Our Journey to Kazakhstan

Kyra Has Left the Building

2007-02-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

It is Thursday, March 1 in Kazakhstan and Kyra is officially out of the orphanage. She will take the 10-hour train ride (with our coordinator, Vera, as chaperone), pick up her Visa at the U.S. Consulate in Almaty, and then board a flight to Amsterdam. After a few hours, she'll be on another flight to LAX, where we will pick them up on Sunday. It's completely surreal at this point. We've waited for three years to have another child. Now that she's almost here, we've hit that euphoric state that comes from having a new baby (and one that's already potty trained, too!). The feelings are almost like falling in love again--the sky looks especially blue, the trees are an amazing shade of green, everything looks absolutely beautiful. Today, I just sat and stared at the ocean for 15 minutes. We can see it from our backyard and tend to take the view for granted. Today, it was just too stunning to ignore. I don't know how much time we'll have for blogging once Kyra gets here. If you don't hear from us for a while, then don't worry...just know that we are living in complete happiness with our two beautiful children.

My Water Just Broke...

2007-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Well, not really, of course...but it does feel that way. We just got the message that Kyra will be arriving on Sunday, March 4. She's ahead of schedule...just like Nicholas was when he arrived into our family. I have nothing to compare this to other than the arrival of our "homemade" son, and it's amazing how similar my emotions are to that event. I've been organizing and cleaning the entire house (spices have been alphabetized, clothes have been arranged by color). I've been comparing her arrival to the "sell by" dates on all of the groceries (Kyra will be here before the milk expires). And I've purchased every pink thing I can find (including pink cups for the kitchen). Yep, I'm acting just as "nutty" as I did when I was pregnant. This is so great! We've already welcomed this little girl into our hearts. We can't wait until we welcome her into our home.

We Have a Daughter

2007-02-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

On February 6th, we entered Court No. 2 in Taraz, Kazahstan (which is pictured at left). Two hours later, we left with a daughter! Kyra is now an official member of the Schwartz family. Prior to court, we were told not to worry because the judge has never denied an adoption request. However, court hearings in any language can be intimidating. Because of the added stress and anxiety of a foreign court, we came up with really creative things to worry about: What if we get in a car accident and don't make it to court? (We didn't); What if the judge doesn't show up? (He was 90 minutes late); What if Kyra's birth mother does show up? (Unlikely since Kyra was abandoned on the streets of Taraz more than a year ago). The appropriate people--the judge, prosecutor, orphanage director, Guardian Council member, coordinator and translator--showed up and we spent about 30 minutes in the courtroom. The judge began by asking Michael to make a speech. Then the orphanage director and Guardian Council member made speeches on our behalf. Next, it was the prosecutor's turn. She had a few questions, but no objections. The judge asked us a few more questions and then went into a long speech in Kazakh. The only words we understood were "Kyra Catherine Schwartz," but as soon as we heard them, we knew he'd ruled in our favor. Now, there's a mandatory 15-day appeal period. On February 22, our coordinator will get the final court decree and Kyra's new birth certificate, which lists us as her parents. It should take another week to get her passport, so we're planning on her arrival around the end of the month.

We have spent three years trying to adopt a little girl, and we can't believe it's actually happened. She may not have come into the family the same way our "homemade" son did, but her arrival is no less miraculous. So many things have to come together to make an international adoption a success. We filled out a small truckload worth of documents, we were fingerprinted at least a dozen times, we were interviewed by social workers and psychiatrists, we paid thousands of dollars in fees...and that's all before we even left the U.S.! There were times when we really wondered if we'd survive this experience. It is a long, and definitely trying, process. We're happy to report it's been worth every second and every cent.

We're Ba-ack!

2007-02-03T01:17:00.000-08:00

The two weeks we had at home went surprisingly fast, and we are back in Kazakhstan. It took 30 hours from the time we left our house until we arrived in Almaty. There's snow on the ground and the whole city looks grey. When I look out our hotel window, I can see for about two blocks and then everything disappears into a thick fog. We've spent the day at the InterContinental Hotel (the photo shows the hotel's lobby), which is wonderfully Americanized. We took hot showers, ate a great breakfast and are even watching American TV via satellite. And most of the staff speak English. Being in a country where you don't speak the language can be mentally exhausting. You're constantly trying to figure out what people are saying and basic things like asking for a glass of water can turn into a furious game of charades. We're enjoying this last little bit of pampering before we take the 10-hour train ride to Taraz. Yep, tonight we're going on the S**t train (which, of course, stands for "Soviet") and we'll arrive in Taraz tomorrow at 4:30am. The orphanages are closed to visitors on Sundays, so we won't be able to visit Kyra until Monday morning. Court is on Tuesday, and we'll leave for home on Wednesday. A quick trip, but this time we're focused on getting our girl home as soon as possible.

Go Into the Light

2007-01-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

There's light at the end of the tunnel...and it's the train to Almaty! On the night of January 15, we spent 10 hours on the overnight train traveling from Taraz to Almaty. We purchased a room with four bunk beds and it was still barely enough space for the two of us and our luggage (which may be more of a commentary on all the luggage we had!). We shared a train car with several people, some of whom slept in rooms like ours, others slept in the corridor. A young Kazakh man shoveled coal into a furnace all night to keep the car warm. Our room was closest to the furnace so we had plenty of heat. For some reason, the "coal man" opened our door in the middle of the night and Michael jumped out of bed, thinking we must be at our destination. I looked out the window and saw nothing but snow covered hills. I told him to go back to sleep, but he insisted on trying to getting more information. He left our room without remembering the number, and then went door-to-door trying to find his way back. By the time he found our room, he'd woken up most of the car and was insistent that "something must be happening because everyone's awake." (Do you think it could be because of the crazy American?)

After we arrived in Almaty, we went to the U.S. Consulate, which is on the 17th floor of a modern office building. We spent five minutes and $380, and Kyra now has her Visa for entry into the U.S. I expected balloons, streamers and the Marine Corps band, but it was pretty anti-climactic. Our flights to Frankfurt and then to LA were great. Fortunately, we made it out the day before the big storm hit Germany.

We'll return to Kazakhstan from February 2-7 for our court date, which is on February 6th. We haven't broken the news to our son, Nicholas. He was so excited to see us that I just can't tell him that we're leaving again. However, this time will be much shorter and when it's over, he'll officially have a baby sister.

Happy Days Are Here Again!

2007-01-12T04:45:00.000-08:00

Our visit with Kyra went really well today. She whined for the first few minutes, but then spent an hour and a half playing with us. We also bought her some new shoes (as my daughter, this will be the first of many new pairs she'll receive), and a hat and scarf (which she loved).

We're winding down our time here in Taraz. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we will appear before the Guardianship Council on Monday. It is a group of six people (one of whom is the vice-mayor of Taraz) who will hear our request to adopt Kyra. If approved, they will send a formal recommendation to the court and the judge will schedule a date (probably in early February) to officially approve the adoption. After that, it will take two weeks to get Kyra's "exit paperwork" so she can leave Kazakhstan and become an American citizen. We'll return home during this process and our coordinator, Vera, will fly Kyra home after everything is completed. We are expecting them to arrive in the U.S. in mid to late February. Once the plane lands and Kyra's foot touches the ground, she will instantly become an American citizen. For some reason, it doesn't happen until she actually touches American soil. It will be a great day for the Schwartz family!

Double Down(er)

2007-01-11T03:26:00.000-08:00

The last two days with Kyra have been really challenging. She screams and throws a tantrum at the beginning of each visit, and it takes about 20 minutes to calm her down. It could be the language barrier (we haven't had a translator in the room with us for the last few weeks, and communication is down to gestures and sounds). It could be that her friend, Alexandra, was adopted and left for the U.S. this week. It could simply be that she's two and is going through a phase. After she calms down, we are able to play (in this photo, Michael is teaching her how to play Blackjack), but I think her transition to our family will take some time.

As many of you know, two of my husband's passions are cards and caffeine. He's already located every casino in Taraz, and yesterday he sniffed out the only restaurant in town with a cappuccino machine. We were in espresso heaven! We drank so much that we couldn't sleep for most of the night. It was worth it. I've been having serious White Mocha withdrawals, and this will get me through until we're home. As soon as we land in LA, I'm heading to the first Starbucks! (Does anyone know where I can find one close to LAX?)

Earlier today, we went to the mausoleum of a Muslim warrior from the 10th century. (Our translator told us his name, but there's no way I'm going to attempt to spell it in English.) We had to take our shoes off (even though it was snowing outside) and go inside a cold, dark room that was about 20 x 20 feet. In the middle of the room was a coffin, which was covered with white silk with gold embroidery. There were no lights, no candles...the only illumination was through small openings in the brick walls. A large Muslim man, who seemed to be keeping watch over the coffin, motioned for us to kneel on the mats that lined the edge of the room. As soon as we did, he locked the door and then started chanting from the Koran. At this point, our translator told us we could make a wish and it would come true. I don't know if I believe that, but it was an interesting experience. After ten minutes--and 200 tenge (we actually had to "tip" the guy)--we were back out in the snow and, you guessed it, heading to our favorite pizza place.

Reality Bites

2007-01-09T00:58:00.000-08:00

We're on Day 15 of Survivor - Kazakhstan. On this show, we don't win a million dollars. Instead, we spend thousands of dollars, sleep on mattresses that are more like patio furniture cushions, and use towels so stiff they feel more like a loofah than cotton. And the food? Most of the time, we have no idea what we're ordering. Only two restaurants have menus with English translations. It's not as good as it sounds because the translations are flawed. One menu item is "A jack of the spaghetti." Another says, "Mutton in the test." And several entrees include "forcemeat." I thought I'd be safe with the "original salad." The waitress brought eggs, beef tongue and mayonnaise all mixed together. We did find one place that makes pizza. We eat there every day.

In the last two days, we've visited the local Russian Orthodox Church and the art gallery, where we bought a small painting by a Taraz artist. We have no idea how we're going to carry that on to Lufthansa, but it was so beautiful that we couldn't resist. We've also been back to the bazaar. There's something oddly fascinating about outdoor merchants, narrow corridors covered by tarps, and one place where you can buy everything from butter to boots. (I know you're thinking that last part sounds like WalMart, but the bazaar is completely different. It's comprised of hundreds of individual merchants and has been on this same site for 2,000 years. The ruins of early Taraz lie beneath it and archaeologists have been unable to access them because no one wants to upset the bazaar.)

The photo shows Michael wearing the coat he bought at the bazaar. He looks really handsome, and more like his Russian side of the family (his Mom was born in Kiev). We're still working on his language skills. He knows one Russian nursery rhyme and the word chetireh, which means four. Unless we're buying something for four tenge or doing something at 4:00, it really doesn't help us.

Well, that's it for now. We're off to the pizza place for dinner.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

2007-01-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

Today, Kyra laughed for the first time. Michael was throwing her up in the air and she laughed out loud. It was quite an accomplishment. Until now, she's been fairly stoic and withdrawn. It's good to see a glimpse of the little girl she will be once we get her home.

After our visit to the orphanage, we went to the exact location where Kyra was found. She was abandoned in a remote part of Taraz in October 2005. We drove around the area--there are several industrial buildings, several vacant buildings, and a prison. The police brought her to the orphanage in November 2005, and then waited six months to see if someone would claim her. No one did, so she was put up for adoption. It's a sad beginning for such a beautiful little girl, and it's no wonder she doesn't show a lot of emotion yet.

On a more positive note, we can't imagine anyone else as our daughter. We have grown so attached to her over the past few weeks. She is a great addition to our family and she deserves a peaceful, stable and loving home. Now she'll have one.

One Step at a Time...

2007-01-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

Today was the eighth day of our 14-day mandatory bonding period with Kyra. Progress has been two steps forward, one step back. Yesterday, she wanted to be held for most of the visit. We also gave her some new clothes, which she modeled for her playgroup (11 other children she lives with, one of whom is being adopted by a family in Irvine). All clothes and toys at the orphanage are communal so she's never really had anything that is her own. She is so proud of these clothes and strokes her sweater like it's some kind of pet. Despite yesterday's "success," today was more of a struggle. She hung out with us for about 90 minutes and then started crying. She wanted to go back to her playgroup. We try not to take it personal. We also found out that we'll go to court on Monday, January 15th at 4:00pm and then we'll take the overnight train to Almaty. On Tuesday, we'll visit the U.S. Consulate in Almaty for an official interview to apply for Kyra's Visa to the U.S. On Wednesday, we will fly home. We will return to Kazakhstan for three days in February to finalize the adoption, and then Kyra will be able to fly home to California.

When we're not visiting Kyra, Michael and I are trying to stay busy. Every day, we walk around the city until our feet are so frozen we have to go back to the hotel and warm them up with the hairdryer. On one of our recent walks, we met the camel at the top of this post.

Earlier today we went to the bazaar, which is where most people do their shopping. (Yes, even in Kazakhstan I can figure out a way to work shopping into the itinerary.) Michael bought a sweater and I bought a coat with arctic fox fur trim for 28000 tenge (about $200). I'm guessing that the same coat would cost about $800 in the U.S. Yesterday, we went to the museum. Our coordinator arranged a private tour with Svetlana, a very kind Russian woman who also speaks English. We learned a lot about Taraz, which is the oldest city in Kazakhstan. The city originated in 54 BC when Zhi Zhi Chanyu (a Mongolian prince) built a settlement here. Since that time, the city has been alternately controlled by the Persians, Byzantine, Turks, Mongols, Kazakhs and, of course, the Russians (who controlled the city from 1864-1991). The museum has several artifacts from all of the different periods and we were even allowed to touch some statues and other items from the 4th-10th centuries. We also learned that Taraz's sister city is Fresno, California.

Despite all of the interesting things we're doing, we really miss home and especially our son, Nicholas. We've never been away from him this long before, and it's been very hard on all of us. We are counting down the days until we can see him again.

It's Great to be a Trojan!

2007-01-02T01:41:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a game. We could hear the smack down all the way over here in Kazakhstan. Actually, we "watched" the game via the Internet. We couldn't get a live video or radio feed, so Michael (complete in his USC t-shirt and hat) refreshed the Fox Sports web site every 30 seconds and read the play-by-play out loud. When USC had a comfortable lead, he told me that he'd bet $300 on the game. (Special thanks to George Musick. He always bets against the Trojans and is slowly funding our kids' college educations.)

We had a great visit with Kyra today. We go to the orphanage every day between 10am-12pm. Today, we took packages of peanut butter crackers. Kyra ate two whole packages and still wanted more. She's starving! After our visit, Michael and I went to the grocery store and, with the help of our translator, bought all sorts of food for tomorrow's visit.

It has been snowing every night and is bone chilling cold. We wake up each morning at 7:00am, when the world is still dark outside and the only sound is the chanting from the local mosque. Islam is the most commonly practiced religion in Kazakhstan, with 47% of the population identified as Muslim (a slight majority over the 46% identified as Christian). Every morning, a man's voice chants over a loud speaker to call all the Muslims to morning prayer. I don't know if it's live or recorded, but it's a beautiful and peaceful sound. I'm going to see if I can get Michael to continue the tradition once we're back in Ladera Ranch.

Well, that's all from this side of the world. We love and miss you all.

Almost Famous

2006-12-31T00:53:00.000-08:00

Here's our girl. Isn't she beautiful? Nicholas, we can't wait for you to meet her. We know you'll have so much fun playing together. We really enjoy our visits to the orphanage when we get to play with her, too.

During the rest of the time, Michael and I are busy becoming the infamous Americans in Taraz. Yesterday, everywhere we went--from the grocery store to the bank--people were staring at us and smiling. I thought, "This is great. They really like Americans here." Then we asked two girls who spoke broken English why everyone was smiling. They pointed at Michael's plaid pants and started giggling. All of the people here wear dark, solid color pants and I guess they hadn't seen plaid before. Michael's ego will heal.

Never one to be outdone, I got some attention of my own when we went for a walk in the middle of town. I slipped on the snow (I was not built for cold climates) and fell flat on my back. Michael said that it was because I insist on wearing my high-heeled, black boots. I pointed out that I wear them because they look great, especially when my feet are in the air and people can really see them.

We're also adjusting to the time change (Taraz is 14 hours ahead of California) and the fact that the sun doesn't come up until 8:30am. Hot water and heat are also intermittent so we've really come to appreciate a warm shower in the morning. The food is good: for breakfast we have eggs and coffee, lunch is borscht and beer. We haven't had dinner yet since we usually pass out around 3pm and don't wake up again until all the restaurants are closed. We'll try to stay up tonight for the New Year's Eve festivities. We hope you all have a Happy New Year!

We've Arrived!

2006-12-30T14:36:00.000-08:00

It took 48 hours, but we finally made it to Taraz, Kazakhstan. We flew from LAX to Frankfurt, and should have continued from Frankfurt to Almaty; however, we couldn't land due to fog and were diverted to Astana (the capitol of Kazahstan). Twenty hours later, we were on another flight and finally arrived in Almaty at 8:00pm on Thursday. We had missed the train to Taraz so our only transportation was via taxi. I guess I should mention that Taraz is a six hour drive. Our coordinator found a very kind, 60-something man to drive us all the way for $150. We sped through the night at 70 mph on a two-lane highway, weaving in and out of a steady stream of buses and trucks. I was sure we were going to get in an accident ("Two Americans were killed this morning in Kazakhstan...") and I was tempted to use Michael's scarf as a blindfold. However, we said non-stop prayers and arrived safely at 3:ooam on Friday. The man dropped us at the Hotel Gazovik and then immediately started the drive back to Almaty.

Our hotel is located at the center of the city, on the corner of a large rectangle that is the main gathering area. There is a large statue of Genghis Khan in the center (NOTE: Since writing this post, I found out that this is not accurate. Most of the people we've spoken with in Taraz have assured me it's not Khan; however, no one seems to know who it is), and the rest of the area is decorated for a big New Year's Eve celebration tonight. There are food and game booths (one is a shooting gallery, and it looks like they're using real BB guns), and several booths where you pay to take a photo in front of a decorated background. Firecrackers have been going off for the last 24 hours, and we've been told to expect a huge fireworks display tonight. New Year's seems to be a very big holiday here.

Now to the important part of our journey...we visited the orphanage on Friday morning. We were interviewed by the director and then asked to watch the children's Christmas program. It was beautiful! All of the little girls, including Kyra, were dressed in white, frilly dresses and wearing silver crowns. The little boys were dressed as various stuffed animals. A few adults also wore costumes: Santa Claus, reindeer, a Christmas princess wearing a long white dress, etc. The children performed some songs and dances, and were then given gifts donated by a local company. We noticed Kyra immediately. She very meticulously followed the dance steps and lead the other children through their routines. She's very smart and a definite leader (another Type-A for the Schwartz family!).

We visited her again this morning (Saturday). She likes the musical toys that we brought, and we also gave her the stuffed bear that Nicholas made for her at Build-a-Bear. She doesn't speak English and we don't speak Kazakh, so there is an interpreter with us during the visits. We will spend 14 consecutive days visiting her and then file for a court date.