a word from the kulp kids...

A handful of people have asked mom when she's going to update her blog... we don't know what is taking her so long, for goodness sakes...all she does is sit around watching grey's anatomy and eating bonbons...we basically take care of ourselves...geesh...

Anyway, since mom is taking so long to get back to her blogging, we thought we would write an entry for her and maybe she would get her act together and start posting regularly again...

After wrestling for it, we have decided to update you in chronological order...

Danielle - life is pretty (can I hold the baby?) good lately.  I've been practicing a lot with my dynavox, at home (can I hold the baby?) and at school.  I really really love my (can I hold the baby?) new sister emily ... well as long as she's not crying.  Mom says I might be transferring (can I hold the baby?) schools soon...I'll keep you (can I hold the baby?) posted on that ...we're not quite sure about all the details yet.  Ohh yeah...my ears are giving me a bit of trouble...hopefully the doc will (can I hold the baby?) figure out how to make my hearing better soon.  I'm growing like a (can I hold the baby?) weed, and right now I'm pretty fixated on helping baby doll emily...   where is that baby doll anyway?

Simon here - Mom and Dad say I have a lot of hills and valleys.  Mom was getting pretty stressed out a few weeks ago, bc she said I was having a "non verbal grumpy streak" whatever that means!!  So to help her relax I've been super duper happy and talkative for about 2 weeks now.  She won't stop telling everyone about it...geesh!  I still can't stand the feel of shoes on my feet...I'm not sure how all you shoe wearing people do it!?  I really love love love emily...she loves it when I kiss her and leave lots of slobber on her head and face.  I'm really gentle with her...but mom won't let me tote her around the house like one of my teddy bears...I don't get it??  I think mom just wants to hog up emily all to herself...ohh well, I make her smile all the time!  I think my new brother and sister may even be more interesting than the patterns in the carpet or my elmo movies... mom is still slacking so I'll let Shea fill you in...

Shea - well...I've been an American now for over 3 months and I turned 5!  Mom worries a little that I don't speak ANY Russian anymore...she's gotta chill out!  I'm rockin' kindergarten, I L O V E riding the big yellow bus.  Mom keeps taking me to all these different doctors, hopefully we'll be done with all that jazz soon.  I guess pretty soon I'm going to have some "major work done" on my teeth...then I hear I might be getting a "fixer upper" on my left hip.  I think I'm going to keep mom and dad busy for a while!  They gave me these new robot leg things...they're OK I guess...once they are on and I'm walking I like em OK...but they kind of slow me down when I'm trying to scoot away from mom on my hands and knees.  I give her heck when it's time to use them...but she keeps saying I'll like them someday!  It is pretty cool that I can walk tall with em...and I've conned them into giving me pennies when I do a good job :)  Yeah...life is pretty good!  See ya later alligator... I'm gonna grit you!

Emily - well I may not be able to talk yet...but I can write...shhh don't tell daddy.  Geeze Louise!...what a family I've been born into.  Looks like I'm gonna have to be one tough cookie!  Mom is all sad and teary cause she's going back to work part time tomorrow...but come on mom...hold it together, Daddy is going to be so much fun!  For the last 2 nights I've decided to cut mom a break and I've slept for 7 hours for her.  She seems so happy when i do that!  I just discovered these long things at the end of my body...if I kick them around alot they make my chair bounce up and down... pretty cool.  I've also started to coo, and I've managed to laugh twice.  Mom gets really silly when I do these things and calls the whole town over to see.  Weird!  Oh yeah...I've had 2 ear infections so far and I'm only stinkin' 8 weeks old (today!)  Thanks alot Simon, Shea and Danielle...I know we're supposed to share and all...but keep your cooties to yourself please.  Well I better go...don't want mom to catch me on the computer, I think I'm technically too little to be surfing the net.  Bye Bye, burp, coo!

photo shoot on our waiting day...back to business tomorrow

first embassy day...(sb moms - question for you in the last photo please)



my son reminding me that God has the whole world in his hands....

Today was our first of two embassy days.  Shea and mommy went solo because it was pouring rain and windy and my parents wouldn't have been allowed in the building bc of security etc.  I also left the stroller home bc I knew with all of the stairs on this trip and needing to get through the metal detectors etc etc it would be easier for just today to travel without it.  Shea wore my poncho and we tried not to get blown away by the wind!  No photos of this day...camera's not allowed at the embassy...and it was too wet and difficult to try to take them anyway.  Once there the appointment went smoothly and Shea was perfectly behaved!  He sat like such a good and patient boy!  (now to figure out how to get him to be so good on the potty!...he really doesn't like it...he will do much better once home on a potty chair I'm sure)  For families coming behind us...it was 404$ US today for this step....and filling out your forms ahead of time is really helpful...it would have been so stressful to try to fill them out while there in my opinion...especially if you are alone...

So the business of the day went very well...I was whooped by the end though...3 flights in and out of this building...the taxi was 1/2 an hour late so we took shelter in the tunnel where we could see the taxi arrive, but still be out of the rain...also a delay in the van that would take myself and another family back to our apartments after...we took shelter in a grocery store as many others did to escape the downpours.  Lets just say I was glad to get back into the apt today!

By late afternoon...the apartment was again getting old...so we all put on our sneakers and headed out for a walk in the rain...which had decreased to a "moderate" soaking by this time...we tackled some crazy hills, outdoor ramps and stairways and got a healthy dose of exercise and came home looking like wet noodles...except of course for shea who was dry as a bug in a rug with his rain protected stroller shield...thank you again maria c!!

The electricity has been hit or miss today...it has never fully gone out, but it is not strong enough to power the microwave right now, and we have no oven...so we had a classic "EE tourist dinner" tonight, ie pb and j, cup o soup, apples etc... shea thouroughly enjoyed every bite!





more future blackmail material!

whooey...I'm not sure how I feel about this toothpaste taste yet mamma!

he certainly knows how to ham it up on cue for the camera...

this apartment is certainly not child oriented or disability oriented...he needs both hands to stand...and both hands to do his self care...so we get creative!  The bathroom I'm trying to potty train in is literally about 4x4 (which the toilet takes up most of!)...hmmm shea who needs support...nothing to hold except mommy or the toilet...mommy is 7 1/2 mo prego...gets pretty darn interesting.... !!

this is his spinal scar...there are also some abnormalities further down...but it's a family show here!  Spina Bifida moms...chime in...does this look typical...or is the scar tissue pretty keloid or hypertrophic like??  what are your thoughts?

waiting out the weekend until business can resume on monday...

one of his still moments amongst his go go go...to watch the world around him...
it's been raining non stop since we arrived on saturday to the capital...but cabin fever sets in, so we gear up for the rain and head out for walking a couple of times a day.  This apartment is very close to some indep square, St Micheals and St Andrews.  Nice to see a different part of the city this time...still lots of hills and lots of stairs!!  Pack light if you are coming here...best advice ever....

shea and mommy in independ. square.  (Maria this stoller has been a godsend!)

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grandpa was braver than mommy on this ramp!  I know PT's he should be going backward!  Also it must be engrained into all children to give a mamma no peace in her 10 mintues of bathtime solitude wheather they have been yours for days or for years!  All through my shower I heard...maamma...maaaammmaaa   and giggles.



An orphan no more! Gotcha Day!

there will be more pictures of gotcha day in the private
blog, want to keep faces protected....


His first machina ride as a "free man"!

 

changing clothes to leave the orphanage...last moments with his nanny who had true love for him...

this is a dark photo...but a moment full of light....leaving the gates of his orphanage as a Kulp

intwined in all the tender moments and first events of gotcha day there was still much business to be done...booking flights out of region to happen in 15 hours time, making arrangements to pay rent and return keys, getting an embassy appointment booked earlier, ensuring all paperwork needed is leaving region with us....

probably the most significant moment of the day....our first ice cream cone together!!!

the trains were good if Shea could watch while embracing mommy...they were a bit too loud on this first day

who is enjoying this first meal more?  mamma or shea?

the train is too loud mamma...there is so much world I want to see...but can we turn down the volume?

This day was a wonderful whirlwind.  His special nanny helped me prepare him to leave, with tears coursing down her face most of the time.  She loved my boy, and was at the same time happy to see him find a mamma and pappa, but sad to have to say goodbye to him.  We took time to walk Shea around to each of his grouppa mates to say goodbye and give hugs and kisses.  His nanny walked us down to the taxi and she hummed "America The Beautiful" and was explaining things to Shea again. 

The pictures above show the happenings of the day.  One of the most fun moments was the pre bed bath time!  He loved it so much, and probably would have stayed in the tub all night if I had let him.  Brushing his teeth was at first a scary ordeal filled with crying...until I stopped and brushed my teeth infront of him...making silly faces....and he caught on with no problem.  It seems to be one of his favorite activities now.  We are already making headway with some of the brown stains on his teeth.  Sitting on the potty ring on the toilet was not his favorite activity...actually probably his only "bad" experience of the day....but mamma is hitting the ground running with this one!  We have had 3 sucessful "foos" in the toilet so far. 

Time for bed and packing came....I laid down in bed with him and his starvation for human touch was soooo evident.  He nuzzled, and hugged and squeezed and sniffed for many many minutes...finally I thought he was asleep and then it was time for me to try to sneak out of the room to finish packing.  Before I was 2 steps out of the room the most mournful wail started... I don't blame him...so many new and overwhelming things to take in, and now in a room by himself ???  What was mamma thinking?  So I climbed back into bed with him and he was instantly calmed....

His first day went very very well, he managed so many new sights, sounds and experiences with awe in his eyes and no major meltdowns.  He showed all spectrums of emotion.  We can't wait to be with daddy to finally be a complete family... I've sighed a big sigh of relief on gotcha day...but will fully feel the relief when we are home in daddy's arms with brat and sistrah!

The ever changing story of EE adoption...

An important prayer request for the EE orphan situation in general first...  On July 11th adoption will halt in this country.  The president did sign laws which will allow the shut down so that government offices can be restructured.  Let's hope positive changes occur in a timely manner due to this and that the doors reopen very very soon.  Pray that the restructuring may clean up some of the questionable processes that are a part of life here in regards to working the system...

In these laws that passed it also confirmed that unless you are an orphan with special needs you can't be adopted internationally until your 5yrs old.  I think they are trying to get more in country adoptions of their own orphans but this may increase the number of children who age up in the system and thus become harder to adopt.  Also the list of special needs that are accepted is quite limited to only more common diagnosis...lets pray more of the rare or less common diagnosis will also be allowed, otherwise more and more special needs children will face institutionalization here. 

Basically...let's hope the changes are quick, and improve the process overall.
Remember my post about leaving your type A at home?? That’s all I need to say J
If you can’t leave your type A at home…you should probably adopt from China! Very structured, planned, mapped out…

Arriving in region on Monday we were told there was a possibility of getting the passport on Friday…but more likely Monday.

By Tuesday PM we were told there was no chance of getting it by Friday, and to plan on being in region until

June 29^th because of the mon and tues EE holiday.

By Thursday we were told there was SOME chance we would get it by Friday.

By Friday we were told we would most likely get it that day…but they couldn’t really be sure.

By Friday at 3:00 we were told to be ready to leave the apt in 15 minutes to pick up the passport and then go have Gottcha Day and bring Shea home with us….and return to the capital by Saturday morning! (okay, I admit that my type A did kick in and I outlined all the flights, packed the suitcases and packed a Gotcha Day kit, gave the going away nanny and orphanage gifts etc etc all by Friday morning…you know….just in case!! )

I think the nannies knew we would be leaving soon too…because in addition to the normal treats, pampers fruits and toys that we would bring on visitations they had some special requests. They showed me a broken electric water hot pot, a broken lamp, missing light bulbs and a needed extension cord….implying I should buy them for the orphanage. This was a project for Dad and Mike S…walking over to the market with my shopping list while the women did that days visitation.

So back to EE adoption creative scheduling. My facilitator at one time laughed with me and said…you try to figure out how everything works….stop trying because it will only change and that’s why you pay us! Ohhh but it’s so hard to not be in control says this mamma.

(by the way…my stomach is visibly shifting Left and Right like the atlantic ocean waves right now…I think someone is trying to say hello…and don’t forget about meeeee!)

So we hurriedly booked our tickets to the capital, and headed out to the passport office. Luda had been out of region since wed am working with other families, so she had put the driver in charge of this task. When we arrived the door was locked and the office looked closed! The driver made a call and the door opened, I was asked in…the driver waited outside.

It was kind of strange being in a building, locked to the public from the outside, not speaking any of the language and having workers walk by you wondering what the heck you were doing sitting there in the waiting room. I tried not to make eye contact so that people wouldn’t try to make me explain what I was doing and I was half afraid they might tell me to leave! After a few minutes I was handed the passport, checked it for any errors, signed a paper that was all in Russian and headed toward my little one to spring him from the joint!

So you probably want to know about gotcha day….hee hee hee, I’m thirsty and have to go to the bathroom so you’ll just have to wait for the next post!

And also…before we get to that… before we rejoice….please say prayers for a family who is a bit delayed in Shea’s region. We were able to spend nice time with them and I would really love to see them having court very soon…..and also for any complications that have occurred or may happen in the future….whether day to day problems….or bigger external issues from external sources….that they be obliterated and their little boy goes home with them forever very very soon!
　
　
　
　
　

this is the sleeping room for the grouppa

the regional passport office...the last step before gotcha day!

　

notice the beautiful frilly flower hat...good grief

future blackmail photo when he brings home his first girlfriend!  I gave him the hat....but yikes about the rest of the outfit!