Finally Home!

Oh, home sweet home! It's just amazing how having a son makes traveling so much different! The last two days, after we said good-bye to our daughter I was thinking about home ALL THE TIME! Last night, at almost 10 pm, we finally made it home!

The last two evenings before heading home we spent them shopping in Novy Arbat. I really wanted to get a wood carved Father Frost with the Nativity scene painted and we found it! They were a bit pricey, but after checking another store we went back to the store we shopped two years ago and got good deals. We also found a big Matriuska doll also with the Nativity scene painted. We also got a doll, two candle holders, and few other small items. Then, on Thursday night we bought juice, water and few snacks and headed home. IT WAS COOOOOOOOLLLLLDDDD!

Friday morning was snowing lightly, but it was windy so we stayed inside. At 1 pm was our appointment for the 8-doctor examination. Pasha, our facilitator, picked up us a bit earlier to get our daughters picture for the US visa. It was funny, because they used one of the pictures we took during our visits, but with the white background needed for the photo, our daughter looked like a ghost!!! She is so white and probably very pale being inside for months and months... so they had to add some color to her! After that we went to the clinic (Pasha didn't know the name, but the buildings were pale yellow) and by 3:30 pm we were out! We did a lot of waiting, one doctor checked our X-rays, another listened to our lungs, another looked at our skin (made us take our shirts out) and the after few questions here and there we were out! Based on other families experiences recently I was expecting getting undressed and more examinations, but we were happily surprised that nothing like that was required!

Pasha recommended a restaurant just few feet from our apartment, where we had really good kebabs! The whole day had been slowing lightly, but the wind had picked up... well, we tough it up and headed to Novy Arbat again to buy couple of the black furry hats - one for Mark and one for Rob, who we met in Moscow almost 2 years ago when they were adopting their child! And then, we were done for the day and ready to pack. Surprisingly enough, Saturday went pretty smooth: no turbulence in any flight, we watched 4 movies, we were able to Singapore, airlines services this time, but got home quite exhausted!

So, now, the waiting, right? For Kaluga, the families have to get the petition to adopt and a power of attorney notarized and appostilled at home. We got them notarized yesterday and will get them appostilled on Tuesday. Hopefully, C will have these documents in her hands by Friday, so they can head to Moscow on Saturday (she mentioned a family may take them to Moscow). I always thought the wait for the court date in Kaluga is about 2 to 3 months; well, we were told between 6 to 9 weeks, so we'll see! Our hope is for her to be here at least by April, so she can get outside and enjoy a decent weather before our insanely warm summer starts. Margarita and Irina thought April was very doable, so let's hope they are right!!