030608

Today, I had a father and son moment…For the first time in my life, I changed a diaper…and it was his.  Although there was no dark and smelly payload, it was a wet one and quite heavy as well.  Ah…the joys of fatherhood.

Gen and I spend every day massaging Gabriel’s leg muscles and stand him up to dance to strengthen them in preparation for his crawling and eventually his walking.  We placed him inside a walker from time to time to see if he’ll move around.  Usually, he just stands there playing with the little toys and buttons on it, but today was different.  Gabriel was moving around in the walker.  Not long distances mind you, but small ones.  He moved forwards, backwards and side to side.  We are so proud of him…he is making so much progress!

As for his crawling, he keeps getting stronger everyday.  He doesn’t mind spending long periods of time on his tummy, but he does get a bit frustrated when he wants to move but can’t.  He’s almost there…he can get on to three of his four appendages, but can’t figure out how to move forward yet.  We hold him up and he kicks his legs out, but it looks like he’s swimming.  Gabriel can also sit up straight for long periods of time, something that wasn’t possible a couple of weeks ago.  Gen and I are always behind him to reassure his balance.  He has a bad habit of throwing himself backwards and then looking up at us and giggling. 

One of the challenges facing us when we got home is how Gabriel and Dakota are going to get along.  For those of you that don’t know who Dakota is, she is our yellow Labrador Retriever.  She’s not that big for a lab and she’s very good with small children.  In fact, some of our friends bring their kids over just to play with Dakota.  We brought with us a doll of a yellow lab which we will let Gabriel have once he’s back in our apartment.  In the mean time, the playroom has a German Shepherd stuffed animal that we let Gabriel play with.  I add the sound effects of a barking dog so that he won’t be scared of the noise.  At first, he was scared of it and cried a couple times when it was close to him.  He’s gotten way over that fear as you will see in the pictures below.  I think Gabriel and Dakota will get along just fine. 
    
Finally, one of the families here is going to court to legalize the adoption of their daughter Maria.  Carlos and Rosa are from Spain, specifically the Canary Islands.  They are a delightful couple who unfortunately don’t speak any English, so they are forced to listen to my very broken Spanish.  They have done a wonderful job with Maria and it is obvious from the moment she enters the room.  Before, she would not even look at her parents to be, but now, she cannot take her eyes off of them.  They taught her how to walk and are feeding her more nutritious foods than the orphanage does.  Unfortunately, Carlos and Rosa have to go back home after court and Maria cannot go with them due to the fifteen day appeal period.  They have two children back home and must tend to them as well.  I don’t know if we will see them before we leave for home, but we wish them the best of luck.  Maria will be well loved and cared for by them.
Paka!

[Show as slideshow]

030508

I think this next period of waiting is going to be the worst one.  We basically have 16 more days before we can get Gabriel out of the orphanage.  This whole appeal period stinks, but its all part of the process here.  I was hoping that it would have been dismissed, but we should be so lucky…

Gabriel was quite the little baby today.  He delighted all the ladies, especially his favorite translator, ate all his food without too much fussing and is making great progress to start crawling.  He pushed himself up into the crawling stance, but didn’t move.  I think any day now he’ll figure it out.

Paka!

[Show as slideshow]

030408

According to the courts of Aqtobe, Nurlan’s name will be legally changed to Gabriel Joel Nurlan Feliciano.  We received a favorable judgment for Gabriel’s adoption today.  The hearing lasted about 20 minutes.  Joel delivered his speech and I followed.  They asked a few questions about our heritage and confirmed that we understood our responsibilities as parents.  The hearing was held in a small room, not at all what we expected.  The judge was very pleasant and even made some jokes that weren’t translated.  The prosecutor was a young man in his twenties and only asked one question.  The baby house director and a representative from the Ministry of Education were also present.  After our speech, the judge, director, prosecutor and representative from MOE went through their motions.  Our translator could not translate everything but she motioned to us when were addressed.  We were then asked to wait outside for their decision.  The wait lasted about 5 minutes before we were called back in.  They congratulated us and we were quickly escorted out.  The hearing was over.  Our 15 day appeal period starts tomorrow.  This is mandated by law for anyone related to Gabriel that might want to appeal his adoption.

We couldn’t wait to share the great news with Gabriel during our afternoon visit.  As usual, he greeted us with his heart melting smile when his nanny brought him into the playroom.  Someone might have leaked the good news in his baby room because he was more excited than norm.  He even mustered up enough strength to go on all fours.  Our boy is making so much progress, he’s getting ready to crawl.  He ate all his porridge today without any complaints and he was rewarded with a visit from his favorite translator, Bayanna.  Bayanna has not been able to visit and Gabe initially was reserved when she first said hi to him.  Bayanna gave him a kiss and it was all over.  He smiled from ear to ear and showed off his dimples.  He definitely has a major crush on her. 

We celebrated our successful court hearing with all our good friends in Aqtobe.  Great friends, great food and vodka.  This might explain why Joel was not able to write today’s blog.

Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts.  We are almost home and could not have done this without all your love and support.

Spasiba!!

Joel, Gen & Gabriel

P.S. 

Joel here, I’m editing this entry…I sobered up a bit

[Show as slideshow]

030308

Tomorrow is D-Day…At 11:00 we go in and the judge hears our case for Gabriel’s adoption.  From what I gathered, he’s gone over all our paperwork and tomorrow he will hear testimony from the head doctor of the orphanage and possibly other witnesses.   I have a prepared speech to read to him after the witnesses testify and will have to answer some questions as well.  Gen will answer questions as well.  If all goes smoothly, this will take about an hour and hopefully we’ll receive a judgment after the proceedings are complete.

This morning before Gabriel was brought in, a doctor came in and told us that they were instituting a quarantine for the next week or so.  This was due to spring coming and they don’t want the babies to be exposed to germs being carried in by the adults.  So now we need to buy some surgical masks to see Gabriel.  Our morning session with Gabriel went well.  All the babies woke up early this morning because of a medical exam, so towards the end of the visit, the babies were either passed out or cranky.  Gabriel took the cranky route, but thankfully the visit was over and the caretaker took him back to his room to sleep.

Gen and I decided to walk around central Aqtobe for our lunch break, so we hung out with the Dykes.  We first had lunch at a Turkish restaurant then went walking around town.  Being dorky tourists taking pictures, we happened upon a kid begging for money.  I said no to him several times and he just kept following us.  As we made our way back to Kami and Eric’s apartment, I noticed he was still behind me, no doubt trying to pick pocket me.  I glanced over at my shadow to see him trying and I turned around.  The look on his face was priceless.  He just stood there as I looked to make sure nothing was taken.  I then walk towards him to explain the error of his ways.  He decides its best that he shouldn’t and runs as fast as he can from me. 

We later returned to the orphanage for our afternoon session.  Gabriel was playful the entire time.  He ate his food like a champ and decided to just chill out with us both.  Don’t worry Gabe…you are almost home!!

Paka!

[Show as slideshow]

Waiting For Court Day 10
030108

Gabriel was very sleepy during today’s visit.  We think he was up late last night partying with his roommates in Baby Room 3.  During the morning visit, he was good for the first hour and a half, but he wanted to sleep after that.  When we came back in the afternoon, he was very cranky.  He didn’t even want to eat all his food.  Gabriel just settled for some fruit juice and cuddling time with both of us.

Paka!

[Show as slideshow]

Waiting For Court Day 11
030208

Today, we have only one visit with Gabriel.  When his caretaker took him in, he was all smiles.  He was so affectionate to Gen and me and just wanted to be close to us. 

Lately, he’s been showing us how much he loves music.  Gabriel loves his time on the piano, but he also shows his love for drum beats.  He pounds away on a ball as well as on a box of wipes in a somewhat rhythmic fashion.  Good thing we’ve got a drum set at home he can pound.

Sunday is shopping day.  Bayanna took us back to the indoor/outdoor market.  Not sure if we’ve mentioned it on our earlier blogs but the market is like the flea markets back home.  Most vendors have limited quantities and sizes of their merchandise.  Certain items are cheap but for the most part clothes are pricey and quality is poor.  We miss our outlet stores in Jersey.

Paka!

[Show as slideshow]

022908

We’ve got great news to start this entry off…We’ve got our court date!!  This Tuesday, March 4 at 11 am, we will be appearing before judge to file for Gabriel’s adoption.  The finish line is getting so close, we are almost home!

This morning, Gabriel was so happy when he came in the room.  He was smiling and laughing for almost the entire time he was with us.  When there was a about an hour left, he became cranky.  It turns out that he had woken up earlier than he was supposed to and he wanted to go back to sleep. 

During our lunch break, Gen and I went to the Mosque mall and for a long walk around central Aqtobe.  We visited two monuments, and walked through several parks.  We took a small break at a café called Candy and then met up with Kami and Eric at their apartment.

When he came out for our afternoon session, he was all smiles and no crankiness.  He ate all his food without a peep and played nice with all the other babies in the room.  He jammed on the piano and enjoyed one on one time with Gen and me.

After our bonding sessions, we went to the bowling alley for happy hour that lasted for 3 or so hours.  Ben and Karla joined us, along with Agnes, Bernadette, Kami and Eric for some beer and pizza.  Special mucho thanks to Ben and Karla for hooking Gabriel up with some baby ora-jel.  We were supposed to bowl or play some pool, but the conversation and company was too good to end.  

[Show as slideshow]

Waiting For Court Day 07
022708

“As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door…”  Edgar Allen Poe

Last night, while I was taking a shower, I heard a knocking on my door.  Then it became a rapping, then a slapping, then kicking, at my door.  A note was then slipped in between the crack of our steel door.  It was written in Cyrillic, so we couldn’t make any sense of it, nevermore… 

The woman, at least that’s what the person who was screaming sounded like, seemed pretty ticked off.  I think it had something to do with the shower, perhaps a leak in her apartment below us.  We’ve been told never to open the door to anyone knocking, unless it was a translator or someone whom they had sent over.  As you can imagine, we were unnerved at this incident, so we called our translator.  She told us to ignore it, relax and get some sleep.  We didn’t get much sleep that night…

In the morning, Gen and I made our way downstairs, hoping to avoid seeing an angry Kazakh waiting for us outside our door.  Of course, our ride to the orphanage was late, so that only heightened our anxiety.  When they arrived, I gave the note to the translator and asked her what it said.  There was some obvious colorful language, but the author surprisingly used please a couple of times in the note.  Basically, water was leaking into her apartment, and she requested that we not use the shower till it was fixed.  Our translator then alerted the property manager to get this leak fixed. 

Our time with Gabriel was fun today.  The morning went without incident, however, the afternoon session was the fun one, at least for me.  I’m proud to say that Gabriel learned how to make the razzberries.  If you are unfamiliar with that sound, it’s very easy to make.  Simply hold your lips together and then blow some air out.  Unfortunately for Gen, he practiced it while she was feeding him.  At the end of his meal, Gabriel was giggling and Gen was wearing his food. 

Paka! 

[Show as slideshow]

Waiting For Court Day 08
022808

No one was rapping on our door, and it looks like nothing leaked from the shower.  This had the makings of a good night sleep.  Eight hours later, Gen and I are enjoying breakfast and feeling very refreshed.

At the orphanage, our coordinator informs us that they will be going to the judge tomorrow to seek a court date (Now where have I heard that before…)  Our coordinator is projecting us to be in court on Tuesday, March 4. 

This afternoon, Gabriel was showing off his razzberry talent once again.  I was summoned to keep my distance because we (Gabe and I) think it’s amusing to spray food all over mama.  His teething hasn’t been bothering him as of late which is good for us.  He enjoyed some time on the piano, this time playing with Maria, one of the other children which a Spanish couple from the Canary Islands is adopting.  There are 2 other children as well, a boy named Sasha and a girl with a beautiful name, Gaia.  Our time in the playroom seems to go much quicker with the new additions.  Gabriel is certainly on alert to make sure he doesn’t miss any excitement.  He is very nosey.

Weather has been unusually warm, 2 degrees Celsius today.  Sidewalks are visible in some areas but now flooding is becoming an issue.  It’s slushy, muddy and yucky everywhere.

Paka…paka!

[Show as slideshow]

022608

It’s Tuesday morning here and the temperature is about 32 degrees.  The snow and ice is starting to melt, but there are strong, gusty winds whipping around anything that’s loose on the ground.  My mind is starting to wander as Gen and I wait for our ride to the orphanage.  The last time I was out of the country for this long, I was so homesick and had bad culture shock.  For some reason I don’t feel that way…at least not yet.  Don’t get me wrong, I do miss the creature comforts of home, like McDonald’s, high speed internet and a well insulated home and heat.

For starters, our apartment has radiators which don’t seem to be radiating much heat.  I know I had mentioned that all the buildings in Kazakhstan are all heated to the point of being saunas.  Well, that isn’t the case with our apartment.  As I am typing this, I am huddled next to a portable electric radiator.  It’s effective range is probably half an inch, but I need to distance myself from it or else I’ll get burned.  Lucky for me, my laptop puts out so much heat, it keeps me warm.  Our apartment’s insulation isn’t that great, and I can feel the wind coming in.  You can actually see the curtains being blown around from the drafts around the windows. 

At least the water is warm.  There are two temperatures for the water here, cold and scalding hot.  I can’t tell you how many times when I’m in the shower when I accidently nudge the water valve and out shoots boiling hot water.  The smell of sulfur from the water is a bit overwhelming for my tastes as well.  Things could be worse though, the water could be brown, but I hear it doesn’t turn that color till spring…

We arrive at the orphanage and I’m half expecting to hear that we will not be seeing Gabriel today due to planetary alignment problems.  To my surprise, he’s brought into the playroom.  It feels good to be able to hold my son in my arms again.  Even though our court date hasn’t been confirmed yet, I’m starting to feel that the whole adoption process is almost done.  I can almost make out the finish line from where I’m standing, but I’m snapped back to reality when Gabe’s caretaker plucks him from my arms and brings him back to his room.  Yeah, I think it’s about time we get Gabriel home…

[Show as slideshow]

022508

It was Gabriel time as usual, or so we thought. He came to us this morning still feeling the ill effects of his two upper front teeth coming in. He was extremely cranky and we had a difficult time comforting him. We gave him a teether, then a teething biscuit…they both didn’t work. Our translator was supposed to get us some baby ora-gel, but she forgot. Towards the end of the morning session, he seemed to be feeling better.

We thought we would have better luck soothing his teething this afternoon, but we were notified that all afternoon sessions have been cancelled. Apparently, the head doctor of the orphanage has called a “commission” or so we were told. We are so bummed out that we won’t be seeing him this afternoon. Hopefully, this “commission” will be over with, and we’ll be able to see Gabriel tomorrow.

[Show as slideshow]

Waiting For Court Day 03
022308

Just a little change to the title, we are waiting for our day in court…

Eric, Lincoln’s daddy, brought a ball with him today.  It was so cute to see Lincoln and Gabriel playing with the ball.  After a little bit of play time, it appeared that Gabriel was not feeling too well.  He seems to have gotten some congestion, and his teething was really bothering him. We jammed on the piano for a little bit, and got some dancing time in to try to take his mind off of it, but he still cried.  In the end, Gabriel just needed some cuddling time with us.

As our time was up, Gabriel’s favorite caretaker came over to take a picture with us before she brought Gabriel back to his room.  We’ve noticed that she really likes Gabriel and goes out of her way to take care of him and lets us know what’s going on with him.

That evening, we went out with the Dykes family to a Russian restaurant.  The décor of the place was that of a Russian home, which is entirely built out of logs.  The place had a rustic feel, but it was very cozy.  The food and drink was very good as well.  We ended up staying out a bit too late and had to take a taxi back.  Five of us crammed into a hatchback taxi…that made for a fun ride home!!

[Show as slideshow]

Our visit with Gabriel was an afternoon session this Sunday.  When we got there, we found out that he wasn’t going to be allowed out in the playroom today because he wasn’t feeling well.  Our translator brought us downstairs to his room to speak with his caretaker.  She told us that his two front teeth are coming out and it’s causing him a lot of discomfort and he has a bit of a temperature from it as well.  She also requested for more chest rub for him.   

Both of us were pretty bummed out that we couldn’t see him today.  Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow and we’ll be able to see him.  The disappointment is evident in Gen’s picture below.

[Show as slideshow]