Waiting For Court Day 03
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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!!

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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.

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Waiting Day 02
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It’s finally stopped snowing!  So there is give or take 2 feet of snow on the ground.  The roads are still pretty messy.  In fact, the roads to the baby house are still covered in snow, so we had to take a different route in.  When we got to the baby house, Gabriel was so happy to see us.  I think he gave us a look that said, “where were you guys yesterday?!?” We made it up to him this with lots of dancing and a baby food snack. 

During our lunch break, Gen and I ran to the market to pick up some food and Gabriel’s baby porridge.  We picked up a Kazakh hot dog, which basically is a hotdog wrapped in a croissant like bread and ground beef also wrapped in a similar way.  Both of these were excellent, and all for $2.25 U.S.

When we returned this afternoon and found a new member to our group at the orphanage.  A single mother from Belgium has just arrived and today was her first day of bonding with her new baby boy.  Gabriel was so excited to see us as he was brought in.  So I took him over to play on the piano for a bit and then he enjoyed some dancing time with Gen and our translator.  When it was time for us to leave, Gabriel hesitated to go with his caretaker.  He looked back at us with a sad face as he was brought back to his room. 

Paka!

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Well, it’s still snowing today.  We’ve probably got a foot and a half of snow on the ground now and it’s making travel around the city a bit messy.  As you may have noticed at the new title of the blog, we are now in waiting mode for a court date.  After our morning session with Gabriel, we were urged to go the notary to sign off on the freshly translated power of attorney letters.  The letters along with our other paperwork will hopefully be presented to court officials today so that we will get a court date.

We only had a morning session with Gabriel.  Apparently, the orphanage suffered a window malfunction while we were on our lunch break and we were informed that the afternoon session will be canceled until the window is repaired.  We may also miss tomorrow’s morning session as well unless the window is repaired. 

Gabriel was in a good mood this morning.  He was full of energy and all smiles.  We gave him some banana and apple baby food.  The look on his face was priceless when he took his first bite of it.  We hope he won’t miss us too badly when we aren’t able to see him this afternoon.

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It’s been snowing here since last night and we have about a foot of snow on the ground.  Parents around here take their young children around in sleds that they pull behind them versus a stroller back home.  The child is wrapped up so much, they can hardly move.  I’ll have to get a shot of that and post it up here when I get a chance.

Today marks the fifteenth and final day of bonding with Gabriel.  However, it does not become official until tomorrow.  Our coordinators here began finalizing our paperwork for submission to court.  They will also file for a court date, which we should be hearing about within ten days.  Gabriel’s bonding period really flew by, so we are hoping that the court and appeal period go as quickly.

Gabriel was cranky today because his front tooth is coming in.  He fought during his breakfast and his afternoon snack.  He’s getting smarter every day, and it’s evident especially during his feeding.  He challenges us by refusing to eat, grabbing the spoon, moving around constantly and crying.  He only stops when he is picked up, and then he cracks a big grin across his face.  He giggles from time to time when he gets his way.  When he finishes his acting, we start the battle again.  We’ve been getting good at this, so now he doesn’t wear as much of his food anymore.  Burping him is a whole different story…that’s when we wear his food. 

BTW, I don’t know if people have noticed, but the weather report is incorrect on the widget sidebar thing.  It is not in the 40’s or 50’s here…it’s more in the single digits.  Anyways, I’ll be removing that shortly.

Paka (bye!)

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Happy Tuesday! Today was a fun day here in Kazakhstan. One of our translators spent the morning session putting the finishing touches on our album which will be presented to the court and to the Ministry of Education. Our album consisted of our pictures and comments on Gabriel’s progress during the 15 day bonding period. Gabriel was just a joy today. During the morning session, he ate and enjoyed his new porridge. He complained maybe once or twice, but he was satisfied. Afterwards, Gabriel and I walked around for some burp time. I’ve noticed that as of late, he hasn’t been spitting up as much as he has, and he’s keeping down his food. This is such a positive step forward. If you look at his face, his cheeks seem to be getting a little bit chubby and he feels like he’s gaining weight. Gabriel seems to finally be hitting his stride. Just think, once he gets home he is really going to bloom.

After completeing our bonding sessions for the day, our translator took us out for some fun…to the local bowling alley. We first hit the café at the alley, pizza and beer. The beer was incredibly priced, kind of like a happy hour and the pizza as well. After that, we hit the lanes and bowled. It was a lot of fun and it was interesting to see the locals kicking back and relaxing. 

Joel

Hello All, Gen here! I think my husband has done an incredible job with blogging. Who would’ve guessed that the same guy that drives like he’s the king of the road on the Jersey Turnpike had a sensitive side? I wanted everyone to know that I do edit, and from time to time, censor his blogs. Which brings me to my point on today’s blog…Joel failed to mention that I beat him in bowling, again. I guess it doesn’t matter on which side of the world he bowls; Joel just can’t seem to find his stride anywhere!! This means that I’ll have to be the one to teach Gabriel how to bowl…hehehe

Da svidaniya! (Good-Bye)

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Bonding Day 11
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We’ve discovered an interesting thing about Gabriel today, he loves to dance!  Our translator, played some music for him a couple of days ago, and he loved it.  So we copied the Russian hip hop and played it for him today.  He just would not stop dancing!  For almost 40 minutes straight he danced!  After that, he was all pooped and was falling asleep.  During the afternoon, he danced again and again, and didn’t want to be put down. 

That evening, our translator took all of us to this Southern Kazakhstan style restaurant for some food and fun.  The place looked like a Moroccan Castle complete with a cool sit down eating area, an indoor pond with some koi and goldfish, a bridge and an upstairs billiard table. 

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Bonding Day 12
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It’s Sunday, and we only have one bonding session with Gabriel.  We tried giving him a baby yogurt snack today, but he didn’t like it.  When our visit was up, he hesitated to go back with his caretaker.  He gave us that look that just made us sad to leave.  We’ve got a couple more weeks to go, hang in there Gabe!

When our visit was over, we went to a shopping center on the outside of town for some lunch and shopping.  The shopping center turned out to be a huge mall complete with restaurants, arcade, grocery store and a food court.  At the food court area, we picked a hamburger place to get food.  From the pictures on the menu, it looked good, but when we got the burgers, they were loaded with mayonnaise.  I’m craving a sack of 10 jalapeno White Castle burgers back in Jersey at this point!

After lunch, we printed out some pictures for an album that needs to be presented for court.  We then hit the grocery store to pick up food and other supplies.  What’s nice is they accepted credit cards, hooray!  According to the management at the store, we spent so much money that we qualified to have a discount card.  I guess we will be needing it with all the crazy prices around here.

A funny thing when doing laundry in Kazakhstan…There are no “dryers” here.  Locals here believe that hanging your clothes outside to dry in sub zero weathers will kill the bacteria.  Take a look at Gen’s frozen sweater in the picture below…

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Bonding Day 13
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Only three more days before we complete our bonding period with Gabriel!  Then we file for a court date to legalize his adoption and then we wait another fifteen days for his appeal period.  Almost home!

Gabriel had his new porridge today, as suggested by our translator.  He gobbled it all down and very little came back up.  After his burping session, some juice followed suit and some more dancing.  This kid has got some moves!!

At this point, I’d like to say thanks to all the people who have been reading our blog.  Your comments help keep us smiling here on the other side of the world.  Before arriving in Kazakhstan, I did a search for all the families that have done blogs about their adoption experiences in Kazakhstan.  Those families who traveled before us have provided an excellent resource and inside look to those of us following in their footsteps.  It is in that spirit that we also would like to contribute to that pool of knowledge as well.  This blog is a very personal reflection of our experiences here and it is my hope that the people who are reading this blog will use this information with respect and integrity.

Anyways, enjoy some pictures of Gabriel and his new digz.  Check out his feet as well!!

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After playing with Gabriel for a bit, one of his caregivers came in with a bowl of porridge.  This time it was a different type which Aina had brought in for us.  According to her, this one was much better tasting and highly nutritious.  I scooped up Gabriel and prepared for another long feeding session.  Gen said she would help out as well.  Slowly, we fed him the porridge.  At first he cried a bit, but he settled down.  Before we knew it, he finished the entire bowl!  We finished off with some juice and settled down for some burp time.

Gabriel’s reward would be time on the piano.  I wish we could upload one of these videos, but this connection is way to slow to do it.  So, you’ll have to settle for some pictures of him banging away on it with me.  He absolutely loves being on there and he will cry if you take him off it.  It looks like we are going to get a piano for him when we get back.

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Bonding Day 8: Fatherhood so far…or how I learned to love baby vomit
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Today officially marks the halfway point of our bonding period with Gabriel.  Eight more days of this and then we head to court to officially file for his adoption.  It’s been an exciting adventure, and the time is just flying by. 

I never really understood what it was like to be a father until now.  There is an immense responsibility in it as this helpless little baby boy is putting his trust in me to take care of him.  It’s both exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  “Am I going to be a good father” type of thoughts keeps going through my head. 

There is a considerable difference from the baby I first met over a week ago.  He no longer is afraid of me, rather he welcomes me with a smile that could melt an iceberg.   He allows me to comfort him when he’s hurt, scared or upset.  Sometimes, if he’s really hungry, or I’m lucky, he even lets me feed him. 

Fatherhood doesn’t seem so bad…even when I’m covered in baby vomit.

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Bonding Day 09
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Today is Valentine’s Day in Kazakhstan.  Turns out Gabriel is mommy’s valentine and he showered mommy in little baby hugs, kisses and vomit.  Unfortunately, Gabriel has been very fussy with his eating as we found out this morning when this caregiver brought out his porridge for us to feed him.  She said that he would not eat and we would have to try to make him eat his breakfast.  Usually they leave the afternoon feeding to us, so we were some what concerned. 

So Gen picked up Gabriel and tried to feed him.  He started crying right off the bat and would not stop.  We got to about halfway through his bowl when our translator suggested we stop.  She suggested we try a different type of porridge, which she would bring in tomorrow.  Aina said that her daughter was the exact same way, so when she changed her food around, she would eat all her food.  So Gen gave Gabriel some juice, cleaned him up and we relaxed with him for the rest of the morning session.

When we came back for the afternoon, Gabriel still would not have anything to do with eating.  He was crying and would not open his mouth for us to feed him.  We stopped halfway through his bowl and gave him some juice.  Gabriel’s teething was also getting worse as he would not stop sticking his fingers in his mouth.  He was not a happy camper.  After 45 minutes of feeding, we surrendered.  We only had a few minutes left before his caretaker would come for him.  Gen asked me to play the piano with him to try to get him to cheer up.  He was a like a switch, he instantly pounded on the keys and his smile was back.  It worked.  We ended our visit in good spirits.

We celebrated Valentine’s at the Alehouse Pub with Eric and Kami.  Pizza and beer for Valentine’s Day, certainly a first for this holiday.  As usual, company was great and food was pretty good.  Gen and Kami even got straws for their beer and we weren’t charged for them.

Happy Valentine’s Day to All!

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Bonding Day 6
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Today is our last day in the Hotel Dastan.  It’s too much money to stay there the entire time here, so we finally got an apartment.  The apartment is actually Christy’s, as she is flying to Almaty to finalize Miss Z’s paper work.  Christy left us some food, cleaning products, and more importantly a place to stay.  Thank you very large Christy!! =)

As I shovel down the last morsel of free hotel breakfast, I savor every bite.  I think the food is going to be the thing I miss the most when we leave the hotel.  Gen and I then head back up to our room to get our luggage.  We have three pieces of luggage each weighing over forty pounds, in addition to our carry on luggage as well.  We haul everything downstairs to the entrance of the hotel and await our driver.  The plan for today is to carry our luggage with us to the orphanage and during lunch time, move into the new apartment. 

At about 9:30 we arrive at the orphanage and await Gabriel’s arrival into the playroom.    I love it when his caregiver comes in and he’s got this look of anticipation in his eyes because he knows that we are here.  He looks left, then right and squirms around to try and catch a view of us.  The moment he makes eye contact, its like the 4th of July…His eyes widen and a big silly grin goes across that face of his.  His caregiver then hands him over to me and it seems all is right in the world.

Gabriel has been learning tummy time since we arrived in Kazakhstan.  At first he used to scream after a few seconds of being placed on his belly, and boy has this kid got a set of lungs.  But more and more he has been getting comfortable with this.  Lately he’s gotten stronger to the point of rolling back and forth from his belly to back.  Now he giggles like a maniac when he does this.

After our morning bonding session ends, we bid adieu to Gabriel and head over to our new apartment.  The apartment is on the third floor, so carrying up the luggage was a lot of fun.  Lucky for us, Cerric, Eric and Kami helped out.  Everyone takes their leave as we settle into the new place. 

We unpack a couple of things and head out to the market to buy food and supplies.  At first, our translators took us to the market to show us where things were and how to select stuff.  This was quite the adventure trying to figure out what to buy.  We thought we had gotten milk, but it turned out to be yogurt.  You would think that the cow on the carton was an indication that there was milk, but that wasn’t the case.  Our “sign” language has also been improving here as well.  Gen wanted to get some salami, so she pointed to the one she wanted and showed the woman behind the counter how much she needed.  After a series of pantomimes, grunts and nods, an 8 inch log of salami was handed over.  There is one serious thing to watch for, expired food.  These markets leave food that has been expired, sometimes for over a year, on the shelves. 

Check out at the register was fun as well.  Over here, you actually have to pay for the plastic bags that you put your groceries into.  Also when small change is given back, sometimes a matchbox is given as an equivalent. 

Shopping adventure completed, we head back to the apartment and get ready for the afternoon bonding period with Gabriel.  Today, it’s my turn feeding Gabriel.  I remember when his caregiver showed us how to feed him, and she made it look so easily.  All he did was lay back in her arms as she literally shoveled the food into his mouth.  I’ve only fed him a couple times and he always cries.  He does not like it when I feed him, and he only quiets down when a female shows her face to him.  What should take about 10-15 minutes goes on for 45 minutes.  By the time we are finished, I’m dripping in sweat and wearing his food and drink.  Burping duty ensues and you can add baby vomit to my wardrobe as well. 

I know that we’ve got a long way to go, I just wish it didn’t have to smell this bad =)

Till next time!

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Bonding Day 7
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Today’s time with Gabriel was an interesting one.  The day started off as normal, with us doing his morning exercise routine and playtime.  It looks like Gabriel’s legs are getting stronger and stronger each day.  This morning, as we held him, he started hopping up and down.  He can bear his weight on his legs with us balancing him.  I put him in a walker, but he doesn’t move around in it yet.  He’s content with playing with the toys that are on it. 

We noticed that Gabriel kept sticking his finger in his mouth and appeared to be poking around in there.  Looks like his teething is starting to really bother him.  We gave him a teether but that doesn’t seem to of worked.  Then we tried a teething biscuit, which he immediately took to.   The look on his face was priceless when he figured out that chomping on this thing felt good.

Gabriel was able to get some playtime with Lincoln, Kami and Eric’s son.  They were adorable playing with each other!  At one point, it appeared that they were talking to each other.  I think they were planning their escape from the orphanage!

We also got busted today for changing Gabriel’s clothes.  According to the caregivers, we cannot change their clothes because it’s too “cold” in the room and the children can get sick.  Mind you, this room is quite hot and on numerous occasions, Gabriel’s clothes were wet from sweat because of the heat.  It’s also confusing as the caregivers in the morning told us that it was ok to change his clothes.  

After a bit of a frustrating day, Biyanna took us to a local Kazakh restaurant for some local cuisine.  We were offered quite the selection of vodka as you can see from the picture.  Biyanna then ordered a famous dish, which I can’t remember the name of , but it consists of beef, potatoes, onions and wide, flat noodles.  This dish also consists of horse meat, but we decided that our stomachs were not too adventurous this evening.  The meal was absolutely delicious, the vodka smooth and the company excellent.  What a great way to make up for a trying day!

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Bonding Day 4

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Gabe’s feeling better.  We bought him some medicine last night that his doctor requested. It seems to be working but I’m very concerned.  It looked like cough syrup and chest rubs for adults.  I asked numerous times to make sure that it was for babies and they said yes.  He still has a runny nose but his breathing is much better. 

Joel attempted to feed Gabe again this afternoon.  Gabe was not comfortable at all.  He was fussing and crying again.  We are definitely convinced that it’s because he isn’t accustomed to having a male feed him.  Joel remained very patient but willingly handed him over after half an hour of enticing Gabe to eat.  I finished feeding him without any problems.

We discovered something truly amazing about our son.  He loves music.  Joel played the piano in the playroom with Gabe on his lap.  Gabe was moving his hands, mimicking daddy.  It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.  Gabe complained each time Joel took a break. 

We had dinner at Christy’s, she’s adopted a beautiful baby girl, Z.  Z is from baby room 3, the same as Gabe.  She also loves music like him.  Her process started 7 weeks ago and she’s on her way to meet her family in Almaty on Monday.  It’s so comforting to know that she only had minor hiccups along her process.  She shared her true Aqtobe experiences and gave encouraging advice.  This ROCKSTAR mom went through this process by herself.  We wish them a safe trip home.

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Bonding Day 5
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We are a bit sad today, as we are only allowed one morning visit with Gabriel.  The good new is it’s his ninth month birthday.  He was born on May 10, 2007.  To celebrate, we gave him apple juice in a sippy cup. He loved it so much, he actually performed crunches to get to the cup.  He held it by himself at times.

After a bit of a rest, our other translator, Biyanna, came over to play with Gabriel.  She started playing some music on her phone and danced for Gabriel.  He got into the groove of things as well and got down with her.  This kid is going to be a playa!

As usual, the time with him isn’t long enough and his caregiver comes into the room to take him away.  It’s the saddest thing to see, as he knows that he wants to be with us, but he can’t stay…just yet.  It kills me to see that look in his eyes when he’s carried out of the room.

After we leave the orphanage, we head over to the Sulpak marketplace to grab some lunch and do some shopping.  We need to pick up a couple of baby things along with other stuff as well.  I don’t know if Gen and I had mentioned it yet, but the choices for food around here can be quite adventurous.  There isn’t any type of fast food restaurants like back in the states, McDonald’s, Burger King, etc…The last time one of us tried something, we beat a hasty exit to the nearest bathroom.  Today’s choice of food wasn’t too bad, a very oily noodle soup with shredded beef and a baked bun stuffed with chicken and potatoes.  Desert was nice, it was a crepe type of pastry topped off with honey and nuts. 

We proceed to the indoor shopping area and look for the baby stuff.  You would think that things here would be at a decent price or cheap, but it isn’t the case.  Prices here rival NYC, yet the quality of the product is no where near it.  The same goes for food shopping and baby stuff, like pampers or baby wipes. 

After an unsuccessful search inside, we head to the outdoor market.  Now remember that the temperature outside is about 16 degrees and ice is everywhere.  Even with a fleece, cold weather parka, hat and gloves, you can still feel the cold.  It’s a good thing that we brought along insulated winter boots as well, because the ground is just a sheet of ice. 

The outdoor market looks pretty much like something you would find back home, except almost all the vendors use shipping containers to hock their wares.  Walking in and around the maze of containers, we finally find some of the baby stuff that we needed and make our way back towards the entrance of the market.  Before we exit, we find a vendor selling those fur hats.  Eric, who has been looking for a fur hat immediately runs over to him and tries them on.  I pick one up as well and find it very comfortable and warm! Cerric was quite delighted when we returned to the car when we returned wearing the Kazakh hats.  He pointed at Eric and me and said, “Russian and Kazakh friends”.  We’ll attach the picture of us with the hat vendor.

Dinner was at a Turkish restaurant, Istanbul with Eric and Kami.  They didn’t have an English menu there.  We called our translator to order for us, beef and chicken meals.  Food was pretty good and inexpensive.  We’ll definitely return for future meals.

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