There is No Place Like Home!

We are so pleased to announce that we are home! Sam did wonderfully on the flights. At the beginning of our trip home we promised Sam a trip to DisneyWorld if he did well. We are now backing off a little and have changed it to Adventureland and a t-shirt.

We've been spending our time letting Sam show us what needs to be baby proofed; and getting him acclimated to the central time zone. Getting acclimated has meant being up at some strange hours of the day. For anybody interested there a really very few people in line at McDonalds at 4 a.m. if you're hungry for an egg mcmuffin.

This has been a tremendous journey and experience for us. Somebody pointed out to us that just a few months ago we were strangers on the other side of the world; and we are now a family. This obviously does not happen without higher intervention and support from our family and friends. There is no way to adequately thank all of you for your help and support. Please know however that none of this would have been possible without all of you. We feel blessed and humbled to know how much you all care about us.

THANK YOU!

Connect the Dots!

Sam found a much more comfortable place to nap today. In case you did not notice the poor kid is covered with red marks. He has had an allergic reaction to something. Don't worry his spirits are fine. I am afraid we can not say the same for his parents. It can be a little frustrating when you can not find medicine for your child. Let's just say the wine is on ice!

Sam has made himself right at home in our hotel room. We would take a picture of the mess, but we are afraid they would kick us out of this place. It is a five star hotel and we are not exactly five star guests. Other families that are staying at this hotel have said their children are bouncing off the walls too. We need another change of scenery. Sam has: opened every drawer, climbed every chair, unrolled all the toilet paper, and driven his cars on every surface in this room.

It is amazing to us how Sam quiets down when ever we go out in public. He just loves to sit and watch people. Even at the Embassy with all the other children, he prefered to sit on his father's lap. Of course Dad had a bag of cookies. The way to Sam's heart is definitely through his stomach!

In talking to the other families staying here it seems like everyone is dealing with their own issues. Among all the families we have: allergies, vomiting, sleeplessness, and lack of appetite. We are thankful that we are only dealing with one of those right now! Sam continues to do a great job with all of the changes he has experienced in one short week. He is quite the "Little Man"!

Parents of the Year???

Yes, that is our son hangin' out in the lobby of the hotel trying to pick up Russian chicks.

And yes, that is our son sleeping on the floor of our hotel room. While they required a lot of information from us to adopt Sam, they didn't require parenting classes. We're afraid that has become frighteningly apparent after only six days. Don't everyone rush to vote for us as parents of the year!

Today we went to the U.S. Embassy. It was so nice to see our American flag and to speak to so many fellow Americans. It was something of a record crowd at the embassy. There were about 20 families there adopting Russian children. Our representative said there are normally only 4 or 5 families. We all appeared to be in the same boat, and it was very enjoyable to share our stories. What is the saying - misery loves company!

It ends up a few of the families are staying in our hotel. And of course we saw some of the families that had adopted from Sam's baby home too. Everyone was willing to help each other in any way they could. Poor Sam has had an allergic reaction to something. We are not sure what. We had many people offer us medication to help him. Lori had brought some Benadryl, but I think we are going to need more. Lori got some from a very nice woman and her mother from Kentucky. The grandmother recommended dipping Sam's pacifier in beer tonight to help him sleep. They also recommended enjoying a bottle of wine in the bathroom, while your child screams himself to sleep in the other room. These are our kind of people. They were hilarious!

Sam is being a real trooper through it all. Tonight he unexpectedly fell asleep on the floor while he was playing. Don't worry we will eventually move him to his crib. But right now we are enjoying the quiet and drinking our sodas! No need for wine tonight. But we'll keep it on ice in case we need it tomorrow.

Lori is headed down to the hotel lounge tonight. She says she is going to meet with a family that has just arrived in Moscow and are headed to Krasnoyarsk this weekend. I think she is becoming Russian. For some reason this family has required several meetings with Lori in the lounge. I am more than happy to stay in the room with Sam, while she is helping others. Leave it to Lori to sacrifice her time with us to help a family in need. We just hope they do not keep her out until 3am again tonight.

I Am King Of The World!

Hello from Moscow! We are happy to report we made it this far. We apologize for the delay in our posting. But we did not arrive in Moscow until midnight Krasnoyarsk time; and we were all very tired. After a good nights sleep, we had to get up early today.

We took Sam this morning for his medical exam. While at the clinic we ran into a couple of families that had also adopted from Sam's baby home. It is funny how we keep running into each other. However it is very comforting to see familiar faces! It is likely Sam would have been in the same group with the other children at the baby home. They were all about the same age.

The doctor spoke very good english. His name was Boris. The doctor only had good things to say about Sam. He predicted that Sam would some day be more famous than George Clooney. It was not because of Sam's looks; it was because he was very dramatic. Sam was a little stubborn; and at one point refused to walk for the doctor.

We were very busy on our last day in Krasnoyarsk. We had to go pick up Sam's Russian passport. The passport office is only open for one hour each day. The small waiting room was packed when we arrived. We no sooner walked in when a gentleman insisted that Todd take his seat because he was holding Sam. After a long wait, Todd and I were finally called into the office area. Sam was required to wait outside with Sveta our interpreter. Sam was very unhappy with this situation. We could hear him crying from two rooms away. The very nice lady at the passport office allowed us to break the rules and bring Sam in with us.

After a busy few hours packing, it was time to leave for the airport. Sam was very busy packing and unpacking his toys. Even with his help? We eventually got everything into a bag. Oleg our representative took care of us at the airport. He stayed with us until we were checked into our flight. We were early for the flight and had to wait for our gate to be determined. While waiting Todd and I had the best tasting Subway sandwich that either of us remembers.

Finally is was time to go through security. This is somewhat nerve racking when you do not speak Russian. The officer at security was extremely kind and helpful. Thankfully he spoke some English. We were amazed at how helpful everyone was because of Sam.

Boarding announcements were all in Russian. When it was time, a nice young man came over and told us it was our flight boarding. When we got on the bus that takes us to the plane, again someone gave up their seat for Todd who was holding Sam. We were going to wait in the back of the line for the stairs up to the plane. But about three people came over and told us to go to the front because of the baby. They even cleared a path through about 200 people for us to get to the stairs. Sam was a lap baby which means he did not have a seat assigned to him. The lady that was suppose to sit next to us in the three seat row; asked to be moved so we could have additional room for Sam. We could not have been more grateful for all this help. It is nice to know that people still look out for each other. Sam should be very proud of his Russian heritage!

We are very happy to be in Moscow. Sam loves looking out the window at the busy street. Mom and Dad love sleeping on a comfortable mattress. Nineteen nights sleeping only on a box spring takes its toll. Sam enjoyed eating a few of his first McDonald fries today. We are breaking him in slowly. Soon he will be a true American!

I Do Not Like to Sleep or Jam. I Do Not Like Them Sam I Am.

Captions for photographs:

top photo - Better pack my socks!

middle photo - Ready, Set, Go!

bottom photo - See how crazy drivers are in Russia!

Not much different going on here in Krasnoyarsk. It was our last full day here (AMEN). We are leaving tomorrow afternoon for Moscow. Sam decided he did not want to take a nap today. And putting him to sleep was a real battle. In the end, Mom and Dad won! Other than that he was a real angel. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures we took today! The next time we blog it will be from Moscow. One step closer!!!

Viewer Mail Night

We hope you enjoy the pictures of Sam playing today. It is still very cold outside so we decided we would play ball indoors. Sam had a blast!

We did not do much today other than hang around the apartment. It is too cold for Sam to go outside. So we decided we would answer some of the questions people have had in our blog or in emails to us.

* What color are Sam's eyes?
I would call Sam's eyes blue. They are like his mother's in that some days they are bluer than others. It depends on what he is wearing.

* Is Sam walking?
Yes, Sam can walk. However, he would prefer to be carried. He is not the most graceful yet. And the apartment does not have any rugs or carpets to pad his falls.

* Where are Sam's socks?
Apparently Sam has many people that care about him. I know it is cold outside, but it is like a sauna in the apartment. We are on the sixth floor and the building is heated with a boiler. We cannot control the temperature in the apartment. Very often you will see windows open here because it is so hot inside buildings. We had socks on him for a while; and then his feet became very sweaty (just like Dad). Do not worry we often check to make sure his feet are warm.

* Is anyone showing Molly pictures of Sam?
I do not know. I am afraid to ask my sister Lisa and her family since I left them with a spoiled dog for a MONTH. They are doing us a huge favor! It is big relief to know she is being well taken care of. They are breaking Molly into life with small children. She has experienced a night of children vomiting and everything! We are forever grateful.

* How big is Sam?
I would guess that Sam is about 22 pounds. He is barely fitting into the 12month outfits that I brought over. Todd had to stretch his pajamas so they would fit him. Luckily I also packed some 18 month clothes too. He has grown more than we expected from our first trip.

* When are you leaving for Moscow?
Our flight to Moscow is Wednesday at 7pm Krasnoyarsk time. That would be around 6am central time. We should arrive in Moscow around 7pm. That is right. It is a four hour flight and the time difference is 4 hours. Hopefully the flight goes very quickly.

* Does Sam have a coat?
Yes, Sam has a nice warm coat. I am grateful that Terasa, one of my kindergarten students, is also concerned about Sam and if he is warm enough.

I think we have covered all of the open questions. I would write more, but Sam has decided that he does not want to go to sleep tonight. It looks like it could be a long one.

Take care!

Another Episode of the Young and the Restless

We were so happy to see all the responses to Sam's blog. He loved each and everyone. However he did notice that his parents had more comments on their blogs than he did. I can't say he was upset. But he muttered something in Russian and tottered off.

The day started off great. Sam slept through the night. He woke up to our cheerful faces around 7am. He is so good about his schedule. We are going to hate having to upset it when we travel to Moscow on Wednesday. Moscow is a 4 hour time difference. We may have to keep a clock set on Krasnoyarsk time for awhile. Sorry Sam we are LEAVING.

It snowed about three inches today. We are so thankful that it came today and not yesterday when we were traveling to the baby home. The road to the baby home is horrible. There are enormous pot holes all over the place. Cars are constantly dodging them. Often they come into your lane to avoid a pot hole. When you combine the road conditions to the fact our representative drives about 100mph, it can be quite an exciting trip. Let's just say Todd's arm has the fingernail marks to prove it.

We have to thank Lisa and Gram for their quick response to our emergency soup question. Sam's diet includes many soups; and they apparently do not sell ready made soup here. So Todd brought home some raw chicken and a package of noodles. We were able to get the kitchen fired up here and did the best we could with the equipment we have. Magically, it turned out to be more of a chicken casserole; but Sam ate it. We think it really stuck to his ribs, because it took quite an effort to get it out of the pot. He is really a good eater. And that may come in very handy since his mother is not much of a cook. We can not wait to get back to an American kitchen and American supermarket.

Since the weather was nasty. We basically stayed indoors and played all day. We took a picture of Sam with his toys on the couch. It is very interesting how he likes to keep ALL the toys to himself. Let's just say sharing is not one of his gifts right now. He either likes to have them right between his legs where he can protect them; or he is trying to hide them behind his back. It is something we know we will need to work on, but right now it is a great source of entertainment for us. It is just so funny to see his face when he thinks he is hiding them. We have a 30 minute video of his playing that we will share with EVERYONE when we get back. We are considering making the video Christmas gifts. Whose names do we have in the family drawing?

All kidding aside. We could not be more pleased with how Sam is adjusting. We had a great day today. He was laughing and playing for hours. This is a transition for both Sam and us. And we are pleased to report that everyone is doing well!

Samuel Kipper's First Blog Entry!

HELLO EVERYONE!

I had a busy day today so my first entry will be a little short. Mom and Dad picked me up around 12:30 this afternoon. That was right in the middle of my nap time. I may have been a little cranky because I do not like my sleep interrupted. After about 15 minutes in the car, I fell back to sleep. I slept the entire trip back to Krasnoyarsk (2 hours). Mom and Dad were thrilled. As soon as I got back to the apartment they gave me a small snack. After my snack, Dad said I had to earn my keep. They needed me to help them with the computer. Apparently they have been having some problems with it. I got everything working again and finally settled down to play with my new toys. I also enjoyed watching an Elmo DVD. Dinner was delicious. I could not get enough of the cereal Mom made. I must admit I did not care for the tea. She had difficulty reading the Russian instructions on how to prepare the tea. All in all, my belly was full and I went right to sleep at bed time. I may decide to wake up in the middle of the night. But I have not decided yet! I am going to surprise Dad and Mom.

I wanted to say hello to all my dear family and friends that have been praying for me. I am anxious to meet everyone! I have so many grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends that I need to thank. I already feel like I know you all. Mom and Dad have been sharing some photographs with me.

I almost forgot. I need to give a shout-out to my Uncle Jim. Today is his birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JIMMY!

The Final Countdown!

Well here we go again. We must apologize for our absence Thursday. On the bright side, we think we finally have the internet problem solved. We know we are going to regret saying that later! But if anything - this entire experience has taught us patience and perseverance.

Thursday was something of a bust anyway. We were planning to visit Sam in the afternoon. We were told to be ready at 1pm. Around 3pm they finally told us we would have to wait until Friday to visit Sam. Later that afternoon the Akers stopped by the apartment to use our printer. They brought Justin along and he enjoyed playing on the equipment outside. Our apartment complex has a very nice playground for the children. We visited with the Akers until it was time to join our representatives for dinner. It was the last night in Krasnoyarsk for the Akers. They had an early morning flight to Moscow today.

For the Akers farewell party we dined at ... Jalepenos Siberia. We are starting to get concerned about our haunt. Anymore as soon as we enter the establishment, they begin laughing and draw straws to determine who has to wait on the Americanos. Todd has now resorted to pointing at other peoples' food and trying to place his order. You see we only memorized one entree per person; and we are somewhat tired of pepperoni pizza and spaghetti. Not to mention the fact the last two times we ate there they were out of Coca-Cola. Do you think they are trying to tell us something? We are concerned but it has not slowed us down!

We forgot to mention something in an earlier blog. We don't want to start some sort of mass influx into Siberia; however, they give Americans a 10% discount at the California Pizza Kitchen in downtown Krasnoyarsk. In case you have not noticed, we are eating lots of pizza. For those that are interested, bus number 71 will take you right there! HANG ON!

As you can tell we are on day 17 and a little punchy!

This morning, we were finally able to visit Sam again at the baby home. We are very anxious to have Sam with us. We were able to spend a couple of hours with him today. He is very quiet and easily entertained. Today his favorite object was a package of kleenex. He continues to enjoy measuring objects, but did not show as much interest in cars. This was somewhat disappointing to one member of the family. I am sure they will spend countless hours crashing cars into one another in the apartment.

Todd had no rest today until I took his picture with a lady at the baby home. Todd and she have developed a close relationship. She warmly greets us at the door everytime we visit. She also passes out the blue booties that we must wear over our shoes. Todd has a problem getting the booties to fit over his shoes. She is always very concerned that he is taken care of; and she dotes on him. She was absolutely thrilled to have her picture taken with him. She even gave Todd a big hug!

Tonight we are planning to go shopping with Sveta, our interpreter. She is going to help us get some food for Sam. He may want to eat something other than pizza. We also are cleaning up the apartment and baby proofing it. We will be picking out his outfit and packing up some toys for him to play with in the car. It will be a long ride for Sam from the baby home back to the apartment. Thankfully, this is not our representatives first time doing this. They said they often have crying babys in the car. We are anticipating many traveling trials over the next couple of weeks. We will post again tomorrow when we are officially a family. The ten day waiting period ends tonight!

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES - COME ON!

We are finally back! We are both absolutely giddy with excitement. I could not tell you how many times we tried the internet over the past five days. The internet was working fine on October 31st. However we think our landlord forgot to pay the bill and the service was turned off on November 1st. Because of the holidays on the 3rd and 4th it was not turned on again until today.

We have to thank Lisa and Tom for providing us with timely election results. We were able to see Obama's speech in Grant Park; but it was difficult to hear with the Russian translation talking over him. What a historic day in the United States! It seemed fitting for us to be here on the day Obama was elected president. We were here in the spring when he was finally named the nominee for the Democratic party. Before anyone gets any ideas we already have the Siberian office for Obama covered - too late!

You may all find it a blessing that we did not have internet access for the past five days. The days have been long and somewhat uneventful. Thankfully we were able to spend some time with the Akers. They definitely made the time pass more quickly.

On Saturday, we went bowling with the Akers at the mall. We think bowling is something of a new sport here in Russia. While we are certainly not PBA material, they did not seem at all familiar with bowling etiquette. People had no problem standing in your lane when you were trying to bowl. And the man next to us thought the object of the game was to throw the bowling ball as hard and fast as he could. Sometimes neither he nor the ball would remain in their own lane. Despite the obstacles it was a great time and an enjoyable experience.

I guess we had begun to feel a little too comfortable with the food here in Russia. On Sunday, I decided to make bacon and eggs for us both. Unfortunately something made both of us sick. I am saying it was the eggs. Todd is claiming it was my cooking. Either way we are NOT eating eggs again! We spent the morning feeling badly, but we were able to join our representatives and the Akers for dinner that night. The restaurant we ate at was called "Back in the USSR". It was a tribute to the communist days of Russia. We were very careful about what we ate that night.

Monday was a lazy day. While it was not officially proclaimed by Grandma Ginny, we took the liberty of calling it. We spent the day hanging around the apartment watching videos and reading. We were both trying to recover from what we are calling "The Egg Incident".

Tuesday (Todd's birthday) we were invited to join the Akers on a bus ride downtown. Some of you may recall pictures we took of the buses from our first trip. They are usually jam packed with passengers. Tuesday was not an exception. The ride costs 11 rubles (about 50cents) and it is worth every ruble. While the bus is packed, it is also stone silent. A person amongst the passengers collects the fare during the trip. Just an FYI, that person does not make change! We had to stand during most of our trip. The driver acts as if he is driving a sports car. You have to hang on for your dear life. Hanging on can be difficult. One must maintain proper footing during the entire trip. There is no time to relax and look out the windows. I nearly fell on top of this poor old woman sitting in the seat beside me. After Todd stopped laughing he helped me in the nick of time. The driver does not like to stop for very long. Todd had to pry the door open from the outside as it closed when I was trying to get off the bus. I thought it might be the last time I see Todd. Once again he was a prince and saved me. I claim the driver was too quick. Todd claims I was dawdling. Either way we are NOT riding the bus again!

Today (Lori's birthday), we were hoping to visit Sam. However because of a snow storm, we had to postpone our visit. The weather here has changed drastically. It is very cold and blowing snow. This place, Siberia, is beginning to live up to its reputation. We decided to brave the cold and walked to the mall. We met up with the Akers and their new son, Justin. They had just picked him up from the baby home this morning. Justin was very active and seemed happy to be exploring his new surroundings. They are planning to leave for Moscow on Friday.

We have to apologize for any confusion we caused in our prior posts. We have purchased tickets for our return flight to Moscow on November 12th. However there are additional steps to finalize our adoption once we get to Moscow. We are still scheduled to fly back to the United States on November 19th. Once we get to Moscow we are hoping to get a better feel for when we can return to the US. We are hoping to return sooner than the 19th, but like many things that is out of our hands.

We know this is just an internet connection. But a connection that we cherish none the less. Please know that we are counting down the days until we get home. To quote the immortal Bon Jovi: "We are half way there and living on a prayer". We hope we are back tomorrow with news of our visit with Sam. To keep you coming back we plan to post some pictures of Sam this weekend. Take care everyone!