Moscow Monday

My last Monday in Moscow. :)
The end is actually in sight. I can't believe this used to be a 5 day process.

You will have to pardon my writing style, I don't have time to journal and do this, so this is supposed to recount everything for Ana when she is 40 and curious..

The good news is that Sleeping Beauty woke up today! She slept from 11:00 Saturday night until 7:30 this (Monday) morning with about 1 1/2 hours of total awake time in between. She has eaten, not tons, but she does eat. She likes applesauce and sweet potatoes with applesauce. I can't tell you how many baby food jars are open in the fridge, and how many boxes of cereal/porridge we have made! Formula of any kind- nyet! She likes apple & carrot juice and if she is REALLY hungry I can sneak some rice cereal in it to thicken it up. Right now she is eating baby cookies we found at a store today. Her favorite thing is to feed mom and I until we are bursting. We must be her royal tasters.

Dr. Boris came here today. I was thrilled to not have to go to his office given how worried she had me.She didn't like him too much. He has a deep voice and a big mustache. He said she was stressed and that was why she was sleeping. I had that on my list of possibilities, but it was nice to confirm that she just needed some down time. Let's hope she needs another sleeping beauty day on Saturday, right as the flight takes off! Dr. Boris said she must have been a favorite in the orphanage. That she was a little underweight and her muscle tone was weak, but family life would fix it. He also said her only problem will be keeping the boys away. We said, she has 3 big brothers for that! He noticed the ptosis of her left eye. It was new this visit and has yet to go away. He said she should see an optometrist when she gets home. I noticed Darya had the same issue in June and Ian and I wondered what it was. Now, I think it is a virus. The optometrist will know. She is also cutting 2 teeth which is causing her low grade fever (99.4-100.0) and the drainage she is experiencing.

After the Dr. visit, we got her to eat 3oz of a fruit juice/cereal bottle! victory ;) Then we played. It was nice to have our Ana back. A little before 10am Pasha arrived. OK, no one shared that he is cute too boot! He is such a doll. What a nice guy! He even had his own car seat. He is my kind of guy. He took us to the passport place so they could verify Ana was the one in the photo. She wasn't too happy to go, but was tolerant. I loved how he stopped at a store to photo copy my visa and migration card before we got to their office- that spared the official extra work. He really works to make things easier on everyone on both sides. After the passport office, he took us to a walmart type store to find shoes that fit Ana. Well, no shoes but we replenished our baby food pantry so we have a whole new assortment of foods to try out with her. Then he took Ana and I home and he took my mother on a tour of Red Square. I got 1 bite of mashed potatoes w/mushrooms soup into her, and then she rejected more.. so we played. The maid came and spoke Russian to her. Ana did not like her and when the maid wanted to hold her Ana was not for it so I totally acted like I had no clue what the maid wanted.. and took Ana to another room. Ana was happy when Nana came home. They played some and at 3pm the whole house took a nap. She woke up and had a whole container of sweet potatoes and apple sauce and then another container of applesauce!!! more victories! She also ate a baby cookie in my bed. She and Nana played and played. Nana strolled her all over the apartment. Ana LOVES to be strolled around. Ana discovered if you squeeze Nana's nose she honks!

We tried to give her a good night bath, but we were met with tears... another day maybe.
At 8pm she was ready to fall asleep, but when we lay her down she cried a pitiful soft " I want to go home" cry.. not one meant for me, not loud "come get me" but one all for herself, one that just is acknowledging how sad and lonely she feels. I lay next to her, I hold her, but this is the time she wants her normalcy..her friends, her old routine.. at least that is what I think she is going through.. So, I sit her up and hold her. I can't wait until I get home to my rocking chair. I have rocked many a child to sleep night after night and I think she will also enjoy that routine.

We did skype Ian today and she really wants him to hold her. She loves seeing him, but she really misses him. What a Daddy's girl!

Well, Princess Ana, that was your day today. I am so thrilled to be with you! You charm me, amaze me and break my heart all day long. You are one complex little person for not even being 2 yet!
God Bless you, Ana!


Paka Paka to the rest of you-
Michelle