STILL No Court Date after 12 1/2 Weeks!!

Well, it looks like Haylie will have to spend Christmas and New Years in Russia. We still haven't heard anything about our court date, and today was the cut off to be able to get it done before the New Year. The Russian government shuts down from December 28 - January 15 for their New Year's and Christmas celebration, so it will now have to be after January 15. I'm so angry that we couldn't have gotten her before the holidays. Mainly because that is just another month she will have to spend in an orphanage without anyone to love and care for her. But I'm also selfish and really wanted to get her back by the holidays and before Rich has to go back to work on January 3. Especially considering other couples who traveled for their first visit at the same time and even after we did are already home with their babies. It just doesn't seem fair.

AA says there is no problem, we just must wait till the judge appoints a court date. Normally that happens within a few days of getting the release letter (which we got 8 days ago), but because of the holidays it will take longer. As a result of this delay, we had to redo our medical forms which are only good for 3 months. The current ones would expire Jan1, 2008. When we did them originally in October, Alina said "there is no way these will expire before you go back"--HA!! Luckily, I work in the medical field and can get these done easily and cheaply. I feel sorry for those other folks out there who would have to make another appointment with their physician, for another physical exam and more blood work, none of which is usually covered by insurance. We also now have to do MORE notarizing and apostilling, and shell out more money for that of course.

Oh well, I'll get off my soapbox now and quit complaining, if only for a short period. I'm posting some pictures of all the documents we've done and aspostilled for our dossier, and now will add to.

These are only about half of the ones we had to do for our original dossier before we even got our referral.

Pictures of Russia & We Have Progress After 11 Weeks!!!

St. Basils Cathedral, Moscow
Homes in countryside on way to orphanage
Countryside near Novokuznetsk
Prokopiesk Orphanage where Haylie is living

Red Square, Moscow
Red Square in the rain
Gardens near Kremlin
Park surrounding Kremlin, Red Square
GUM Department Store

I just heard from our Adoption Ark coordinator that our release letter has been received finally. This was the last step needed before the judge could set the court date, and for some reason our release letter had kind of been MIA. I was soooo discouraged yesterday after I spoke with Alina. I kind of felt like we were getting the run-around. She just kept telling me they didn't know where the release letter was and all we could do was wait for it to get back into the region from Moscow. In the mean time, the people we went on our first trip with as well as at least 2 other couples who traveled after we did already had a court date. In fact Dave and Stacy are in Moscow as we speak and already have finished with court. Alina said yesterday that she didn't think we would hear anything now until after the first of the year....needless to say, not what I wanted to hear.

So when she called today and left a message that she had just been notified about the release letter, I was shocked. I do feel much better, because having the release letter indicates all of the needed paperwork is in order and we can proceed to court. I still don't see it being possible to get a court date before the end of the year since things really slow down with the holidays. The US Embassy will close from Christmas to New Years, and then the Russians celebrate their Christmas holiday from December 28 until January 15. But at least we can see light at the end of the tunnel!!! I'll keep you posted.

In light of this progress, I thought I would post some of the pictures of Russia we took on our first trip. I had forgotten I had never posted any pictures. In September, Moscow was georgeous (even in the rain) with beautiful flowers everywhere. I just looked on the weather channel website and the current temperature in Moscow is a high of 12 degrees, low of 0 with snow showers predicted all week. So we probably won't be able to get out and sightsee too much, especially with a baby.

Visitors From Around the World

Create your own visitor map!

10 Weeks, but the nursery is FINALLY ready!!

Before the turkey dinner

Finally, the "After" pictures--no more boxes!!
Picture above crib
Picture over dresser/changing table

Everybody at work on Thanksgiving Day!!
Even Daddy got in on the act!!
Grandma and Aunt Lisa taking a breather
The crib all put together
Beautiful Laura Ashley crib bedding

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! We had a really nice weekend. After Thanksgiving dinner, everybody pitched in to put the nursery furniture together--finally (it's been sitting on the floor in boxes for over a month now). It was a great way to spend turkey day!! Next year we can tell Haylie we put her bed together on Thanksgiving Day--hah!! My mom, sisters, me, my sisters boyfriend Pete, and yes even Rich all worked together to get the crib and dresser put together. I really love it--it turned out just the way I had hoped it would. Now we just need little Haylie to move in--it's all ready for her, and so are we. Well actually, the room is only HALF finished. One half is the beautiful nursery you see above, the other half is still Daddy's office that we will start moving into the other bedroom this week.

Today makes 10 weeks since we were in Novokuznetzk, not that we are counting or anything. We are praying that we get the word sometime this week about the court date. I know I've been sounding like a broken record, but its really getting down to crunch time now for us. If it goes much longer we will be there over the holidays, and the US Embassy shuts down between Christmas and New Years, so we would have to sit in Moscow after the court date, waiting til it reopened. Or, the other scenerio is that it could be after the holidays, and Rich (who has been off on sabbatical all fall) has to go back to work the first week of January. Soooo, needless to say, we really are anxious to hear something this week. We are really trying to be optimistic, but know the reality is that this could take longer than we want it too. I know it will all happen in God's time, but have to keep telling myself that constantly.

9 weeks waiting!!

Well, it's been a long 9 weeks since we were in Russia and now waiting for a court date. I must check my email and cell phone 20 times a day to see if we have gotten a call about the court date. Since I never got a reply to my email, I finally broke down yesterday and called our Adoption Ark coordinator to see if she'd heard anything. She also said we are waiting on the "release letter". Seems it was supposedly sent from the region to Moscow, then has to be sent back to Kemerovo before the judge will appoint a court date. Evidently the Russian mail system leaves a lot to be desired, and can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks to receive. She told me legally, the judge had up to 2 months!! to set the date, after they get the release letter. I about died, this was the first I had heard of this. She did say that that USUALLY didn't happen, and most of the time they set the date quickly after getting the letter. Funny thing is, our letter and the couple we went with, Stacy and Dave, letters went in at the same time. Luckily for them, theirs is already back and they are going next week to get little Alexander. Everyone please say prayers for us that we will get our date soon and be able to go get Haylie.

Hope everybody has a wonderful Turkey day. We had so hoped to be getting packed to go by Thanksgiving, but guess it's just not meant to be. But I just try to remember that next Thanksgiving, we will most assuredly have something most wonderful to be thankful for (not that we don't already!!) because Haylie will be with us to celebrate. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Surprise Baby Shower!!!

My sister Lisa and the beautiful table

Friends and family lined up for the goodies

What an adorable cake!!!

My wonderful mother and sisters and my mom's best friend Betty went together and gave me a surprise baby shower for Haylie on Saturday. It was the best baby shower ever!! It was soooo nice and I had such a good time. They had invited lots of old friends, many of whom I used to work with but hadn't seen in a long time, as well as some sweet family who live in Indiana. Also, several of my dear friends from work and church came. It was so nice to see all these dear people I hadn't seen in a while, and of course the shower made it even nicer!! We got so many nice gifts. Haylie will certainly be the best dressed little girl around--I can't wait to try all the outfits on her.

I want to thank my dear mom and sisters, Marcia and Lisa, and Betty for all the hard work. I absolutely loved it--it couldn't have been nicer. I really was surprised, but I must admit I got a little suspicious that something was going on when Lisa told me to "wear something nice, like dress pants" to go to a movie. That was what I thought we were going to be doing, and guess she didn't want me showing up at the shower in my old sweatpants (which by the way would have been a great possibility.) Thanks too to Bobbi Jo, my dear friend from work who I see everyday, for all your help and for keeping it all a secret--she never let on once that anything was going on.


PS Look closely at the cake and you can see a great picture of my girl (I know I'm not supposed to post pictures, but I'm gonna live dangerously--it's only cake!!)

Look at the "Time Waiting" Ticker

Hah, I just noticed on the Lilypie Time Ticker above that we have been waiting for Haylie for exactly 9 months and 1 day today!!! I think it's hilarious. I sent the signed contract into Adoption Ark to get the whole thing rolling on February 14, 2007. If I'd been pregnant with her, it would be time for her to be born....guess by the time we actually get her and the adoption finalized she will be "overdue". I've heard people call international adoption a "paper pregnancy"--well, guess we are right on track!!