Officially Introducing Danielle Brooke and Meredith Emily

We can finally Introduce our little Girls

Here is "Dasha" now Danielle Brooke

This is her birth Photo from the Russian Orphan Database
These are her Referral Photos we received on Thanksgiving 2008!

Here is "Masha" now Meredith Emily

This is her Birth picture that we found online on the Russian Orphan Database

These are her Referral Photos that we received on Thanksgiving 2008.
I cannot believe how much they have changed in the short time we have known them. They change and evolve more and more everyday.

Last visit in the Orphanage

This afternoon was our last visit with our girls in the orphanage. We had a blast and all of the staff were commenting on how far both girls have come. Meredith is a much happier little girl now and so much more animated and mobile. Danielle has really attached to me and it is so great to see her looking to me for approval. She is really walking a lot and taking a lot more steps unassisted. After our visit our interpreter came back to our hotel with us to help us change our plane tickets and set up lap tickets for the twins. After 2 attempts on Skype where we almost finished the reservation and then the connection was lost we were finally able to complete the change. Lulu will have to go down to an aeroflot office on Friday and pay for the changes and for the girls lap seats. We treated the interperator to dinner at our hotel afterwards and I gave him the gifts we brought for him. I think he apprecaited the tie my in0laws brought for him and we gave in the picture frame with our Russian thank you in it. He said it was a good Russian translation so I am happy about that.

Tomorrow is THE day! The day known as "Gotcha Day" in the adoption world. We break them out of the orphanage at high noon. Wish us luck!

Final Paper Chase

Today began our final paper chase. This morning we headed to the Tver Center for Adoption to pick up the girls new birth and adoption certificates. All we did was sit in the car and our coordinator did everything else for us. Then we went to the Registration office where we had to sign a few documents and were given the official stamps on the certificates. The green documents are the new birth certificates with our names as the parents and the girls American names (although the document is still in Russian) and the blue documents are the Adoption declarations. The coordinator ran into another office to make photo copies of everything and then off we went to the orphanage where the staff there would use the documents we just picked up in order to complete their portion of the paperwork. While that was happening we did get almost an hour to play with the girls. We met the new couple from our agency with their adorable little boy and we spent some time playing with our girls.

We had to leave early as we had been told that some official big-wigs were coming to visit the orphanage today. From what I gather, some Russian person who adopted a child from this orphanage knows or is married to a government official they got some big-wig to donate money to expand the baby home. So an official visit is set up. The staff was dressed up a little more than usual and we were ushered out early. That means a lot of free time this afternoon to relax. We ordered pizza delivery for lunch today. On our last trip our interpreter took us to a pizza place (called Milano-and written in English) and we were able to pick up a delivery menu. The front desk ordered for us and it worked out great. There is only so much 24 Yaca and hotel dining room that you can eat without going crazy. Here is to a relaxing few hours. Tommorow will be different.

Neil & Lulu meet their Grandaughters

We were picked up this morning by our interpreter and met up with the other couple. Today is their gotcha day. We had a few official errands to run. We went to the court house to drop off gifts for the social worker and pick up documents for the other couple. Headed to the police headquarters for more documents, I am not sure which couple they are for. Then we finally headed to the orphanage to see the girls. The first meeting of the second set of grandparents. As soon as we arrived we were told that we would be taking the girls out of the orphanage today to have their passport photos taken. Minutes later the girls were delivered to us in full snowsuits and hats with what seemed like 20 layers of clothing underneath. They were both stuffed like sausages. We did get some cute pictures. The fun of having grandparents with more hands for cameras so we can concentrate on the girls and they can get good photos. We even have a cute 15 second video of us in the van with them.

We went to a photo/camera store and had their pictures taken. It took them 15 tries to get Dasha’s picture. She was looking all around and not at the camera. Masha was very pensive and did not want to take her fingers out of her mouth but she sat on daddy’s lap and he helped her calm down for a few minutes and the first shot of her was a keeper. Too funny.

Back to the baby home we went with only about ½ hour to play with them before it was time for their lunch and nap. We headed back to the hotel. Lulu hurt her knee so it was slow going walking on the icy streets of Tver but we made it. We were happy to take them to Fortuna and share the experience with Neil and Lulu. They thoroughly enjoyed the food and atmosphere. I took a funny photo of Lulu sleeping at the table. It has been an exhausting first day for everyone.

At 3:30 we headed back to the orphanage with the other couple. It was time for them to pick up their daughter and take her home so they were set with the clothes and snowsuit for her. Too cute. Unfortunately they had to hand over the outfit and the caregivers dressed her. We had been told that we would be able to dress them ourselves so I was not happy to see that. On Wednesday we will press to be able to dress them ourselves.

We got to play with them all in the lobby on the mat until 6 ish. It was a ball and the Levine’s enjoyed the girls. Masha is doing so well and crawling all over the place. Dash is a ball of fire and all over the place but she is very attached to me. It is great to see her looking back at me for reassurance and she always wants to come to me if anyone else holds her or picks her up. She gets jealous when I am holding Masha. We had a great time all around. This afternoon we found out a little bit about their schedules and what they eat. I was surprised to learn that they are not on any solid food, everything they eat is pureed. They do supposedly get pureeded vegetables and meat but I am not really sure how much or how often, all we ever see them eating is oatmeal/mush stuff. They drink luke warm tea and some sort of coffee drink. Weird! We will be stopping that right away! We were also told that they are bathed every two days. I am not sure what that means or if they have actually been in a bathtub before.

We are all exhausted and everyone but me took a nap before dinner. I think I am still on Russia time so the transition hasn’t been too bad.

This evening I organized all of my gifts so I can bring them to the orphanage tomorrow. I have beautiful enamel picture frames ( 5 bucks each at home goods but they look really expensive) for everyone with a small photo of us with the girls in it and a thank you letter written in Russian. I love them. In addition, the important people get scarves and all the caregivers and orphanage workers get Macy’s cosmetic bags. We also got our male translator a nice tie and a Swiss army pocket knife type thing. I hope they go over well.

We had dinner in the hotel and the dining room was pretty busy but they put us in a private dining room off to the side that we had all to ourselves. It was strange to have a whole dining room to ourselves but we had a fun time tonight and lots of laughs (as we could be loud Americans without getting any stares). I am trying to figure out what the hell we do with the girls once we get them to the hotel. It is daunting and I am happy my mommy-in-law is here to help me. It certainly will be interesting as first time parents of 14 month old twins!!!!

Tomorrow we have been told the morning will be taken up with paperwork and we will get to see the girls in the afternoon. Tomorrow the new couple from our agency comes to meet their referral. I am so psyched to meet them and for them to meet their little guy who is so adorable.

Goodnight.

Our Final Trip Begins

Mikes parents came in on Friday night from Indianapolis. We had a great dinner with the family. Unfortunately Neil and Lulu's plane was delayed so they got to dinner at the tail end. We enjoyed time with both parents and my Bro and Stephanie before we embark on this last adventure in Russia. I am thankful to my in-laws for coming with us this last trip. It was so wonderful to have my parents with me during the 10 day wait and now to be able to also share the experience with the Levine's too. I am happy for them to see the orphanage and get to know Tver a little bit. I will be even more grateful for the extra sets of hands once we get the girls out of the orphanage.

We had a very uneventful flight on Aeroflot. I basically slept the entire way. No problems through passport control and customs and our translator and driver were already waiting for us. So we hit the road. We stopped for coffee at McDonald's. Here are some photos of us in the Van during the ride from Moscow and a photo of the McDonald's drive through menu in Russian:
Here is the sign on the road to Tver: It says Tver and St. Petersburg. The one that was closer to Tver was only in Russian but we did pass one a little farther back that was in English also. I was able to get photos of both of them, amazingly considering how fast we were going.

We had an easy drive to Tver and went straight to the hotel. It really feels like I never left. We checked in and relaxed. I transferred all the toys and gifts to one bag, kids stuff into one bag and took out all the food and organized everything. We ate dinner in the hotel dining room where service was ridiculously slow but I was happy to eat as it was really the only meal Mike and I ate all day. We had fun showing off Russia to my in-laws. Of course Lulu is SO not impressed as she is a crazy world traveler. For her Russian visa the form asks for you to list the countries you have visited within the last 10 years and she had to add an additional page stating the 38 countries she has been to multiple times. She was also not thrilled with the 3 flights of stairs up to the room and the additional rather steep and slipper stairs in our duplex room.

So after dinner we were off to bed. We are excited to see our girls tomorrow and introduce them to their other set of grandparents.


On a more sober note: Today we sadly remember Eli Joshua and Samantha Brooke who were born still on March 1st, 2008. I did not think back then that almost exactly a year later Michael and I would be picking up my twins at a Russian Orphanage- but here we are. I am sad to remember that time and am hurting that Eli and Samantha did not have a chance at life. I am amazed that Meredith and Danielle have come into our lives at this exact moment in time and so happy for them to be our daughters. If Eli and Sam had lived we would not be here today. So, for that I have to be grateful.

Four Days At Home

Well, It has been a whirlwind four days. I got home on Monday night. This week I got new Russian Visa's in both of our passports, did laundry and dry cleaning, and cleaned out my luggage. I packed all of the girls clothing, toys, food, books and assorted paraphernalia. We have a huge bag, looks like a ski bag, that the double stroller is packed in along with 2 baby carriers and assorted stroller accessories and paraphernalia.

It has been a crazy few days. I did manage to see some friends and relax a bit which was also helpful. I did not really have too much of a jet lag and I kept my watch on Russia time too. I am sure the jet lag going the other way will be worse. But I am so excited to see the girls and know that I will never have to leave them again.

So, here is to finishing all the packing. My In-laws arrive on Friday night. We will spend a nice dinner with my parents, Mike's parents and my Bro and Stephanie at one of our favorite local Italian places. Looking forward to it.

4:30 am wake up call

We are up way too early. I guess my dad couldn’t sleep. He was up playing on the computer at 3 am and one of my uncles saw that his skype was on and decided to call him forgetting that we were in Russia and there was a 9 hour time difference. I heard the computer ring and the conversation went something like “hey, what are you doing, nothing we just downloaded skype and we are trying it out, why are you calling me so early, what, it is 3 am, really oh sorry I’ll let you go, no don’t worry about it I am up anyway.” And they proceeded to have a normal conversation at 3 am. Thankfully I fell back asleep and slept until my alarm went off at 4:30 am.

The front desk person was asleep in the back round and the security guard asleep on the sofa in the lobby, thankfully the front door to the hotel was locked. He helped us down with our luggage and our van was prompt and waiting for us. There was absolutely no traffic as it is a holiday. We had a quick pit stop at Mcdonald's and got to the airport within 3 hours. The hotel packed us bag lunch/breakfasts with oranges, juices, yogurt, bread, salami and cheese. We ate a small breakfast at the airport and then my parents went off to check into their flight. I have another 2 hours to kill before I can check in and then another 2-3 hours to kill before boarding. But at least after I check in I will be without my big bag and can go to the lounge where they have Wifi. What did we do before we had all of this connection. This would have been a much harder trip if we weren’t able to Skype and email home family and friends.

I know I have so much to do once I get home and only four days to do it in. Laundry, dry cleaning, repacking, packing for the girls, packing for Connecticut, buying whatever else we need for the final trip. I am going to jam pack a lot into the 4 days I have at home.