Since returning home from our first trip to Russia on April 3rd ... we have been busy collecting the first round of paperwork needed for the judge to give us a court date. All in all we had 41 items to gather and complete ... remember each document is then notarized, county sealed and the apostilled ... I think I've been all over this area for county seals and then off to Albany for the apostilles!
Good News ... documents are done and were sent to WHFC on Saturday! We've been told the judge is going to be leaving for vacation on June 26th and will be gone for all of July. Our goal right now is to be one of the first families he reviews when he returns in August. Hopefully, he will only need a few additional documents or updates and we will get a quick court date for late summer or early Fall!
In the meantime we are plugging away at getting the house ready both inside and out! We are just HAPPY to be done with the paperchase and all the doctor appointments we had to do for this round! I'm sure there will be more but at least we have a short break and hopefully we are one step closer to our court date and bringing the boys home!!!
Have a great summer!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
One Month Ago Today.....
Dear Roman & Max:
It's been a month since we left you both in Russia and came back home to the states. We miss you very much but have been busy trying to complete our next round of paperwork so we can come back to Ekaterinburg soon to bring you home with us! Papa and I have been busy here not only doing our paperwork and doctor visits but we have been busy getting the house ready for you! We have gotten a crib for Max and Roman ... we have bed all set and ready for you .... and there are a few monkeys in the room waiting to hang out with you!!!
Another family we have met through the adoption process is in Ekaterinburg right now getting ready to bring their new daughter home and they've said that it is STILL snowing in Russia. Things are a little bit different here in New York, we've had some warm sunny days, a preview to summer and yesterday Mama spent the day planting flowers around the yard ... with a little help from Lucy.
We miss you boys and we can't wait to get the paperwork done so we can come back and see you and get everything finalized with the adoption so we can bring you home! There are alot of people here who can't wait to meet you, we've showed your pictures to everyone we know and everyone says how cute you both are!
We know you are being well cared for .... one month down .... hopefully we will be back in another few months to bring you home!
Love,
Mama and Papa
It's been a month since we left you both in Russia and came back home to the states. We miss you very much but have been busy trying to complete our next round of paperwork so we can come back to Ekaterinburg soon to bring you home with us! Papa and I have been busy here not only doing our paperwork and doctor visits but we have been busy getting the house ready for you! We have gotten a crib for Max and Roman ... we have bed all set and ready for you .... and there are a few monkeys in the room waiting to hang out with you!!!
Another family we have met through the adoption process is in Ekaterinburg right now getting ready to bring their new daughter home and they've said that it is STILL snowing in Russia. Things are a little bit different here in New York, we've had some warm sunny days, a preview to summer and yesterday Mama spent the day planting flowers around the yard ... with a little help from Lucy.
We miss you boys and we can't wait to get the paperwork done so we can come back and see you and get everything finalized with the adoption so we can bring you home! There are alot of people here who can't wait to meet you, we've showed your pictures to everyone we know and everyone says how cute you both are!
We know you are being well cared for .... one month down .... hopefully we will be back in another few months to bring you home!
Love,
Mama and Papa
Friday, April 24, 2009
1/2 way through paperwork
Well, we've been home for 3 weeks and you wouldn't believe what we have gotten done! We are about 1/2 through the paperwork trail ... so far it's going "relatively smooth" but we have hit a snag or two along the way but we've managed to keep going!
We have seen 5 of the 8 specialists and the last appointment is on May 7th and then we can make the final request for state verifications on the doctors and that should be it!
Tomorrow we meet with a psychologist to make sure we are sane (no wisecracks :-)) and then we are going to the police station to do our finger prints for the FBI ... if you remember we've done this once for the dossier ... this is for THIS round of paperwork.
So we are holding strong ... doing what we can and moving this as quickly as possible so the boys will be with us one day soon!
We have seen 5 of the 8 specialists and the last appointment is on May 7th and then we can make the final request for state verifications on the doctors and that should be it!
Tomorrow we meet with a psychologist to make sure we are sane (no wisecracks :-)) and then we are going to the police station to do our finger prints for the FBI ... if you remember we've done this once for the dossier ... this is for THIS round of paperwork.
So we are holding strong ... doing what we can and moving this as quickly as possible so the boys will be with us one day soon!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Chasing the Paperwork.... Part II
Well as one other Yekaterinburgh family has said .... "THE FUN BEGINS!!" We got our list of 2nd round documents needed for the judge last week and after a conference call with Vica on Friday we are now working to complete the 2nd list of paperwork!!!
This list includes 23 items which range from letters from our CPA, description of our home, to letters from our bank with balances of our checking and saving account to eight ... that's right 8 medical doctor appointments with specialists!!! I have been busy calling neuroligsts, pulmonary specialists, infections disease doctors to get appointments for me and Stephen in the next few weeks. We have been doing okay, BUT it is difficult to convince the appointment scheduler that you aren't really sick just need to complete a form for internation adoption! OH and we are also looking for a psychologist and psychiatrist to see us!!! It's crazy but it is what it is and we are trying to be organzied and get it all done as quick as possible.
Keep you fingers crossed for us!
This list includes 23 items which range from letters from our CPA, description of our home, to letters from our bank with balances of our checking and saving account to eight ... that's right 8 medical doctor appointments with specialists!!! I have been busy calling neuroligsts, pulmonary specialists, infections disease doctors to get appointments for me and Stephen in the next few weeks. We have been doing okay, BUT it is difficult to convince the appointment scheduler that you aren't really sick just need to complete a form for internation adoption! OH and we are also looking for a psychologist and psychiatrist to see us!!! It's crazy but it is what it is and we are trying to be organzied and get it all done as quick as possible.
Keep you fingers crossed for us!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
All our bags are packed and we're ready to go
As the song says ... we hate to leave you... but we know that this was just the first step in bringing Roman and Max home. The trip has been filled with so many emotional highs... all our hardwork from that last year has FINALLY paid off... we met our sons ... learned they are healthy.... signed our intent to adopt them and now the hard part comes ... going home and leaving them behind. It's good to know that they are both so well cared for by their care givers at the baby homes and since we've met some of the care givers we know that they boys are "loved" and that they care givers will watch over them until we can return.
Our next step after catching up on some much needed sleep at home and spending quality time with Lucy and Tyson (we know grandparents are great but we know they missed us and will need some xtra special attention when we get home), will be to begin the next round of paperwork needed for our court date.
So for now we leave Russia but we will be doing everything we can in the next few months to return quickly and bring our boys home!!!
Back at the baby home
We started today off by leaving our hotel to venture back out to the hospital for one final visit with Roman. The hospital is about 40 minutes from our hotel ... it's in a small suburb town outside of Ekaterinburg. When we got to the hospital the dr. told us that Roman had gone back to the baby home and wondered why no one had told Svetlana!!! So back in the car we went to drive 40 minutes in another direction to the baby home.
We got there just about noon which is time for the children's lunch and then a nap. We lucked out and we got to spend about 25 minutes with Roman before we had to say good-bye. He seemed to remember us ... or at least he remembered the beach ball we had with us!!! We spent time playing with him and then we traced his feet so we know what size shoes to bring for our next trip. I will post pictures later ... but he is a GREAT waver so we have some shots of him waving at us and calling us mama and papa!!! It looks like he is feeling better ... the green spots are still there but he has such a sunny personality it's hard to see that he is sick!!!
The end of our visit came quickly but with a few blown kisses from Roman and a wave goodbye from him we left and promised to return as quick as possible!!!
We spent the rest of the afternoon with Svetlana, seeing some sites... the Euro/Asia border and then we went to a Russian cuisine restaraunt for a late lunch early dinner. At this point all we have left to do is pack, catch a few hours of sleep and then meet the driver at 3am to head to the airport for our 5am flight.
I can't believe how fast this week as gone... it will be strange to leave in just a few hours.... leaving as parents but leaving our boys behind..... next step... more paperwork ... fingers crossed we are able to move things quickly and return in the next 6months or so to bring the boys home!!!
Thanks for all the well wishes ans support as we have completed this latest step in our journey to Max and Roman and to complete our family.
Christine & Steve
We got there just about noon which is time for the children's lunch and then a nap. We lucked out and we got to spend about 25 minutes with Roman before we had to say good-bye. He seemed to remember us ... or at least he remembered the beach ball we had with us!!! We spent time playing with him and then we traced his feet so we know what size shoes to bring for our next trip. I will post pictures later ... but he is a GREAT waver so we have some shots of him waving at us and calling us mama and papa!!! It looks like he is feeling better ... the green spots are still there but he has such a sunny personality it's hard to see that he is sick!!!
The end of our visit came quickly but with a few blown kisses from Roman and a wave goodbye from him we left and promised to return as quick as possible!!!
We spent the rest of the afternoon with Svetlana, seeing some sites... the Euro/Asia border and then we went to a Russian cuisine restaraunt for a late lunch early dinner. At this point all we have left to do is pack, catch a few hours of sleep and then meet the driver at 3am to head to the airport for our 5am flight.
I can't believe how fast this week as gone... it will be strange to leave in just a few hours.... leaving as parents but leaving our boys behind..... next step... more paperwork ... fingers crossed we are able to move things quickly and return in the next 6months or so to bring the boys home!!!
Thanks for all the well wishes ans support as we have completed this latest step in our journey to Max and Roman and to complete our family.
Christine & Steve
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A day with the Michellin man!!!
Dressed like the Michellin man .... or would it be the kid from A Chritmas Story...
You have to understand that it's like 52 degrees today and when we got to the baby home they had 4 families who were visiting children. Sooooo, 2 families outside and 2families inside, we were one of the families who was outside.... :( It would have been nice to have more time with Max inside but we made the best out of it and had fun with him anyway!!! He is such a good little boy and a good sport.
They bundle these kids up like they are going into a blizzard... it's nuts, we tried to bring his snowsuit down a little and we were told "Russian children are used to being covered head to toe".... okay but he's sweating his A$$ off. We spent some time playing with the beach ball and blowing bubbles... even though Max could barely move we got a giggle or two out of him... always a good sign!!!! Our time with him went quickly today... we can't wait til we can come back and take him home for good... he's a content little boy and rolls with the punches.... such a Mama's boy... gotta love that and he loves Mama's kisses :-)
Here are a few picuters of Stephen and me signing our intent to adopt petition... it's official or will be on Thursday... we have 2 boys and Roman and Max have parents or will in a few short months.!!!
You have to understand that it's like 52 degrees today and when we got to the baby home they had 4 families who were visiting children. Sooooo, 2 families outside and 2families inside, we were one of the families who was outside.... :( It would have been nice to have more time with Max inside but we made the best out of it and had fun with him anyway!!! He is such a good little boy and a good sport.
They bundle these kids up like they are going into a blizzard... it's nuts, we tried to bring his snowsuit down a little and we were told "Russian children are used to being covered head to toe".... okay but he's sweating his A$$ off. We spent some time playing with the beach ball and blowing bubbles... even though Max could barely move we got a giggle or two out of him... always a good sign!!!! Our time with him went quickly today... we can't wait til we can come back and take him home for good... he's a content little boy and rolls with the punches.... such a Mama's boy... gotta love that and he loves Mama's kisses :-)
Here are a few picuters of Stephen and me signing our intent to adopt petition... it's official or will be on Thursday... we have 2 boys and Roman and Max have parents or will in a few short months.!!!
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