Everything Is Wonderful

Hi Everyone!
Mom and I have been home since Thursday afternoon and to sum up everything.....it is wonderful! I have been a mom for 10 days and it is great. Megan Sabrina is an absolutly wonderful child. She has the best personality and is very happy. She seems very smart and able to catch on to new things after you show her how to do something a couple of times. She loves to laugh and play and she loves Georgia Girl. Georgia Girl is very good with her, but is a little jealous. Megan loves her Gran and Pap and generally doesn't meet a stranger. We went to church today and she became the center of attention! The only times Megan gets upset is when you try to take something from her without "exchanging" it or at bathtime. Let me say that "upset" at bathtime is a gross understatement. She gets frantic and screams bloody murder. I was afraid that the police would come in Moscow to arrest me for abuse. I don't know what they did to her at the babyhouse, but she is very scared of water. We have tried, a bath, a shower, the sink, the tub, a little water, lots of water, and toys of all kinds, and nothing works! I thought she did better last night and was excited about tonight, but tonight was terrible. Maybe it will get better this week.
I know many people would like to know about the "flight from hell". Well, Megan was an "angel", ten of the twelve hours. There was another child on the flight that was the complete opposite. I felt sorry for his parents and everyone sitting around him.
We go tomorrow for our first medical exam and I am interested in hearing what the doctor has the say.
We are going to "keep it low keyed" this week and stay home together most days.
I will try to keep you posted on how she is doing.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!
Michelle and Megan

Leaving On A Jet Plane.........Coming Back With Megan!

Hi Everyone,
Well tomorrow is the big day! Mom and I leave for Russia. I can't believe it is finally here!!! I have shopped, done laundry, packed and cleaned!!! I think I am prepared as I can be!!! I must admit I am not looking forward to the flight tomorrow or the one coming home. Of this entire process, the long flights (9 hours going and 12 hours) coming back have been the worst part (well that and the waiting). I am thankful that Delta does have a direct flight to Moscow on most days.
If all goes well, we will be back next Thursday. I well try to update the blog while I am gone. Maybe it will not be blocked. We will be calling Dad, so please call him at home for information, if I can't get it updated.
Just think, this time next week, I will have been "officially" a Mom for four days and hopefully be less than two days away from bringing Megan home.
Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers! We have so many "firsts" coming in the next week (leaving the Baby House forever, first bath, first flight, first time going through customs and being on US soil, first time in a carseat, etc.)that all help would be appreciated!
Thanks for everything!
Michelle

There and Back

Hi Everyone,
Dad and I made it back to Atlanta Saturday night before five and after clearing Customs and driving back, we were home before nine. Everything went well in Moscow. Megan was friendlier this trip and took up with both Dad and I. She laughed and played and seemed to be much happier than on our last trip. Dad and I got to visit with her three times for over an hour each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. However, most of it was outside in the cold and snow. She may never see that much snow again when she gets to Georgia! I had court on Thursday and it went extremely well. It only lasted roughly 15 minutes, but because the case in front of ours took over two hours, we were not able to go to the Baby House after court. However, we were able to go on Friday and the Baby House allowed us to take Megan to get her Passport and VISA pictures made. This will be one less thing Mom and I have to do when we get to Moscow.
While I was in Moscow, Olga, my translator gave me the dates and plans for Mom's and my third trip to Moscow. If everything goes as planned, we will be leaving the US on Wednesday, April 8th and arriving in Moscow on Thursday, April 9th. We will go immediately to pick up Megan's passport and to check in at the hotel. We will go to the Baby House Friday, April 10th, Good Firday, morning to pick up Megan. We will not be able to do any "business" over the weekend. So, Megan, Mom and I will be spending Easter Sunday in Moscow. On Monday, I will go to the Embassy to do paperwork. On Tuesday, Megan will have her medical exam. On Wednesday, all of us will go back to the Embassy for the exit interview and final paperwork. On Thursday we will then fly home.
Sorry I did not update the blog while I was gone, for some reason the hotel's internet service had it blocked.
Thanks again for everything!
Michelle

Finally......Getting To Go To Court

Hi Everyone,
Well today is the day....Dad and I leave in a few minutes to go to Atlanta to go to Moscow for our court date. Through all of the delays, I really wasn't sure this day would ever come. In fact, earlier this week, I wasn't sure I was going to get to leave today, because there was a problem with my VISA. I think that sort of summed up my entire adoption process!!!

In case you don't know, I got the email/call Thursday, March 12th about the court date, which is Thursday, March 26th. As of now, I will be going to the Baby House to see Megan, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Dad and I returning to Atlanta on Saturday the 28th. As with everything, these plans could change, but I hope to see her at least three times, if not more. I hope that will mean Mom and I returning to Moscow on April 4th (Dad's birthday) and returning home with Megan on Good Friday or Saturday before Easter. Again, this isn't set in stone, however it is what I am hoping for! If we don't go to the Baby House on Tuesday, Dad and I are planning on taking a tour of Red Square and the Kremlin!!!! That should be fun!!!!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Mom is having a hard time staying at home by herself and wants to go see Megan. So if you could call and check on her, that would be great!!!! I plan to update the blog frequently while we are in Moscow.

Thanks for all your prayers and support! I finally feel like the end is in sight!!
Love,
Michelle

Adoption Hell and Stuck in Purgatory

Hi Everyone,
I know I haven't blogged in a while, but to be perfectly honest, I haven't wanted too. I also haven't wanted to talk to people about the adoption. (Sorry if I haven't emailed or called you back.) There are only so many times and ways I can say/tell people that I am still waiting on a court date. It gets very depressing to say over and over, I don't know anything and I don't know when I will bringing Megan home.
And as of today, I am still waiting....it has been over three months since I visited Megan Sabrina in Moscow and I still don't know when I will be going back to court. I have redone all my paperwork and gotten new FBI and GBI clearances (which are only good for three months). Everything is in Moscow, so as soon as all the documents are translated and given to the judge, I should be hearing something. I hope every week will be "the week", but so far no luck. Hopefully, I will hear something soon!
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Michelle

Still Waiting

Hi Everyone,
I know I have not updated my blog in awhile, but quiet honestly I haven't had good news to report. I am still in the paperwork "shuffle" game, and at this point there is no end in sight. I have done all I can do and I am just waiting on CHI to give me a court date. However, since my orginial INS approval expires on February 15th, they will not give me a court date until I have a new INS clearance. I have not heard anything from the INS and it has been three weeks since I sent all my paperwork to them. When I finally get the INS approval, I will have to get it apostilled and sent to St. Louis; which will take about a week. So.....if I get to travel to Moscow and go to court by the end of February I will be surprised.
I am now getting very discouraged and very worried that my GBI clearance and medical exam that I had done when I returned from the first trip (which is only good for three months) will expire again before I get a court date. Which means have to have both redone again, apostilled and sent to St. Louis. It seems never ending.
Please keep Megan and my family in your thoughts and prayers! Her grandparents are getting as upset and "antsy" as I am. We are all so ready to bring her home. I know there is a reason for all the delays, but at this point I can't see the reason.
Love,
Michelle

Paperwork Must Be Redone

I received some bad news this week. All of my INS paperwork expires on February 15, 2009 and I will not have Megan home by that point. This means that I have to redo ALL of my Dossier Paperwork, including my Home Study. Of course this news upset me, but I don't have a choice. If I don't update the paperwork I cannot bring Megan into the country. So.....whatelse am I going to do? Please pray that I can get all of this done by next week, so that things can be processing before and after Christmas. That way maybe I can get everything together before I head back to Russia, hopefully at the end of January.
At this point, I am hoping to have Megan home for my birthday, February 23rd.