It's a Boy!

August 3, 2007
We started looking up all kinds of information about babies. Since we didn’t know how old you were yet we couldn’t start buying you presents…we wanted to though. Nada and I decided to give your Mom a shower when everything was set. Your Mom would get updates for EAC very regularly and as soon as they found the right baby they would contact her. Well on Friday, August 6, 2004, your Mom turned 40. It had been 6 months since her paperwork had been turned in and she was expecting a call anyday. She asked them if they had found the right baby and they say they had not and to not expect it soon it would be a few more months. We had a Prince concert that night but we both thought about you a lot. On Monday, August 9, 2004, your mom had a business trip. She gets to the office and gets signed on to the internet and EAC has tried to contact her – they have found her baby. She sends me the first picture I see of you and I can not believe it – you look just like your cousins (Kody and Caleb and all the rest). We both cry for happiness and know that you guys found each other and it is right. EAC sends us a video you have probably watched it a million times by now and we did to – we noticed everything little thing about it. How much you enjoyed playing and how you noticed things that were handed to you. How smart you were to press that button for the toy to make music and how you walk along the rail of the playpen. Your mom starts planning her first trip. At this time, you had to make 2 trips – the first to visit and start the process and the second to come back and make it legal. Now that we know you are 12 months old and a little boy we can really start planning. We have people come out and add built in shelves and window seat, drawers and a desk to your room. Eric Sutton comes out and paints it a nice yellow. Your Mom starts picking out the fabric for the nursery. Joyce Dancer lets her borrow the crib Hailey slept in for you to use. We install gates on the stairs so that you don’t fall down the stairs. We start Baby-proofing the house so that nothing will be dangerous. Now that we know where you live, your mom gets a clock and sets it with the Vladivostock time so that we always know what time it is to you. In October, 2003, your Mom comes for her first visit. You guys love each other immediately. You love that she brings you snacks to eat and everyday you remember that they are in her bag and go and get them. Mom comes to the baby home everyday to visit, play, read and just get to know each other. She is so very sad when she has to leave you but promises she will be back soon to come and take you home. Between the 2 trips, we have a shower for you at Ninfa’s and you get a lot of presents. Everyone is so excited about you coming to live here and can’t wait to meet you. We all get to see pictures so we feel like we know you. About 3 weeks later, Your Mom and Nana fly to Vladivostock to make you an official member of your Mom's family. You stay with them in the hotel for 3 weeks. Your mom got to see you take some of your first steps. They would email very regularly and tell us what was going on – we had a hard time talking on the phone. You were getting to know them and learning English very quickly (up to this point you only spoke Russian). Your Mom had learned some sign language and you picked it up quick too and you communicated that way also. There was another family adopting a baby from the same baby home – so you guys played together some and would go out to eat. They would take you for a walk in the stroller everyday – it was very cold but they would go outside as much as they could. You loved to sit in the window of the hotel and look at everything. You were fascinated by it all. You were afraid of the bathroom and mom and Nana worked with you to try to not get you to be afraid. Mom had brought you toys and the hotel had some also. When you guys would go out to eat in Russia – everyone always noticed you – you have always been charismatic. When everyone would sit down you would try to control everyone – even the adults. So that they would play with you. At the table you would say “Da” and raise one of your arms and you wanted the other people to do it also and usually they would. When you were still a baby and Mom was feeding you babyfood – you wanted her to hold it in a specific hand and you would say “Da” and point to the other hand. Usually your mom would do it. (Need to get back to work – I will write more later. Today is Friday and we are going to a Comets game tonight – right now you love those and are so into basketball. Tomorrow you are supposed to have a play date with Jack and your Mom, Nada and I are going to go to the movie.