Home Sweet Home!

We are home!!!!

We got home on Saturday the 29th! Rylie has been an amazing trooper for the past week since we left Astana. Almaty was hectic, but a very beautiful city. We were happy to be able to take in some of the sights of Almaty while we were there.

We left Almaty at 4am on Saturday morning for our long journey home. Rylie loved the planes for the most part. She was a little too pre-occupied with taking everything in that she didn't really sleep too much. But she was a very happy baby and spent much of the flights walking up and down the aisles waving and blowing raspberries to everyone. She especially loved the safety announcements at the beginning of the flights- the flight attendants all joked that they hadn't seen someone pay such close attention in years! After very short layovers in Frankfurt and Chicago (so short that we came very close to missing our connection at O'Hare) we finally landed in Phoenix at 2:47 on Saturday afternoon- the best feeling ever! When we got to the airport, we were greeted by a wonderful gathering of family and friends and even a few strangers who were so excited about our arrival that they helped to hold up some of the signs! Rylie has continued to do amazingly well and we are ecstatic and thrilled beyond words to finally have her home. We will post more pictures soon- especially of her emotional welcome home celebration at the airport, but here are a few from the past week.

Leaving Astana...

We bought Rylie her own seat for all of the flights and brought this carseat along with us. Rylie hated the carseat and only sat in if for 5 minutes during our flight from Astana to Almaty. So while it was very nice to have the extra space on all of the flights, the carseat was not such a hit. Luckily she seems much happier in her more cushioned car seats at home.

Leaving Kazakhstan....Take off from Almaty!

Rylie playing with Pa on one of the flights

While in Frankfurt, Rylie became friends with another special person who was heading home (from Afghanistan) for a very special homecoming as well!

The new US Citizen! Touchdown in Chicago...

Our princess is home! Checkout the shirt her Daddy got made for her as a little surprise!

Happy to be with Daddy again!

Rylie has gotten to meet lots of family and friends over the past few days. She has especially loved hanging out with her two cousins, Jordyn and Micah. Here are a few pics of Rylie dining with Micah (they are only 10 weeks apart.)

And yes, her caregivers were right---- our little Rylie LOVES to eat!

That's all from Phoenix (so nice to say Phoenix instead of Astana!)

Paca Paca Astana!

We are getting ready to leave Astana and head to Almaty this afternoon. Rylie has been doing really well and seems to be adjusting to her new life. She's settled into somewhat of a routine in the apartment, of course just in time for us to pack up and head to a hotel in Almaty. We will be getting to Almaty today, and will spend the rest of the week completing all of Rylie's paperwork at the US Embassy so that when we touch down at Chicago O'hare on Saturday, she will officially be a US Citizen. If all goes as planned, we will be back in Phoenix on Saturday at 2:45pm! So hopefully we'll be on our way home soon.
Not sure what the internet situation will be in Almaty. So until next time, Paca Paca from Astana!
Love to everyone....
PS- And happy birthday to all of the people that have celebrated/ are celebrating birthdays this week!

Life with Rylie...

So we've now been in the apartment with Rylie for a little over 24 hours, and she is doing fabulously. We had a great evening with her, and she very much enjoyed exploring her new surroundings. She has been eating great. She slept really well last night. I would be lying if I said the same was true for me- I basically sat there watching her for much of the night and for the time that I actually did sleep, I think I woke up every 20 minutes to check on her. The only thing Rylie really hates, other than of course her snowsuit (which she had to wear two times today) is the bath. Rylie got to watch Sesame Street for the first time- I brought a DVD from home. She was very intrigued, especially by Elmo. Overall, she is doing amazingly well, especially considering all of the changes that have happened in her little world over the past 30 hours. To say that I am ecstatic to have her finally would be the understatement of the century. We just can't wait to be on our way home to Phoenix.

We got Rylie's passport today and are heading to Almaty on Christmas Day, where we will finish all of the paperwork at the US Embassy, then it is off to Phoenix! We could head to Almaty tomorrow, but the clinic and Embassy aren't open on Christmas day, so we're just sticking with our original plan. Still hoping to be home on Saturday afternoon 12-29 around 2:45 pm Phoenix time, but we'll see how it all plays out.

Here are a few pictures of Rylie for the past day. Enjoy...

Rylie and Pa reading Rylie's favorite book Are You Ticklish?

Rylie loves her Pack n Play. While I know a lot of people take this time in Kaz as an opportunity to come up with creative sleeping arrangements for their babies, we just stuck with a pack n play. It wasn't such a big deal to bring, and Rylie has been sleeping really well in it. For whatever my two cents are worth to people who are waiting to travel, I would recommend bringing one along. They are super expensive here, so I would not plan on buying one here. Rylie is a big fan of scratching on the mesh siding of the pack 'n play. She seemed to enjoy doing that. I enjoyed it also at 12:30 this morning :-)

The previously mentioned bath that Rylie hated. She stood up and tried to walk away in the middle.

Rylie definitely likes Elmo. She was very intrigued by him for the 15 minutes of Sesame Street that we watched today. And lastly, have you ever seen anything cuter!?!? This was layer number 2 over her regular clothes before we put her snowsuit on.

So that's all. Love to everyone....

Free at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rylie is free! At 2:00 this afternoon, we went to pick up Rylie! After giving out the goodies to all of the wonderful people at the Hope Baby House Astana, we left with Rylie. Finally, she is here. For good. Such a good feeling!

A few pics of Rylie's big escape, a lot of goodbyes and a special hello to her Pa!

When we got there, Rylie got to meet Pa for the first time! Rylie gave Pa lots of smiles!

Pa with one of the original little princesses, and of course his newest little princess!

One last time on the changing tableAnd some special goodbyes to some very special people--- the caregivers

Leaving Rylie's room, once and for all....

One final goodbye to a very special doctor....

And of course to Dr. Alma!
And then we began the preparation of bundling Rylie up for the snowy Astana day. And leaving together, for good!!!
Coming home to the apartment

Rylie is doing fabulously. We are thrilled to have her for good, and never have to give her back!love to everyone!!!!

Rylie's Last Night in the Baby House!

So while you are all sleeping on Thursday night, Rylie will be making her great escape from the Baby House. While this is a day that we have waited for with great anticipation, I am well aware of the fact that Rylie has absolutely no idea what is about to happen. So we will take it one day at a time (and at points, probably 1 hour, or even minute at a time) and hope for a smooth transition. I've gotten all of her food and formula, set up her pack and play, and made a make shift changing area in the corner of the living room (two big pillows on the floor covered by a blanket.) So I think we're ready to go!

It is hard to believe that tomorrow it will be exactly 2 months since Adam and I left Phoenix.

Since I never shared the pictures from when we first met Rylie, I thought this posting would be an appropriate time to share.

This is when we first met Rylie!

So that's the story from Astana. Going to get everything else ready for Rylie's big escape.
Love to everyone...

Greetings from Astana---

Here are a few pictures from our past two days. Holiday preparations are in full swing at the Baby House. They don't celebrate Christmas here, instead New Year's is the big bash. They have a big New Year's tree set up and lots of decorations throughout the Baby House. Here is a picture of the playroom part of Rylie's group's suite. For the past few days, the caregivers have been decorating the place and it looks great!

Today, Rylie and I got a big treat. There was a holiday celebration going on for the 3 year old group. They were all dressed up in costumes (part of the New Year's tradition) and they were singing Kazakh New Year's songs. There were a bunch of adults dressed up as holiday characters, including the favorite Father Frost (Santa Claus) and the Snow Maiden (Father Frost's daughter who is his helper- apparently he doesn't have elves.) The children were absolutely adorable and so excited by the holiday celebrations. We just peaked in the corner so as not to disturb the children. It was really special to get to see it. Unfortunately no pictures of the celebration since I am not allowed to take pictures of the other children in the Baby House. But you can use your imagination--- a 3 year old is a 3 year old- so imagine 25 ecstatic 3 year olds dressed up for the holidays getting to see Father Frost. It was really just a sweet celebration!

Here is a picture from yesterday of Rylie with one of her caregivers, Raisa. Like the rest of the caregivers, Raisa is very sweet and loving to all of the babies. Yesterday, along with a few other families, we brought a huge donation to the Baby House of over 1000 diapers, creams, medicines, and toys for the children of the Hope Baby House in Astana. Here are a few pics of us with the goods. Five families in all contributed to the gift, but two have already departed.

Yesterday afternoon, I went out and bought Rylie some little booties because I think her feet might be cold in the snowsuit-- it is like a big bag that she goes in- sleeves for the arms, but the leg part is like a bag. I think it is more comfortable that way for her, but her feet will be too cold with just socks on since some air still gets in. Check out Rylie modeling her newest booties. They are like the Kazakh version of Uggs. And of course, Rylie with her favorite doctor. This is Dr. Anara. She is Rylie's pediatrician here. Rylie LOVES her (despite the blank stare on Rylie's face in the picture- Rylie was mad because I took her sippy cup away from her for her to take the picture.) Dr. Anara is really sweet and takes such good care of her babies. And of course, the close up of the day :-)

Love to everyone...