Home Sweet Home

Not sure how long I have to type, but I will do my best to update you all and this log of our adventures.. I wish I had been able to keep it as detailed as I had hoped, but Ana loves to pull the keys off my computer just like Aidan used to, and so I can't type for long..

Friday, we went to the MOE to introduce them to our families. It was such a joy to share our kids with these ladies who work so hard behind the scenes. While we were there we had our names removed from the list of prospective adoptive parents.

Pasha took me to the notary to finalize one last documents and then we headed over to the CSS office to drop off gifts for S and I. Then, as our last stop I went to the market to buy 10 boxes of porridge. This is one healthy food I can always get Ana to eat, so I am stocking up. It isn't like our rice cereal. It is smoother. I still can't get her to drink milk or formula so the porridge and baby cookies at least have some vitamins in it.

Friday night Ana, mom and I rode the subway/metro from Pushkin square to Smolenskaya on Old Arabat. Pushkin square is one of the more challenging stations to navigate. It begins with a maze of tunnels and lots of stairs and escalators. It can easily take 10 minutes to go from the metro door to the train itself. It isn't a direct line so we had to switch at Arbat station... by the time we got to TGI Friday's my mother was secretly cursing me for taking her along. It may have been a challenge going that far with a baby and her supplies, but I was happy to meet the other families who were on trip 1 and to see the Terry's one final time.

We went home and packed the last few items and fell asleep for the final time in Moscow.

Saturday, mom got us Mc Muffins for breakfast and we waited around until 10:30 for Pasha and Dimitri to arrive. The maid got there at 10 and once again Ana rejected all of her advances for attention. She does not like older Russian speaking women... but she LOVES any English speaking women... she does that red flag thing where she reaches for any of them indiscriminately. I'll be honest, I let her go to them.. at this point all I want to do is survive until I get home. So, I was all for her feeling loved by the world.. (not that we left the apartment much, so she didn't have much opportunity to be honest).

At 10:30 Pasha arrived and said that after 14 years, I had the award for most luggage. I just don't know what he was talking about... I only had 5 large ski bags and technically with 3 first class seats, we were aloud 6. We had 5 carry on bags and again, we were allotted 6, and we had one stroller to be gate checked... Yes. We did have to put 3 large suitcases on his roof, and yes, I was concerned as we took turns that the car was going to tip onto its side. But we made it just fine. Fortunately our apartment manager, Dimitri, came to help and to fetch the keys. It took 2 of them to load the car... Again, I ask, what do you expect when 3 ladies travel??

Getting out of Moscow, or rather, getting from the parking lot to the gate is quite the challenge. You start by going to the ticket counter where you get to prove she is yours for the first time. (Another good reason to fly first class- short line) Then, you get to go upstairs and turn in your migration form and prove once again that she is yours (another line for just first class)... then on to the x ray check point- keep the passports at the ready! Finally, after this we were able to go to the club lounge where Ana chowed down on croissant wrapped mini weenies and free apple juice. I didn't like coming into DME but I much preferred flying out of DME. Pasha was able to stay with us a lot longer at DME that at SVO. Thank heavens. I had no clue what I was doing.

Ana did great on the flight. We were on a 777 where the business class seats lay flat, and Ana took 2 naps on the plane. She played in her seat and in general had a great time. I seriously couldn't have asked for any better and I know that everyone in business class was grateful. I think it helped that she had her own seat and that our chairs leaned back to give her more space than her crib would have.

When we got to Chicago, I waited for the stroller to be brought up while mom went through immigration and collected the 5 bags! Ana and I made it through the first immigration window where they took her envelope, put it into a folder and added some stuff, and told me to hold it up after I got my luggage. It took 2 trolley carts, but we gathered everything and held up our folder.. and we were directed to the red line #2 for new immigrants. It was here at a desk that we relinquished our folder and Ana became a US citizen without any pomp and circumstance. I kept saying that we should be able to take a picture, but immigration just has no sense of poignant life moments. No balloons. No confetti.. nothing, but a wave to the set of x ray machines for our luggage...

Then, we headed on to the area where you drop your luggage back of with American Airlines so it can get on the Tampa flight. We asked to see if we could get first class seats (not available when I booked) and BINGO! 3 seats!!!! Oh happy happy happy day!!!

Mom and I went up to the club lounge where Ana crushed cookies into the carpet and I tried to clean them up.. I called Ian and Nicole and then we went to catch our flight home. Ana slept the entire way. Not a peep. It was 5 am her time in Moscow, and since 7:30 am the day before, she had slept maybe 3 hours.. she was out for the count! So was I and my mother.

Ian greeted us as we came off the tram into the terminal with balloons for Ana which she loved and still does. They went to get the car and I went to get a sky cap to gather all those bags for the last time. By 11pm we were on our way home.

Corbin was waiting outside as we arrived to greet his new sister. When we took her upstairs to see Collin, he looked up from his x box and said "hey" and then went back to playing..he seems so traumatized by my absence doesn't he! Aidan was crashed in my bed and that is exactly where Ana, Daddy and I joined him. We are definitely a co-sleeping family.. It was an uneventful night as we all appreciated the opportunity to sleep.

OK, now I am going to go check on my family... I will blog about Sunday and today later... I know this is very detailed... but it is mostly for Ana one day...I know I will forget so this is my only chance to share with her our journey.

Paka,
Michelle

PS pictures to follow.. 4 kids is a handful.. bear with me.

Sunday:
OK, I have a moment.. if I am lucky 2 or 3 moments...

Sadly, I can't remember too much of yesterday. I know we went for a walk yesterday morning to try out the new double stroller and low and behold, who should drive by?? Roberta and Dr. Fred!
I taught school with Rob, and Fred is our pediatrician. They couldn't believe we had arrived at 11 pm the night before. She hadn't even been home 12 hours. He said to give her a week or 2 before bringing her into the office. Not to add trauma to trauma.. I love that man!

Other than that big outing we stayed inside and played all day. Aidan and Ariana played wonderfully together. They really laughed and enjoyed having each other around. So far Aidan isn't jealous and they haven't had any traumas. He calls her baby sister and I will have to post a photo. He is 1 year older yet he looks like a giant next to her. She is the size of a 12 month old and he is tall for his age. Aidan grew up in the baby room at school with 7 other kids. Yes, I cam by a lot and he got to see me, but he is very used to sharing toys and attention with others. Ana of course is also used to having kids around and on Sunday she hadn't decided to demand attention yet. She just adored Aidan and playing with him. I tried to start some sort of routine. At bed time we took baths. Aidan went first and showed her how it is done. Then she had a great time splashing during her turn! We all climbed into my bed to watch a movie Collin wanted to see and Ana fell asleep in my arms in moments. I layed her into her crib for her first nights sleep alone. We watched the movie and then I went to sleep on the bed in her room. It was just like the first night I brought my babies home from the hospital but instead of waking up worrying that she wasn't breathing, I was waking up worrying that she was sitting up in her bed silently crying and scared. She slept through the night just fine!

Monday:
Ana and I woke up around 6am which will work well on days we have to take the boys to school. She ate a whole bowl of porridge and apple sauce and then played with me in the family room. Nana came down ready for her flight and got some last minute love. By 7am Aidan was up and the real fun began. Ana likes to cover her eyes and you say, "Where is Ana?" and when she moves her hands you say, "There she is!". Now, Aidan plays it too. We had our first scuffle over a baby stroller. The one that is the size a toddler can push a baby doll in. During nap time, Ian ran to the store to get a 2nd one. Other than that, we haven't had any issues so far. She has learned how to do things far too quickly. She can go up the slide alone and climb on the furniture. She loves her high chair and Ian discovered that chocolate chip cookies and bar b q sauce both get thumbs up from her. Here I am focusing on trying to get "good" calories into her and he is filling her with garbage already. The "A Team" as I refer to Aidan and Ariana are double trouble. They can get every toy in a room on the floor in seconds flat. We have had to regroup and work on the whole idea to put something away before getting something out.

I have witnessed a few tantrums. A couple were frustration that she can't do something like open a door or climb up a slide backwards.. daddy leaving the room caused another little fit too. Ahh, my vidalia onion is back full of her sweet onion layers for us to peel back and discover.

The one thing I will say is that it is hard to get things done. With 2 toddlers tearing it up, washing clothes, cleaning a kitchen or putting toys back where they belong are a task and a half. You get one mess cleaned up while they create 3 more. So, I have locked us in my room with some toys and we are trying to contain the fun.

As you can tell, we are still riding the honeymoon wave.. we ended on a pretty easy going high note in Moscow. We had an amazing plane ride home. She and Aidan seem to really enjoy and appreciate each other. Thank goodness it has been fairly easy for a woman with jet lag... but hold on to your hats. I have read my books. The ride is just getting started. And for all my highs there will be plenty of lows. The good news is that I have a great support system, especially in my on line adoptive parent friends.

Paka,
Michelle