Moscow

Well well.. It is now 7 days we have been in Moscow! Our little guy loves it!! But we are so ready to go back home!!!
It has been such an emotional ride and can't wait to be back home.
All our papers are done..USA Visa, registered at the Russian consulat in NYC via Moscow...READY!!!!
Watch our America!!! Our little prince is coming!!!!! :-)


Ca fait maintenant plus de 7 jours nous sommes a Moscow! Notre bout de choux adores la ville!! Mais nous sommes prets a rentrer a la maison!!
C' etait un voyage plutot dur au niveau emotions.
Nos papiers sont finis. Nous les avons tous. Visa pour les USA, registration au consulat Russe de New York tout est fait!!!
Attention American!!! Notre petit prince arrive!!!!! :-)

Our little guy!

Well I guess it has been a while since I posted anything on this blog. However we were busy getting adjusted to our new life as 3.
The first 2 days were very challenging mainly with our feelings including our Little Guy. But day 3 was a blast and it has been none stop since then. We love it!!!!
It is also very nice to be able to hang out with other American families who are adopting also.
Today is the last day of our 10 mandatory days imposed by the Russian gouvernement.
Monday and Tuesday we willbe busy getting our little guy his Russian passport, doctor 's visit and more paper works to exit the Primorye region.
Wednesday we are getting ready to fly to Moscow where we will stay 7 nights. This time paper works for the United states to prepare is entry :-)
He is currently teething so we hope he will be a trooper in the plane.

Ca fait un bon bout de temps que je n'ai plus ecrit sur ce blog mais nous etions plutot occupes a nous ajuster a notre nouvelle vie a 3.
Les deux premiers jours etaient plutot dur ... je pense nous etions les 3 stresses aux changement de notre nouvelle vie.
Mais le troieme jour formidable et depuis on n'arrete pas de rire. On se regale!!!!
Nous passons egalement nos journees avec d'autre familles Americaines aussi en train d'adopter.
Aujourd'hui, c'est le dernier jour de nos 10 jour imposer par le gouvernement Russe pour etre enfin ces parents.
Lundi et Mardi nous serons occuper a preparer son passport Russe afin de faire notre sorti de la region de Primorye. Mercredi nous partons pour Moscou pendant 7 jours pour preparer son entrer aux USA.
Il fait en ce moment ses dents le pauvre...

Court date

Today was our court day! It went great!! However it was very intimidating! Like being in a Russian movie!!!
We had the judge in front of us, 2 prosecutors, our translator and our social worker. We were asked so many questions ... after that, we had to leave the court room to wait on the verdict!
Our verdict?: "we are officially the proud parents of Baby Spera :-) Of course at the end, I had tears in my eyes ....
We never sweated so much in such a cold country Ha! :-)

Monday we go back to the orphanage to pick up our son and wait for our mandatory 10 days.


Aujourd'hui, nous sommes passes en court de justice!!! C'etait effrayant!! comme dans un film Russe!!
Nous avions le judge devant nous, 2 prosecuteurs, our traducteur et notre assistance social.
On nous a pose tellement de questions...apres ca, nous avons du quitter la salle et attendre le verdict du judge.
Notre Verdict?: "Nous sommes les fiers parents de notre petit Spera :-) Bien sur a la fin j'avais des larmes aux yeux...
On a jamais autant transpirer dans un pays aussi froid :-)

Lundi nous allons le chercher.

Day 1

After a long long flight, as we left home on Sunday at 8:00 am to catch our train, bus in Philly, Subway in NYC, flight from NYC to Keif, Keif to Moscow and Moscow to Vladivostok....arrival Tuesday at 12:45 pm. Yeah!!! As you can image, we slept good! Now it is Wednesday and we are getting ready to go see our little man...prior court tomorrow.

Apres un tres tres long voyage, nous avions quiter notre maison Dimance a 8:00 du mat pour prendre le train, le bus a Philadelphia, metro a New York, vol de NYC a Kief, Keif a Moscou et Moscou Vladivostok... arrivee Mardi a 12:45. Yeah!!!!! comme vous pouvez vous imaginer on a bien dormi! Maintenant on est Mercredi et on se prepare a voir notre petit homme...demain on passe en justice.

Vladivostok

We just arrived at the Vlad Motor Inn in Vladivostok. It is sunny but -10 degrees celcuis. Lot of snow.
Tomorrow we are meeting with Oksana at 8:30 am to go to the orphanage to visit our little boy.

Nous arrivons juste a l'hotel a Vladivostok. Il fait soleil, -10 degrees et plein de neige.
Demain on a rendez-vous avec Oksana a 8:30 du mat pour aller a l'orphelinage pour visiter notre petit bonhomme.

Friday November 13, 2009 Visas are in!!

We got our visas and passport ready to go on Sunday to catch our flight from JFK !!!!

Visas et Passport sont arrives comme prevu. Dimance nous partons prendre notre avion au depart de JFK New York.!!!!!!

Monday November 9th

Our heads have been spinning since we know we need to get ready ASAP.
Steve has to work everyday 10 hours a day until we leave.. so.. I am left with all the packing and making sure I don't forget nothing.
So far, plane tickets- done. visas on their way- Hotel in Moscow -done. Vlad Motor Inn in Vladivostok - no need to worry the agency take care of it for us :-)
Our little boy clothes, toys, medicines and all the above - almost done.
Stairs case secured...almost done.. Steve working on it as we speak. I know a lot of you are very concerned about our first floor stair case...
So I guess getting there..getting there...

Nos tetes ont pas arrete de tourner depuis qu'on a eu la nouvelle qu'il faut nous preparer au depart ASAP.
Steve travaille tous les jours 10 heures par jour jusqu'a la veille du depart...Donc je dois toutes seul preparer nos valises. et rien oublier.
Pour l'instant, billet d'avion - fait. Visas en progret. Hotel a Moscou - fait. Hotel a Vladivostok pas besoin de m'en occuper notre agence le fait. :-).
Toutes les affaires du petit..presque fait...La cage a escalier a securiser Steve y travaille... je sais beaucoup de vous vous faite du souci au niveau de notre cage d'escalier plutot dangereuse...
Donc, je suppose on va y arriver....

Court date

it is official we have a court date for November 19th.
We will leave Philadelphia on November 15th arrive at Vladivostok on the 17th.
December 3rd, we will leave Vladivostok for Moscow and stay a week there as we need to get our little boy's visa and all the papers needed. So we will come back home on December 11th.
Steve's birthday is on the 7th, so I am so exited we will celebrate in Moscow with our little prince. :-)

C'est officiel, notre date pour passer en justice est le 19 Novembre.
Nous quittons Philadelphia le 15 Novembre pour Vladivostok jusqu'au 3 Decembre pour aller a Moscou pendant une semaine pour faire tous les papiers necessaires du petit.
Nous sommes prevus de rentrer le 11 Decembre.
L'anniversaire de Steve est le 7 Decembre donc on se rejouie a celebrer a Moscou avec notre petit prince :-)

Phone call..Appel telephonique

Hier a 8:45 pm nous avons recu l'appel telephonique de Linda. Notre date pour passer devant le judge est le 18 ou 19 Novembre. Linda nous a aussi annonce on a le bon judge. Apparament l'autre est plutot dur!! Maintenant il me faut faire la demande de notre visa Business Helico Presto!

Yesterday we received Linda's phone call at 8:45 pm. Our court date is schedule for November 18 or 19th. Linda told us we have the good judge. Apparently one is pretty mean!!

Now time to apply for our business visa ASAP!!

One year already! Brief recap of the year!

It is already one year and 2 weeks since we officially sign the contract with our adoption agency.

We had many ups and down but we are very fortunate to have a great Agency!
The downs were really out of control of our agency and they always find a way around.
To give you a brief update of our year:
* October 17th we sign the contract with an Adoption agency in Florida.
because they are in Florida and we leave in Philadelphia, we needed our home study to be done here in PA.
So November we started our home study with a local agency here. (I will not disclose their name... you will see why later).
Because of the Holidays, our HS was done by on January 29th.
Our Floridian Agency was so anxious on us to be done with our HS as they already had a referral for us: A 8 months old boy from Vladivostok.
So you can only imagine how happy were were!
We mailed our dossier #1 the next day ...arrived in Florida the next and needed few days to get it all Apostille and another week to reach Vladivostok.
Well that is when it went all down hill from there...(looking at it now I think it was just meant to be that way..)
Our HS agency ( in PA) just got placed on the red Russian list prior we could be registered by the Department of Education of Vladivostok, which mean we could not be registered in Russia at all. (Being on the red list it means Russia does not want to do business with you anymore).
Since again our Agency is from Florida they could not take other our HS.
So in a hurry we had to find another company in the Philadelphia area that was not on that list and that was quite hard, who will take other our home study ASAP!
More money of course and time lost. Anyway a month after we were able to finally get registered so we could do our first trip.
Well well.. problem #2, the little boy did not have all the papers needed to be applicable for adoption..to make a long story short, in June we find out a Russian family took him as foster parents.
So back to the wait list.
Beginning of July, we received another referral for a little boy in Siberia. Well one hour after we received the referral that one went down the tube also... our HS #2 was also on the bad Russian list!!! So our dossier could not be transferred from one province to another...crazy!!!!!
So our dossier had to stay in Vladivostok and we we had to wait on a child from that region.
At this point, we had to start to believe in faith! The first 2 referrals was just not the right one...there was a reason...
Mid July we received another referral: a 14 months old boy and his sister 3 years old. At least this time they did not emailed us pictures unless we were ready to accept two kids at once.
I know a lot of you thought that was great!! But really going from no kids to 2 kids with different ages!!! That was way to much for us!! so we declined right away knowing they will get the perfect parents capable in taking the challenge.
So we waited and waited until August..you going to say it was not much of a wait...well let me tell you it seems like centuries when you are waiting and do not know when you will receive the call.
So the call came and this time, we feel strongly he is the ONE!!!!
As you all know we meet him recently and now back on the wait. Ha!

November 1st..begining of a new month

Today is November 1st! we are hoping this month will be the month we will come to pick you up.

Yesterday was Halloween and for the first time we did not celebrate with little children... we are waiting for you.. so as much as we still had fun to go to an adult Halloween party, we are also hoping it is the last one.

Hopefully next year the 3 of us we will all go Trick or Treats together :-)

Aujourd'hui, nous somme le 1er Novembre. Nous esperons ce mois ci sera le mois ou nous viendrons te chercher.

Hier c'etait Halloween et pour la premiere fois nous n'avons pas celebrer avec les enfants...nous t'attendons...malgre que nous avons passes une super soiree d'Halloween pour adults, nous esperons aussi que c'est la derniere.

On espere l'annee prochaine nous irons tous les trois ensemble faire le Trick or Treats :-)

La petite chambre/ His little room

Well still working on his bedroom to fill it with toys but for right now it will work for the dossier ...or will have too.

Steve painted free hand the alphabet on the wall. I love it!

Encore en train de travailler sur sa chambre a la remplir de jouets, mais pour l'instant ca suffira pour le dossier...

Steve a peints a la main l'alphabet. J'adore!

No need to go to Harrisburg anymore!

Bonne nouvelles!! Plus besoin d'aller a Harrisburg. :-)

Good News!!! no need anymore to drive to Harrisburg! :-)

dossier presented to court

Yesterday, our dossier was presented to court. Of course they want one more paper. since I was born in France and I am the one who applied for Dmitriy's visa, I need to present my Naturalization paper. No big deal I have it! Just I need to drive tomorrow to Harrisburg to get it Apostille. Oh well. Otherwise, we should here something next week or so :-)

Hier, nos documents ont ete presente a la court. Bien sur ils nous demande un autre papier a fournir! comme je suis nee en France et que j'ai fais la demande du visa de Dmitriy sous mon nom, je dois fournir mon certificat de naturalization avec les etats Unis. Pas de probleme. Demain il me faut donc aller a Harrisburg pour le faire Apostiller. Sinon la semaine prochaine, on devrait avoir des nouvelles. :-)

"Spassiba"

My friend Rudina with her father helped me to translate few phrase in Russian for my scrapbook to present to court!

Thank you GUY!! (Spassiba!)

Mon amie Rudina et son pere m'ont aidee a traduire quelque phrase en Russe pour mon projet photo pour le jour ou on va passer en justice.

Merci les GARS!! (Spassiba!)

Dossier #2

Today since we are already Tuesday in Vladivostok, the dossier should be presented to the judge... That will determine when we should have a court date!!

Aujourd'hui vue qu'il est deja mardi a Vladivostok, le dossier va etre presenter au judge... cela va determiner la date pour notre judgment!!

Our first visit to Vladivostok to meet the most beautiful and sweet boy

On our way from Boston to Maine while visiting our friends Stephanie and John, we received the referral for a baby boy (Friday August 21st). Of course we cancel the rest of our vacation and drove back home as we had to be ready to fly in less than a week...getting our visas, plane tickets and much more...

De notre depart de Boston pour le Maine pendant notre visite chez nos amis Stephanie et John, nous avons recu l'appele telephonique pour nous annoncer on nous a trouve un petit garcon (Vendredi 21 Aout). Bien sur, nous avons annule nos vacances, retour sur Philadelphie au plutot possible, car bien sur il nous faut visas, billets d'avion.. et tous ca en mons de une semaine...

So on Friday August 28th, we were ready to catch our flight from JFK to Vladivostok... the longest flight I ever did.. believe it or not?! Yes!

Donc Vendredi 28 Aout, nous sommes partis prendre notre avion au depart de New York pour Vladivostok...le voyage le plus long que j'ai jamais fait...

We flew Aeroflot the Russia airlines and I have to say, it was quite nice!

Nous avons pris la compagnie Aeroflot et je dois dire c'etait tres bien!

We connected via Moscow where we met Val our correspondent from our Adoption Agency and than back to the next flight for Vladivostok.

Nous avons fait transit a Moscou et nous avons donc rencontrer notre correspondant de l'agence d'Adoption et nous avons epris notre vol pour Vladivostok.

After landing, we were greeted by Oksana who is also our correspondent, our interpret/ driver, name it all she does it!

Apres avoir atteri, nous avons ete accueilli par Oksana notre correspondant, interprete et chauffeur .. bref elle fait tous!

So we left the States on Friday and arrived in Vladivostok on Sunday.. Yeap! 2 days of travelling!

Nous avions donc quitter les USA Vendredi et nous somme arrives a destination final Dimanche.. Oui 2 jours de voyage!!!

On Monday morning we had to meet at the DOE (Department of Education) to receive the permission to visit the child at the orphanage. Whoa!!! That was very interesting! Imagine being interviewed by a very tall Russian woman, no smile, no expression and of course we don't speak a work of Russian. I hid behind Steve and let him do the talk. He did great!!! Now I will always threw him to the wolves!!! It was like being in a movie! Anyway...

Lundi matin, nous avions rendez-vous au bureau du department de l'education pour recevoir la permission de visit l'enfant a l'orphelinat. Whoo!! Plutot interessant! Imaginez etre interroger par une tres grande femme Russe, sans sourire, sans expression et bien sur on parlent pas un mot de Russe. Je me suis donc cachee plus ou moins derriere Steve et je l'ai laisse repondre aux questions. Il etait super!! Donc maintenant je le jete dans la cage aux lions!! Vraiment c'etait comme dans un film d'hollywood!.. en fin bref...

Once at the orphanage, we were place in a little room. I can only tell you, it was for both of us a very emotional day... specially when their opened the door and brought us our hopefully future son!

Arrivee a l'orphelinat, on nous a mis dans une toute petite piece. Je peux seulement vous dire, c'etait pour tous les deux une journee tres emotionelle...surtout le moment ou ils ont ouvert la porte pour nous amener notre (on espere) future fils!

We were able to see him the entire week everyday from 12 noon to 3 pm. The weather was so beautiful we were able to bring him outside... it is so rare for all these children to go outside... Temperature was in the high 70's and he was dress like in the low 50's...

Nous avons pu le voir pendant toute la semaine de midi a 15 heures. The temps etait au plus beau et nous avons pu le sortir ...il est tres rare pour ses enfants de sortir dehors..Il faisait dans les 30 degrees et il etait habille comme si il faisait 10 degrees...

He had never touch dirt, a leaf, very simple things a child enjoy! He loved the wind in his face.. it was just great to see him exploring it all.

Il n'avait jamis touche la terre, le sable, les cailloux, les feuilles des arbres, sentir la brise sur son visage, chose simple mais non existant pour ses petits. C'etait super de le voir explorer.

No need to tell you we both felt in love with this little kid! At that time, we finally knew why we were going thru so many loops, planes, dossiers, apostilles, doctors, Russian ladies... what ever.. he is worth every effort to move mountains if we have to, so we can bring him home...

Aucun doute a vous dire, il nous a totallement charme ce p'tit bout chou! A ce moment on savait vraiment pourquoi nous sommes dans cette aventure.. enquete de moralite, papiers, avions, docteurs, la femme Russe et bien d'autre j'en passe..bref il vaut tous effort de remuer terres et mers pou le ramener avec nous a la maison...

The entire week was great but also very stressful as you are being watch by a Russian Social Worker...Just like if we were on stage. And of course it was one of the only few times I am in a different country and can't speak a word or understand! Oh no sorry I do know a word "Spassiba" ... which I already forgot what it means "Thank you?".. Steve was actually doing good on his Russia vocabulary.

Toutes la semaine etait formidable mais tres stessante aussi car nous etions presque tous le temps suivi par l'assistante social Russe. Nous etions comme sur une scene de theatre. Et bien sur c'etait une des seul fois ou je me retrouve dans un pays ou il m'ai impossible de communiquer ou de comprendre! Pas un mot!!! Ha si j'en ai un "Spassiba" si je me souviens bien ca veut dire "Merci"? Steve etait bien meilleur que moi avec son vocabulaire Russe.

I also had poison ivy, so I had to make sure my arms were covered so Dmitriy will not get infected.. and the cherry on the top of the cake... I fell... yes!!! with Dmitriy in my arm! The outside stairs were terrazzo... well at least Dmitriy was okay ...just crying until Steve picked him up.. Meanwhile I ended up in the orphanage infirmary...yeap!!!

Bien sur je me suis egalement fait piquer avant de partir par une plante des Etats Unies tres empoisonneuse et contagieuse. Donc mes bras devaient etre couverts afin que Dmitriy ne sois pas contaminer. Et la semaine de mieux en mieux je suis tombee dans les escaliers!! Avec Dmitriy dans les bras!! Oh la la !!!! Heureusement dmitriy a rien eu de mal sauf peur et moi j'ai fini a l'infirmerie de l'orphelinat...Yeap!

The hotel we stayed "Vlad Motor Inn" is well made for all these American families coming to pick up their child. We were very fortunate to meet few couples who actually were on their second trip and had their child(ren) with them. It really help to see it is real!!! Because you have time you wonder.. with all the ups and down...you start thinking: Is it just fiction..a dream that will never come true? You wonder...

Nous etions herberges a l'hotel "Vlad Motor Inn" fait pour toutes ces familles americaines. Tres bien et nous avons fait la connaissance d'autre famille americaines qui etaient dans leur voyage final et avaient enfin leur enfants. c'etait fort rassurant de voir ses familles.

On Friday September 4th, it was our last day with Dmitriy and it was not as hard as I expected to leave him behind as we were ready to go home as soon as possible to get our dossier #2 to hopefully get back as soon as possible and bring him back home...

Vendredi 4 Septembre, c'etait notre dernier jour avec Dmitriy. Ce n'etait pas aussi dur que ce je pensais, a le laisser derriere car on voulez vite rentrez aux Etats Unis pour faire le deuxieme dossier afin d'avoir au plus vite possible avoir le jugement pour aller le chercher et le ramener avec nous.

So here we are now on the waiting for a court date....

Donc nous voila maintenant a attendre a quand nous allons passe en jugement....

Vladivostok is located at the Far East of Russia. Pimorye region. It is the end of the Trans-Siberia line.

Vladivostok is the largest city of the Primorye region with 660,000 people.

Vladivostok est situe dans l'Est de la Russie. c'est la fin de la ligne Trans-Siberie.

vladivostok est la plue grande ville de la region Primorye avec 660,000 habitants.

Why? Pourquoi?

J'ai cree ou du moins essaye de cree ce blog afin de vous faire partager notre plus belle experience de notre vie.

I created this blog or at least trying to, to share our most exited time of our life.

L'annee derniere 2008 pendant notre sejour a Naples en Floride nous avons pris la decision d'adopter un enfant quelque part dans le monde...voila comment la Russie nous a en fait choisie.

Last year while back to Naples Florida, we took the decision in adopting a little child from some where in the world...little we knew and Russia choose us.

Apres une long attente avec des hauts et des bas nous sommes enfin parti fin Aout, debut Septembre pour faire la rencontre de notre future fils.. du moins on espere..

After a long wait and many ups and down, we finally left end August begining of September to meet hopefully our future son...

Destination: Vladivostok RUSSIA