Laughin Leeza!!!

We had a wonderful day with Leeza today! Her daddy got her LAUGHIN—she was just giggling away…it was so precious!!!! Her lil nose is just raw from a lil cold, but she wasn’t fussy at all. The caregivers told us we need to keep her out of the wind. We still got to stay outside, but in the sun, instead of the shade. They even let us take a layer off her after awhile, so she only had one one layer after lunch. She was a lil dollface today (well, when isn’t she a dollface??!!) but she was showin off today. She was obsessed with my camera and her picture book and was showing off crawling to get it.
She can certainly get where she wants to go. She is doing the old fashioned “army crawl”, not on her knees yet, but she loves to roll from her side, to her back, to her tummy again.
She strikes this great pose like..YO, LOOK AT ME…I’M LEEZA THE SUPER MODEL-CHECK ME OUT!! It’s really cute. She also found the mirror on the bag we bring to the baby house. She was checking herself out…it was adorable!!! I bought this bag almost a year ago because Sandi and I noticed it on Sarah and Andy’s blog, and I emailed her to ask her where she got it. I had to have one too! I think it brought me good luck…as here we are in Kostanai, the same time as Sarah and Andy were, and even in their apartment! Although, they got up and ran every day. I have not tried that. My sense of direction is so horrendous I am just afraid I will get lost. Plus, we are up until midnight every night on skype calling friends and family, so we sleep until 8:30 or 9 anyway. I don’t miss running yet…but we’ll see how I feel after we’ve been here longer. Maybe by then I will have my bearings a bit more.

It was my turn to feed baby girl today and she ate like a champ. I am getting better at it, and the caregiver only fed 2 kids by the time I finished with my lil cherub. Maybe by the time I leave, I will be as quick as they are? I rather doubt it, but at least I don’t feel like quite the bumbling fool that I did the first couple of times.

We brought the ergo today for our walk around the baby house. She LOVED IT, and didn’t make a peep. Sean thought she might cry because she had never been in an ergo before, but nope, not my girl. She LOVED it and was just super content. We take turns with her walking around. Mom got to go twice around with Leeza in the ergo, then Dad held her once around, then Sean got to push her in the stroller once around. I offered Joe the ergo but he said he’d rather hold her. He think she’s too light to mess with the Ergo. I told him MEN do use the ergo’s, so he said maybe when she’s like 25 or 30 pounds.
She will be an ergo baby, held baby, and stroller baby—she likes em all!! She just gets sweeter and cuter every day!!! We met up with the other families at lunch and they asked me how our visit went. I smiled and said AWESOME and Loree told me I was glowing, just like I was pregnant!! I look like I’m pregnant because I wear our passports around my neck when I’m there, as I don’t want them out of my sight…so I got a pooch (more than normal!!) The other couple arrived yesterday, with their 5 year old son. We all met for dinner last night and bless their hearts, they were still in “the fog.” They looked better today, but because the director of the baby house was out, they didn’t get to meet their kiddo today. I know they were disappointed, but they had a good attitude about it.
We had lunch at this new place (I already forgot the name). They had an English menu..I had “capital chicken” and fries…and a beer. It was really yummy!!! I am totally loving the food here…such a wide variety and still can’t get over how cheap it is! As we were leaving, I practiced my Russian by telling the 2 girls, “Ochen Cusna” (delicious) and they said, COME BACK AGAIN! Not sure how they can tell we’re American….it must be because I’m not a size 2 and I don’t wear 6 inch heels. Man, the women here are gorgeous!!! The people in general are just precious, as are the children. Sean keeps talking about which ones he wants to adopt in addition to Leeza. If only it were that easy……

I chose a different setting on the washing machine hoping it would not take 3 hours to do one load. I started it before we left, around 10:30. It’s still going…and it’s 3:00. I don’t think I set it to a better setting….

It is very nice starting my day with Starbucks coffee with milk and splenda. The milk is different here,but it’s good. At home, I don’t like milk in my coffee, I only like “organic half and half”, but here, the milk in my coffee tastes OCHEN CUSNA.

It is another gorgeous day in Kostanai, and we are happy happy happy. The only thing that makes me sad is saying Paka Paka to sweet lil Leeza. She really is such an angel….I can’t get enough of her. I keep thinking of that Martina McBride song…”I have been blessed!!”

These are few of her favorite things....

Everyone sing along to the Sound of Music...These are few of my favorite things...when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...I simpy remember my favorite things...and then I don't feel....so......bad!!!!


Today, Leeza's favorite things were Mommy's bling bracelet and the ROCK Sean was kicking. Doesn't that show a nice balance for a baby sister? Bling for her "fashion forward mother", and rocks for her brother!! That's our girl!!!

I also got a couple shots today of her without her sweet bonnet so you could see her hair. She does have some-it's very blond. Also, no blue dots today. I didn't think to explain the blue dots because I am so used to seeing them from my "blog queen days",but the blue dots are what the caregivers put on the kids bug bites in Kaz. They are outside all the time in the summer, so, unfornately, their sweet skin gets bitten by bugs. We have not been bothered by bugs at all. Our windows are open,(in our apartment) and we even packed screen, but we haven't been bothered. I reckon we are not "sweet enough" for the bugs. They don't like us "stinkin American's" perhaps. FINE WITH ME!!The cool breeze must keep them away.


We had a wonderful Tuesday with the lovely Leeza today. Today was daddy’s turn to feed her lunch. As Sean KEPT saying, “Dad does it better than you, Dad is as good as the caregivers”….WHATEVER!!!! Yes, I know, Joe is good at EVERYTHING. However, Leeza ate more lunch when her messy mommy fed her yesterday. She seemed a lil stuffy today and she seemed kinda sleepy too, so we made sure we got lots of cuddle time. I can already tell that Leeza prefers to be BUSY! (Karen-her and Ryan are sure to be BFF’S!!) and she loves music. I have a lil baby Einstein radio thingy that plays classical music and she loves it. She also seemed to love mommy’s off key singing to Jesus loves me, Jesus loves the lil children, and He’s got the whole world in his hands. He sure does have the whole world is his hands, as he unites Leeza with her family!! I continue to give thanks and praise for the blessings bestowed upon all of us with this wonderful gift of a child.

We introduced to her to a couple new toys today. Yeah, um, maybe I brought too many, but we are only on day 4 and she does clearly like toys. She liked the lil sunshine today that had a mirror on it. She kept “talking” to the mirror..I think she was saying. “Wow-you are cute-will you be my BFF? Do you have “bling” like this lady who comes to visit me? Now, SHE has some GOOD BLING!!”
Now, it's clearly obvious that God ha a great plan in uniting Leeza her family…she loves BLING just like her mom. She liked my bling bracelet a lot and kept hangin on to it. Her other fav activity today was following the rock that Sean was kicking as we walked around the baby house today. She would follow that rock with her eyes, as he kicked it along. I think she has some pretty good vision-she was mesmerized with the rock. Joe said….”Ah Leeza, you have all the toys, yet you like the rock BEST…you are a very normal baby!!”
However, she also DOES like the toys too, and she likes my bling.

Tatiana was taking Nick today to meet his family in Almaty so her boyfriend, Ivan, picked us up to take us to the baby house and also took us to lunch. We tried out a new place..that I have heard a lot about in my other Kostanai friends blogs..DOLCE VITA. It was “ochnen cusna”…very delicious. I had a beer, and pasta with pesto and pine nuts. Sean had noodles with meatballs, and Joe had lasagna. Ivan speaks really good \English, and is a very nice guy. Everyone is so nice here!

The other family with our agency arrived today and all 3 families are meeting up for dinner. They meet their kiddo tomorrow. All in all, I have to say life is very good in Kostanai for the Serra family. We are well aware of what is happening with our agency in the states, and we are sick about it. However, we are done with our agency in the states since our dossier and our family is already in process in Kostanai. My heart goes out to the other families affected by this latest news.

Leeza likes bling, Mom likes the beer, and Dad has his trio working again, and Sean is pretty easy going anyway, so we’re all pretty happy. I think lunch cost us around $9. I cannot believe how cheap and good the food is. I just really wish I spoke and read Russian fluently. I am glad I know the few words I do, as every little bit helps.
My heart is very full.

Thank you all for your comments and emails. They mean the world to us. I can read my emails, but I can’t respond to them for some reason. My outlook doesn’t work when I try to send. Skype is a godsend, as we got to talk to my dad, Joe’s parents, and my sister last night. Since I don’t have my phone, I don’t have a lot of people’s phone numbers if I didn’t have yours memorized. The connection on skype is really good too.

Please keep up the comments, prayers, and well wishes. Leeza is our daughter in our hearts, but not an "official Leeza Grace Serra" legal family member until we get thru court and the waiting period. Every second we spend with her, we all fall in love with her more. I wish we had more time with her…2 hours flies by and leaves us yearning for more. I cannot wait to get her home and walk around the neighborhood in the ergo, and go to Cafe Bebe, and walk with Lisa at the park....so many things to look forward too.

Monday-an incredible day in SO many ways!!

We had a really nice day today. It started off early, as we were picked up by Tatiana at 7:45 for an 8:00 tour of the Delphin baby house. I have read about this tour so many times back in the “ole blog stalking days of yore” that I almost felt like I had been on it before! There is nothing like seeing with your own eyes though. Wow! They really do an impressive job here-and Dr. Irina is VERY proud, and rightfully so. We saw the isolation room, where the babies stay for 21 days right when they are admitted to the baby house (On Monday’s). The sauna, salt room, swimming pool, and speech therapy room were also really impressive. I was amazed at the kitchen and how the head lady there keeps track of all the kids meals, their calorie requirements, how much they eat, how much it costs, etc. It’s all done meticulously by hand. I loved seeing all the children..they are so adorable! It just breaks my heart that they all don’t have parents they live with. I was surprised when Dr. Irina told us that over 60% of the children at the Delphin baby house are NOT available for adoption, and of those that are, only 10% are available for adoption to the US. No wonder we wait so long-but, I have to say, it’s totally worth the wait. Sean has already asked when we can come back and adopt another one. He is clearly taken with these children as much as we are. I am SO glad I brought him with us. None of us will EVER be the same after this, that is for sure.

After our tour, we had our medical interview about Leeza. There are a few concerns, but I am confident that we can work with her on an issues she may have. After our medical interview, we got to take part in something amazing! They had the “grand opening” of the playground that the Wiley’s donated to the Delphin baby house. They had cookies, and juice, and 2 groups of kids come out to play. There were balloons everywhere and the kids were just PRECIOUS! We got to play, with the kids, on the playground, for an hour and a half. It was SO MUCH FUN! I got so many adorable pictures for Leeza. I’m sorry, I can’t share them since they’re of the kids, but let me suffice it to say, they’re INCREDIBLE! We got to give cookies to the kids “one for each hand” and they kept coming back for more. Sean had a BALL running around and playing with them too. Joe had this lil guy who came running up to him, and Joe held him for awhile. When he went to put him down, the lil dude just hugged on his legs until Joe picked him back up.
The caregivers told us that his biological father visits him often so he really likes men.
After this lil cherub had to go in, some other lil dude found his way into Joe’s arms. I got some incredible shots of Sean holding onto this lil boy and laughing. I had so much fun playing and running around with the kids. It really just breaks your heart. I wish I could take them all home!! It was chilly this morning, and it started warming up, so the caregivers just took the kids pants off (they had shorts underneath) and let them keep playing. I will never forget it-I feel so blessed to have been a part of something like this.

We went to see Leeza in her hut outside at 11 and she was still sleeping. I got some adorable pics of her in her sleeping angel pose. They woke her up , and she was all smiles. She really does seem laid back. We played for a bit and it was time for lunch. I donned my doo rag and apron and they gave her an extra big bib underneath her bib this time..I guess they heard that Leeza’s mama is very MESSY! Of course, we still made a big mess but she is a good lil eater. I guess I am getting a lil better cuz she didn’t get as frustrated with me today. I think she is cutting her old lady some slack! I got to meer her care giver today, Aigul. She is very sweet. She told us that Leeza is crawling and babbling and is always happy and alert, but calm at the same time. I hadn’t seen her crawl, so that was good news to hear. Aigul told Tatiana that I was “fashion forward”. How FUNNY IS THAT!! (Sara Tennen-that was my Target skirt outfit!!!). I told her that is why I needed a girl cuz Momma does like to shop!! After lunch, Sean really wanted to push Leeza in her stroller. She really loves it, but I don’t think that’s the best “bonding” activity we can do with her when we only get a measly 2 hours a day. We just went a couple times around and went back on the grass to play. When it was time to take her back at 1, we hung out for another 30 minutes (at least) in the hut. We had so much fun playing with the other kids in her group. They are all so adorable! Sean has been an incredible lil photographer. He gets such unique shots and does a great job of getting shots of all the kids. He is really really sweet playing with Leeza, and with Leeza’s buddies in group 11. Leeza and Sean spent good quality time today blowing raspberries at each other. It was cute, but then Sean was spitting all over the place, which wasn’t THAT cute.

It was a really unforgettable day. We went to the store (it’s called GROS, but it’s not really gross) and I got some cherry juice, yogurt, chocolate, cheese, and beer. I just finished some yummy bread with cheese and some cherry juice for lunch. It was really yummy! The juice here is really GOOD! We really eat a lot less here so far, which is good. We all could stand to lose a few lbs in the process. It was so interesting at the grocery story just trying to figure out what everything was.
I successfully washed my first load of laundry and it didn’t turn grey! GO ME!

I hope I can download some pics today. I do them one a time, and they are small, but maybe not small enough. What can I say..I am FASHION FORWARD, not a TECHNICAL GENIUS. I can’t have it all…..

More pics....

Every time I try to download more than one picture, it gets ALMOST done,then it craps out. I really DO NOT LIKE DIAL UP. Ugh, I am clearly a spoiled internet high speed BRAT!

I will take several deep cleansing breaths, and try again.

If we are successful, you will see that Leeza also looks quite lovely in pink.
In fact, I am sure that she looks pretty cute in almost any color. :)

Update: I have tried like 5x and it gets almost loaded up,then it craps out.
I'M TOTALLY FRUSTRATED.
So, now I'm going to do laundry instead.
I will try later...sorry!!!
I guess if my only real beef so far is not being able to access the internet and having no phone or anything, then that is really minor. :)

Lovin Lil Leeza--xoxoxoxo

{warning: very long post--this is a journal for our family too, so I don't want to bore my faithful blog stalkers,but I want to write down my thoughts as they come for Leeza...just explaining my rambling up front)

So sorry for the late post……we moved into our first apartment today and Eugene just came over tonight to show us how to use this internet card we got the from phone company. It’s slightly frustrating not to know how to do simple things like read a phone card, but what’s a gal to do who isn’t versed in the Cyrillic alphabet! I also have no clue how to figure out this washing machine either….

In other news (and I know the only news you REALLY care about), we had a great visit with lil Leeza today. Her group was inside today, and when we walked in, she was getting changed from her nap. She saw us and gave us a huge SMILE! This lil angel has certainly melted our hearts already. It sure didn’t take her long!! We played inside while they fixed lunch. While we were playing, they were bringing the other kids out and putting them in the swings, walker and playpen. It was really cool to be around all these children. I got to “don the feeding garb”( the apron and doo rag) and sit in the tiny chair to feed her. I felt PRESSURE because the caregivers were feeding kids too. At least Joe could watch and tell me what they were doing. It takes some coordination getting Leesa in the lil chair in front of me, so I could get the food in her lil mouth with the big giant spoon. You have to get her kinda between your knees with her lil chair and watch it so she doesn’t slump forward. I think high chairs are much easier!!! She was HUNGRY and dang she gets anxious if you don’t go fast enough. Sean told me that they caregiver fed 3 kids by the time I finished feeding Leeza. She ate almost everything today…her whole bowl of “soup” and then this beef, potatoes, and onions. This child eats better than Sean does. While we ate, Sean took tons of pictures. He is a good lil photographer. We took like 243 pictures today! He got some great ones of the kids in her group. He is getting attached too, not only to his sister, but to the other kids. They are all so sweet and so cute!! After lunch, Leeza got put in a layer of fleece and her lil pink bonnet (I do LOVE the hats they put them in –so adorable!!) and outside we went. It was another GORGEOUS day in Kostanai. It’s so NICE out. I can’t get over this weather. It’s perfect. I would, however, be sweating if I had to wear fleece, but lovely lil Leeza didn’t seem to care. She was a tad fussy a couple times, but was consoled very quickly with hugs from mom and dad. Sean said that “she gave me attitude” for the first time because she was OVER her picture being taken. Joe was hiding her from the camera until I put it away. Already, “my boys” are ganging up on me! The caregivers came over and gave us a stroller, so big brother Sean pushed her around in the stroller. She likes to go FAST! When I would make him slow down so I could take a picture, she would cry. LOL! Once again, time went by all too fast and we had to take her back upstairs. I handed her back to her caregiver and gave her a kiss and said DASVIDANYA, DAS AFTRA! I started walking away and she started CRYING!! As we walked down the stairs, I could hear her sweet lil cry. It breaks my heart-and I have only known this child for 3 days!

Joe and I have already had discussions about me staying the whole time. I just can’t imagine leaving her!!! We’ll just have to take each day as it comes, but I just can’t imagine bonding with this lil angel and then having to say good bye. I just think she needs her family now that she has found us. Joe, of course, is not surprised at all, and said he knew I’d never be able to leave. However, we shall see. We haven’t been here very long (I can’t believe it’s Sunday-we got her Friday) and already I’m attached to this lil blue eyed pixie girl. I still recall that conversation last summer with a mom of one of the kids our neighborhood when she said she could never “love” a child that wasn’t hers. I can’t imagine that-but then again, I know I loved lil Leeza before I even met her!!

Besides loving Leeza, we are all really enjoying the town of Kostanai. It’s so nice! We are also being incredibly spoiled with this awesome weather, but it’s also very cheap! Eugene took us to dinner to his favorite restaurant last night. Joe had a greek salad and Sean and I got meatloaf, and dinner was about $12. We are just amazed at how inexpensive everything is. Joe went to the grocery store and came back with a few things (3 kinds of juice, milk, diet coke, beer, etc) and it was only $25. I really just wish I spoke more Russian. When we were leaving the hotel today to go visit lovely Leeza, the hotel lady stopped us and wanted our key. We weren’t taking our luggage until 1:30, after our visit with the princess. I finally figured out she wanted us to pay our internet bill, but I just got out the phone and called Eugene who was on his way anyway. The only thing that has been frustrating is the lack of ability to communicate with our friends and family in the states. Joe’s blackberry stopped working again. It said he lost his access point?? So, that is really frustrating and my phone is somewhere with someone else or still lost in the London airport. At least we can get ON the internet, (well, we will be able to as soon as Eugene gets here) but dial up is frustrating and slow for an impatient web neck blog stalker eamailer girl like me. One more lesson for me..GO with the FLOW baby.


The food has been REALLY good, the portions are small, so I can see why people lose weight here. This apartment is really nice. It’s so wild because I recognized it in pictures from a year ago when I followed Sarah and Andy’s journey to Zach and Addie. I remember crying and reading their blog and being so excited that SOMEDAY it would be OUR FAMILY bonding with our child…and, HERE WE ARE!! It’s pretty amazing!!!!
It’s been great to see Tricia and Rustam walking around the baby house. Rustam is just adorable. Sean likes him too and wished they lived closer to Florida. However, I just know that we will keep in touch with the Hoffa’s, because we’ve become very close friends in this fabulous journey to our children. Plus, Leeza is buddies with Rustam. Tricia said she has TONS of pictures and videos of Leeza before we met her. Leeza changed groups (moved up) a couple days before we arrived. The caregivers told Tatiana that she cried for 2 days when she moved. AWWW! Poor lil Lepcian!! It reminds me when Sean moved from the 2 year old group to the 3 year old group and how he cried. I do think it’s good though cuz this lil girl can DEFINTELY form attachments. Now, we gotta work on forming one with us.  We are all I certainly already attached to her. Adoption is such a wonderful MIRACLE!!! I think I have decided on her name…
Leeza Grace Serra. Since it is only by the Grace of God that we found each other, I think it’s very appros!!

The in country staff really work their tails off around here! It’s very impressive. They do such a great job at making you feel at home and comfortable.
Tatiana has a day off today, and she has been incredible. She is such a beautiful girl!! Eugene is GREAT with Sean. He gave him a couple Kayne West cd’s to listen to, and took him for ice cream last night. He has a very dry sense of humor, a lot like Joe, so we all get along really well. He says he has heard of me and that I’m a “blog queen”. I wonder WHO TOLD HIM THAT??
Our job is to relax and bond with our daughter, and their job is to get us thru this process.
Kostanai is longer than most regions, which I always saw as a detriment to coming here. Now, of course, I am so glad that we came here, and the wait, the agony, the worrying really was forgotten about the moment I laid eyes on Lil Leeza. Of course, I am also quite aware we still have a loooooooooooooooong road ahead of us before we can take our sweetie home, but we are taking it one day at a time.

I was reading this book of daily devotions that Tricia’s Aunt Mam gave me. The devotion for August 1st (the day of our “best blind date EVER!!—the day we met Leeza) was quite fitting:
Blessed Bond

“Jesus, let thy beautiful presence be always with us.

I will never leave thee, or forsake thee.”
There is no bond of union on earth to compare with the union between a soul that loves Me-and Me. Priceless beyond all earth’s imaginings is that friendship. In the merging of heart and mind and will a oneness results that only those experience it can evenly dimly realize.

Luncheon with Leeza

We had a wonderful day today with lil Miss Leeza!!! After a good night’s sleep, and A DELICIOUS breakfast (Kazakh style) at our hotel (free included with the hotel…and better than Comfort Inn!!!) Tatiana picked us up to go visit Leeza. We were all very excited to see her again. Our “blind date” was so brief, with everyone staring at us and a scratchy dress to boot, I was ready to get down and play and check our Leeza’s “mad skillz”.

The kids were outside in their lil “hut”. They hang out and sleep out there and play in the summer. It was naptime so I felt bad that we had to wake her up, but she woke up pretty happy and her caregiver changed her, washed her face, and handed her over. We camped out under a tree in the shade. I could not ask for more perfect weather. It’s gorgeous out-it feels like a fall Florida day with zero humidity. The mornings are chilly (sweater needed) but afternoon is gorgeous. Leeza was in a few layers, and after about 15 minutes, her caregiver came out and gave us another layer to put on. It was kinda hard getting it on, and then in process of getting her other arm in, we saw Rustam and Tricia nearby in the stroller. I was talking to Tricia asking her to come over, and poor Leeza’s arm was stuck in her shirt like a sling. Joe made me stop talking and focus on Leeza’s stuck arm. She is a trooper though and she barely fussed.

When we first sat her down, she didn’t cry, but she started rocking back and forth. Oh my goodness, it broke my heart. Sean thought she was “rockin out”, but I explained that that’s what babies do, often in orphanages, when they are scared and need to soothe themselves. I quickly scooped her up, and we found some toys she liked. She loves toys that make that crinkly noise. Then, Joe stepped in. Joe has always had a way with babies, and it was hearwarming to watch Leeza who was not immune to that “Joe Serra charm”. He got her laughing and giggling. When she laughs, she crinkles up her perfect lil nose, it’s SO CUTE!!

Shortly, the caregiver came out with her lunch! I remember Tricia always telling us weekends are much more relaxed at the baby house. The caregiver brought the food over, and let us feed her!! We didn’t even have to wear the notorious white doo rag on our heads. I could not believe the size of the lunch. I know, everyone talks about it, but it’s something else to see if with your VERY OWN REAL EYES IN REAL KAZ TIME! Sean was like “WHOA, she is gonna eat that?? That is not baby food!” I had her on my lap trying to feed her with this big spoon and it was so hard because I couldn’t really see her mouth. It was rather comical. Charmer Daddy Joe stepped in and I had her on my lap and she gobbled it up. She drank this tea looking stuff out of a teacup. I remember people talking about the kids are always thirsty. I can see why-they don’t get very much when they are trying to drink that way. She did great and ate over half of her lunch. I was afraid we might get in trouble, but they didn’t say anything.

Our time went by MUCH TOO QUICKLY. Man, I can already tell I am going to be greedy. Sean was so cute, he said “wow, Mom, she really likes us!! She is attached to us already!!!” He thought she looked very sad to see us go. It was incredible to witness the change in this lil blue eyed pixie though. She really relaxed and opened up with us and just had fun playing! She can definitely sit up, but I don’t think she can crawl yet. We are still checkin out her “mad skillz” but I’m not gonna fret. I think what lil Leeza needs is lots of time and love from her family. I think we’re UP for the challenge. Leeza also loves “bling”. She loved my “bling bracelet and the beads on my shirt. I think Leeza and her momma are gonna have some big time fun shopppin!!! She has such gorgeous piercing blue eyes. Up against Joe’s blue shirt, they just ‘pop”. I don’t think I have anything blue for her, so we will have to find “just the right shade”!!!

After our visit, we went with Tatiana where the Wiley’s (the other couple from our agency that is her now) was being interviewed for the paper for the playground they installed at the baby house. It was really interesting hearing them talk about it. They are very nice people and I enjoyed getting to know them. Their have a 4 year old they adopted from the Delphin baby house, and a biological son who is 3. We all went to lunch. I had the same pizza I had yesterday. I need to get more adventurous but the pizza is good and so far I’ve had zero stomach issues.
We move into an apartment tomorrow. In fact, it’s the same apartment that Sarah and Andy stayed in when they adopted Zach and Addie. We are only staying there thru the 9th, because then another aparment that is half the price of that one is coming available. I believe we can get high speed internet at the 2nd apartment, but just dial up at the first. We are on dial up at the hotel, so I have to do my blog in word, and limit my skype time. I am sure that I spent a fortune last night but Joe fell asleep and I am a “webneck” as Joe calls me.

The day goes by really fast. Before I knew it, it was 4:00. I got tired this afternoon, but tried to take a powernap but sleep did not come. We are meeting Eugene for dinner tonight at 7:30.

All in all, I have to say our experience in Kostanai is a wonderful one. Sweet baby girl, perfect weather, and I feel very well taken care of by Tatiana and Eugene. Sean has been a real trooper.

Kaz connection on Joe’s blackberry has been spotty at best. I will also not be checking emails much until we can get high speed internet. I haven’t even read my blog comments!

Thank you so much for everyone’s prayers. I feel very very blessed thus far, and I realize we have a long road ahead of us, but I am up for the challenge. This isn’t a sprint, but a slow marathon, one that will yield a much bigger prize then qualifying for Boston!!

ps. I have 176 pictures. I realize I would not post ALL of them, but it keeps crapping out on me. I will do my best and keep trying to post more.
There are some great ones!! The difference in her lil personality after spending time with us was really incredible. I see the differnce in blogs, but again, to see if "real life, Kazakh style" is truly a miracle.
I keep praying and thanking God for this lil miracle bestowed upon us. My heart is full and we are LOVIN LIL LEEZA! She is a lil doll!!!

We're IN KAZ !!

WOW-talk about surreal!! We are in Kazakhstan!! It was a whirlwind day-like I figured it would be-and Joe and Sean are crashed in our hotel, but sweet Joe figured out dial up before he crashed so I could blog!!!

I know what everyone is waiting for....and I am happy to announce....

BABY KAZ IS A GIRL!!
She will fit in my ergo, and probably in all the adorable clothes I bought her! We were taken immediately from the aiport to the Ministry of Education to get permission to see the baby house, then to the inspector of custody, then to the baby house. Yup, no time to change clothes-we looked very "Motly" (our coordinator did not understand what that meant, LOL).

I only got to spend about 15 minutes with her. We are going back tomorrow at 11:00 to play. :) Sean got a couple pictures, but I will post them later. We haven't even sent a thing to our international doc, and we're going to, but our mind is made up. :)
She is petite, blond hair, blue-eyed lil angel whose birthday is Sept 5th, 2007.
One of her good buddies is Rustam, who is Tricia and Chris' son. Tricia said she has many pictures to share with me.

She is just precious and she cried big tears when they handed her to me.I felt so bad, but she didn't know me. I got up and carried her around the room and sang to her, and she calmed down. She was MESMERIZED with my "Baby Kaz" necklace I wore. I had this necklace made last summer when we were waiting to adopt. How fitting that she loved it. She laid her head on my lil shoulder and my heart melted.

It's so surreal to be here. Tatiana took us to get pizza after we met our girl. Her name is Leeza..and I love it! I will not be changing that at all. It fits her!!
I cannot wait to get to know her.

The pizza was really good, and it's a cool day, the weather is FABULOUS. I was actually cold getting off the plane in Kostanai.

Sean traveled well, and we all did. Joe left my cell phone in London airport though-so no one try to call me on it because hopefully it's being cancelled.
I may need an iphone anyway to carry around pictures of my daughter. :)

I will post more as we get settled and take more pictures.
We are here, we are happy, and I feel like I'm in a dream.

Dasvidana!!!