It's Out of Our Hands...

The paperwork is in, and it is out of our hands!! Hope Russia is speedy. I spent last Wednesday going over every little detail making sure the "i's" were dotted, and the "t's" were crossed. Now all we can do is sit and wait. I have to say overall our paperwork process wasn't too bad. RJ says it was because I was so busy with all the other things I do. I think the worst part of this process is when you have to just sit and wait without a definite deadline. Example - when I would send for a police background check, I knew it would take 7-10 days, or when I would submit for a medical clearance, 5-7 days. Similar to waiting on the referral list, which we didn't know when we would get called, you just sit and wait...for who knows how long. At least with the other paperwork, if it wasn't back in a timely fashion I could call and bother someone. Not this time, just sit and wait on Russia. (Very BIG sigh!)

One of the things about this process that has been really interesting to me is how well we are dealing with knowing AJ is ours, but he is still in Russia. The only thing I can compare it to is I feel like I have gone to a friends house, or a family member, and met their "new" baby. It holds a special place in your heart, knowing they are part of your family, and you feel very close with them, but you are okay with being apart. If that makes any kind of sense at all??!! It helps to know that we will be returning to Russia very soon also!!

Back in the States...

We are home!! We arrived Sunday, December 16th around midnight, Florida time. It was a very, very, very, long trip back. Did I mention how long the trip was? REEEAAALLLLLY LONG!! Anyway, RJ’s parents picked us up from the airport, and of course we had to hook up the digital and video camera as soon as we got home! By the time we shared ALL the video and looked at ALL the pictures with RJ’s parents we fell into bed around 2:30am. I have to say we are both doing really well with whole jet lad thing - up at 8:00am the next morning. Last night, Monday, around 11:00pm I was absolutely exhausted and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out.

So, I’m sure all of you are wondering when we can bring our “lil’ man” home. Yesterday was another very exciting day. Each region in Russia requires specific documents. When you get down to it is the same information I collected for our original dossier. These documents are formatted and rewritten a different way, and of course another expense. Our translator sat down with us when we were in Russia and went over all our paperwork. We had just a couple of additional things needed. Jane, RJ’s mom was able to send the additional paperwork I prepared before we left for Russia last Friday, December 14th to the Secretary of State in Tallahassee Florida for our Apostille. The final step before the paperwork goes to Russia for translation and approval. Typically an Apostille will take anywhere fro 7-10 days. We were able to send the papers on Friday and they are back in Tampa, Tuesday, December 18th!
I knew the papers were in Tallahassee around 10:30am Monday morning and it was all I could do to wait until the afternoon to call and check on them. When I was in Russia I forwarded an email to Annie, the lady that had helped with our original dossier Apostilles. I explained to her we were trying to get our paperwork to a family that would be traveling to Russia this Friday, December 21st. When I called her, she shared with me the papers were done and she had put them back in the mail. I was in line at Wal Mart, and I just started crying, happy tears. The lady in line with me asked if that was a “good” phone call. I told her she had no idea how GOOD!!! Many thanks to Annie!! Our papers will be hand carried to Russia this Friday. This is huge, because to mail anything it would have taken a couple of weeks. Our goal is to submit the papers before the end of the year. If this happens we will be the first in line for a court date!! Russia recognizes Christmas Holiday from around the end of December through January 10th. Their actual Christmas is January 7th. Hang in there lil’ man. Mama and Papa will be back soon!!

We leave our heart in Russia

This trip is one that is almost too much for words...between the traveling, the language barrier, just being in "Russia", and the whole idea that we are now PARENTS!!!! It just blows my mind. Today is our last day in Novgorod, until we come back for our court date. We have tickets for the night train back to Moscow. We depart Saturday, December 15th at 11:15pm from Novgorod, arrive in Moscow at 8:00am, travel to the airport, and our flight departs at 12:10pm from Moscow to New Your, USA? We will be back in Tampa sometime around midnight,

Sunday, December 16th. Yes, that is 24 hours plus of straight travel!! We originally were suppose to leave this morning, Saturday, and stay the night in Moscow. I am so glad that when we originally booked our plane tickets we decided to stay an extra day, Sunday. We did it because it was a difference of $3000 to travel on Sunday vs Saturday. If course the extra day was well spent!

Since we signed the Intent to Adopt paperwork we were able to go back to the orphange and spend some time with A.J. We took a ton of picture and video. He is so delightful, sweet, handsome and funny. I fill so proud to call him my son. I know everyone says how lucky he is to come American, but I feel really luck that he is mine, well ours. I guess I will have to share him with his daddy occasionally...ha, ha...

I just want everyone to know how much R.J. and I appreciate all of our friends and family. It was so nice to know there were so many prayers, thoughts, and love sent our way while we were in Russia. We now need to shift these prayers and thoughts to a speedy court date, and a safe homecoming for A.J., our lil' Wood!!

Just the three of us...

Today had it's ups and downs, again. We are excited to introduce... Alexander Julian Wood, "AJ"!! The papers have been signed, and notarized. He is ours. We just have to complete the paperwork, have our court date and we can bring him home sometime in late January early February.

We came over with the intentions of coming home with two boys, but after many ups and downs we will be moving forward with just one. The Ministry of Education was very helpful in trying to find us an additional child. We even looked at children as old as six years old, but we just couldn't find the right match.

Tomorrow is our last day here in Novgorod. RJ and I will be very happy to be coming home to the states. We are not really looking forward to the 12 hour "freezing" flight, but it is what it is. Our coordinator has arranged for us to spend the afternoon with AJ before we have to leave. I plan on filling the digital and video camera up!! The boy is going to be seeing spots from the flash for the next week or so!!! I hope I do as well as I did yesterday when we had to leave. I was very brave and did not cry, but tomorrow will probably be a different story. Maybe I shouldn't wear any mascara?

Introducing....Lil' Wood

Today was an incredible day for us. We are so happy to announce that we signed Intent to Adopt paperwork on a beautiful 13 month old baby boy today. We can't give you a ton of details, as we have been advised by our US Adoption Agency, per Russia's request, we need to limit the details of our process until he is officially ours. We don't want to do anything to jeapordize this adventure.

What we can say is that he appears to be very healthy and very happy. We got to see him twice today and he absolutely recognized us when we came back the second time. He laughed and squealed until he could barely breath (is that a bad thing... I don't think so). I will say that we are already hoping that everyone has their track shoes ready when he comes home, because this boy is FAST!!! We chased him all over the place. I guess the days of staring at the television and lounging around on Sunday are quickly coming to an end for us both.

We are so excited to get him home. Once we get back to the states, we will get our paperwork (which is already pretty much completed) done and get the paperwork required for our region back over here. Once they receive it, we will hopefully have him home in February. It's going to be hard knowing he's here and wanting him home with us.

With every great, happy story, there is usually a sad one at the same time. As most of you know, we are anxiously searching for two children to bring home. Unfortunately, we turned down the first referal that was offered to us. We had some health concerns that just made us and our Internation Adoption Physician nervous enough that we wanted to keep looking. He is a wonderful young boy and I pray that he will find a family soon!

We go back to the Ministry of Education tomorrow to submit todays paperwork and receive a new referral. We will then go to the next orphanage and hopefully have success in completing our new family!

Please keep your good thoughts and prayers pointed in our direction.

Down to the Nitty Gritty...

Our day started out quite interesting. The traffic was extra heavy this morning delaying our coordinator and translator. Our translator, Sammie shows up in one of her friend's car, whisks us down the road about a 1/4 of a mile in bumper to bumper traffic. In the middle of all the traffic she tells us to get out. Can you say "chinese fire drill?" We jump out of the car, in the middle of Russian morning traffic, and start walking in the opposite direction we were driving towards the Ministry of Education. Only to be met by Andre, our coodinator, just about in front of our hotel. Back into the car, and on our way! Absolutley crazy!!
We made it to the Ministry of Education, received our invites for the orphange, and we were off in the "car"again for a 3 hour drive to the little town of Vikas, spelling? The orphange was simple, but nice. They has a play area outside, that weather permitting I'm sure the children enjoy. We met with the orphange doctor and our first referral. We spent about 2 hours playing with him. What a delightfully little boy. We gathered the health information and are waiting for a diagnosis from our International Peditrician.

WE'RE HERE!!!!

Well, we made it!

Plane from Tampa to Atlanta
Plane from Atlanta to Moscow
Car to the Moscow Train Station
Train from Moscow to Novgorod

Do you know what we're getting at.... yes. PLANES, TRAINS, and AUTOMOBILES. After the last 30 hours of travel, we are living it. R.J. is certainly the John Candy, between the two of us. :)

We don't have much time to post as it's 11:00pm and the business center closes.. in fact it just shut us and we asked her to come back to help.

Alright... We have to go. But know we are here and safe.... AND COLD!!

Welcome...

We would like to welcome all of you to share our journey with us. For those of you that RJ and I have not had the opportunity to speak with, here is the lasted update...

As most of you know we have been working on our adoption process for the past year. We are, "rounding the bend", and headed for the home stretch!! We received our referrals, a picture and some brief information, about two boys on Tuesday November 20th. Two days before Thanksgiving!! We have a lot to be thankful this year.

We will be leaving for Russia on December 10th and returning the 16th. The region we will be traveling to is Nizhni Novgorod, 280 miles southeast of Moscow. From what I have learned this is the 3rd largest city in Russia, next to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

This is our first trip, and yes it will be very COLD!!! The children will not be returning with us this trip. We will be returning for a second trip hopefully sooner than later, and will bring the children back then. Each region has specific documents that have to be prepared for their region. So depending on the turn around time of these documents will determine how quickly we return. I'm sure having to say goodbye, and leave them is going to be very difficult!!