Sometimes it is overwhelmingly wonderful knowing that on the other side of the world there is a tiny person that we will one day have as part of our family. I can't really describe this feeling. It's kind of like when you see the early morning sun pouring rays of light through the clouds. Do you know what I'm talking about? I am driving down the road and I have to pinch myself. I can't believe that I get to be a part of something so wonderful. How'd I get to be so lucky?
~mama
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
And the REALLY good news is...
That our court date has been confirmed! Hopefully the judge will say "da!" in a month or so. We haven't been able to make plans or ask any questions because of the holiday weekend, but we should be able to do this in the next few days as people return. We are still uncertain about the 10 day wait versus the 30 day wait. As you can see (previous post) the agency said for sure 30 days...but our facilitator in Russia said that this is not certain and the judge is out until the end of January. Hopefully some of these things will get cleared up this week and we can start the process of travel preparations one way or another. The Mister and I are very excited that we will be able to hold and kiss our girl again! We have missed her terribly. YAY!!
~mama
~mama
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas Eve
It's 9:51 a.m. here in Florida and already 63 degrees. It's 27 degrees and snowing in Russia. Merry Christmas Eve friends! It's been a crazy year here and even though we are still physically two instead of three this year, having Baby Bee in our hearts makes us filled with joy as we spend time with family and friends that are also anxious about her arrival. We are in the final stretch and even though we have had some unexpected hurdles thrown in our way...the finish line is close. Thank you for supporting us these long two years (which, believe it or not, are starting to feel not so long).
Love to you all.
~mama
Thursday, December 22, 2011
But the good news is...
That our facilitator called the orphanage today and they said that "baby bee is a healthy and nice child." :) I love my girl.
Changes?
We received this bit of information today but as you can see it is vague so we aren't sure what it means for us. I mentioned this in a previous blog. Stay tuned.
Changes to the 10 Day Waiting Period
"Our agency" has confirmed Russia has passed a law which extends its waiting period from 10 days to 30 days on all civil cases, taking effect on January 1, 2012.
As adoption falls under the civil court, we are expecting this law to apply to both international and domestic adoptions in the Russian Federation. At this time there has not been any formal instruction to the regional courts to exclude (waive the extension of the waiting period) adoptions cases from this law, therefore, we are anticipating this law will also apply to adoption cases.
The waiting period is the time that must elapse between your court date and the date which your adoption decree comes into force, at which time you legally become the parent to your child.
It is important to note this law is not designed specifically to adoption, but to all civil matters (ie - divorce, lawsuit, etc.).
We will forward additional information regarding the impact this law will have on adoption cases as we receive it. We are hoping to receive additional information after Russia returns from holiday, approximately the week of January 11, 2012.
Hang in there until we have news.
Mama
Changes to the 10 Day Waiting Period
"Our agency" has confirmed Russia has passed a law which extends its waiting period from 10 days to 30 days on all civil cases, taking effect on January 1, 2012.
As adoption falls under the civil court, we are expecting this law to apply to both international and domestic adoptions in the Russian Federation. At this time there has not been any formal instruction to the regional courts to exclude (waive the extension of the waiting period) adoptions cases from this law, therefore, we are anticipating this law will also apply to adoption cases.
The waiting period is the time that must elapse between your court date and the date which your adoption decree comes into force, at which time you legally become the parent to your child.
It is important to note this law is not designed specifically to adoption, but to all civil matters (ie - divorce, lawsuit, etc.).
We will forward additional information regarding the impact this law will have on adoption cases as we receive it. We are hoping to receive additional information after Russia returns from holiday, approximately the week of January 11, 2012.
Hang in there until we have news.
Mama
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I miss You
5191.75 miles is very far. To hold your child for three days and then be this far away from them for four months is torture.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Two Weeks-Week of Twos
Hey! The good news is that we have a tentative court day for February...wish it was a little sooner but we are happy to have a date!! We should know more in two weeks.
~mama
~mama
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Little Bee...day of twos
2 months today since we met you.
Today you are 22 months old.
Love you.
Miss you.
~mama
Today you are 22 months old.
Love you.
Miss you.
~mama
Sunday, December 4, 2011
101 Things to Do with a Toddler
I found this on another blog...good stuff!
- Color
- Blow Bubbles
- Play Hide-and-Seek
- Peek-a-Boo
- Play Chase
- Do Finger-plays
- Sing a song
- Collect rocks in a basket
- Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
- Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
- Go for a Walk
- Make a Car out of a Box
- Read a book
- Go to the park
- Finger-paint
- Play with Play-Dough
- Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
- Play the shell and pea game
- Dance to music
- Download games for toddlers from the Internet
- Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
- Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
- Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
- Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
- Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
- Put on a puppet show
- Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
- Make a Horseshoe game
- Make a Shape Puzzle
- Play paper basketball
- Run through a Sprinkler
- Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
- Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
- Play with a kazoo
- Wash windows together
- Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
- Brush each other's teeth
- Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
- Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
- Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
- Make a playhouse out of a large box
- Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
- Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
- Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
- Go on a Smelling Hunt
- Frost Cookies
- Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
- Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
- Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
- Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
- Have a splash party together in the bathtub
- Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
- Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
- Make and try on paper hats
- Give a piggy-back ride
- Play "Horsey"
- Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
- Play tug-of-war with a blanket
- Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
- Make a camera and go on a Safari
- Play games with frozen juice lids
- Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
- Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
- String large beads onto or along a shoelace
- Squirt each other with squirt bottles
- Glue shapes onto paper
- Make sock puppets
- Make paper puppets
- Fill an old purse with toys
- Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
- Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
- Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
- Act out a story from a book
- Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
- Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
- Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
- Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
- Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
- Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
- Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
- Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
- Do the Hokey Pokey
- Make a super-hero costume out of household items
- Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
- Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
- Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
- Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
- Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
- Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
- Learn numbers from a deck of cards
- Play the matching game with a deck of cards
- Make a domino chain
- Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
- Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
- Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
- Make a nature collage
- Mirror each other
- Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
- Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
- Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
- TAKE A NAP!
December 5, 2009
Tomorrow marks the 2 year anniversary since we signed with our agency. It was a wonderful rainy day that started with butterflies in my stomach and ended with pizza. It's been a long two years but I haven't had any regrets. I love my agency and I am happy with every decision we have made, decisions that are leading us to the girl that is perfect for us, who makes us smile and makes our dreams at night and during the day a happy place to be (I really love it when I dream we are all together). She really looks like us! I can't wait to hear the next news about our little bee. I am ready to be on that plane to see her again. I love you. I love you.
~mama.
Here is my post from 12/5/2009:
Today we got up early and drove to Daytona Beach in the rain for our AGENCY seminar (see photo of library where we met above). We were pretty sure that we had made up our minds to apply with them, but I wanted to see how they were in person and make sure that after all the research I had done that I wasn't missing something. They didn't tell us anything new but it was reassuring to know that I have done all I can in making this life changing decision. Even though it rained on the entire drive the trip was nice and I enjoyed the sweet company of Mr. N. We had lunch at a cafe called The Dancing Avocado and made our way back home. We needed naps so we took care of that. He watched football. I picked up a delicious extra cheese and fresh basil pizza...and then I sent in the application. The journey has officially begun...of course they may look at the application and so NO WAY and then all will come to a screeching halt...either way, with fingers crossed and hopes high I sign off tonight.
~mama.
Here is my post from 12/5/2009:
Today we got up early and drove to Daytona Beach in the rain for our AGENCY seminar (see photo of library where we met above). We were pretty sure that we had made up our minds to apply with them, but I wanted to see how they were in person and make sure that after all the research I had done that I wasn't missing something. They didn't tell us anything new but it was reassuring to know that I have done all I can in making this life changing decision. Even though it rained on the entire drive the trip was nice and I enjoyed the sweet company of Mr. N. We had lunch at a cafe called The Dancing Avocado and made our way back home. We needed naps so we took care of that. He watched football. I picked up a delicious extra cheese and fresh basil pizza...and then I sent in the application. The journey has officially begun...of course they may look at the application and so NO WAY and then all will come to a screeching halt...either way, with fingers crossed and hopes high I sign off tonight.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Vintage Russian Nursery
As you may know, I have a love of mixing modern and vintage pieces together. I just found this site on Etsy that sells Vintage Items With Russian Soul. In fact the shop is called Russian Soul Vintage! They have all kinds of things (mostly paper things like cards and other ephemera) but I fell in love with these postcards. Aren't they sweet? The one I am showing here is one in a set of four for only $2.50 and they are adorable! Let me know if you are the lucky one to snatch them up!
~mama
~mama
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