We Miss You, Daddy, Alex and Dominique!!

Hi! This is Sofia. Just hanging out with my mommy, and we have fun every day! My mommy turns on the radio and we sing, then we dance a lot. Then we sing 'Rock-A-Bye-Baby' to my baby so she can be comforted. We read books many times during the day, and we play with my toys. But my favorite part is when we roll around the floor and my mom tickles me. I laugh really hard.

We also go to the park a lot. I like going in the stroller and walking around with my mommy. I babble a lot while we are out. Then, when I get tired, I go down for naps. I don't always like them, and I fight my mommy about those naps, but I always feel much better after I sleep a bit. And then I'm not so cranky and clingy anymore. Alex, sometimes even I can be a peaceful milk baby too!

While we are out, mommy sometimes takes photos of me. I don't always want her to, but she insists. So, sometimes I smile just to make her happy, but sometimes I refuse to smile because I get tired of the photos. Here are some that we took just in the last couple of days:




This is the Kostanai University and I just may go there someday ----- NOT!!
















My mommy and I thought about going in this movie theater to watch a movie, but changed our minds when we realized all movies are dubbed over in Russian! Bummer!!

I don't really care that this guy is some famous scholar and philosopher -- he scares me, so I'm not going to smile!! I'm mad I have to sit here and take a photo with him!

Hi Daddy!! This is your favorite coffee place!! We are both thinking about you, Alex and Dominique, and we miss you all very much!! LOVE YOU LOTS!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo!!!!

Getting to Know Sofia

It's been tough over here. Baby Sofia and I are 'learning' about each other, and it's been a challenge. We are together 24 hours a day - day and night. And without a break, it's reallly hard. (By the way, what was my beloved husband thinking -- how dare he have abandoned me in a foreign country with a baby who does not know me well and who is seriously constipated and teething, and in a country with hospitals which threaten to perform surgery in your 8-year old when he can't eat for 3 days complaining of stomach pain, and then change the appendix diagnosis to beginning of pneumonia, but end up giving my son an enema instead?? OK, you know I'm kidding (not about the hospital, though!) -- poor Mike has his hands full taking care of the house, children, and catching up in his work.)

I have tried to continue Sofia's Baby House sleep schedule, but she refuses, and because I am living in a hotel room with her, I hold her a lot if she is tired and when she is whiny, which is most of the time. I'll have to wait to get home to get her on some serious schedule! She continues to be very clingy (although a bit less than before), and I still can't go to the bathroom without a 'visitor' on my lap. At least she has had bowel movements in the last day and a half, and that has made her feel a bit better (and me less worried). Thanks to Lori for some pureed baby prunes she brought from the USA! She also gave me some infant glycerin suppositories 'just in case' things got out of hand. . . When Sofia saw me holding those, her system 'miraculously' straightened itself out!!

SLEEP??? What's that? No, don't get much of that these days. Sofia and I share a room in this hotel, The Hotel Medeo (which by the way is newer, cleaner, has AC, and the toilets don't stink and work properly, and the beds don't have bed bugs like the other hotel!), and because I'm naturally a light sleeper, I wake up many times during the night when she moves around her playpen. So this has made me increasingly fatigued, as you can imagine. But, there are angels in this world, and Lori and Reid have been angels in my life during this whole last week (and Valentin comes over on occasion to help with hotel issues or what not) -- they check on me on a daily basis to make sure I continue to have some sanity left in me, and to make sure I've eaten. Sofia won't let me sit down for more than 5 minutes at a time before she squirms and wants down, so eating in restaurants is something I don't do much of anymore. (Restaurants in this town do not have high chairs and strollers don't fit anyway.)

Isn't it amazing how many things a person notices when you suddenly have a child to lug around everywhere you go? For example, there are stairs here just about everywhere you go (even at the grocery store), so in order for me to go anywhere with her, I have to carry her AND stroller up and down stairs, starting at the hotel. It can be a bit scary and I'm always afraid I will fall, especially with my sore foot. Kostanai is definitely not a baby-friendly town. Besides, people here are not very inclined to help unless asked. And then, because not much emotion is displayed, I never know if they are annoyed that I asked for help. Most of the time I don't want to deal with people because I can't communicate with them anyway, so I just carry baby and stroller up and down, even at the hotel, which has 4 flights of stairs and no elevator.

There are moments throughout the day that I just get out and take Sofia for strolls in the park or just around the streets. Sometimes she will last a bit and I can get some good walking in, and take a good breath of fresh air. Sometimes she starts crying and whining and wants out of the stroller, in which case I rush back to the room because I can't walk with her and push the stroller for too long. When in the room, I realized that if I just sit on the floor, even if we are done playing and I'm just reading a bit, it makes her less anxious. She then feels more comfortable exploring the room and playing with her toys. We play a lot together, as you can imagine. And if I'm exhausted (which is most of the time), I sometimes bring a pillow down onto the floor so I can rest my head, but can still play with her.

Above and beyond everything, though, it's nice to get to know Sofia. She can be sweet and affectionate, as well as funny and playful. She babbles all day long, and if I'm serious and she thinks I'm not happy with her for some reason, she stares me down very seriously, watches me closely and then 'talks' to me! It's almost like she is asking me 'what's going on?'. She seems to be very smart - she will remember I hid a toy in a place long after we have moved on to another game. She is very strong-willed, however, and is also physically strong. When Mike and the kids were here, she grasped the edge of the desk, and in front of me and the kids, she did a pull-up which caused her feet to dangle. She has done those a couple of times. It's amazing. I've never seen a girl of 11 months do this type of stuff!! I think we may have a gymnast in the making, folks. One thing we know for sure, no one messes with Sofia . . .

We Are a Complete Family!!

Three children, two from my womb, one from Kazakhstan, ALL FROM GOD.

Following are some photos of the last visit to the

Baby House in Rudniy (plus the Court House):

Sofia and her interesting outfit before we changed her into her 'homecoming' clothes. The nurse placed this 'hat' on her head because she was going outside somewhere to receive polio drops; in this country you NEVER see a baby outside without some type of head cover, day or night, sunshine or not.

The Courthouse in Rudniy, a place which produced much anxiety!

The bedroom where Sofia and 15 others slept

The Babies' playroom adjacent to their sleeping area

Another photo of Babies' playroom

Adoptive Parents' Playroom in which we visited Sofia for 18 days. This is also some type of medical examining room in which children are brought in for nasal treatment, etc. The benches on the right side of the wall are the examining and treating tables.

The Visitor's Playroom has two of these fish tanks and the kids loved them.

Grandma Helen hugging Karina (her granddaughter), Sofia and Victor (Lori and Reid's Baby) for the last time until she and Sandy return in a couple of weeks to pick up Karina.

The Medical Director handing over Sofia once she is changed into her own clothes.

Saying goodbye to the Medical Director, the Director of the Baby House (Dr. Reema), and the Assistant to the Medical Director

Front of Baby House

In the van on the way back to the hotel - Sofia was very quiet and fell asleep soon after.

Our family is finally complete!!!

Another Emotional Day

Thanks to all of you for following this and for all your support -- Mike and I appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts. Yesterday was also another tough day!! Picking up Sofia at the Baby House was very difficult. We were allowed a tour of the facilities, such as the bedroom where they sleep (about 15 cribs), their play area, and their bathroom. The 2-month through 18-month olds share this space and then at 19- months go to the toddler area of the House until they are almost 5-years old, in which case they are moved to a Children's House.

After we toured the House, we changed Sofia into her clothes and left hers with the caregivers. Some of the caregivers were downstairs picking up Sandy's baby Karina (it was Sandy and Helen's last visit) and Lori and Reid's baby (they arrived recently and their baby's name is Victor), and at that point they realized that Sofia was leaving. They started crying and hugging her, and I cried with them and we hugged. It is their loss also. I thanked the House Director, Dr. Reema, and the House Doctor, as well as the caregivers for all their wonderful and loving care of our daughter. Dr. Reema was emotional as well. They really run a wonderful home in Rudnyi, and from the bottom of my heart I will always be grateful. Leaving was very difficult. . .

We took many photos, but I don't have the time right now to post as they may take at least a couple of hours to compress and upload. I promise I will do so in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, it's been really hard on Sofia. She has been clingy, and has not allowed me to put her down. I understand; after all she is in a strange environment, and she hasn't seen the caregivers who have loved and taken care of her for almost a year. Yesterday she wouldn't even allow Mike or the kids to pick her up, and if I walked out of sight she screamed.

Today, Mike and Alex and Dominique left for Almaty at 7 am. It was a very emotional departure because I was already missing them. Plus I'm exhausted from holding Sofia all day yesterday and not sleeping enough. Her sleeping pattern is completely thrown off and I'm going to try to normalize it. The Baby House has given me a schedule of sorts including foods that she eats, and I'll try to follow it somewhat. Today was the same story as yesterday -- she would not allow me to put her down, not even for a second, and screamed and cried a very sad cry all day. I haven't taken a shower, my arms and Achilles are sore, and my foot is swollen. I have not had a chance to eat today (with the exception of breakfast), but will as soon as I post this.

I am, however, not concerned about me. My heart goes out to her, as she has experienced loss that only her small soul can comprehend. Her future will be bright, filled with love, and laden with opportunity. And this too shall pass, but for now my heart aches with hers . . . .

Families & Friends, Ladies & Gents. . .

We are happy to introduce you to SOFIA ELIZABETH LAWRENCE, formerly known as Saule Amangeldinova Shurpo!!!

It has been a very long weekend, and a much longer day. Court started at 4 pm sharp, and ended at 5:30 pm. It was an emotional hour and a half, which was witnessed by the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Courtroom Clerk, Dr. Reema the Baby House Director, and the Social Worker, Natalya. Many questions were asked, and asked again, and I broke down about 3 times and just cried . . . I wasn't a pretty sight, but the stress was very intense, and it's all I could do. Mike was a trooper and picked up when I fell apart. For whatever reason the judge decided to quiz him first (through a court-appointed interpreter) and kept going for over half an hour, then asked me a few questions and to confirm that I agreed with what Mike had just said. Various officials gave some very warm testimony about us and recommended that the court approve our adoption, and then the prosecutor asked Mike a final question. The judge then asked us for our final comments (a very emotional moment) and then retired to her chambers to consider her decision. After an endless 10-15 minutes she came back to chambers and we learned through our interpreter that Sofia would be officially part of our family!

As usual it felt like it was over 90 degrees in the room, and for some reason our whole court appearance took an hour and a half versus the usual 30-40 minutes for most proceedings in this region, but we felt that these officials genuinely had Sofia's interests in mind and were friendly but very thorough accordingly. During all of this Alex & Dominique patiently waited downstairs with Sandy's mother Helen, and were very excited to hear the news about their new sister. Then it was Sandy's turn, but maybe because our hearing went so long hers was over in about 45 minutes, with the same positive outcome (congratulations Sandy!). We then gave our court-appointed interpreter a ride (she was late for a meeting with the mayor) and came back to Kostanai to celebrate at our favorite restaurant Dolce Vita.

Tomorrow we get to visit Sofia at the baby house and will find out what the next step is, so stay tuned!

Sofia's First Steps!!!

Yesterday was another very interesting day, and once again full of surprises! We started the day by visiting our baby girl at the B.H., and, oh boy, did she surprise us!! Two days ago we introduced shoes to her -- I purchased some cute ones at the Green Market. We put them on her feet, and she was not a happy camper! There was some whimpering, a disapproval scowl, and some staring in disbelief at her covered feet. Yesterday she was much more accepting of them, but decided that perhaps it was a tasty morsel and proceeded to chew on them. She has some serious oral fixation going and nothing stands a chance at this point!!

Then we introduced her to her new 'baby'. Dominique has a baby that is similar and which she has loved and adored and which has kept her company at night (at home or elsewhere) for the last 7 years of her life, so we decided that Sofia needed one. She is really funny and every time she sees that baby she loves to plunge into it, head first, and seems to really enjoy the baby's softness.

Later in the morning, she decided she had enough of us and the constant on-your-face attention (Alex especially will not leave her alone and squishes her, kisses her, and dotes on her every minute we are there!), and got up and started walking away. Just like that!! She had been standing for periods of time by herself, but had never actually taken steps. She took all of 6 of them and fell on her bottom. We were able to capture those steps and it was very fun to have been there to witness this!!

Meanwhile, Sofia really has warmed up to Sandy and Helen, and she will often crawl over to their side of the room to be held by either of them. She loves Grandma Helen's hugs!! It's really cute to watch!

Then, as if our day wasn't interesting enough, when we arrived home, after lunch, our coordinator approached us to tell us that the Judge had once again changed the ruling and that I was to stay in Kostanai for the 2-week appeal period, and NOT go to Almaty. So, the saga continues over here. . . . and never a dull moment!!! Rules and regulations change constantly, and have we learned a lesson on flexibility!! I had already accepted going to Almaty for 3 weeks and was starting to look forward to the change of pace, to the new hotel with AConditioning and more amenities, and to the bigger city, even if by myself -- and then, BOOM, I am now stuck here for two full weeks!! What can I say -- we are stunned. But, it is what it is, and this is where I'll be with our Baby Sofia, to be followed by our flight to Almaty and another week there before we leave for the USA.

So, those are the current news from Central Asia, folks!! Now I just have to find some quieter hotel somewhere, hopefully nicer, and have to finalize my baby shopping and I'm set to go. Today I bought the stroller and some more 'stuff'. Tomorrow will be diapers, bottles, baby food, diaper bag, etc. etc. Talk to you tomorrow, but in case it's not possible for some reason, remember that Monday is the Big Day of Court with the Judge! Please think positive thoughts and pray that Sofia becomes our daughter, and that Karina becomes Sandy's daughter! Thanks and hugs to all!!

Back in Commission

Hi Everyone!! Sorry we've been out of touch for a while -- we've been waiting for some interesting news. It was confirmed to us that Court Date with the Judge is definitely on Monday, June 19th, at 4 or 5 pm, so please think positive thoughts on that day (it would be about 3 or 4 am for you, but any help with small prayers before and after would help!!). We will find out on the spot about becoming the legal parents of our baby Sofia. Most couples are awarded immediate custody of their children, but there have been cases (the exception!) in which couples were turned down for whatever reason the Judge deemed important enough and they then had to leave the country without the baby -- for good.

When we meet the Judge and the Counselor, the Social Worker, etc., we are asked many questions about our reasons for wanting to adopt, why from Kazakhstan, why this child, why not America or any other country, etc. etc. etc. Soon after the interrogatory, the Judge retreats into her Chamber for a meeting with the panel and makes a decision on whether we are qualified or not to adopt this child. Minutes later we are told of her decision. We will of course be saying some prayers as well, because not being awarded parental custody of Sofia would be a devastating blow. We are feeling pretty good about everything, though, and we don't think there will be any issues to worry about!!

Meanwhile, our visits to the Baby House continue. Today is our 15th visit, and legally the last. The rule here is that we visit the Baby House 15 times in 15 days to be awarded a visit with the Judge. So, that's done, but we will continue going to the Baby House for visits through Saturday. Today we also had a chance to visit with the Director of the Baby House, Director Rheema, for some questions and answers on basic things we wanted to know about our babies, their backgrounds etc. Stuff that they someday would want to know. It was a very good meeting with the Director, and we are so grateful for her. She runs a wonderful House, and those babies are so well-cared for!

On Monday we will not go to the Baby House, but Tuesday we go to Rudniy for photos of the orphanage, upstairs and everywhere, for presenting cakes to the caregivers, for papersigning, and for picking up the babies. They will strip the babies down and change them into clothing we provide. The babies leave with nothing from the Baby House. We then come home that afternoon and spend the last night in Kostanai with our baby in our room at the Hotel Tselinnaya. The next morning, Wednesday, we take a 4-hour flight to Almaty, and that's where I'll be with our baby for at least another 3 weeks, at the Hotel Razzhol.

Meanwhile I'm busy after Baby House visits collecting items of clothing for baby, bottles, baby bag, pacifiers, formula, changing pad (of course they have no idea what that is!), etc. etc. Yesterday we went to the Green Market, which is a giant outdoor flea market to purchase some items at good prices. On our way there with Sandy and Helen, we walked by the Russian Orthodox Church and it's absolutely lovely. They were having a celebration of the Trinity, and the beautiful marble floor was covered with grass, with flowers everywhere. Women are required to cover their heads with a scarf and wrap an apron or a scarf around their hips if they are wearing pants. So Sandy and Helen and I did that (there is a pile of scarves provided by the entrance), but we took a VERY quick look around and immediately took off our scarves. We were fearing lice, especially after Sandy and Helen's experience with bed bugs in their king-sized bed. We were not taking a chance, thank you!!

The weather has changed dramatically. It has gone down to the upper 60s, at least for now. Isn't that crazy?? A forty-degree difference in weather in just a couple of days. But I found out today that Almaty, which is southeast of here, actually had two days of 110-degree weather!! And by the way, the hotel in Almaty has air-conditioning (yeah!!), and an elevator (yeah!!). For those of us who have been climbing 4 flights of stairs every time we go out, it will be a relief to have an elevator, especially because my Achilles tendon is still really sore. In Kostanai, by the way, apartment buildings only have elevators if there are more than 7 floors. So, it would be VERY unwise to purchase an apartment on a 7th floor if that's the top one!!! But of course there are those who do, and for that I hope they get a huge reduction in the cost of purchase!!

We will talk more tomorrow . . . good night!!

How to Entertain Yourself In Kostanai, Kazakhstan

As if The Attack of the Dandelions weren't enough, now we are dealing with The Attack of the Double H: Heat and Humidity. It's been about 105 degrees here in Kostanai. It's unbearable!! There is no air conditioning anywhere, and the air is still and heavy with humidity. The rooms have no cross-ventilation in this hotel, so it's stifling. And there is no place to 'escape' to -- no air-conditioned malls, or stores or any place. . . . . (we are so spoiled in America, aren't we??). So we take about 4 - 6 baths a day, if not more. Mike needs about 8. And many times a day I mutter to myself feverishly, "Beam me up, Scotty!!!", but unfortunately Scotty is nowhere to be found. So, in order to keep cool, we are forced to sport casual "underwear chic" attire between baths and attempt to stay alive by keeping busy.

Consequently, in order to help those who may find themselves in our situation someday, I've put together a few ways in which One can entertain oneself or One's family with children in Kostanai, Kazakhstan, if it's unbearably hot or not, if one wishes to pay a visit:



One could act in a play about Princesses who are only allowed to marry Princes who come from France and nowhere else (sorry, folks, the plot is too deep and complicated to explain in one posting!!. .) . . . . , or . . .






. . .One could build a fort to fight off the much-dreaded and feared Darth Vader!! . . . . (and 'may The Force be with you' as you do this!!) . . . , or . . .








. . . One could visit Lenin in the Park of Victory for a much-needed tete-a-tete.! . . . .









Or, One could sit around for hours and build from scratch about 7 fairies out of wire for a daughter who adores fairies and demands a Rapunzel, a Bride, etc.!! . . .







Or, perhaps, One could even go to a Baby House and play with an adorable baby in the swing.









If that's not sufficient entertainment, however, One could read and read and read for endless hours, and when all books have been read and One is feeling very brave, One could dive into a 1,000-page Winston Churchill chronicle and lose Oneself in its interesting contents.




But, if One is feeling sick and hot, especially when it's been 105 degrees outside with 90% humidity, One can dunk One's head in a cold bathtub about 8 times, or even go to a local park at the exact moment the sprinkler system comes on and enjoy the glory of its mist!! . . .




That's it -- we hope this has helped some of you who may wish to visit Kostanai in June, that it may enlighten you and give you numerous ideas of healthy entertainment and enjoyment.
Tata for now!!!

A Day of Learning

Hi, Everyone! Yesterday I took the day off the blog since Mike worked pretty much all day (aside from the few hours in the morning at the Baby House) and hogged the computer. It was actually ok though, because Alex wasn't well -- Mr. Montezuma came to visit him and they didn't get along very well! He is much better today, though.

Today Sofia turned 11 months of age -- she was born on July 9th, 2005. She is very strong, and can stand on her own for a few solid seconds before sitting down. I bet that another month and a half and she will be walking everywhere. (By the way, for those of you who asked, the clothes she wears are from the Baby House -- we are not allowed to bring anything in to put on her, or to feed her -- they are very strict, and when we take her away on June 20th, she leaves everything behind -- we bring clothes for her to change into.)

Then she decided she wanted to learn about animals, so Alex gave her a lesson on Chicks and Horses, and she enjoyed that very much. That wasn't enough, so she learned all about Teddy Bears, and she liked that so much she gave one of them a big hug! She is very affectionate. (OH, OK, so she was actually chewing on the bear, what can I say!. . . )

After that very important lesson, we went outside today to enjoy some sunshine with Sofia, and outside we found about 10 babies and 6 toddlers with their caregivers. Those children are beautiful, and our hearts went out to all. To me it was a bit emotional -- for those of you who know, Nina was amongst those children and she is doing well. How we hope and pray that they will all be adopted and be given a loving home!! We were allowed to take some photos of those children, but we are not posting them. Here are photos of some of the caregivers, though. They are wonderful people and we appreciate them very much for all they do.

But, here are The Big News: last night we learned that according to the Judge (who is new in the adoption sector) I will have to stay in Kazakhstan for the remainder of our journey. This came as a big shock. Mike and I expected to return to the US for a couple of weeks, and I was planning on gathering the baby's suitcase with food, formula, diapers, medications, etc. and returning to pick up the baby in Kostanai and then to Almaty for Embassy paperwork etc. Well, it's not going to be that way. Mike and I have our court date meeting with the Judge on June 19th, then we have one day of papersigning followed by picking up Sofia from the Baby House on the 20th, and then we all fly to Almaty on a four-hour flight on the 21st. There Mike will help me settle in for about a day and a half, buy a small stroller, clothing, baby stuff, etc., and then if all works well with flights availability he will return to the US with Alex and Dominique on June 23rd. I will have to stay back with Sofia for about 3 weeks or more, and hopefully be home by July 15th. I'll be myself with Sofia in Almaty, but hopefully only for about 10 days when Sandy and her mother Helen return after they fix their visa problems. How about that?? I'm still a bit stunned and still digesting this . . . .

I guess the biggest lesson I've learned from all this is the following, folks: when you go on a trip. . . . . . don't EVER leave home without touching the roots of your hair, because you never know when you may be in a foreign country without your trusted hairdresser for almost 2 months !!!! . . . No one is going to recognize me when I get off the airplane in July -- I'll be a brunette with blonde ends! Oh well, I was getting tired of being a blonde anyway!!

That's it for today. Hugs, miss you all and Das Vedanyah!!

We are making progress!

In many different levels, we are making progress. First, during our Baby House visit today a photographer stopped by to take photos of Sofia and Karina for their passport (we believe it's for the Kazakh passport), and also to take a photo of each family. That's a good step towards beginning of finalization of paperwork. Finally, and most importantly, Sofia is now going towards Mike without much whimpering. She is letting him hold her for a few seconds, and as long as she is entertained by some toy while on his lap, she is ok. So this is great progress, and it makes her Daddy feel great! But I can already tell that she will be an 'appendage' of mine for a while, especially while traveling and with the newness of it all back home. And that's just fine with me!! I just have to bring back the hip sling Lisa and Greg recommended -- it will be easier on my back. By the way, Lisa and Greg, it was great to hear from you!! Hope all three of you are doing well. Mike and I look forward to seeing you all soon, once we are back and settled in.

Jody and Katherine, thank you so much for sharing our blog with Ms. Barrett's class! Dominique was very eager to hear from Katherine, and was happy to know everyone misses her. She misses everyone also, especially Katherine and Jana.

We have been attempting to check out some of the historic sites in town, and the green building is the Kostanai Museum. Unfortunately it was closed for repairs, but Mike and I had the opportunity to visit it while we were here during our first visit in March. It is small but it contained some interesting information about World War II, the Kazakhs' small victories and heroes during that war, and also shared some of Kostanai's antique artifacts. For those of you who wish to learn more about Kazakhstan, the warrior Genghis Khan and its history, and more, check out the link on our blog "About Kazakhstan". It's very interesting and filled with great historical and geographical information.

The yellow building is also historical from the turn of the century, and it's called "The Clock Tower". Notice the 'appendage' Kodak Photo shop which was added a while ago. This is what I was talking about in my last posting, and how it ruins the appearance and integrity of buildings.

To all friends and family of Helen, Sandy and precious Karina, a big hug and a warm hello!! Karina is a fun, smart, happy and active little baby -- when we place Karina and Sofia together they don't seem to notice each other, but we're certain they will as they get older.

Jennifer and Carol, our dear neighbors, thanks for watching our house for us, and for the updates!! We can't wait to get home!! And we will definitely bring some yummy chocolates! Judy, thanks for your warm emails to the kids -- they love hearing from you. Same with Auntie Diane's, Auntie Amber's, Tia Mana's comments, and Uncle Wayne's as well as Grandpa's. It's great fun to read all comments.

Love to all of you , family and friends, and thanks for all your thoughts and support!!

Never Ending Days

Literally, the days almost never end. At 4:30 a.m. the sky turns light, and by 10:00 p.m. it's still light out. So it's been a true challenge to have the kids sleeping by 9 p.m., especially because there no are curtains to shield the sun and brightness away from the room. By 3 p.m. Alex and Dominique are usually a bit fatigued, but soon catch a second wind. A nice lunch helps!

Check out the breakfast we have every morning: eggs with some type of a ham, thin crepes with butter, yogurt, fresh bread and fresh butter, tea, juice, and coffee for Mike. The servers in the hotel cafe are very sweet, and their schedules are grueling. This is one of our waitresses. They work from 8 am through midnight for 2 days in a row (sometimes 3 days), and then return after 2 days to start again. And they wear really high heels. We don't know how they survive so many hours on those things!! Women and men dress up nicely, by the way. We don't see sneakers, or casual shoes or casual clothing very often. They may not have much money, but they save up to buy nice items of clothing, and a nice winter coat with matching hats which probably last them a long time. Kazakhs take a lot of pride in what they wear and how they look -- women always wear a bit of makeup, and their hair is always nicely styled. If someone is wearing tennis shoes it could be a child in some type of hockey or soccer team (they are BIG soccer fans!), or most likely Americans. It never fails.

Our visit to the Baby House today was great!! And here is Alex to fill you in . . . .

HI EVERYONE, I LOVE KAZAKHSTAN!! Our Baby Saule (soon to become Sofia) is a great baby and here is why: she is cute, sweet, cuddly, playful, sometimes crabby, silly and strong!! I LOOOOVE her and can't wait for her to come home so I can play with her every day forever!! In this photo she is inspecting my mouth, and we were having so much fun doing this.

She is PERFECT!! Hugs and kisses to you and Baby Saule for now. I'll talk to you later! Alex