Memorial Day Weekend

It was a beautiful weekend in Michigan. The boys got to take a ride on Uncle Scott's ATVs and enjoy a little bit of the beach.

Birthdays

Daniel celebrated his 5th birthday on Easter with family. On his actual birthday, he went to dinner with us and his old daycare teachers, Miss Kori and Miss Linda. He celebrated again when he returned to school from Easter break. Needless to say, we're all quite done with celebrating Daniel's birthday :)Matthew celebrated his 4th birthday with family in Michigan over Memorial Day weekend. Aunt Jean made this wonderful Thomas cake for the occassion.

Mother's Day 2009

We had a fun and relaxing weekend celebrating Mother's Day in Lake Geneva this year.

Happy Gotcha Day!

April 26th was the 3rd anniversary of adopting the boys. It's hard to believe it's been that long. Some don't like the term "Gotcha" but we rather think it's suiting since it's truly the day they got us and we got them! We've taken this same picture each year around this time. How they've grown!

New Year New School

The boys started their new school a couple of weeks ago. Each set with their own backpack, they were excited about their first day at the new school.
The following week, the boys had their very first music concert at school. They dressed in their best for the occassion!

Fall Leaves

Halloween

Halloween night was a perfect night for trick or treating. Daniel dressed as Batman, Matthew as Thomas the Train. Grandma Joyce went along for the fun. Along the way, Matthew ran into another little boy...they had a lot in common.

Pumpkin Patch & Park Outing

It was one of the last beautiful days in Wisconsin this year. We took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch and then stopped at the lakefront park for some fun.

Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Parade

The boys and mama went to see the Harley 105th parade this morning. It started at Miller Park and literally drove through our neighborhood to get to the main parade route. We only stayed a short time but while we were there we saw many cool bikes and people from all over (Italy, Mexico, Holland...just to name a few). In all there were 7,500 motorcycles!

A Visit from Cole

The boys friend, Cole along with his mommy and daddy, visited from Indianapolis this weekend. They had lots of fun together including a day at the beach.

2008 Wisconsin State Fair

It was a hot day the day we visited State Fair. While we didn't get many pictures, the boys had fun doing lots of things and, of course, eating lots fun foods (maple syrup sundae, pork hamburgers, fried cheese curds, to name a few things). Below they are pictured on a tractor and riding on a train in the Midway.

Brewer Block Party

The Brewers had a handful of players on hand for a block party at the park today. The boys met the sausage mascots and took part in the days activities.

4th of July

The boys enjoyed a fun weekend. They got to stay up much later than normal on the 3rd to watch the city's annual fireworks display. The neighborhood association organizes a parade that marches over to a common spot to view the fireworks. On the 4th, they had a little fun helping Mama with some yardwork and cooling themselves in the sprinkler. The day after that, they enjoyed playing in the pool at "Uncle" Joe and "Aunt" Andrea's house. In all, it was a busy weekend.

Daniel Orphanage Clip

Daniel at the orphanage March 2006

Matthew Video Clip

This site now has the technolgoy to post video. So for the first time here are the video clips we took of the boys on trip 1. If you recall, Matthew was sick and in the Kirov Hospital. Video from March 2006

Thanks from the Kids

I guess when you sign a media wavier with school you should not be surprised when you find you child's picture posted on the net! Below is a picture of Daniel with representatives presenting a check to Daniel's school for proceeds from a fund raiser. The picture was titled "Thanks from the Kids." I wonder if this means he gets a cut??

Both boys and the family appear in the schools Annual Report. If you recall, we were the sponsor family at their annual Croquet Ball (see black tie ball post).

Spring Storms

Strong winds, hail, tornados...just a little "hello" from Mother Nature as she blew through the neighborhood last night. Here's the park how it typically looks....

And what it looked like after....

Matthew's 3rd Birthday

Matthew celebrated his 3rd birthday over the Memorial Day weekend. He was thrilled to find Curious George, his favorite, on his cake this year.

Indianapolis 2008

The boys had a blast visiting friend Cole and his mommy and daddy in Indianapolis. Once again the Robinson's hosted a wonderful weekend in Indy including a trip the the Indy Motor Speedway. The boys were excited to see race cars but Daniel was disappointed that "Lighting McQueen" was a no show.

A little monster truck fun...

Cole and his mommy and daddy...

Playground fun...

Slumber party.....

Kohl Children Museum - Chicago

On our spring trip to Indianapolis, we stopped by Chicago to spend time with Grandma on her birthday. She treated the boys to a trip to the Kohl Children's Museum in Chicago. There was lots of activites that kept them busy.

Shopping at the grocery store (lots of fun til you have to put everything back on the shelves!) Daniel "playing" vet. No cats were harmed in the taking of this picture :)

Dawn & Dan's Wedding

On Saturday, April 19th, cousin Dawn married Dan at a private family ceremony in Michigan. The boys had a blast (Daniel actually thought it was another birthday party for him). Pictured below on top are cousins Will, James (holding Daniel), Dawn, Heather (holding Matthew), bottom row are cousins Danny and Elsie.

Daniel's 4th Birthday

Daniel celebrated his 4th birthday in Michigan this year as everyone was up north for Dawn and Dan's wedding. We had a big pizza party at the infamous Loading Zone II and off to Aunt Jean's house for cake (which she made!). Daniel loved the trains and the frosting.

Matthew's Big Boy Bed

Matthew was excited that he finally got a big boy bed like Daniel. He played in his bed most of the night. He was so happy that he didn't even want to watch Curious George that night.

Easter 2008

The boys spent time in Chicago this Easter with Grandma S. The first picture was taken on Easter after we had 15" of new snow. A week later was the annual neighborhood Easter Egg hunt. Thankfully most of the snow melted.

Green Bay Packer Playoffs

The boys are sporting their new Packer wear from Christmas. The whole family is excited about the possibility Green Bay clinching the NFC Championship and going to the Super Bowl! It's probably time to get them on the Packer season ticket waiting list so they are able to get tickets by the time they are in their mid-30's.

Christmas 2007

A little late but here's a picture from Christmas.

Snow snow and more snow

December has been a snowy month for us. It gave the boys a chance to try out their new shovels!

Family Photo Shoot 2007

Family pictures turned out a little better this year. Everyone was in a better mood and more cooperative.

Halloween 2007

Toddler Mania

Connor, Samantha and Ethan along with Kay and Brian came for a visit on Friday. Needless to say, it was a little crazy. The kids dined separately, played and were put to bed. The adults finally got a dinner at 9 pm!

Black Tie Ball

Normally we wound't take two toddlers to a black tie affair but this was a fund-raiser for their preschool. Grandma Joyce came along to assist with "toddler control". The boys have made significant strides since we adopted them thanks to Penfield and the local Birth To Three Program. Because of their great progress, we were asked to be the guest family at the ball this year so we could speak about what the center has done for the boys. Mark got up and shared our touching story of adoption and some of the struggles the boys encountered. We think it paid off as an auction of items was held directly after our talk and bids were flying...one bottle of wine went for $8,000!! As you can see, the boys dressed in their best and as the only children at the ball, were treated like Kings and were served a King-size plate of macaroni & cheese to boot!

Robinson Visit

The Robinsons (Kim, Tim and Cole) came to visit us over Labor Day weekend. Cole was adopted at the same time from the same orphanage as Daniel and Matthew. We spent the weekend visiting the Zoo, the lakefront, parks and our children's museum.

Matthew enjoying a little attention at cousin Heather's High School graduation party! The guys at the party were a little envious.

Heather (pictured below in a yellow dress) graduated from New Berlin West and will study pre-med at Alverno in the Fall.

Visiting Indy - June 2007

Baptism

Daniel and Matthew were welcomed into God's family on Sunday, June 10th, 2007. Godparents to Daniel are cousins James & Dawn, and to Matthew, Uncle John & Aunt Suzi. It was a small, private ceremony after mass followed by a luncheon at home. Most of the immediate family members were there to share in this special occasion.

Matthew's 2nd Birthday!

Despite threatening weather, Matthew's party was a lot of fun and was filled with gifts, cake and a concert in the park!

Readoption

Today we readopted the boys in the US! Not a necessity, just a formality and now the boys will get US birth certificates. Grandma Stanmeyer came to the proceedings and stayed the weekend to help celebrate the happy occassion!

Daniel's 3rd Birthday

On Monday, Daniel turned 3 years old. He was still in the orphanage this time last year so we threw him a big 1st birthday bash. The birthday boy was sound asleep on the couch as the party started. He awoke to the adults having some fun.

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter 2007

The boys first Easter was a fun-filled weekend with lots of family. On Easter Sundy, we took a ride down to Chicago to visit Grandma Stanmeyer and also saw Aunt Diane and Uncle Ray. The Easter Bunny was very generous bringing them a basket and soft bunny at home. He also made a stop in Chicago leaving behind a duck game, DVDs and a picture frame. Uncle Ray and Aunt Diane also gave two baskets with snacks, stuffed bunnies and flashlights. As you can see in the second picture, Daniel knows he hit the "jackpot" this Easter!

Easter Loot

James' Graduation

The family celebrated cousin James graduation from the Police Academy last weekend. The boys were thrilled to see everyone.

Pictures below are from the party:

James with fellow recruits and Daniel
Matthew and Daniel playing in the breezeway
Grandpa Jim and Daniel
Cousin Heather with boyfriend, Alejandro, and Daniel and Matthew
Cousin Dawn and Matthew
Grandma Joyce and Daniel by the fire

The boys had their first visit with Santa today. We wanted a nice picture, so one of Santa's elves suggested the "Drop & Run" method. We each took one of the boys and set them on Santa's knee. We then took a quick step back and the picture was snapped before the kids caught on to what was going on. This explains the confused look on their faces. It sure beats screaming though. Even Santa said, "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Family Photo Day

From the moment the kids got up, we knew this was a bad idea. Lots of tears and nobody (the kids) wouldn't sit still. I guess family photos will have to wait til next year!

Family Photo Day Pics

Halloween 2006

Mama and cousin Heather took the boys for Trick or Treat on Sunday. Daniel was a pony and Matthew was Tigger. They only went to a handful of houses and then came back to help hand out candy at home. There were many trick or treaters (approx 180-200 kids) and we were running short of candy with an hour left. The boys generously donated what was left of their candy so we would not run out (which we did any way!). Daniel had quite the sugar buzz by dinner so we think he had enough candy til next Halloween.

Halloween Pics

Weekend Trip to Indy

We took a getaway this past weekend to visit another couple who traveled with us to Russia to adopt. Kim and Tim, and their son Cole, rolled out the red carpet for us and treated us to a fun weekend in Indy. The boys had a blast and it's almost as if Daniel and Cole knew each other a lifetime. They played, smiled and laughed all weekend. We swear they were secretly exchanging secrets to maniuplate and undermine Mama and Daddy. By the end of the weekend, they seemed to even share some of the same habits and mannerisms. The two undoubtely would be trouble if they lived in the same city. Matthew tagged along like a good baby brother tolerating the two, more dominate boys.

Meeting Inna

On our first day, we made a quick trip to visit the our adoption agency, KidsFirst. The entire staff was there...Inna, Steve and Brittney and Sarah. They visited us with for quite sometime. The boys enjoyed the visit and running around their offices. Pictured to the right and the left are Daniel and Matthew with the KF Director, Inna, who hand-picked the boys for us.

Later that day the boys were off to get much needed hair cuts. We also visited the Children's Museum and Indianpolis Zoo. Note the last zoo picture...Daniel kept calling him "Mama" but we are certain there is no family resemblence!

Hair Cuts

Indianapolis Children's Museum

Indianapolis Zoo

2006 Wisconsin State Fair

On Friday, August 11th, the boys had their first official visit to the Wisconsin State Fair where they got to see farm animals close up and nibble on a variety of Fair cuisine (e.g., corn dogs, pork burgers, cheese curds, ice cream). In attendance with us were Aunts Jean & Jill, Uncle Scott and cousins Dawn (with friend Becky), James, Heather and Will.

"It's my brother's fault" Photo Shoot

4th of July

Swimming at the Drake's Today

Yesterday at the Zoo

More Birthday Pics

Matthew's 1st Birthday

Today is Matthew's first birthday. Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Jim are coming over later on for cake and ice cream.

Daniel turned 2 back on April 16th. It was Easter here in the States. We were told that the orphanage always celebrates a child's birthday with cake. We sang "Happy Birthday" to him at Jessica's shower which was on April 15th.

Who knew there were 8 Kirov's in Russia. We finally located a map that shows the Kirov that Daniel and Matthew are from (see red star near the upper right corner of the map). It's north east of Moscow. If you double-click on the map, it will bring up a larger version.

Mother's Day is going great. Daniel attended church with mama this morning and for the most part was a good boy for his first time attending church. Dad woke up early, fed the baby, and gave Daniel breakfast, made mom lunch and did a load of laundry. He's now out buying mom a nice bottle of wine to go with her "take out" dinner tonight. The sun finally came out after nearly a week of rain but it's not supposed to be out long as we are to get more rain all week.

Grandma Stanmeyer visited yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. Daniel was excited about yet another grandparent and another visitor. Since coming home the boys have had visits from Aunt Jean, Aunt Jill, Uncle Scott and cousins Heather, William and James. They also met our neighbors (they particularly liked the 3 beautiful girls, Mariah, Layla and Olivia, who live across the street), Kathy (a coworker of Mark's), Aunt Kay who brought our Godson, Connor, and his twin sister, Samantha (who also turn 1 just right after Matthew's birthday later this month), and a nice surprise visit from Marsha (who set us up on our first date!). Since the boys are doing well, we've taken on short trips to stores like Target or Sam's Club, but nothing too long. They are also most comfortable meeting people in our home but did well visiting Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Jim at their house for pizza last Friday night. Both seem to be more and more comfortable with their new surroundings.

About the pictures below:

Daniel watching a little TV sitting (the chair was actually Mark's Dad's chair as a child)
Matthew eating
Dad and Daniel snoozing
The kids get a visit from Grandpa Jim and Grandma Joyce

Miscelleanous Pictures

It's Monday and I think we're actually getting settled in and the boys are back to their original orphanage schedules of feedings and naps. Both boys have adjusted to their new foods/formulas and they appear to be fairly healthy (no signs of colds or other ailments). We are also finding time to shower and get us and the boys out of pajamas each day!

Potty time for Daniel is starting to go smoothly and we're hoping to get him into his big boy pants again. He now knows he needs to go to the potty when he gets up, after meals and before bedtime and doesn't cry much anymore unless he's had an accident. When he's done, he's all smiles.

At the hotel we learned they hated baths but have since successfully given both boys baths. Daniel liked the idea of a bath when mama was sitting in the tub playing with all sorts of neat toys but the idea soon became undesirable once he had to join mama. He cried a lot but eventually seemed to not mind it although he was equally happy to get out. Matthew had his bath this morning and still hated it and Daniel really enjoyed watching little brother hate his bath (funny when the shoe is on the other foot!). Both boys also got a quick little hair trimming.

For now, we've had just immediate family come by for visits and the boys are really opening up. Daniel is babbling more and more and he enjoys all the attention. He also likes to give Mama and Daddy kisses and cousin James taught him how to "high five." Matthew is also getting a kick out of all the fuss. We hope soon we can show them off to everyone!

After a 14 hour day, we finally made it back home last night around 11:30 or midnight. Jessica's parents met us at the airport with our car which had the car seats. They came over briefly to help us bring in the luggage and the kids.

Traveling was interesting to say the least. We're not sure what was worse, the 14 hour train ride or traveling half way across the world via an airplane with two children. We were not sure what to expect from Daniel and Matthew when it came to traveling and traveling so far. On the first leg from Moscow to Frankfurt, Matthew had another diaper explosion and this time so bad that we had to change his clothes. Daniel decided he didn't like flying once we started to land and probably yelled loud enough that all of Germany could hear. We dreaded the next, much longer leg, from Frankfurt to Chicago. While in the Frankfurt airport, Daniel became much more lively. He actually went from being quiet and angelic to the typical adventerous 2 year old. He was running around, smiling at everyone, giggling in his normal fashion. He was being so adorable that an older German woman took him over to meet his family so she could get a picture of him.

The leg from Frankfurt to Chicago was the longest. Daniel had his own seat and we got a bassinet for Matthew. Matthew was really wound up and it was hard but finally got him settled in and he slept most of the flight. Daniel was a bit worked up even after eating and we asked a woman who spoke Russian to tell him it was time to settle down and go to bed. He tried to sleep but he's a stomach sleeper so he couldn't sleep. We found that if we stood holding him he could sleep otherwise he cried. We were getting so tired taking turns holding him that we had the idea of putting pillows and blankets down on the floor to make a bed. He then slept for the remaining 2 hours of the flight.

At 7:20 p.m., we landed in Chicago and they boys became official US citizens. Once off the plane, we got a ride to the customs area and then off to the next gate for our final flight home. That flight was about 15 mintues in length and all but Matthew fell asleep on the plane.

We got home and Daniel was a little overwhelmed by the house and especially the cats. He actually settled down when we told him it was a "cat." We received a cat puzzle from Karen and Sal (Mark's Mom's neighbor) and we put the puzzle together in the hotel and taught him cat and mouse. Once he was told that the cats were indeed the same "cat" as in the puzzle, he suddenly was and still is excited to be around them. Unfortunealy, the cats do not share in the same excitement.

Today, we are unpacking, getting the kids back on a schedule and I'm sure we're all going to be in bed tonight by 8 p.m.

Thursday night Jessica finally got a good night sleep. Daniel was a little restless for the first night, which was a bit surprising since he slept so well the first few nights. Mark got up at one point to comfort him when he was tossing a turning, which seemed to work. When he woke up in the morning we noticed he had a bit of an accident in bed, so that probably was a contributing factor. We really do need to remember some of the tricks of using diapers on little boys! Daniel is potty trained by orphanage standards, but we still have him in diapers “just in case.” We really needed to keep to his schedule in order for him to be successful and we’ve not been diligent about it. Hopefully when we get home and maintain his schedule, all will be fine.

We got the boys their usual breakfasts and had play time before calling Tatiana to find out what time we needed to be ready for the van to pick us up and take us to the US Embassy. She told us to be in the Lobby by 12:50 PM, so we hurried up so the boys could get a little nap time in before the trip. Daniel took a little longer than expected on the potty chair, which he HATES, so he only got about a 20 minute nap in before we had to wake him. He was not happy his mid-day nap was cut short by a few hours, so waking up was not easy. We quickly got everyone dressed and made it to the lobby in time to find Tatiana waiting for us. We were only about a minute late, and she was very understanding. We then took the van to the other two hotels that the other couples are staying in to pick them up. Normally we would all be staying at the Marriott Grand, but it was book solid so Kim and Tim were the only other ones to be able to stay there with us.

Moscow traffic is terrible. There are cars everywhere. It’s the largest city in Europe and we think that everyone owns a car. We finally made it to the US Embassy and Tatiana gave each couple a small sheet of paper with instructions as we exited the van. This visit was one thing that she couldn’t do with us, so we each lined up to go inside on our own. We were the first in line. The first checkpoint is at a narrow gap in a fence where a guard (who spoke with a heavy Russian accent) made sure that we had an appointment. There were several Russians standing at the fence pleading for entry to the Embassy. One of the guys in our group suggested that these were people looking for asylum. We didn’t hang around the gate long enough to find out, as the guard quickly found our names on the list and we were allowed in.

We passed another security checkpoint before finding our way to a large room that had at least twenty other adoptive families in it waiting to get their paperwork to leave Russia with the children. We paid our fees, which included a large “penalty” for adopting two children that weren’t siblings, and waited for our number to be called. After about 20 minutes we were called to a window (talk through the glass type) where we actually talked to a real American. We had us sign a bunch of forms while he used his rubber stamp on a bunch of paperwork. Daniel was fascinated by the stamping while Matthew just ate his bottle which Jessica smartly packed for the trip.

The paperwork was all explained to us and we were told to have a seat and wait for about 30 minutes for the US Visas to be printed and attached to the children’s Russian passports. We waited no longer than five minutes before being called back up the window and told that there was a computer glitch with Daniel’s visa. The computer had been acting up all day, and there were several families that were stuck because of the problems, including one other family in our group. You should have seen the look on our faces when the official told us that it could take up to several hours to get things fixed.

We prepared ourselves for the worst, checking diapers and breaking the snacks out. It ends up that they worked out the problems in about an hour and we were all on our way back to the hotels. Unfortunately, the delay caused us to hit traffic that was even worse that going to the Embassy. Eventually we made it back to the hotel, though, where everyone got to eat some dinner before going to bed to prepare for the long flight home tomorrow.

The first day at the hotel we got right into parent mode. The kids have schedules from the orphanage that we tried to follow and it's hard following it given we are in a hotel with limited resources. The kids schedules basically are feedings followed by exercice then activies then more feedings then "classes" (which we didn't know what to do for classes so for one "class" Mark had the idea that Daniel could go learn how to get our passports from the front desk...which bascially meant taking him for a walk to the front desk then we could kill two birds with one stone..exercise and class time!) and then we had more feedings and eventually sleep.

For Daniel, after meals and napping, we were to take him to the child's potty which we were bad at. The result was throwing him off his schedule and a lot of accidents. We also thought that the kids should get a really good bath. So on the first night we did just that. Matthew was the first to go since he "exploded" in his diaper. We filled the tub and put him in and he screamed and whaled. We managed to do a quick bath and then dry him and put his jammies on and all seemed to be fine. Daniel was next and we though that would be easy. We did the same as Matthew and went to put Daniel into the tub and suddenly he screamed at the top of his lungs (which was unusual because he has not shown such emotion up with the exception of smiling and giggling) and he started to shake uncontrollably. He made so much noise we were terrified that someone would call security thinking we were trying to harm him in some way. We got him in and out of the tub and quickly dried him off and dressed him. He then was fine and was playing and smiling again. We learned that everyone experienced the same thing in batheing their kids. Apparently they only do shower type cleaning at the orphanage and a bath is something they never saw. Needsless to say, they are now both terrified of the bathtub!
On a brighter side, Daniel can be a quite self sufficient as he feeds himself (and tries to use a fork/spoon, drinks from a cup and even picks up crumbs and food when spilled). He is also used to a chair at the orphanage but when the hotel had no chair for him, we put a towel or blanket down on the floor so he stands until someone tells him it's ok to sit and then he sits on the towel and plays with his toys. He never leaves the towel until you call him. Not like normal 2 yr olds who would be wandering the room getting into everything.

Matthew is a typical 11 month old. He's content playing and rolling around or crawling on the floor getting into everything (we joked that it would be nice to leave him at the orphange for another year so he can get the same training Daniel did about discipline). He tries to stand and is anxious to walk. He's a very active baby and very very determined. We know we will have our hands full with him.

Other than that, hotel living is quite interesting with two kids. We did come prepared somewhat and brought dish soap, laundry detergent, formula, snacks, children's plates/glasses, bottles, etc. This way we can "live" in the room, give them what they need and clean up washing bottles, utensils and bibs and soiled clothing. It's been okay but we are anxious to get home.

Also, we were visited by a Russian doctor who was approved by the US Embassy who gave the kids a medical exam. This is a requirement before we could travel to the US with them. Normally families go to him but he came to our hotel rooms instead. He said the boys looked in relatively good health with the exception of a few minor things typical for the orphanage. We do have an appointment with a pediatrician when we get home but it was good to know before we travel that they will be fine.

Tomorrow is a trip to the US Embassy where we will get the boy's visas and other paperwork necessary for travel.

About the pictures below:

Kirov Orphanage (2 story building, center) and surrounding neighborhood
Mark with Daniel and Matthew morning before court
Jessica with Matthew also morning before court
Daniel and his caregiver in his playroom
Baby room
Lockers
Toddlers waiting for dinner
Dinner!
Matthew being brought out to us
Bottles with formula and nipple for Matthew and bad of kefer (sp?) for Daniel for train
Matthew sleeping on the train (rare moment of the trip)
Daniel sleeping on the train
Family photo at the Marriott Grand
Matthew in his "crib" at the Marriott Grand
Daniel drinking his formula
Daniel eating a banana

The day in Kirov was long. The train arrived about 8 a.m. We quickly got to the van and were whisked off to the orphanage. There we waited for a bit and they brought out the kids one by one for us to see them before we went to court. This was the first time we saw Daniel and Matthew together and it was great to get our first family picture. All the children, not just ours, were a bit distant. We were told that since our last visit, they were told that "Mama and Papa" would be back for them and that they would be leaving the orphanage soon to go live someplace else. It was apparent that they were very sad by this and it while we were happy to see them, it was also sad for us to see them so sad.

After visiting with the kids, it was time to head off to court. We were the first called in. We walked into a very narrow, small room. The judge sat at a desk at the far end of the room, two windows behind him on each side, another woman that I assume was a transcriptionist was to his left and a woman from the Ministry of Education who represented the state was to his right. Another woman was present to speak on behalf of the children and orphanage. Mark and I sat on a bench before the judge and Tatiana sat right behind us translating everything the judge and others said. Before court, our translator said to keep our answers brief and that Mark should do all the talking. When in court, the judge asked for one of us to answer questions and Mark volunteered and I sat. He asked Mark a variety of questions one being if he wanted to waive the 10 day waiting period (which of course we wanted) and the another was if he was open to "change." I guess being in law enforcement, he was curious to know if Mark was flexible enough for the change we were about to encounter. He then asked Mark to sit and then ask that I stand and answer questions. It took me off guard completely as we had not prepared for me to speak. I stood and he asked me what I did for a living, what type of care did I plan for my children while they worked and what work hours do I hold. I was relieved that was all he wanted to know. The lady from the orphanage then spoke on behalf of the children and gave their recommendation on us as parents. The MOE lady then spoke and there was a lot of recap on the kids, their background, etc. The judge then left the room for a few moments, then came back and said he approved the adoption and recommended placement immediately. We were very happy and thanked the judge (in Russian...one of the few words we made sure we learned). We left he court room and I began to cry and everyone waiting outside thought something horrible had happened. I had to explain they were tears of joy!

After court, we walked to lunch, same place as trip 1. We had a couple of hours and it was nice to relax after such a stressful morning. After lunch we headed back to the orphanage where we presented gifts to the director, got our children's clothes ready and were taken on a tour of the orphanage. It was a quick tour but it was nice to see our children in their play groups with their caretakers. Matthew was in a crib screaming and crying. Apparently they were trying to get him to sit up and he would have no part of it. Daniel was running around with his group playing. He saw us and had a big smile on his face. We got a picture of his caretaker and him and she told him we were Mama and Papa. He just smiled. The orphange did seem to have a lot of things. There were toys in each room and the children were playing with them. They also had a gym for exercises and there were crafts that the children did. They even had their own lockers with their names which I guess they kept some of their belongings in.

After the tour it was time bring the children down. All the younger children were just brought down in a towel or blanket. The older ones were brought down dressed. We had about 20 mintues to dress them/exchange clothes and then throw on their snowsuit and boots before heading for the train. The weather in Kirov was in the 50's so the kids were sweating to death in their snow gear.

When we got on the train, we took everything off to cool them down and changed them into pajamas. Tatiana brought some food for us and the children (bottles for Matthew that were seriously the most old fashioned bottles I've ever seen). The beds were not made so we had to quickly make up the kids bed and one of the people in our group helped Mark make a "bumper" with an extra matress so the kids would not roll onto the floor (which didn't work that great so one of us had to be up at all times to ensure neither rolled onto the floor) The cabin was the same size as all the others we had but it had two upper bunks. It felt tight but we had to make due. I prayed that the kids would soon fall asleep and we'd be in Moscow soon but Matthew was determined to be awake all night! Needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night.

We're back from Kirov and it's official, the boys are now legally ours! We are also happy to say that the judge waived a 10-day waiting period so with that, we will be back in the States on Friday.

The train ride out to Kirov was fun and exciting. We still couldn't sleep. The ride back with two kids was interesting to say the least. Our youngest son Matthew kept wanting more formula (orphanage formula was not very filling to him) and he was a happy playful guy climbing everywhere and giggling...all night! Needless to say we didn't get any sleep on the return trip home either. When we finally got to the hotel, we were all exhausted. The kids ate and we all took a nap. We got up and it was time for more food, play time, a small walk, more food and then baths (a story in itself). We all went to bed really early. It's now just after 3.a.m. on Wednesday and I (Jessica) and just catching up on emails and waiting for the sun to rise and the executive lounge to open so I can get breakfast and coffee! By Wednesday US time, we'll have lots more pictures and postings!

Last night we met up with all the other couples in our group for dinner (Tim & Kim, Tim & Nicole and Tami & Matt). We went to this placed called "hokey pokey" or that's how the concierge said it was pronounced. It had a Russian buffet so we thought we'd give it a try.

The restaurant was nice, had a few huge artificial trees, I guess to give the impression we were in a forest. Maybe if we understood the translated name of our restaurant, we would have gotten the theme. There were 3 buffet tables and you got a different type of plate for each table. Our waitress was less than friendly (fustrated at our lack of Russian language skills) so we were certain to use the correct specified plate for fear of being scolded. For cold salads (it was the white plate) and items included a variety of cole slaws, vegetables and some cold fish. We really did not recogize much else but tried things any way. The hot dish table (white plate with green trim) had mashed potatoes, spaghetti, red sauce, meat balls, rice and other unrecognizable meats. All was pretty good. The dessert table (small white dessert plate with silver trim) had a variety of bread-type sweet rolls, layered cakes with filo dough and some dry cookies. Nicole ate a brownish "chunk" that we found in a bowl on the table and said it was horrible. It was like dried old bread she said. We trusted that we didn't need to taste it for ourselves. We never found out what it was. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and sat in the bar and had a few cocktails before we all headed to bed.

Today, we take the overnight train to Kirov which will get us into the region Monday morning. We are meeting our driver and translator, Tatiana, in the hotel lobby at 5:15 p.m. We have a late check out so we can take our time going to lunch and repacking. We have to pack light as the cabins on the train are small and we're really only gone for 1 day. We hope to take one duffle with all the orphanage donations and gifts and a small suitcase for Daniel's and Matthew's snowsuits/boots, other clothes, food, and toys, and some toiletries for us. The only clothes for us will be the ones on our backs (for court) and some sweats/pjs to wear on the train. We should have done this for trip 1 as it saves room in the bags for more important things. There are no showers on the train so after a quick freshening up, hopefully we'll look fairly presentable to the judge.

Before court, we will have an opportunity to see Daniel and Matthew again and then leave our snowsuits and boots behind for inspection while we go to lunch. We'll then come back and have our court session. Assuming all is ok, we then wait for the children to be brought out to us...one by one in nothing but a blanket. We are told it will be our job to then dress them fully, head to toe. We then head off to the train for the long trek back to Moscow. Our biggest concern is how the children will react to being taking from the orphanage, particularly Daniel because he is older and is more aware. We are also concerned about hotel living while in Moscow and then the long journey home through busy airports. We've vowed to have lots of patience and just take our time.

By Tuesday or Wednesday (it's a 9 hour time difference from WI so we'll do our best), we should be able to post some great pictures of our second trip to Kirov!

Last night we met up with all the other couples in our group for dinner (Tim & Kim, Tim & Nicole and Tami & Matt). We went to this placed called "hokey pokey" or that's how the concierge said it was pronounced. It had a Russian buffet so we thought we'd give it a try.

The restaurant was nice, had a few huge artificial trees, I guess to give the impression we were in a forest. Maybe if we understood the translated name of our restaurant, we would have gotten the theme. There were 3 buffet tables and you got a different type of plate for each table. Our waitress was less than friendly so we were certain to use the correct specified plate for fear of being scolded. For cold salads (it was the white plate) and items included a variety of cole slaws, vegetables and some cold fish. We really did not recogize much else but tried things any way. The hot dish table (white plate with green trim) had mashed potatoes, spaghetti, red sauce, meat balls, rice and other unrecognizable meats. All was pretty good. The dessert table (small white dessert plate with silver trim) had a variety of bread-type sweet rolls, layered cakes with filo dough and some dry cookies. Nicole ate a brownish "chunk" that we found in a bowl on the table and said it was horrible. It was like dried old bread she said. We trusted that we didn't need to taste it for ourselves. We never found out what it was. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and sat in the bar and had a few cocktails before we all headed to bed.

Today, we take the overnight train to Kirov which will get us into the region Monday morning. We are meeting our driver and translator, Tatiana, in the hotel lobby at 5:15 p.m. We have a late check out so we can take our time going to lunch and repacking. We have to pack light as the cabins on the train are small and it's only for 1 night. We hope to take one duffle with all the orphanage donations and gifts and a small suitcase for Daniel's and Matthew's snowsuits/boots, other clothes, food, and toys, and some toiletries for us. The only clothes for us will be the ones on our backs (for court) and some sweats/pjs to wear on the train. We should have done this for trip 1 as it saves room in the bags for more important things. There are no showers on the train so after a quick freshening up, hopefully we'll look fairly presentable to the judge.

Before court, we will have an opportunity to see the kids again in the morning and then leave our snowsuits and boots behind for inspection while we go to lunch. We'll then come back and have our court session. Assuming all is ok, we then wait for the children to be brought out to us...one by one in nothing but a blanket. We are told it will be our job to then dress them fully, head to toe. We then head off to the train for the long trek back to Moscow. Our biggest concern is how the children will react to being taking from the orphanage, particularly Daniel because he is older and is more aware. We are also concerned about hotel living while in Moscow and then the long journey home through busy airports. We've vowed to have lots of patience and just take our time.

By Tuesday or Wednesday (it's a 9 hour time difference from WI so we'll do our best), we should be able to post some great pictures of our second trip to Kirov!

We finally made it to Moscow and checked into our hotel. It's about 3:30 p.m. Moscow time. Flights were great. We met up with Kim and Tim from Indianapolis at O'Hare and traveled with them so it was nice to have the company.

While in Chicago, we had a while before our flight so we took the opportunity to book Matthew's seat on the way home. Our travel agent apparently booked us and Daniel but told us to purchase Matthew's "lap" seat the day we left Moscow (adoption rates are all the same regardless of when you buy them). Since we could secure the same rate and had the time, we just took care of it today. His "lap" seat rate with fees and taxes was $400...what a deal. We hope it includes a flight attendant who does diaper changes, a few bottles and maybe a baby massage or two.

We didn't sleep on the plane as we had hoped or at least for the longer leg between Chicago and Frankfurt. Dinner came rolling around just after take off and we knew we were in trouble when she offered us the "vegetarian dish" and then paused and then told us "or maybe meat." Curious to know what the "maybe meat" was we requested that. Apparently, they actually ran short of meals and were scowering 1st class to get our row food. I (Jessica) stuck with the vegetarian and Mark got a vegetarian dinner and a "meat" dinner, beef. She was being very generous and kept offering us more. They had good complimentary beer and wines and were pleasantly surprised to be offered either Bailey's or cognac as an after dinner drink. When then intended to sleep but we found out they would be playing two movies, Dreamer and Walk the Line. We watched both. During the movies they offered several rounds of refreshments and then soon they brough by a light lunch or snack (ham or turkey sandwich with cheese, yogurt and a candy bar). No cognac this time :( Soon it was time to land in Frankfurt, but we had gotten no sleep. Luckily the leg to Moscow we were able to catch an hour or two.

It's time to take a short nap, then freshen up and meet Kim and Tim and hopefully some of the other couples, Tami and Matt and Nicole and Tim, for dinner.

Assembly of the cribs was a success! Got to bed around midnight. Got up around 5 a.m. Hopefully with less sleep we'll be able to sleep on the flight like we did for trip 1.

We finally got the confirmation call at 4:30 p.m. today that we are traveling tomorrow! To refresh everyone's memory, the second trip is to formally adopt our children and to complete all the paperwork necessary to emigrate them into the US. We get to Russia on Saturday. On Sunday night, we take the overnight train to Kirov. On Monday, we go to court and we take the return train with the kids Monday night. Once back in Moscow, we will apply for and get a visa for the kids from the US Embassy. We also need to take the kids for a medical exam at a facility approved by the Embassy, get visa photos and then go to the Embassy for final processing. If all goes well, we will be back in the States next Friday.

For the most part we are ready to go. We have to bring orphanage donations so we got a variety of childrens clothes and a few dozen boxes of Children's Tylenol...it should be interesting if we have to explain this to customs. Most fit in a duffle bag but two large items and all our boxes of chocolates have to go in my (Jessica) purse...and yes, it's quite the purse. I also was able to fit 6 granola bars, 4 packages of instant oatmeal and will probably stick some toiletries in it as well. Thank goodness for big purses! For the kids, we have one large suitcase in which we packed an assortment of small books, toys, DVD's, clothing, food (Mark's favorite meat sticks!), snacks, formula, diapers, medications and we can't forget the snowsuits and winter boots!

Mark has been running around all day gathering miscellaneous things needed for travel. I have the fun task of cleaning the house tonight and doing some laundry. I was told by my friend Kay to look at the house one last time as I'll never see it this clean ever again :)

We are also going to take on the challenge of assembling our cribs tonight. By a small miracle, they came in a day early and they also had a cancelation of another delivery tonight so they are able to bring them by around 7:30 p.m. We have to stay up late any way because we need to arrange for a driver to pick us up at the airport in Russia. He gets in at 8:30 a.m. Moscow time...11:30 p.m. our time. Our travel agent gave us the option of the Marriott driver again but in comparing this driving service at $40 to the Marriott's at $140 we opted for the $40 ride (I beginning to see how the Marriott can afford those new BMW's). We used this driving service last time and they were great. I guess they are good friends with our agency's director so we will be in good hands.

Again, thanks to everyone for your postings to our site, cards, gifts and well wishes! We appreciate all the support. Keep us in your prayers!

We are about 99% certain we will be traveling next week. We will be returning to Kirov with most, if not all, of the families we went with on trip 1. We have made some great friendships with these families are are very happy that we get to travel with them again.

Travel arrangements have been made (flying Lufthansa...yay!) and we're a bit nervous about traveling by train and plane with a baby and a toddler. I guess this will be our crash course in parenting. The only thing left to do is some last minute shoppping and wiring money to our adoption agency (ouch!).

Our paperwork has been updated and we have submitted everything to our agency along with our visa applications. We received a tentative travel date for next week Friday, April 21st and a court date of Monday, April 24th. We are anxiously awaiting their confirmation that these dates are final!

Introducing Daniel Robert (2 years) fascinated by a picture book about the zoo and Matthew James (10 months) looking pretty annoyed while recovering from a cold in a Kirov hospital. Middle names were chosen to honor both of our fathers. Hopefully both boys will possess the positive qualities of both Grandpas!

We finally got the "go ahead" from our doctor. He's been super busy and finally got a chance to review the video and photos we sent. After a long week of waiting, we got the call today that all looks great. We can finally proceed with the final paperwork for the adoption. With any luck, we'll be back in Russia in a few weeks!

We finally arrived back home late Wednesday night. Trip #1 to Russia went better than we expected. Aeroflot was also better than expected! Even though we did a few skips down the runway during landing in Toronto, the Russian passengers still gave him a round of applause. We were grilled quite intensively by the US immigration officer in Canada about what we were doing in Moscow for only a few days and asked why we were being routed through Canada. I’m glad for trip 2 we will fly direct from the US to Russia and avoid that entire mess.

We spent Thursday making lots of phone calls and getting additional documents ready for our second trip to Russia. We’ll have to get into the doctor to get some blood work done so we can show the courts we still test negative on diseases like TB, HIV, Hepatitis, etc. We are lucky that this region takes a letter from our primary care physician on our overall health and that we don’t have cancer. We have heard that other regions require this form, called the “8 specialist” form in which all 8 specialists need to sign off on your health. These specialists range from an oncologist all the way to a TB specialist (if there is such a specialty in the US). Try to get an appointment with an oncologist when you don’t have cancer! Many couples have opted to go to the Moscow Clinic where they have all these types of doctors under one roof and for a set fee of about $600-$800 (can’t remember the exact amount) you can be examined, get blood work done and it’s all done in one day.

After we have the final assessment on the boys from the doctor in Seattle next Tuesday, we then just have a couple of documents we need to submit (notarized and apostilled of course) to our agency and then we wait for the region to assign us a court date (where they will be legally ours). We have been told that our court date could be anywhere from 2-6 weeks after we have submitted this remaining paperwork. Provided the doctor hasn’t changed his mind on the boys or that a family member or another Russian family steps forward to adopt either boy, our plan is to return for both of them.

We'll let everyone know via email when we'll be traveling next, and when we'll start posing updates on that trip to the "blog." Until then, please keep us in your prayers!

The lesson for today is when ordering food in a foreign country select menus with pictures! Thanks to our friend’s Kim and Tim, we got a snapshot of this wonderful dish that we ordered our last night in Russia. While it looks really bad it was actually very good. It’s sea bass and inside the fish was a cream and dill sauce. Each time you stuck a fork in him, his head would bob up and down.

Getting back to sightseeing…..we spent our last day in Moscow with another couple, Kim and Tim. We went back to Red Square to take day pictures. Considering the time of day, there’s was still lots of people, vendors and activities. One spot in particular was that everyone stops at is the “Zero” kilometer mark. This is the point by which all distances to cities are measured in Russia. It’s right before walking into Red Square and is where people have a chance to make a wish by tossing a few coins into the air. I (Jessica) got a chance to throw a few coins (if you look closely, I think Joe Kubciek is in the background waiting to grab them even before they hit the ground).

We then looked around the mall right along Red Square, Gum. There we had lunch at an Asian restaurant (sorry, nothing worth photographing!). The mall is filled with top designer shops and is absolutely beautiful. They did have an interesting restroom that did earn a Kodak moment. I (Jessica) had to go and while they charged a few roubles, it was no big deal. I walked into the restroom and opened a stall door and was a little shocked when all I saw was a hole in the floor (which later I found out was a squatter). At first I thought I was in the men’s room but it soon became clear that I was not. I’m sure I made a fool out of myself, standing there with the “deer caught in the headlights” look as I stared down at the floor. I quickly left. The rest of the group found it so hilarious that Kim went back to take a picture which is posted below. Luckily later on I found a restaurant which had a normal restroom!

We then made our way to Arbat Street which lined with shops and outdoor vendors selling an assortment of stuff. We learned to negotiate quickly and got deals an all sorts of items. We also found a really neat book on Russian fairy tales (in English!).

In general, Moscow is quite interesting. From the kiosks with booze (which they openly drink on the street) and food, to hundreds of people milling around on the streets all hours of the day and night to the people parking just about anywhere they can fit their car. You have to be careful walking in the city as often cars are driving on the sidewalks to find a parking spot. It’s a great walking city though, and there is a lot to be seen. We’ve got some photos below.

Also, I know many of you have been asking what we named the kids. While we loved the kids, we do have questions on one of them and want to hold off announcing their names for the moment. As many of you know, this is a huge decision and we want to make sure that any of our concerns are put to rest. We have great doctors at the University of Washington in Seattle that are working diligently with us to review additional pictures and video. Please be patient and we’ll keep you all posted.

First, thanks for all your postings! It's nice to hear from everyone. The orphanage visit was something else. We wanted to share with everyone our first meeting with our kids.

On Sunday night, we were picked up by our translator, Tatiana, in the lobby of our hotel. Tatiana is a beautiful, young Russian woman who speaks English very well. Besides us, there was Tim and Kim from Indy, Tami and Matt from a suburb of Detroit, and we met a new couple, Nicole and Tim from Maryland. All of us were adopting boys under the age of 3. Luggage for the trip had to be light so we condensed our things down to 2 bags and left a large suitcase checked with the hotel while we were gone.

Tatiana loaded us in a small white van and we were taken to the train station. There we met up with our coordinator, Luba, who was an older woman. She spoke to us only in Russian, Tatiana translated. We received a few instructions and that we entered the boarding area where almost immediately you felt as if you stepped back in time. The trains were old with a 1940ish feel. Some were a drab green, ours red, yellow and blue. Dirt covered the cars much like most of the city after a long winter. Many people were scurrying about either catching a train or waiting for a departing train.

Our train was due to depart at 6 p.m. We were lead onto our car. Inside, there was a long narrow hallway. To the left were first class cabins that slept two. Our cabin was in the middle of the car and was about 5 ft x 7 ft in size. The décor was a bit retro, again with a 40’s feel. Small red curtains hung in the window, beds lined each side of the cabin, between was a small table with a little red linen table cloth and a small place setting for dinner. Russian music filled the air. We hung up our coats and gathered in the hall for further instructions and our dinner options for the evening. We were forbidden to drink any alcohol; instead we were offered coffee, tea or peach juice. We weren’t that hungry so for dinner we split beef stew which came with a side of lox and we also split a “lunch box” which was an assortment of foods…sardines, rolls, cheese, yogurt, cookies, chocolates (yes Carrie, we did eat the food!). After dinner, we gathered with the other couples to share photos and video clips of our children.

We all turned in early but as the night went on, we could not sleep. We ended up opening our curtains and watching the Russian scenery pass by our cabin window. Much of it mainly consisted of either large apartment-type looking buildings to small houses in little villages. The train stopped so many times throughout the night that we stopped counting. Eventually we fell asleep but soon it was time to get up and get ready. In all we had about 1-2 hours of sleep (I guess the other couples had about the same amount of sleep). There were no showers on the train so we washed up using these body wipes and used the train bathroom to wash our faces and brush our teeth. The trains were incredibly hot (which every building seems to be super hot in Russia…heat must be free), and that morning we were a bit nauseous from the swaying of the train and the lack of sleep combined with the heat didn’t help. A lady knocked on the door and offered us hot coffee or tea (just what we needed!). We tried to get 1 cup of coffee and 1 cup of tea but she only seemed to understand either coffee or tea so we got 2 cups of tea. The cost was 20 roubles or about 75 cents. We tried tipping the woman but she refused to take it. Later we found out that people don’t really tip in Russia unless the person did something really outstanding. Many times while dining out, we’d leave a tip and the waitress didn’t seem to know what to do with it.

We finally arrive at the Kirov train station at 8 a.m. and just as Mark’s cousin John and his wife Suzanne said, it’s a bit of a culture shock. It was a bright sunny morning, temperatures in the 20’s. We get off the train and again feel a sense of stepping back in time. Buildings are old and run down, cars are filthy from the winter and they have a lot more snow than Moscow. We load into an old white van where inside all the curtains were drawn. As the driver pulled away the van filled with a slight smell of exhaust which added to our already nauseous stomachs. We drove for about 15 minutes where we finally came upon the orphanage. As we pulled up, the neighborhood around it was very poor, almost like the projects in southern Chicago. Most of the buildings were run down, boards on some windows. The orphanage itself, painted white in color and was peeling, is in desperate need of paint and other repairs.

We exit the van and proceed up the steps. Inside, the orphanage is very warm, the décor again is old style…a lot of fake knotty pine wall paper and a linoleum parquet floor that probably was installed in the 20’s. We’re led through a series of rooms until we arrive in what looked like a play room but was actually a therapy room. Two large area rugs cover the heated floor (again, those Russians like their heat). We were told to wait for the children to finish their breakfast and then they would be brought down one by one. Before we could meet them, we had to sanitize ourselves. They led us down to a bathroom where we had to wash our hands with water that could boil a lobster in about 2 minutes flat. Not only did it take the germs off our hands but a few layers of skin as well.

Before the first child came out, we had some disappointing news that our younger boy, Artur, had to be hospitalized for a cold. After we saw the children, the group would be taken to the hospital where we would be able to see him briefly. Because the orphanage has so many children, we were told it is quite common for children with colds and fevers to be brought to the hospital so they don’t spread disease throughout the orphanage. While we were disappointed and concerned, the morning still pressed on.

The first boy brought out was Kim and Tim’s little boy who seemed overwhelmed by all the new visitors. Next were two boys for Nicole and Tim, then little Ivan came out who was Tami and Tim’s boy. Finally our oldest boy, Artur, came out. He seemed sleepy and a little confused. They sat him on my lap and Mark gave him a small car that we brought with us. While we learned some Russian phrases to say to him, our translator, Tatiana, said that with our “accents” the boys would probably not understand what we were saying. Instead, we were told to just speak American. We got on the floor with him (he actually sat in a small child’s chair, they are trained in the orphanage to sit on the chairs, not on the floor) and started to play with his car. We eventually pulled other toys down and a book and he started to be more responsive to playing and even smiled. Both of us took turns holding him and he seemed to hold on tightly. He really enjoyed sitting in Mark’s lap. We were told it’s unusual for them to take to a man because they really are only exposed to women.

After a brief time of playing, we were told we could see the orphanage doctor where they would give us a recap of the medical history and parental history. We took Artur into the room with us where Tatiana was able to translate for us. During this time, Artur sat on Mark’s lap, completely content while he held my finger in his hand. At times, the doctor would talk to him, he knew we were talking about him, and he would just widely smile or giggle.

After the meeting with the doctor, we went back into the play room while other couples took their turn with the doctor. After about 4 hours of play time, the boys were all taken away for lunch which was the followed by a nap. So we headed off to the hospital. Before we left we were pulled aside and were told that the hospital was not like the orphanage and that we should prepare ourselves to see some things that were not pleasant.

Upon arriving at the hospital, it was clear that they weren’t joking. The building looked old and abandoned. It was light blue and in terrible need of painting and repairs. We parked the van and an orphanage doctor led us down a long snowy path which lead to a very large iron door. Inside was a corridor that had peeling paint and water dripping. It had a musty odor. The doctor walked up to a door and turned some gadget on the wall which made a buzzing sound. Finally, a small window opened in the door (kinda like the speakeasy’s back in the 20’s) and a nurse said something, the doctor replied and then the nurse unbolted the door to let us in. We were quickly led down a hall where we could see patients (all children) in their rooms (the walls were glass so you could see everything in a room). In Russia, you do not get a nurse, family members have to care for you. So many mothers were there comforting their children. We didn’t see any sign of modern medical equipment, not even IV’s, just old iron beds and a lot of sick children. There were even beds in the hallways with patients. We were brought to an office where we were told to wait.

Eventually, we were led to Artur’s room where he was screaming and crying. The room was small and narrow and hot. There were two other babies in cribs in his room. One baby was on his back moving his head from side to side. If you spoke to him, he’d shake it more violently. The other baby just slept with the sun beating down into his crib. I picked up Artur, he was burning up. We brought a small toy which seemed to distract him. We realized he needed his diaper changed (they use cloth diapers, not disposable so it was rather apparent). The doctor then came in and changed him and he seemed to then calm down long enough for us to take pictures. We spent about 20 minutes with him and then we needed to leave. It was a brief time but we were very happy to see him.

From the hospital we were taken to lunch (where we tried a Russian soup, borsch, and Russian caviar for the first time) and then off to do some brief souvenir shopping. The van had to pick up some officials and drop them off somewhere and then drove back to the hospital where we spent more time with the children and the doctors answered some questions we had on baby Artur’s condition. We also filled our paperwork which included a form with the children’s new names. Sorry, we’re not sharing them just yet! By about 7:30 p.m., we then were loaded back into the van and taken back to the train station for our return trip to Kirov.

On the train, we were given some Bellini’s (we think that's the name...bread stuffed with stuff) and the waiter came by to take our order for coffee or tea. Again, we were not allowed to drink alcohol but most of us by this time could have used a shot or two. Everyone was a bit anxious over the day’s events. The entire ordeal seemed so surreal, especially seeing Kirov and how the people lived. We talked for quite sometimes in each others cabins. Eventually we went to bed. Some slept the entire night, I was up for hours looking out the window watching the scenery go by again. Even though we got off the train hours ago, everyone says they still feel the swaying!

We finally arrived back from Kirov this morning and since we've had a hectic day trying to catch the sites of Moscow. Here are pictures of the Arturs (for those who don't know they are both named Artur but we will change their names). Older Artur, age 23 months is pictured with Mark and I at the orphanage and younger Artur, age 10 months, is pictured in Mark's arms at the hospital. The younger Artur had a cold and it's common to place them out of the orphange until they are over it. We'll post more details of our travels to Kirov by morning!

After freshening up at the hotel we met up with two other couples (Kim & Tim and Tami & Matt) who are adopting with the same agency we’re with and will be traveling with us to Kirov. We got a recommendation on dinner from the hotel concierge that was within walking distance. It ended up being a little further than we anticipated but it was well worth the walk. The translated name for the place is “At The Mill.” It’s a cute little Russian restaurant that pleasantly surprised us with an English translation of the menu and a waiter that spoke pretty good English. At his suggestion we ordered an appetizer for the table consisting of little rolls stuffed with cabbage, meat, or mushrooms. They were delicious. Jessica had the lamb shish kebab and Mark had a veal dish. We finished it off with a cherry desert. The whole meal for six only cost 9600 – roubles that is.

After dinner we all walked to Red Square to see it lit up at night. It was beautiful, and we hope to be able to post some pictures soon. We then walked back to the hotel, which was an interesting glimpse of Russian nightlife. It was nearly midnight and the streets were filled with people. We learned that Moscow is a lot like New Orleans, with people strolling along with a beer in their hand.

We finally made it back to the hotel and got a much needed nights sleep. We’ve spent our Sunday morning just relaxing in the room and figuring out what to pack for the train ride. We are scheduled to meet the Russian coordinator at 5:15 in the hotel lobby.

We won’t have access to the internet while in Kirov so this is our last posting until Tuesday. At that time, we will be able to post pictures of the kids, something I’m sure all of you are anxious to see!

Greetings from Moscow! It was a long day but we made it safely. We began at about 5 AM Friday morning when we got up to continue packing. Fed Ex was at our door at 6:15 AM and 6:30 AM with our passports and various documents that we have to hand carry with us, adding only about 10 lbs. to our carry on bags. After a quick breakfast and check of the emails, we finished packing. Usually when we pack we rely on the “if we forget it we can just buy it” theory, but this trip is a little different since we hear they don’t have some of the items we take for granted in Russia, especially on the train. Finally, Jessica’s mom came to pick us up at 9 AM. After a few final instructions it was off to the airport. We showed up 2 hours early to tackle those long waits in security which for Milwaukee is about 2 people deep. After getting through security in 5 minutes, we had hoards of time to contemplate this crazy journey we were about to experience.

At the airport, we were very confused on where to go, people everywhere, confusing signs, long lines…and we were only in Toronto at this point. It was a pain connecting there because we had to go through customs, get our luggage, then recheck in with our connecting airline, Aeroflot (and we do have proof they use duct tape on their planes). Other than that, the Toronto airport was uneventful…although we did run across a Canadian penny on the ground in the terminal and thought “What would Joe Kubicek do?” We managed to find a veggie meal (being a Friday during Lent) and we’re happy to report they’ve remodeled. Eventually we made it to our gate for our connecting flight with plenty of time to spare. Waiting for the Aeroflot flight, we started to get a feel for the cultural change we were about to experience. All around us were people speaking in Russian and we realized that our Russian vocabulary (which currently consisted of words such as cat, dog, car, boy and elephant) was desperately lacking.

Our Aeroflot flight actually went quickly even though it took 9 hours. We had a fish dinner followed by a little free entertainment on board when two passengers started to fight over a row of seats. After some pushing and shoving, all went quiet and we slept for a good amount of time. Breakfast was then served, pan-fried noodles and chicken. We were kind of wondering how a Russian flight out of Toronto would serve Chinese, but we were hungry and it was actually good.

Eventually we made it to the Moscow Airport where they have the most interesting system of getting your luggage. Either it was a mistake or the baggage handler enjoys watching passengers run from carousel to carousel for their bags as they kept changing which carousel they came out on.

Our driver, holding up a sign with our name, was waiting for us outside of customs. He did not speak English. He grabbed our bags and took us to our car and proceeded to drive like a mad man throughout Moscow. We’ve seen motorcycles split lanes but never a brand-new mid-size BMW. We made it to the hotel in record time and tipped him appropriately.

The Marriott Grand Moscow (pictured) truly does live up to its name. The staff speaks a language we know and the rooms are beautiful. We exchanged a little money… the standard $100 for a few thousand Roubles.

Right now we are relaxing, trying to adjust to the 9 hour time difference. We have plans with another family to go out to dinner. Since none of us speak Russian even remotely well, it should be an interesting evening.

Tomorrow evening, we will be taking an overnight train to the region of Kirov (which is EAST of Moscow, not West as our previous post says). Good thing Dennis isn’t with us, we’d end up on a train to Germany. We will be escorted by a translator and a coordinator so the language thing should not be much of an issue. We’re all excited to see the children and nervous all at the same time.

Finally, we figured out how to change the Blogger settings so you can leave comment if you wish. Check back for more updates soon!

It's currently late and we're still packing...not necessarily lots of warm clothes but food, water and assorted medications for various ailments. We're preparing ourselves for our own sorted version of Survivor but instead of some warm tropical Island like Fiji, we are opting to travel to the fridged terrain of Russia....to be specific, Kirov a region just west of Moscow. By the time most of of you will be reading this, we'll be well on our way to Moscow via our favorite northern country, Canada. We have quite a lengthy layover so we hope to dine and take in the sites of the lovely international terminal (for anyone who's been to the Toronto International Terminal you know what a fun experience this will be). From Toronto we fly straight to Moscow. We hope to have the next update once we arrive.