Check Out Tomorrow

Hi Everyone,
Note: Living in a hotel is so fun!! Just kidding. We are currently pros at putting a million groceries in a tiny fridge and making 3 nutritious meals a day with a myriad of utensils saved from our take out and a hot pot.

We are having fun. This morning Nathan took care of the 3 am wake-up, but he went to sleep after about 15 minutes. We had our first restaurant experience--he loves rice from the Chinese restaurant. The server there sees us all the time at the Metro station and always says Hi! He's so nice (remember him Mom and Dad? The funny little guy at the Chinese place next to the hotel?).

Later came a close to 3 hour nap and then some play time and a walk. He still cries when we put him down or any other time he doesn't like what is going on, but he is getting much easier to do a diaper change or put clothes on. Overall I am surprised on how well he is adjusting.

We are VERY excited to be leaving tomorrow on the night train. We get free late check-out tomorrow and then spend the night on the train. We have it all worked out with the Marriott in Moscow to come in early and check-in. Overall, we are set to go to Moscow and meet with the U.S. Embassy to get his entrance into the U.S. situated. Well, hopefully one day soon I will have time to post more pictures or video...for now I am tired. So good night!

New Picturesl.g

http://picasaweb.google.com/kansasjhawk79/AleksTrip2?authkey=Gv1sRgCLLEqe6TscSx-AE#

Day 2

We are the luckiest people in the world!!! Aleks slept through the night (asleep at 8 and up at 7:45)! He took a 1.5 hour nap (supposed to be 3 hours, but hey...it's fine) and eats like no other! Whatever we give him, he eats.

Today we played a lot and then....got a haircut!! They took off over half his hair and he still has a full head. Then off to the post office (yes Debi, I just mailed the post card today) and then to get pizzas for dinner.

The bath. Wow. That was an experience. Kind of like water torture? Apparently Nathan and I have a new career opportunity because Aleks was SCREAMING!!!! But now he is clean. He is wearing footie pajamas from Grandma Reinker--ugh, footie pajamas.

Right at this moment is going around cleaning the room. Good job orphanage! He has put 2 bibs away in his drawer and is now searching for more items to put up. Well, that's it. Dinner in an hour and then bed time. Hopefully we can get some pictures or video up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for reading about us--this parenting stuff is pretty fun. See you all in leass than a week.

Tuesday Visit and Car Ride to the Hotel!

This morning we got his schedule and what he usually eats. He actually drinks tea, albeit watered down but still! He aso eats cucumber and tomatoes. We went to the grocery store and picked up cheese, milk, butter, bread, cottage cheese, and plain yogurt. Those are all items he gets in a day! A lot of dairy, but they give him fish and meat daily as well as vegetable puree so he eats pretty well-rounded.

Here is some poor video, but it is the car ride to the hotel. He had just stopped crying and was just holding on or dear life :)

Video from Previous Visits

Here is some video from Monday. The first is Aleks being a funy man!

Next is Aleks sleeping...he fell asleep on Nathan's lap! We decided he was okay with us at that point.

Tomorrow!

Today was our last visit--I don't have video ready to be posted, but hopefully I will get that done tomorrow morning.

Nathan has to go sign some stuff tomorrow and then around 4 tomorrow we go get him!! So, around 7 am you should think of us...we will be getting our son!

Check back tomorrow.

Today, Friday, was our last visit of the week. We see Aleks Monday and then we get him Tuesday.

We are exhausted! The metro ride every day wears me out, but its worth seeing Aleks!

We had another good visit today. He was in a good mood and more apt to move around without us. Before he was glued to us. I though that was good because he feels more comfortable with us now. He kept looking back at us as he was playing.

Then came the tickle monster...but he wasn't as in to that came today. He really wanted to play with the videocamera!

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Daddy Day!

Oh boy was today a good day! Aleks felt much better and wasn't as warm. The little rosy spots on his cheeks were gone too. He laughed and played the whole time! The video below is Nathan tickling Aleks...it was hilarious!!

One interesting fact: Aleks can drink out of a teacup! They give him some sort of tea...I don't know what it is, hopefully we will find out Tuesday when we get him from the Baby Home. It's kind of weird though because he uses his stacking cups like a tea cup when we are at the end of our visit--it's right before his nap time and he must get tea then. He sticks two fingers in his mouth and starts sipping from his stacking cups!

Here is the Fun New Game, or the testing of the parents. This lasted a little while but he does listen well. We said no and he stopped, for the most part :) We all know how almost 2-year olds are!!

Last is some stacking, we can't go a whole visit without stacking a little! He is so funny when he wants something:

Funny Cold Weather Wear

Sick Day Pictures--11/11

He had ROSY cheeks and was so warm...poor little guy. I don't know what his fever was, but the caregivers said it was coming down. They were on top of that fever!!

Day 1 Photos

Mommy Day

Well, today was a mommy day. He cried for a while, but then he settled down and we played. Today he stacked the cups!! We were so impressed...you will be too after you watch this:

He cried a little less today and waved goodbye when leaving time came about. He wasn't so anxious to jump into his caretaker's arms. It is snowing here...a lot! Our walk from the metro to the hotel was pretty! I almost fell down, I'm such a klutz, but Nathan saved me. How do these women wear stilletos in this slush?

Well, I'm off to watch some international volleyball on TV. We have nothing planned for the rest of the day...maybe a nap, a workout, and some dinner?

First Visit Alone

Today took the metro to the baby home...about an hour from the hotel. The metro was eerily silent this morning...hundreds and hundreds of people and no sound.

When we got there they asked (in Russian) if we wanted to go outside...sure, why not! It was abouit 32 degrees outside :) We waited for Aleks to be ready and when we saw him we just laughed. He couldn't touch his arms together and his legs were sticking out straight from his body...funny! He reminded me of the little kid in "The Christmas Story."

Of course he didn't want to be set down and only wanted Nathan. I held him for 15 seconds and he cried. Hmmm...today (and Friday) were Daddy days. Well, we will see what tomorrow brings (me or Daddy).

The Greatest Day in our 30 Long Years

November 6, 2009

The official date Nathan and I have a son!!!! Today was court, very intimidating, but we were approved! His name is officially Aleksander Charles Harman and he is our son. Now they are working on getting all his paperwork together. On the 17th Nathan will go to sign a bunch of a papers and then around 4:00 our time (7 am your time) we will go to get him for, well, forever!

Now for the video, first the "Funny Daddy" video and then the some very special footage for everyone...this is the first sighting of the smartest child in the world (remember, we are halfway around the world and have a pretty good perspective of the world in general).

Okay, Funny Daddy:

Here you will see a genius child stack cups. He does love those cups...

Well, good that I posted that instead of the 20 minutes of SCREAMING he did before then. He keeps getting woken up from a nap and then given to us. Oh well, soon he will be living out of a suitcase in various hotels with us.

Saturday and Sunday are no visit days so we won't see Aleks until Monday

Remember Us?

So, we had an exciting morning: Up at 6:30 a.m., left the hotel by 7:30, and at the hospital by 8. Yes, we sat and waited to speak with one doctor for 2.5 hours...if that isn't crazy enough, she asked us one question: "Have you had any skin problems since you were here last?" We said, "No," and she said, "Okay," and wrote something down in our file.

That was it.

Easy.

Then we went to the baby home. Now, ask yourself this: Would an almost 2-year-old remember his parents who met him about 8 times over three months ago? The answer:

Hmmmm....

Well, he screamed (in my ear) for a little while and then calmed down. Poor little guy, he had just woken up from a nap, this was right before lunch, and he had to be confused! We think he actually remembered us a little...he clung to me and kept looking at Nathan. He calmed down later and we played. Here is some more video:

That's more like our little guy...he loves those stacking cups! We go back this afternoon to play some more. Tomorrow is our first trip to court and then one more visit to Aleks. Saturday we move hotels and then starting Monday we see Aleks once a day all week, except Sat. and Sun, then back to court on the 17th to get him for good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 Flights and 2 Days Later...

We're here in St. Petersburg!!!  Today we got in, got the airport, and then went to the hotel for a nap. Our flights were perfect We just had dinner and getting ready for a movie.  Tomorrow is a the Russian Independence Day, so there will be much celebrating.  Thursday we are getting medicals and then seeing Aleks!!!  We can't wait.  Check back when there is actually something interesting to read about!