We're Back!! Trip #2 - Getting Lera

After a whirlwind trip, we are happy to report that Lera & I made it back from Kaz safe and sound (well..the verdict might still be out on the 'sound' part). We are now a family of five - and so far, so good!

I have fallen behind on posting so will get caught up with a few separate posts:

1) trip #2 - getting Lera

2) trip #2 - adjusting in Almaty

3) the journey home (a tale in itself)

4) life with Lera

Trip #2 - getting Lera

Russ stayed home this trip (to tend to the kids and his chemo), so I arranged to travel with Heather, my adoption agency 'travel partner' from our first trip. She is from Dallas. We met at Washington Dulles Airport Sunday afternoon and stayed together the whole trip, until Frankfurt airport Friday morning on the way home. We had a great time together, as did our girls - it really turned what could have been a hellish week, into a fun girls getaway (well, without any spa treatments....)

The trip is sort of a blur, but here are a few highlights:

• After 24 hours of air travel and 2 hours by car, we arrived in Karaganda around 3am. We stayed at the Chayka Hotel (which means Seagull...odd name for one of the most land-locked countries!)


• Enjoyed one last lunch at Karaganda Cafe (a sentimental treat for me, since Russ and I ate lunch there about a kazillion times during trip #1). Really enjoyed meeting two other WPA couples, including Jessica & Chris - who are adopting two of Lera's "classmates" and were kind enough to send us updates and pix of Lera during our 4 week separation.


• Went to the baby house from 4-6pm for a normal visit. Lera remembered me, running over and saying "Mama!" But I was a little dismayed when, mid-hug, she became much more interested in a new tricycle in their playroom. The caregiver made her quit messing with the trike to give me a real hug...which back-fired. Lera got mad and pretty much wouldn't give me the time of day for what was probably only a few minutes but felt like an eternity. (Not exactly the TV-like reunion moment I'd hoped for.) The visit had a bumpy start, but ended up okay.
This picture is with Natasha, our adoption agency coordinator. She 'found' Lera for us, and handled every aspect of our stay in Karaganda. She is an amazing - and fun -woman!


• Fun dinner with Heather, Oxana (our beloved interpreter!), Peter and Ann (our trip #1 friends from Belgium), and Jessica and Chris at the Armenian restaurant - a favorite from our first trip. Had my last pork shaslik (kebob) and Karaganda piva (beer) for some time....


• As instructed, we returned to the baby house at 10pm to pick up the girls and head to the airport, for a late night flight to Almaty. My stomach was churning...mixed emotions ranging from "this is finally here!" to "oh my gosh, what am I doing?!" I was envisioning a terrible scene - waking her up, carrying a terrified, screaming child from the only home she remembers... But, it was a breeze! When I arrived, they had her dressed and ready to go. It was a sweet and little-bit tearful scene: her caregiver cried as she handed Lera to me (which got to me), then I promised her we'll take good care of Lera (which also got to me). But sweet little Lera was cool as a cucumber, just taking everything in. She added a little comic relief just then, pointing to the door and urgently exclaiming "machina, machina!!" (Car.) She was excited to ride in the car! So - my fears had been unfounded; she was sweet, quiet and clingy until about 30 minutes into our flight when she collapsed asleep.