just wait in the passport building all day, I hope they got to see a bit of Ufa since they didn't get to see their girls!

I am going to crash hard tonight!  It feels good that it is official today!  Appeal period is over and the papers have been issued to our lawyer.  Three more sleeps and we say goodbye to the baby home and move onto Moscow for the week!

Day 6

Today is our last day in Sterlitimak (for only 11 more sleeps!) and we had a fun morning visit with Dania.  She was sleepy at 11 and fell asleep on me but then the Ontario couple showed us this awesome fun room and we gently woke her up.  She didn't mind waking up when she saw where she was!  She really likes to pick at screws and feel textures so I took her to this wall that had all kinds of things screwed into it with all different materials.  She played there happily and talked to herself in the mirror.  Then she was fascinated with the plastic columns with colour changing lights in the bottom that were enclosed with mirrors so there were many Danias!  The whole room had padded stairs and forts and beanbag chairs and even a ball pit!  There were all kinds of fun lights too.  A completely awesome sensory room.  I don't know if she would have ever been in it before.  I don't think either of the girls had by their hesitation at first.  D&S remembered it from their first adoption visits so they just asked if we could go in today.  They get us all the cool breaks!

Our daughter!

Sweet! Day 5

We got her!

YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!  I held true to my word that I wasn't very nervous (the prosecutor had a pair of big ol' sunglasses in her hair! LOL!) and the judge was Bashkir (which is the same ethnicity as Dania) and I wore my red shoes that I haven't worn since our wedding (and that day was awesome so it had to be lucky today too!)  I didn't cry until it was all over when the judge looked at me and said she was glad we were keeping her name because in Bashkir it means, "sweet."

She is sweet.
She is ours.
I'm a mom!

I'm crying hahahaha.

The courtroom itself was more of a conference room and it was just constant listening to the people talking and the translator beside me.  Up and down whenever we spoke or answered questions.  They seemed more concerned about her health than anything and just wanted to ensure that we would be there and able to provide what she needs to thrive and become independent.  The depression did come up, but I wasn't worried.  I kind of had the feeling this was good since we were told we could take her in ten days.  I figured the judge had already gone through our case enough with our lawyer and representative on the day they decided that and today was just a matter of the judicial motions.

YEAH!

We go to see our daughter(heehee) this afternoon and then once more tomorrow before we leave.  The flights will probably be booked in the next 24 hours.  The Ontario couple has a travel agent connection who is Russian so she has found us the best deal and we are now just hammering out the dates for certainty.  Most likely:  We will depart Canada on August 4th and arrive the night of the 5th.  The 6th is when all is official and we can pick up the documents.  Then they will apply for the passports and those will get picked up on the 8th.  On the 9th we go to Moscow.  We have the weekend to be a family in the hotel.  Monday the 12th we go to get her visa and register her as a Russian citizen living abroad.  We wait 4 days for the visa to be made.  Spend one more day in Moscow and leave on the 16th for HOME!

So, we have 9 days to do everything we need to do once home in Canada, and this includes a wedding, getting foreign money, getting her clothes and toiletry needs, and having good friends visit for the week to help me pass the time!  Holy smokes!

Thank you all sooooo much for the support and the following... this won't stop any time soon.  My journey to becoming a mom has hit the home stretch, but Dania's journey with us is just starting!!!
xoxo

Day 4

I love all the comments!  Yes, we do read them.  Katie:  Those are just in the special room and those are new since the last trip, the toy cupboard is still only filled with hard toys.  Thanks everyone for following!

It is now the end of the day and one sleep (yah, right) away from court.  We went over the procedure again today, nothing new since last time.  Then they went over our statements with us... just have to say that I was the only one who didn't have to change a thing!  Ahem!  Pat on my back!  We also got to feed the girls dinner today.  Dania was a hungry little one and ate with no problems.  Drinking is a bit harder as that can come up and out the nose a lot easier!  If she uses a sippy cup she has better flow control, that's what they did last time, but this time we just had a regular cup.

We also had a change to discuss the third trip.  They want us to coordinate our flights so we all take off and land at the same time - makes sense.  I feel like we are going to have a skype flight booking date very soon.  They have contact with the rep in Moscow.  They will email her and find out how many days we need in Moscow and then we will book.

As for the cute part of the day (every moment spent with her, of course), she fell asleep in my arms again today.  I'm starting to think she should nap at 11:00 and not 12:30! LOL  The time zone change will mess that up anyway!

She LOVES to sing with me!  I start singing and she now starts to sing too and bob her head or bounce.  Freaking adorable.  I know all kids do it, but this just PROVES music IS its own language!  She doesn't care that she can't understand me!  Videos later, promise.  For now, these will suffice...

This is her "oh, wow!" smile.

 This is her gut busting "so hilarious" smile.

Cute hat!

Family pic!

So, now tomorrow is it.  I am not so nervous about court as I thought I would be.  I know I won't cry during my speech because I can hold it in when being watched.  I'm sure I will cry when she makes her decision and gives her verdict.  Either way.  

We will also have a few moments before court to ask the case social worker current situations of Dania's parents and grandparent's to ease (hopefully) our minds as to a smaller chance for appeal (because I do feel like we will get custody now, we have to).  

I can't believe court is TOMORROW!  I feel like I've been on such a crazy-ass roller coaster and have just gone around the final turn and am about to coast into the exit...  Let's hope it doesn't derail!

Day 3 and Mind Blown

Just got back from our evening visit which was much more active than the morning one...

We just kind of hid on a swing and pretended she was awake and let her nap.  She obviously needed it if she did that 20minutes into our visit!

This evening though, we did laps of the building and sang and danced.  She now mimicks our clapping and feet stomping.  As soon as she is in our arms she is reaching for our mouths so we can make noise and pat her hand on it so it "warbles."  You know what I mean, right?  I can't explain it properly.

Now for the mind blow!  This would definitely NOT have happened if the couple from Ontario hadn't been with us.  They adopted a few years ago befor the wait times changed.  The judge has agreed that if we are awarded custody we can take her after only 10 days!  HOLY TIME DIFFERENCE, BATMAN!  This means, if we are granted custody and no one appeals she is officially ours on August 6th and we are to take her to Moscow from the baby home August 9th, and then we will be back in Canada by, probably, the 16th.  Then they went to the passport officials and negotieated getting the passports made in 1 or 2 days!  We were instantly overjoyed and then looked at each other with panic in our eyes.  How the heck are we going get all we need and flights and hotel in Moscow with only 11 days and one pay in between!?!?!  Then we look at her - it will happen.  Just look at that face:

...how can we NOT make it happen?  My "due" date just was shortened by 4 weeks!  The reps and lawyer seem confident that this will all work out.  I'm a little nervous, except I don't feel it at all with her - but, heck, I'm a mom, I worry!

It's time to make lists of things to get.  Good 14 hour layover activity hahaha!

This shorter wait time also is better for her remembering us!  She is always reaching up to be held so I'm hoping the 11 days we won't see her will be short enough that she will reach for us when we see her in August!  If not, she will at least remember a lot quicker than she did after 2 months.  I love her!

And I love watching her and Mike together!

Ok, we go over the hearing procedures tomorrow and then it's court the next day.  Let's tackle that now.

And Then She Was There...

...and nothing else mattered.

REWIND 48 HOURS

After hanging up with my sister just before boarding the plane, I was thinking about how she said Mum said I seemed too calm.  I was an internal wreck... just had to maintain sanity so they would let me out of the country and into two others!  Seriously, it has been such a roller coaster that I feel exhasted.  I was excited to leave.  I was beyond ecstatic to see Dania again. I was nervous about connections.  I cried myself to sleep the night before because I was so happy to be going finally!

In JFK I started crying because I was thinking about the future and how to announce it was 'official' once the appeal period was over.  It makes me so happy to think I could do that one day next month!  Then, on the plain to Moscow (which was delayed and making me nervous because our connection was going to be quite close) the fear took over.  What if this was court didn't go well?  What if someone from her family appealed the custody?  What if this was the last trip we would ever make to see her?  I cannot begin to explain the gut-wrenching, heart-draining sorrow at the thought of saying good bye to her for the last time EVER on Thursday.  It is so unknown that I couldn't stop dwelling on it and I cried for a good three hours straight on the plane.  Oh, dear.  I didn't sleep hardly, I felt like vomiting almost constantly, I had just unearthed this all-consuming fear and it was awful.

We landed in Moscow and made the connection with only a little time to spare.  We made up an hour in the air, thankfully.  We landed in Ufa and as soon as I saw our driver, A, waiting for us I began to smile.  As I stepped out into the Ufa air I started crying again because it felt like returning to a place as familiar and comfortable as home.  I pretended to sleep from the airport to Sterlitimak, but I was really watching the countryside through my sunglasses while silently weeping from expectation.

I did sleep - from sheer exhaustion - but when I woke up the butterflies were back and so were the tears in the car on the way to the orphanage.  There was no one in the office to answer our doorbell rings and just knowing she was in the building and we were unknown and outside made my heart hurt.  Shortly, someone answered.  I didn't recognize her and didn't understand her.  The doctor came out and recognized us and directed us upstairs and we realized this is the moment we were waiting for.

And then she was there and nothing else mattered.

Damn, I'm crying now too!  But because I can't stop smiling and I'm so happy I can share this finally!

She was clearly overwhelmed once in my arms.  She wasn't as stressed as last time but the change in routine had upset her and the crocodile tears started.  We knew we would have to take it slow and hope that she would eventually remember us.  We set her down with some toys and the lack of head rubbing was glaringly apparent.  She was obviously more comfortable.  When she was on the ground, and a little more distanced, she stopped the tears and began to play hesitantly.  I sang the whole time and within the hour she was smiling at us, handing us toys, inviting us to play with her, crawling a little, reaching out to be held, and just being wonderful.  Sigh.  I love her so much.

She looks a little more solid.  She isn't walking on her own but can hold just one hand and walk with much steadier legs.  Her hair is a bit longer, fuller, lighter, and she looks a tiny bit tanned.

She was definitely way more relaxed on this first day than she was by the end of day 2 last trip.  She was cooing very quietly and clearly enjoying the one-on-one time.  She spent a looooong time staring at my teeth! LOL!  I think she remembers those more than anything else ha ha ha!

So, now it is lunch break (and probably nap time for both of us).  I didn't take a lot of photos because we didn't want to overwhelm her, but I HAD to, of course.  For your viewing pleasure...

The big tears and small bit of fear.

Then the smile we know and love was being flashed at us very soon... and I know mine is probably just as big!

Butterflies!

Oh my!  Tomorrow!!!  Russia version 2.0!

I have huge butterflies in my stomach.  I was packed (almost completely) five days ago.  I had to wait for Mike, who packed last night, because I had to use some of his suitcase space sine I have almost an entire suitcase of clothing items for donation to the orphanage!  Thanks to all the knitters and thoughtful people who sent stuff to take.  Please!  This will be the last time as next trip (hopefully) the space will be used with clothes and diapers for her!  Once we give the donations, I will definitely be able to fit everything of mine in my bags!  We are very practical packers for these trips as we only want carry on luggage.

Also, we have the foreign currency (and had fun showing the teller the photos, since it was the same lady who sold us the currency last time) divided into envelopes for the appropriate parties.  I hope I am not missing anything because we aren't bringing extra this time!  It is a remarkably smaller stack of bills!  Phewf!

We have our statements for court printed out, our itineraries, our selection of photos of our last trip for the judge, and my camera batteries charged!   Ready!

Baby girl, here we come!

One of my favourites from the first trip.  It's in the package for the judge too!

Booked for Round 2.

HOLY MOLY!  8 Sleeps and we leave to see her.  10 sleeps and we see her!

I almost immediately began coming the flight sites for our travels.  Goal was to keep the round trip for both under 5 grand - success!

I had actually ordered the foreign currency for this coming Friday about 1 hour before the confirmation came, just in case.  Perfect!  So, that is already off the to-do list.

We leave Halifax for Toronto on the 18th.  Then we connect to New York, Moscow, and, finally, Ufa.  We are to be met by K and A, our host and driver, respectively, from the last trip.  We arrive in Ufa on the 19th in the evening, so, we wait until the next morning to go to the orphanage!  The couple from Ontario are also coming on this trip because, as predicted, they have their court at the same time.  It will be nice to finally meet them!  We had a meeting set up last summer but it fell through due to emergency.

I AM SO EXCITED TO HUG HER AND KISS HER WARM FACE!

If you read the previous post, the email stated that the day before had a new law passed that extends the wait period in between court from 30 to 40 days.  I didn't even care because the END IS IN SIGHT!!!  I can count down to a specific now and not just cross the days off the calendar!  EXCITING!  As my cousin T put it, I'm 7 weeks from my "due date."  I HAVE a due date!

So, we pack over the next few days.  Pick up the money of Friday.  Recheck our packing a gajillion times to ensure we have clothing for really hot and mild weather (plus court clothes).  Then we travel!

I am not as nervous about these next steps as I thought I would be.  I'm sure, when I am standing in court, I will sweat like a pig in heat, but I will try to portray calmness.  The 24th is a big step in deciding our fate.  We will hopefully be granted custody that day and then just have to wait out the appeal and processing period and go back at the beginning of September.

Holy moly!

As a reminder, this is on my desktop and I watch it daily.  I love her little growl at 46, or so, seconds.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151607111258967&set=vb.500713966&type=3&theater

The one on my desktop isn't so pixelated and her her sweet features are defined, making her brown eyes even more deep!


SOON!

Day 6 Tourists in Moscow and day 7 travels

After doing the old Arbat district yesterday,

we headed towards the centre of Moscow and revolution square.   We didn't go into the Kremlin armory, I really had no desire, it was just cool to see how enclosed and separated it is from the rest of the city.  Moscow is a series of concentric circular roads and the river cuts through the middle and the Kremlin and Red Square are situated in the centre.  We saw the outside of tombs and museums and churches, St. Basil's Cathedral being the most impressive and famous.

We also ended up in a massive underground mall.  This is why Russia feels more like Toronto than Europe, massive malls with major brand name stores.  We walked around for about four hours and decided to head back to the apartment.  When crossing major roads there are underground tunnels, which is nice, and we get the feeling it really wouldn't matter if we just ran across the road anyway.  Russians do what they want!  They park where they want, enter rooms when they want, cross streets, etc.

It was nice being a tourist for 36 hours!

We got up bright and early on the 19th, oh, i swear it is only dark for about 5 hours here.  In Sterlitimak, it was still light out at 11 pm and started getting bright between 4 and 5, and headed to the airport.  We flew to Warsaw and then to Toronto.  It was too hard to sleep because it was during the day for everyone else but after midnight for us. We were flying with the sun, so it was never dark, and everyone else was awake and active.  Our plane had purple seats...I liked it!  We landed in TO at 8pm, 4am for us. Our flight wasn't until the next morning so we got a room in the Sheraton and slept and showered... so nice!  If we didn't do that there is no way we would feel 'human' when we landed in Halifax at 9ish!

Best. Trip.  Ever.
Let's do this two more times, ok?
I look forward to "do you have anything to declare?". "Yes, one kid."

Day 4

We just left the orphanage for the last time this trip.  Kind of a perfect ending so there were no tearful goodbyes:

 I was singing "I've Just Seen a Face" and she just leaned in and relaxed completely and fell asleep!

We are now going to nap and then head to the airport for Moscow.  I will go into all of the boring details I didn't provide yesterday lol!
First, as we were waiting for Dania to be brought to us this morning, we see a train of kids coming down the stairs (they have a railing specifically for tiny people on the main staircase!) and I make eye contact with the child at the head of the line.  It was HIM!  He has fairer hair, and even his eyes look lighter, but I knew it immediately.  He smiled and said 'hi' in Russian.  Then, outside, he kept running over to us.  I didn't feel a tug in the heart or punch in the gut as I expected I would.  I was just happy we saw him and he looked so happy to be running around outside.  And boy, did he run!  He was the kid that had to keep yelling at to make him come back!

I'm not sure if the home study is still being done on his mother, but CHOC said he wasn't on any registry now.  Either way, he looked happy.  All of the kids do, actually.  It's nice.  They were all outside playing with their little groups of 4-7 kids.  The orphanage psychologist was walking around taking photos and she even took one of the three of us.  The inside of the orphanage has nice bulletin boards, much like an elementary school, with photos plastered all over.  E was pointing out all of the Canadian adoptees to us!

Ok, so, the details.  First of all, I think CHOC is confused about things.  Either they don't understand how things work over here or they keep getting the cases confused and giving us the wrong info.  Most of it is the same procedural info, just wrong cities.  This trip is the ONLY time we go to Moscow.  Court is in Ufa.  The only reason we have to go to Moscow is for the clinic appointments that we have tomorrow (that are the only thing making me feel barfy now).  Also, we do not bring Dania to court with us.  Just photos of the three of us interacting.  CHOC sent me all the fee lists for Moscow and listed it as needed for trip two, so you can see how I was confused!

Yesterday, we went to the notary and gave power of atorny to V, our lawyer, so he can pick up or request any documents, make signatures, appeals, speak for us, etc. while we are in Canada.  He then went over the format of the proceeding.  First we are all introduced and we say we trust our lawyer and translator.  Then the translator makes a declaration that they understand what it is to provide a false translation.  Then we state our purpose and say we have no appeals to change our case as stated.  It is all very formal and to the point.  On our side of the room will be us, our translator, A, and our lawyer, V.  The other side will have the prosecutor, the inspector (aka, social worker, who will observe us three together one day next trip) and the director of the orphanage speaking on behalf of Dania's interests.  After all of the introductions the judge asks us for our statements.  We have been given templates to follow as she will be looking for specific points to be made.  Mike speaks first and his is very informative of our living situation, why we are doing this, what annual income is, the basics to it all.  My speech is more about the child and our visits (aka, the emotional speech).  Then the prosecutor's side states if it is Dania's best interest to be adopted or not (by the way, we found out yesterday that Dania's mother is currently in prison.  Our rep here, E, looks at us and says 'well, that's good for us! lol!) and the inspector says her opinion as to whether we were seen to be a good fit.  We show the judge our paperwork showing our request to visit the child in the baby home, our request for formal adoption.  We state what her new name will be and request permission for the new birth certificate. The prosecutor side will show the papers that terminated parental rights of Dania's parents, and that no other family accepted the offer of her.  They will also be showing her medical files here.  Once all this is done, the judge asks us for our final word.  We basically say that we love her and want to include her in our family.  Then the judge will go to her chambers, go through our file, 10-15 minutes V says, and comes out to make her ruling.  

That's it.  Today, E,A,and V are taking our signed request to the ministry of education and it will be forwarded to the supreme court of Moscow for approval for court.  When the minisitry gets it back is when we get our official date.  V says it should be between the 10th and 20th of July.

 Here is a full shot of her outside outfit!

Our second trip should have at least 4 days before court, for us to spend more time with Dania.  Russian law states 10 days are to be spent but V says it can be give or take a few.  These days will get us reacquainted with Dania, and allow the inspector to come visit.  We are also encouraged to bring photos of her spending time with us to add to her album that we left with her tutor.  We are also supposed to schedule one day after the court date in case the hearing needs to be pushed back a day (this has only happened once, due to illness of the judge).  So, if all goes well tomorrow and at court, at this point she is ours providing there are no sudden claims from her family.  We then leave and V will gather up all the proper documents, get Dania a passport, and we come back in 30 days to bring her home.  

Yes, mum, she pretty much has all her teeth and I think she is obsessed with the size of mine...

We were given a lot of paperwork regarding how to behave and what to say or not to say in court.  Pretty straight forward.  We were also warned not to be alarmed at her new name on the birth certificate since, like ours, it isn't a direct translation as there are sometimes no latin characters for our English pronunciations.  I never would have known!  We were told never to ask questions of the prosecutor's side, even if prompted, because it may show that we are not familiar with Dania or her case.  We shouldn't be alarmed when they read out her medical file because there are several different Russian words for everything and it may sound different from the ones the doctor at the orphanage said to us.  There was more, but it will all be mentioned in future blog posts with specific details when they occur.  

That is it for now.  I may or may not post in Moscow until the airport home.  I am glad we have the extra day now since we will not be returning on the next two trips!  Hopefully tomorrow goes smoothly (BARF!) and I look forward to being a tourist for a day!

Our family, hopefully!  It already feels like    

                                                                                                                                                    one!

We Have Arrived, Day 1

She. Is. Perfect.

I could leave the post at that and be content but I know we have questioning minds out there.  We landed in Ufa at 7:30am and the Ufa representative, E, and the translator, A, both met us at arrivals.  We then went to meet our lawyer, V, and that was the first time it occurred to us that, of course, we would have a lawyer!  We drove to the Ministry of Education where we signed the consent forms to go to the baby home and read all about her file.

She is the fifth child of this couple, all previous have been adopted out.  A brother in '95 and a sister in '97 to the grandparents, then two brothers in '01 and '06 into foster care.  We are now not concerned with the biological parents possibly wanting her.  She was relinquished into state care right away.  They had her birthday incorrectly stated at the Ministry - mum, they said it was in MAY!  GAH!  E called the doctor that has been handling her file, and the orphanage and both confirmed the date in February is correct! Phew!

My first impressions of the Ufa city and the space in between is that it is green and magnificent.  We were told it was all industrial but it is very agriculturally rich.  Massive green fields and rolling hills with righ earth patches.  Mostly rye is grown, some corn.  On both sides of the car I was just in awe at how vast the farming went.  It was like an ocean of lush green.  Mike slept and I took pictures of him.  I also saw cows, horses, goats, and sheep.  I only mention the animals as a big deal because they were RUSSIAN animals.

The town where the orphanage is is more industrial on the outskirts.  The buildings look rundown on the outside but I'm betting that is more because of age.  The apartment we are staying in, with a woman, K, is warm and cozy - with a RUSSIAN cat!  Prrrrrrrey-mew-ov! (that's for Katie).  The industrial factories and sites are all surrounded by cute brick or iron walls that separate them from the sidewalks.  Russian roads have no lane lines... I gather that you imagine a dividing line and as long as you stay on your side and don't hit anyone anything goes.  Mike says it's Toronto traffic with wonky NS roads, with no lanes though!

Ok, so the best part (well, the best up to this point was the glorious showers we took, but then) we traveled to the orphanage.  The outside looks like all the others but there is a bright mural painted on the outside.  The inside was clean and smelled like food.  The ladies were all smiling and and we were led (up a marble staircase, mind you) to a meeting/party room and they brought her in.  As I predicted, I was calm, but Mike was perfect as he teared up.  I loved seeing it and cried in the car on the ride home remembering it.

She was wearing a red corduroy dress with yellow tights, and a yellow headband with a big yellow flower.  She seemed cautious but not scared.  We found out after that she had never been in that room before either, talk about stress.  She seems to self soothe herself by rubbing above her right ear.  She is very tiny and not walking yet.  She was born quite small and it has taken a while to build up her muscle strength.  She is still in diapers (so L, I will need your crash course on making those cute ones!) but she was receptive to us.  We sat on the floor first and had her look us over, she immediately pulled at the hairband, and we just took it easy.  Once she was a little more used to us we started the making her dance and tossing her in the air (not too high, we were being watched LOL!) and that brought out the smiles and giggles.  She has her cute little teeth in too.  The cleft is not visible by any means, and I couldn't even feel it when she quickly stuck my finger in her mouth.  It must be all on the roof of the mouth behind the gum line. She also enjoyed picking Mike's nose.  She was calm and so wonderfully perfect.  Her giggles at the end were almost like little 'roars'!

Her case was discussed with us afterwards and there is nothing there that would scare us away.  She will need exercises to build the muscles, lots of patience, but her intellectual level appears on target for her age.

She is a complete doll!

We go back tomorrow to play some more, and have the doctors discuss with us and examine her.  The team of E and A are so wonderful.  E is like the mother hen making sure we don't think about anything but the girl.  A is normally a french translator and we are her first English case.  They obviously care about what they do as they live 10 hours away and move into an apartment for cases like us.  E seemed to be familiar with Dania and was very honest in her opinions, the whole time stressing that she is not a doctor! LOL!  K, who we are staying with, is wonderful too.  She doesn't speak English but she makes amazing food, what else matters?

The photos might have to wait to be uploaded so stay tuned or I will show you in person!  Wednesday is when we go over more specifics about the case and procedure for the following trips.  In the meantime, I'm sure we will both be seeing her scrunch her nose up and smile when we crash to sleep very shortly... oh to sleep laying down, so wonderful.

Turkey

That is the longest flight either of us has been on. Guh!  We don't want to do that again.  Stop in France or somewhere less than 9 hours...

Ten reasons why I liked Turkish airlines:
10. I've never seen so many people flip out on the flight attendants when they cannot store overhead baggage directly above their assigned seat.
9. Those flight attendants?  All extremely good looking... except or one, but hee was up in first class.
8. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Captain America, and Zodiac.  Good time-passing movies.
7. In the saftey brief we were instructed to undo our ties and the top buttons of our collars.
6.  We were also told infant life vests are to be the only ones inflated prior to exiting the aircraft into water, then showed us a baby having a grand ol' time like he was about to take a dip in the kiddy pool instead of crash into the Atlantic.
5. Good red wine...still didn't make me sleepy.
4. Ashtrays placed for my convenience so I can smoke on the can... Who knew they had ashtrays still?
3. In the case we heard the call to "brace ourselves!" We were to bend our torso to our knees and hold our heads.  Physically impossible unless you were under 5 years old.
2. It was like being at Nana's.  They kept throwing food in our faces until lights out, and then as soon as people were up again.
1. Non-offensive bathroom deoderiser.  Sitting in front of the can for the whole flight, we never smelled poop once.

Istanbul airport is hot, extremely busy, the lady on the loud speaker never stops talking and there is nowhere to sit.  Also, half the airport is duty free stores!  Ya, we have decided that if we do get Dania, this is too much of an airport.  Seriously, it is unlike any I have been in.

A few hours to wait until we board for Ufa.

The Plan

ohmigosh!ohmigosh!ohmigosh!

We leave today!
Here is the plan for trip the first. (ps, feeling fine today.  We both slept until about 5:30, when we both were tossing and turning and kidding ourselves that we could fall back asleep.  The I screamed us both awake when I dreamt that a rocking horse came into our room and put it's face on the bed right beside mine.  what the?):

We fly to Toronto, small layover there.  Fly overnight to Istanbul, layover there, then fly to UFA.

We land the morning of the 13th.  Our CHOC rep and driver meets us at 9.  We go over our appointments, ask all questions about procedure, then head to the Ministry of Education in Ufa for our first government appointment.  At this meeting we get to see all the information they have on Dania, fill out lots of paperwork, and ask any questions we have.  I also believe this is the point we schedule the court date, after signing our commitment papers.  Then we drive to Sterlitamak, where the orphanage is, and meet our host family (the husband of which is our driver) and Dania!

The 14th is when we have the Canadian designated medical practitioner check out Dania.  This gives us more information to bring home for our government.  Then spend the rest of the day with her.

The 15th is a whole day at the orphanage.  Well, we always go "home" for our own meals, which is within walking distance of the orphanage, apparently, but the rest of the time is with her.

The 16th we spend most of the day with Dania.  We must travel back to Ufa to fly to Moscow at 20:00.  We travel from the airport to our apartment for a late check in (this is a one hour time difference already)!  This apartment has free wifi, so if we are not able to upload photos and updates before this date we will definitely do it this night!

The 17th is our appointments at the clinic.  We can walk from our apartment, (and thanks to google maps I was able to print directions in Russian and English!), and the appointment time will probably be first thing - we find out for sure with our initial meeting with the CHOC rep in Ufa.  Then, the rest of the eve is ours.  We are within a 5 minute walk from the pedestrian area with all the fun restaurants and bars so we will probably celebrate our "doneness" for this trip.  At this point there is literally NOTHING we can do to change anything until we say our word to the judge.  Then we will get some sleep. 

The 18th is our bonus day!  We stay the extra day and save about 1500 on flights!  We get to be tourists!  We will go see the Red Square, possible go inside the Kremlin, and all other big sights in this area (all within 15 minute walk from our apartment!).  Then we hit the hay and ready for travel home.

The 19th, we fly out at 10:00.  We will, most likely, have to be up and leave before 0600 from the apartment so we will be turning in early the night before.  This is it though!  We will be leaving Moscow for Warsaw at 10, Warsaw to Toronto after a 6ish hour layover, then first thing in the morning on the 20th we fly Toronto to Halifax.  It will really be almost the 22nd for us though!  Yeah welcomed jet lag!

I will keep doing little posts from the airports when the wifi kicks in.  It will be a grand adventure for sure!
xoxo
j