Sondra... yeah you....

Sondra... yeah you.... over there... lady with the baby.

Yes... if it isn't too much trouble I would appreciate it. I get the feeling we're gonna need one?

Front porch is fine... just close the gate behind you so Bambi doesn't eat my flowers.

Thank YOU very much for offering.

Everyone else.. please disregard this post... just answering a private message. ;o)

~~~

I wanna go home...

I wanna go home...

Yes... It's time to go home.

Today started off with Tamara catching up on her sleep so she was in a wonderful, cute mood this morning. I envy her these days. I'm still up at 5:50 am. Packing, wrapping gifts and trying desperately to get organized.

~

We went to the embassy today and after all our brain storming and accessing records electronically... we were told. "OH we called Washington last night... they said you guys didn't need that" Grrrrrr! Ok.. so anyway... they couldn't be nicer to us today. Tamara got her VISA to the USA along with her baby American flag and a box of Crayola crayons. I'm surprised they don't throw in a Happy Meal... lol... that would have made her an American kid for sure. ;o)

As we left the embassy Bruce waved the flag for our driver and translator who were waiting in the car out front... well not really out front... sort of down the block for security reasons.

As soon as they saw the flag waving they knew we GOT IT! ;o)

It's rather interesting they give you an immigration packet that is sealed and has to remain so until you get to the proper authorities in the USA at the airport. We also got all our originals back.. which is cool. ;o) yup... tired but smiling.

~

After the embassy we headed off to the gold market again... some last minute shopping is still going on. And then back to the apartment as Tamara was there with Anna and we wanted to give her the great news. ;o)

This evening went rather quickly play time, dinner, bath, bedtime.

~

Then Bruce went to bed and I stayed up to start our packing. We purchased some rather large pieces that require some thought for packing but I think I got it?

Also had to wrap up gifts for the in country staff. It's one of the many things that we had to plan ahead for. I wouldn't say that it's a requirement but it is expected and considered polite to gift the staff. All international adoptive parents do this regardless of agency or country.

A token of our appreciation. So anyway... I think they should be pleasantly surprised tonight when they receive their gifts. They're getting some pretty cool stuff. ;o)

We were hoping to be able to treat them to a fare well dinner but it looks like we have scheduling issues trying to get them all together. So hopefully we can get them to all come over tonight for cheese and wine. It would be nice to get them all in one place, thank them properly, get some pictures and relax a bit before we go.

~

OK.. can you tell I'm running on fumes here? Yeah... and I'm trying to plan a wine and cheese party? LOL... If only I could do the shopping in NJ. It would be so much easier on home turf.

I'll have to be pretty creative to pull this off... honestly it's not easy as very few things are in English.

We're being picked up at 11 am to do some shopping... there are two stores I need to visit before I leave. Better go get some more Lari... the gold market wiped me out today.

~

So anyway... here are some pictures that we snapped while driving around Tbilisi.

River that runs through Tbilisi


I've been trying to get a picture of this guy for over 2 weeks. Finally today at 60 MPH I got him.

This one's for my Malibu Girls...lol. They tell me he's supposed to be a Greek God... like Dah? No kidding... ;o)

Traffic Circle Fountain... this is the one you'll see in all the travel brochures. Name escapes me.. no time to Google. ;o)
Fairly typical older apartment buildings.

Every day life

People selling goods on street. They tend to set up all over?

Needs a coat of paint.

Daddy takes the trash out... Tamara wants to help.

Court yard view

Using a zoom and finding a more direct view from our bedroom I was able to finally figure the top floor out. It's sort of a storage / tool shed in the attic space. They store firewood and tools up there. Amazing. ;o)

Time for bed Tamara...

OK I need a power nap... it's 7 am I have maybe two hours before cookie wakes up... no make that 1-1/2 need to shower.

OK.. It's time to go home...

I wanna go home.

We'll be leaving Saturday AM. Woohoo!!!

Please note... it is a very long journey home...especially with a brand new toddler in tow. We will be exhausted to say the least. We would appreciate a little space when we arrive. That includes FAMILY especially. Please remember that Tamara will be very confused, tired, cranky as will her parents. ;o) She seems to think she lives in this apartment and was very upset with me when she saw me packing. In fact she started to unpack as I was packing.

WE will have to have a whole other adjustment period to her new home, culture, country, language, room, bed, pets, stuff and more stuff. She may handle it well or she may not. She could get over stimulated, with draw or regress?

Also please remember that although you all feel as if you've known her as long as we have... weird huh? She has no clue you exist. Please do not freak her out when you see her. She is after all only 3 years old.

I thank you for your anticipated co-operation in advance.

I'll try and post again before we take off... otherwise we'll see you in Munich.

~~~

See Dots Run

See Dots Run... Run Dots Run...

Our day started with a wake up call at 7:30 am. Yup... Tamara was up 15 minutes earlier then yesterday. We went through our early morning rituals and had her seated for breakfast in under 15 minutes. She takes breakfast very seriously so there is no rest for the weary.

~

As we wined down our trip I thought I would share our view from the balcony. This is across the court yard / alley... court yard sounds better. Although our building is fairly modern Tbilisi is dotted with the old mixing in with the new. Some of the banging these last two weeks was putting a new tin roof on this building. It's interesting to see how they repair / patch the older residences. Most apartments are owned by the occupants. Given to them during the Soviet era. There don't seem to be any restrictions as to how they are maintained like in the USA. Everyone seems to do their own thing? Still trying to figure out why the attic of this one structure is open with a partial railing. Weird.

It's kind of interesting to watch the people go about their everyday lives. You can see an awful lot back here. The women hang their laundry almost every day. A load at a time. Everyone has these really cool clothes lines off of there balconies. So cool in fact I wanted to bring one home for our deck. When we visited Nina's apartment we had the chance to see some of her neighbors clothes lines up close. Bruce says he can make one for me. I love the way sheets smell with you air dry them. Reminds me of my childhood. ;o)

Anyway... the people. There's a 20 something year old girl that gets dropped off at 2 am? Hum... wonder what she's up to?

Two little 9-10 year old girls that play every day after school.

A car that pulls up every day around 11 am ish. 2 women and a man get out. The women open the trunk and the man walks around yelling at the roof tops. For days I thought he was calling his friends... then I realized they were food vendors. Calling all the workers... telling them their lunch has arrived.

There are teenage boys that sneak into the court yard to smoke.

A man with his new car... he washes it every 2-3 days.

A baby that must be teething as it cries constantly.

Little children we hear giggling at 11 pm? They should be sleeping :o(

An old man hangs his laundry around 1 am. Must be a widower?

~

OK... so I started a neighbor hood watch in Tbilisi...lol. I can hear my neighbors now... she doesn't miss much. At home there isn't much that gets past me in the neighborhood. So to all my neighbors out there... What am I missing? Did Barbra move? How are our new neighbors?

~

Oh.. before I forget... Happy belated Birthday Morgan, Congratulations Timmy C.,

Congratulations Martina.. sorry I missed your shower. As you know we were leaving the following day. I heard it was wonderful. We'll have to play catch up as soon as we get settled.

Happy Birthday Katie and Amanda ( I left your gifts for Grandma & Dido to give you ;o) )

Congratulations Mindy, Peter & Issac. Can't wait to meet Olivia Lee.

~

OK... back to Tbilisi

It amazes me how these people walk around this network of alleys and court yards at night. I guess you get used to it after a while. Although there are window guards on many lower floor windows and balconies I haven't seen any activity in Georgia that I would consider hostile or intimidating. We're very comfortable walking around here... although we really haven't had much of an opportunity to get in too much trouble. Our agency staff keeps pretty close tabs on us. Making sure we always have a ride and translator with us. Better safe then sorry I suppose. But I was thinking about it today. Tbilisi is much safer then say NYC. You don't see police cars chasing people around. There is a pretty obvious police / security presence but we haven't seen any action as we would have at home. Today for the first time we saw an ambulance wiz by. Have yet to see a fire truck... although I'm sure they have them.

~

Here's part of our view. You can see the contrast of old against the newer apartments buildings. From what I can tell everyone has a balcony in Tbilisi. Kind of cool. I would like to see more flowers on these balconies.. but I guess they have different priorities?

We soon left the house to do some running around. Had to run to the notary and the bank.

Then it was back to the apartment to pick up Tamara. Both the passport office and US embassy wanted to see her. So after a quick wardrobe change and lunch we were off again.

Below is a fast food stand in Tbilisi

The passport office.

Tamara... checking out her new Georgian Passport.

Today was a very busy day.

Dots running here... Dots running there... Dots were running everywhere.

( You can see one of the girls next to us in the back seat.. sorting through stacks of documents)

USA... Georgia... USA

Passports are ready

Once Tamara's little feet hit US soil she becomes an instant American Citizen

This will happen at JFK

After passports we went to the embassy. They were very nice but sprung a surprise on us. Apparently they need last years Tax return and our gross income for the past 3 years. Grrr... we didn't know that. Must be something new? But after brain storming for about an hour we figured out how to electronically access the files we needed. They are now printed and ready for our return appointment at 2:30 tomorrow. For a brief moment our hearts sank. We were told without these documents we might get sent back by immigration upon arrival in the USA. Can you imagine? Anyway... unless they needed some special signature from someone in Tbilisi I told Bruce he could have taken the limo home with the luggage and I could have stayed at JFK with Tamara... he then could get all the documentation they need and come and get us. That was plan A ... Since we were able to access the files we needed it should no longer be an issue. Hopefully no other surprises tomorrow.

~

Just for the record... our government is very detail oriented. For those who are in the process... dot your "i's"... cross your "t's". Don't take short cuts. Take extra copies with you... you never know. Take a copy of last years income tax return. Doesn't make sense to me as that was all approved during the home study process but you probably will need it. Our facilitator and staff were very efficient getting all the documents together for the embassy. The embassy staff even asked who we were using. When we told them they said "Oh Good... this should be easy then. They always have it all together." Nice to hear. ;o)

At the US Embassy they do have a small play area with some toys for your child. There is a coffee machine but nothing for your child to drink while there. They do not allow any liquids, gels or powders past the security check point. Make sure your babies are well hydrated and fed before you go. You may be there an hour or longer. There are drinking water fountains in the embassy court yard but I'm assuming it's city water? Although all the locals say it's safe to drink... we've been drinking & brushing our teeth using only bottled water. And yes their potty is a western style. ;o)

Tamara at the apartment... a brief moment of non activity. She totally missed her nap today with all the running around. Over tired ... and over stimulated. She was non stop today. Mommy missed her nap too today...lol. A relaxing bath and off to bed she went.

See Dots Run!!!

~~~

Tamara's Region

Tamara's Region...

This morning Tamara again woke up early... 7:45 am except this morning there was a twist.

Bruce decided to get her out of the crib as I was still sleeping. Our little precious angel decided to wake Mommy up the way she wakes her doll. She tried to open my eye by poking it. Ouch! OK stop laughing I can hear you all the way from Georgia. lol

I of course jumped out of bed... a first for me getting such a greeting. Bruce was chuckling.. and standing far enough away so I couldn't show him my appreciation. lol Tamara was pleased.. she got what she wanted... Mommy was wide awake. ;o)

Anyway that's how my day began. I did the normal potty, wash, dress , feed routine with Tamara. Then Daddy played with her for a while so I could shower and dress. We were being picked up at noon today. Anna stayed to watch Tamara.

~

We had to go to Tamara's birth region. To her family's village to pick up her birth certificate.

This is something I was hoping we could do. I really wanted to see where her family was from. So we headed one hour south of Tbilisi.. to a small town / region. We were pleasantly surprised by what we found. The ride there was a beautiful drive and her town which I can't pronounce never mind spell was adorable. Unfortunately my camera was on a video setting instead of picture.. not sure how that happen so I don't have too many stills to share right now. Hopefully when we get home I can use one of my other programs, other computer and make it work? If I do I' will of course post the pictures and or video. As for the spelling I should get that with the translated Birth Certificate.

Upon arriving to the town we found the office building we were looking for. The certificate was not available until after their lunch break so we went for a walk. Found a sweet little cafe and had some Turkish coffee, really yummy bean bread and some sort of cookie / pastry which had a filling with the consistency of peanut butter but I was told it was boiled whole milk? Don't understand it but they were very good. And obviously no nuts as I am still here.

The people in her town are very nice... seriously nice. I kept looking for someone who might look like Tamara and guess what? Most of them did. I would say 30-40% had wide set eyes and the flatter then usual nose bridge with a longer nose. Most of them had her coloring. The children were all adorable and the adults were pretty good looking and extremely polite, friendly and a little curious in a polite sort of way. I guess they don't get to see many Americans here? It was obvious when we were at their hall of records and they fondled our passports longer then usual. The other employees watched from a far and the woman helping us seemed as if she was trying to breath in the American dream? She too was extremely nice to us.

~

I think as Americans we often take what we have for granted. I would recommend that everyone take at least one trip overseas and if possible mingle with the natives. It is an experience that will change you forever in a positive sense. It is also extremely important that you respect their culture, religion , way of life. We are their guests and need to behave that way. Never try to change someone. If you spend enough time with the natives you will find that most are perfect the way they are. More then likely they will have just as many questions about our way of life as you will about theirs. They seem to think that America is as it is portrayed in movies. We too pass judgements on cultures based on what we hear and see in the media.

So close your eyes and spin that globe... find a place you've never considered as a vacation spot. It will enrich your lives and the lives of those you visit.

~

OK.. where was I? Oh yeah... after our cafe break we hurried back to the Hall of Records where we soon had Tamara's new Birth Certificate which lists Bruce and I as her parents. ;o)

Pretty cool huh?

Tamara is officially Tamara Katarina K_u_g_r ... Yay!!!

~

After acquiring the Birth Certificate we had to hurry back to Tbilisi to start the process for her passport. Got there just in time... it should be ready tomorrow morning.

Then we have to take all our translated copies to the US Embassy for her VISA.

~

Below are some pictures of our journey...

Cattle crossing the 2 lane / 2 way high way.

The Rancher? Is that what you'd call this guy? Or is it a Georgian Cow Boy?

2 More Georgian Cow boys.

River running under the highway... very pretty in person

Farmer ... horse and buggy.. waves from a far.

Mariza our facilitator and Nina our translator in from of the Hall of Records building.

We had a very nice day with them today. And watching them in action was amazing... even with the language barrier we could tell they were super efficient in what they do.

Thanks Girls ;o)

Along the way... Georgia has very rich soil... lots of farming in this region.

Heading back to Tbilisi

This is Tbilisi's Micky D's ... happy to report we haven't seen the inside yet.

Our home away from Home .. below. Nice building with 24 hour security.

As you can see it was an adventurous fun day. When we returned to the apartment Tamara came running with open arms. What a sweet heart.

~

A note to international adoptive parents in the process. Make sure that you are comfortable with your agency and in country staff. This whole process is a huge leap of faith. Being in a forge in country you really have very little choice then to trust the in country staff. Prior to choosing the agency check their references and then follow your gut instincts. It has saved us thousands upon thousands of dollars doing it this way. We as it turns out are extremely fortunate. We found a wonderful sweet daughter and have had a great in country experience so far. Georgia as far surpassed our expectations on every level. Yes we still have construction workers banging away from dawn to dusk but so what? I'm happy to put up with some banging so our neighbors have a better, nicer home. A small price to pay for progress.

~

If any of you travel to Georgia any time soon you'll be amazed at the amount of construction projects going on. I'd say another 10-15 years and Georgia will attract more tourist.

We hope to be among them

~~~

~~~

In My Daughter's Eyes

In My Daughter's Eyes... I am a Hero

This morning started at 7:45 am AGAIN...lol

Little Miss Sunshine woke Mommy up... actually Daddy did.

"OH.. Mommy.. your daughter's awake"

So like every other morning I roll out of bed... pick up my arms stretched cutie pie out of her crib who is already giggling and we head for the potty.

We wash , change, brush and get her ready for breakfast.

Here we are... barely awake.

The morning was spent playing of course.

Then a early nap and we got ready for some running around.

~

Our adoption judgement was signed this morning so off we go to get the Official Georgian Adoption decree which will be translated into English as well.

We got it... actually our facilitator has it for translation. ;o)

Tomorrow we will hopefully get her original Birth certificate. Our facilitator is trying to get someone from the region of her birth to get it for us as it normally takes 10 days for it to reach Tbilisi via snail mail. I know what your thinking... FedEx it?.. not an option here.

Once we have her original Birth Certificate we can have the new one issued. Her birth family is stricken from the original and we're added as her parents. Amazing isn't it?

Once we have that... we get her passport and then it's off to the US Embassy for her Visa to the good ol US of A .. ;o)

~

Below Tamara is all dolled up ready for today's adventure. Still sleepy from her nap.

Waiting for the "Go" call we had a few minutes so Mommy feeds Tamara a fruit yogurt.

She loves Yogurt... perhaps it's because they give the babies a yogurt concoction at the baby house instead of the traditional formula / baby food we're used to?

Anna looks on. Hey guys... she's single. ;o) lol ... yeah I know always the match maker... lol

After dinner Tamara plays and finally starts to settle down a bit.

She was pretty pooped out by now.

Hide your remotes... Tamara likes to be in charge.

Mobile phones are also a big hit with her.

You've been warned ;o)

In my daughters eyes... I am a hero.

Several of you have posted & emailed concerns about bonding. Suggesting that perhaps Tamara has bonded more to her Daddy? Concerns about the lack of photos of Mommy?

There are several things going on here. First off I am the author of this blog and the blog is through my eyes. 99% of the pictures tell the story of what I see during this amazing journey. The blog is about #1 Tamara, #2 the international adoption journey, #3 Mommy, Daddy and sharing this with friends, family and other members of the adoption world.

My hope is to document this part of Tamara's life for her. She will always know who much we truly wanted her. How many people helped and followed along. She will be able to relive the excitement we experienced even before she had any idea something was about to happen. She will be able to relive the Baby Showers, the years of shopping, decorating and redecorating. The months of intense screening we went through and the years of research that went into finding her. She will know that Mom & Dad never faltered... never gave up. Even through 7 country changes there was no doubt we would eventually find her. She will know that we hired the best Doctors in the world to advise us and purchased millions of dollars worth of medical insurance just in case until we were all arrive home safely. There will be no question in my daughters eyes where Mommy was... Mommy was working on bringing her home ... silly.

Regarding our bonding. When Tamara gets a boo boo she looks for Mommy, Mommy is the first thing she sees in the morning and the last person she sees at night. Mommy knows how to make the perfect bubble bath. Mommy feeds her, dresses her and protects her. When we're out she only lets Mom hold her. In the car she's in my lap (no car seats here yet) a little scary. :ol When we come home Tamara runs to me. Mommy and Tamara put on makeup together. Mommy lets her wear a little perfume. Mommy knows how to play dolls. And I can turn tears into giggles with in seconds. There is no doubt in my mind & heart that Tamara is my little girl. The one who was meant to be my daughter. And there is no doubt in my mind that Tamara knows and understands that we are her parents.

~

Daddy's little girl. Yes... she is and it's something I encouraged from day one. It is, was and always will be important to me that Tamara and her Daddy have that special Daddy / Daughter bond. It's very good for both of their development. ;o) Seriously... little girls that have good daddies tend to pick better husbands. Are more secure emotionally and thus have better relationships. I also need to know that Daddy and Tamara could not only survive but thrive in the event something ever happen to me.

~~

Thanks to all those who have left comments offering advice regarding sleep issues, bonding issues and such. It is very much appreciated. And I have been trying out some of your suggestions... so far so good. ;o) Keep em coming... very helpful.

~~

Special thanks to Bruce's boss Stephen and the rest of the Agilent team. You've all been very supportive through out our Journey to Tamara. It has not gone unnoticed and is so very much appreciated. From advice on car seats and child development. Encouragement, reference letters, to redoing employment letters when they mysteriously disappeared in Tbilisi... to covering for Bruce while we're away.

We are both very grateful to you all.

You're the Best! ;o)

~~~

Airing Our Clean Laundry

Airing Our Clean Laundry...

Tamara woke up at 7:45 am this morning... WHAT?

Yeah... she's a morning person and for some reason she's getting up earlier and earlier every day. Smiley face got up went potty, dressed, we washed and headed for the kitchen.

Breakfast... she's always ready to eat. Cereal and milk, followed with a fruit yogurt.

After breakfast she found her stroller. That little stroller kept her busy for a few hours.

Below Daddy gets down on her level and starts to play with her

Tamara loves hats, pocket books, make up and all things girly. She put this one on herself this morning. What a little fashion Diva she is.
Tbilisi has very busy intersections. A tad bit concerning if trying to cross with a stroller. They do have stairs leading to tunnels that take you underneath these intersections. When we use these tunnels Bruce will pick up the front of her stroller and I the back and carry her up and down the stairs while in the stroller. Tamara giggles the whole time. She loves it. Here she picks up the front of her stroller... Daddy has the back as they give Dolly the same thrill.

I put Tamara down for her nap and Nina, Bruce and I went shopping. Anna watched Tamara for us. When we returned a little later then we had planned. Tamara welcomed me with open arms. What a sweet heart. We bought Tamara a really cute stuffed pink cow manufactured in Tbilisi. Below is the mall. About the size of one of the wings on our larger malls. Didn't buy much as the prices are pretty steep compared to the USA. For example there was a toy car for 140 Lari ..about $100 US. I bought one just like it 2 years ago at BJ's for $9.95 ?

Nice mall though. They have a wonderful cafe in the center of the mall where we hung out.. chatted and drank French coffee with Cognac. Yum. Below is the mall. Nina & Bruce are on the left hand side.

While Nina and I shopped.. Bruce was relaxing checking out some electric fireplaces they had on display. Also had a lot of new cars for sale. Some very pretty different versions from what we're used to seeing. Should have taken a few pictures for you car buffs. Sorry :o(

When we returned home after a half hour of hugs and kisses... It was time to air our clean laundry to dry. Finally got the washer working... kind of. Spin cycle doesn't seem to work and it still takes forever. Tamara loves doing laundry. She helps load the washer and insists on helping to hang to dry.

Below is a succession of photos as I followed Bruce and Tamara doing laundry.

OK.. lets go get some more ...

These towels were soaking wet when they brought them out. Some of the bath sheets were so heavy Tamara needed help holding them up. lol

Tamara loved the shopping bag from the toy store... almost as much as her little cow. Here she pretends she's shopping. Very cute!

Tamara learned a new word today... "up" .

We've also been working on "Daddy" after hours of Say Daddy, say Daddy, Daddy, Dad-dy. When we put her to sleep and pretended to sleep hoping that she would too... she started to repeat a bunch of stuff... but what I heard was "Daddy". I think she was checking to see if we were really sleeping?

Tamara is a character. She also brings us our Georgian phrase book if we're trying to tell her something and she doesn't get it. Amazing little girl. So cute, sweet and I'm starting to think it's just a matter of time before she out smarts us. ;o) lol

~~~