Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Four weeks from today

Thank you all for your sweet e-mails and comments. I'm so happy I can't stop smiling, I look like I have a hanger stuck in my mouth!

Four weeks from today we leave for Moscow. It seems like an awfully long time away, but I'm sure it will go by quickly, I have a lot to do. My sister Gail will be coming with me, although it is like leading a lamb to slaughter. She's excited about bringing the kids home, but the travel is what is really hard. Our first trip went well, but our accommodations in Birobidzhan were on the level of a super 8 motel from the 60's (see my earlier posts) and it's the only place to stay. Gail is already searching the Internet to find if there are any spa's in Biro, she thinks she found one, but I think it's probably got some form of Chinese water torture, I'll let her try it first and then we'll see if I go. It was easier before because we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into, but now we know, so it's a little harder knowing what we have to look forward to. Passports have been sent in for our Visa's. Travel arrangements are being made as we speak, talk about sticker shock with airline prices! Ouch! Appointment with the pediatrician to be is on Thursday. I still need to buy car seats, anybody have any recommendations? I think I need the conversion ones that turn into booster seats. The last measurements I got on the kids was one is 40.5 inches and 33.5 lbs., and the other is 39 inches and 40 lbs. I don't know when these measurements were taken, so they may have grown since then. I'll also take any advice anyone has about travelling over 20 hours on a plane with a 3 year old and a 5 year old.


Wow, I just can't believe this is finally happening! It will have been 8 1/2 months since our first trip and 2.7 years since I started this journey, whew, I am glad this part is coming to an end and best is yet to come!

Jane

p.s. SBP, I got your sweet card and note, thank you!

6 comments:

Troy and Rachel said...

Congrats on being ever closer to bringing the little ones home!! I would think a conversion seat would work best, but I am no pro!! We are trying to pick out things that convert since the child won't be a tiny infant and they grow so fast!! Keep us posted!!

Rachael said...

They will be into booster seats soon, so be sure to get the kind with the back, where you can still do the 5-point harness now, then switch to regular booster later. They'll still fit in a regular car seat now, but I bet they won't like it!

For our plane flight, the most used items were: markers and coloring books, CD player with both music and story tapes, and snacks. Best snacks: the kind that take a long time to eat, e.g. suckers (don't forget baby wipes!) or anything else you can dole out one by one (m&m's, skittles, cheerioes).

I had several Russian language CD's with stories for Katya (which she liked) but her absolute FAVORITE was a Baby Einstein children's nursery rhyme CD. She was singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" the whole way home -- with no idea what those words meant, but she LOVED it. It was really cute to hear to, and entertained her for a long time.

I'll email you, I might be able to burn copies of some of the Russian ones for you if you're interested.

Michael, Carrie, and S said...

It's so exciting that you are making travel arrangements and preparing to bring your kids home with you!!! I look forward to following your journey to pick them up!

M- said...

congrats on your court date! I researched car seats for a long time before buying one, and I bought a Britax. If I was adopting an older child, I would have gotten a Regent (the old Husky), but I bought a Decathlon. In any case, they are awesome carseats...I've tested mine with my best friend's 2 yr old and he says it is "good".

kate said...

Stickers are great. A whole page of stickers and an empty notebook...

Lots of time-consuming snacks--how about gummy bears?--are a must by all accounts.

I've got sewing cards and mini playdough stashed away for my trip home...

A Room to Grow said...

Found your blog recently... I think through Debbie. Can't wait to hear about your trip. Your previous posts were very entertaining!!!