 | Jeff says:
Today is Alex' nine-month birthday. S Dnyom Rozhdeniya, Vika. (Erhm, that means "Happy Birthday, Victoria," and is a popular song on the radio here right now, and it's been stuck in my head all day.)
So let's recap what Alex has done so far:
- Born Aleksander Io. U. in Uralsk, Kazakhstan, in Maternity Hospital #2
- Cared for in Uralsk Baby House #1
- Adopted by us three days ago; name changed to Alexander Jeffrey Holton
- Somewhere along the line, learned to crawl, stand, laugh, and complain when his juice is too watered down
I'm missing a few things in there, such as making his parents smile a whole lot. And waking Daddy up this morning by being cute.
Today, we went shopping for baby food. We spent a small fortune. We wiped up poop (get used to it).
I ogled at my scantily-clad Russian women new CDs, got even more shocked at what I wasn't paying attention to on the covers (these really must be very popular with teenage boys, and not with their mothers), and figured out which songs we'd been hearing on the radio all the time.
Alex spent quite a lot of time today playing, sleeping, and complaining about the fact that we'd watered down his juice too much. He's on to our cost-cutting measures, and he's let us know that he's far too posh for that.
Our driver runs a little business on the side (see his website at Silk Road Painting), so he had us over at his apartment to see what he had to offer. It turns out that it's quite a thriving--albeit small--enterprise, really. He has a number of local artists working for him on the nesting dolls and on the paintings on silk. He also collects some very ornate (and occasionally antique) "dream quilts." These quilts are usually made by the matriarch of a Kazakh family, and are kept in the family for a few generations. As soon as grandma passes away,, the eldest grandson apparently takes the thing and sells in on the street. Sasha benefits. We benefit. The boys get a few bucks. Eventually, the word will get out about the amazing artisanship that goes into these. Today, they aren't made for profit. They're made for family. But these things belong in museums. The embroidery is unbelievable.
Sasha's wife Natasha (yes, Sasha and Natasha...oh, shush) took care of Alex while we were given a presentation of the goods. They showed wonderful hospitality, even though Natasha couldn't understand a word Dina and I were saying (as far as I know), and vice versa. Alex flirted with her a whole lot, and she's Byelorussian, not Kazak. I guess he isn't as selective as I had thought!
I accidentally left my glasses in Sasha's apartment, and we headed back. Alex fell asleep in the car.
We woke him up from his nap a little later and headed off to dinner, returning to Mad Murphy's, the Irish pub where we'd eaten our first day in Almaty weeks ago. We met with the Taylors (with whom we flew here from Frankfurt in August), and also with the Cliffords, a couple we hadn't met yet. They just completed their court appearance as well and adopted two adorable little boys. Unfortunately, immediate execution is not being granted in Almaty, so they did not have the boys with them.
We spent a small fortune there. The restaurant is expensive even by American standards. We each paid about $20 for what would have been about $15 worth of food back home. They must ship in some pretty good food from the U.S. or something, because most of the restaurants here will give a good quality meal for $5-10 a plate. People go to Mad Murphy's for the sequestered, quiet ambiance and the chance to congregate with fellow Americans and Europeans, not for the budget. Given the atmosphere, we had a very nice time, really!
It was wonderful to meet Kai Taylor finally. His mommy and I have had a lovely email banter going on for several months. We have very similar, laid-back, silly personalities, and many attitudes in common, with the polarized exception of politics (maybe, although I'm not really sure I have any extreme opinions any more)..
After dinner, I couldn't get Sasha's phone number to work. Turns out that the system was having problems. I was the only person there with a cellphone, and Zach and April also needed to call their driver. I finally managed to get through to someone else in the WPA office, and she arranged both drivers to come pick us up. They were there within ten minutes. I love this agency.
And I got my glasses back.
We returned home to find this on the wall.
It's about two inches long. I vacuumed it up, and had to repeat later when I found another after doing the laundry an hour later. I had visions of this savage beast eating my child, seriously. It gave me the willies. Dina did some research online and identified it as a "house centipede." Turns out it's completely harmless.
I still don't like it.
I can't believe we only have four more days in this country. There's so much we want to see and do, and no way we can do it all.
Tomorrow we will go to the museum. Hopefully, we will see the Scheblers as well. I have my fingers crossed. They are still having health issues with their little boys. I can't quite say if things are better or worse; they're just different. Please continue to pray for them. They seemed less frazzled on the phone today, but I'm still thinking of them quite a bit.
|
|
 | Dina says:
First off, let me start by saying, “HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET BABY ALEX!”
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
We put Alex to bed around 8:00 last night. He woke up at midnight and we gave him a bottle. Then he slept until 7:45 AM. PLEASE OH PLEASE let this continue! We fed him breakfast, then he played a bit and went down for a nap around 9:30. I slept in the room with him for about an hour. I finally feel like I’ve caught up on all the sleep I missed the last several days. The best part of Alex sleeping and taking naps is the outrageously good mood he’s in when he wakes up! I was in bed this morning and could “feel” someone looking at me. I opened my eyes, and there was mister Alex grinning at me! I could get used to this!
Jeff and I took turns taking care of him today. We put Alex in his crib with a bunch of toys and Jeff took a nap in the room with him while I took a shower. When I walked back in the room (no towel on my head, of course), Jeff was snoring away, and Alex was quietly playing with his toys. It was so peaceful in there! After my shower, I played with Alex a bit. He still loves the “stand up” game, and he’s just so smart! He also feels like he’s gained about five pounds since we first met him. I’ll be curious to see how much he weighs when we get home.
In the afternoon, Jeff and I had Sasha take us to the market to buy some baby food. We got lots of stuff for Alex and a few items for ourselves. We bought all the fixin’s to make pasta with marinara sauce. I'm thinking of making a huge pot of pasta and eat from that for a few days.
After we went shopping, Sasha took us to his apartment to view some of the traditional Kazakh art that he sells. I’m not going to get too specific here because we bought some gifts for people who are reading this. Sasha owns a business called Silk Road Trading. He had some beautiful items and we are really excited about what we found. While Sasha showed us the items, his wife Natasha took care of Alex. He was in heaven. He’s such a little flirt. He LOVES women! He got hungry at one point, so we fixed him a bottle. Natasha fed it to him, and you should have seen the look of bliss on Alex’s face. What a little monkey he is!
For dinner, we met April and Zach Taylor with baby Kai and Julie and Mike Clifford. April and Zach just adopted Kai from Taldy-Korgan, and Julie and Mike are adopting two beautiful baby boys here in Almaty. They already had court, but don’t have custody for the boys until their 15-day waiting period is over. I can’t even imagine what torture that is. We went to Mad Murphy’s Irish Pub and we really enjoyed the evening. This was our first real meal since lunch after court. We’d been grazing on different things up until now, and it was great to eat a nice meal. This was my first attempt to eat one-handed-mama style. I didn’t do too bad! Alex was a perfect little man. He let April and Julie hold him with no problem at all. This is good news for all of you back home waiting to get your paws on him! He probably won’t be scared, although he WILL have that adorable serious look on his face until he’s ready to feel comfortable with you.
We got home, and we put Alex to bed. I have to say, so far he’s been a very easy baby. We are so blessed to have him and all of you supporting us! We can’t believe we’ll be going home in less than a week. We can’t WAIT to see everyone! |
|
Comments for September 3
Comment from
Nana Nina | What heaven! What bliss ~ to wake up and find a smiling baby staring at you. I want to be there. What ever are you going to do when you come home? I mean, there's work and housekeeping and cooking and errands ~ remember, that's why God invented Grandparents. No, not to do the work, but to take care of the baby. :-)
Jeff was a very good baby, too. When he was 3 weeks old, Mike suggested giving him cereal with his 11 o'clock feeding. I said: "You can't give a baby that young cereal!" But Mike said: "Yes you can." So we made really runny baby oatmeal, and put a tiny taste on the tip of his tounge, and after feeding, he went to sleep and didn't wake up until almost 7 AM. Father knows best, I guess.
Of course, Mike and I were awake all night listening to him breathe, for fear he'd choke to death on this 1/4 teaspoon of runny oatmeal! After that, we did that almost every night for a long time, and he never once ever woke up between 11 PM and 7 AM, except for one night when he was 8 months old. He was sort of fussy, and I patted him and gave him some water and he went back to sleep. The next morning, this baby who had been toothless at bedtime the night before had a complete tooth in his mouth! What a good baby. All the signs point to Alex taking after him ... | Comment from
Pat Shikany | Nana Nina,
We did the same cereal trick with our 10 day old and he slept from 11 to 7. It works course now adays the Drs. would say oh you can't do that. Well my son is now 40 and is doing just fine.
Dina, it sounds like Alex is a really good baby. They always seem to work into our schedules so that shouldn't be a problem. Plus he sounds like a happy baby. You may have to fight the grandparents for him. First one on both sides is a very special child. Course he is!!!! | Comment from
Mary Ann Sanford | Greetings from Livermore! Just wanted to say hello and how happy we all are for you. I look forward each day to reading your words and seeing all the photos. It's like a great book and I can't wait to read a new chapter each day! Hope to see you when you are home and settled so we can meet Alex. Have a safe trip home. Love, Mary Ann | Comment from
Uncle Dan | Yesterday's journal was one of the best ... perhaps because we'd been deprived of it for one day. I did an especially long (as I recall) comment which likely contained answers to the major mysteries of life .. and parenthood .. then hit a wrong buttone somewhere and it went 'friiitzzz' and was gone into electronic neverland.
Happy .75 birthday to Alex!! We are loving this boy more everyday. The pictures and the stories from you indicate that he's on a growth curve both physical and otherwise. Of course, we've been involved here for a not immaterial percentage of his young life.
We are having our own adventure here today. We are uncomfortably awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Frandes, or at least her decision on whom she is going to destroy. The media are unpardonable. The coverage is not based upon meteorology, science, or anything else. It's just entertainment of the horrow/suspense variety. They are now doing 'remotes' from the Carribean of the wind, rain, and damage there. If there was only one building destroyed, they'd find enough angles from which to shoot to creat the illusion that the endtimes are here. We were bypassed by Hurricane Charley and pray that Frances has no more interest in our little area of Florida.
We love you guys and will be with you here as long as there is a here here.
Unka D and Aunt Samar | Comment from
Unka D | I just lost another bit of effort here. OK, I've looked at the pictures and had to come back again. Today I vote for number 5 and 15. (Alex's friend in no. 6 is no slouch either! I think he knows it.)
Looked back at the earliest photos and compared them with today's. One can tell a difference in Alex. He's growing both physically and otherwise. He's gone from cautious to seeing the joy in his new situation. It that great or what??!!
Jeff, when I try to print a picture, I get the entire screen which is using up my blue ink. I want to run a couple to have on hand to look at when I need a spiritual uplift. Can you tell an idiot how to isolate the picture from everything else and print?
We're here with you again today and we'll be here everyday as long as there is a here here.
Love
Unka D | Comment from
Nana Nina | Son ~ That is not the sort of photo your mother wants to see on this website!!! Pictures of Alex inserted subliminally into your commentary would be much more conducive to grandmaternal satisfaction. I trust you're intending to stay away all night while Alex sleeps to protect him from the monsters.
You all sound as though you're having a wonderful time there.
Unka Dan ~ I like that .75 birthday. That's cute. | Comment from
Nana Nina again | Oh gosh! Get rid of photo number one, you little devil. | Comment from
maggie clermont | So great to see the pictures of three WPA families together -- I've been following all 3 websites, so to see you all is a little like a celebrity sighting!
As for the centipede -- what a wierd way to feel like Kaz is just like home. I see those sometimes when I do my laundry here in northern New York State.
Take care and keep the good news coming!
maggie | Comment from
Cousin Lana | I don't know about everyone else but I get the feeling that Jeff is being quite the sissy about that house centipede although if it were me I'd have run out of apartment screaming!
Dina!! How much fun is it to say you're a mommy now!?!
I really can't think of what else to say...Love all of you!
<3 | Comment from
Margaret George | I vote for #2 (the happiest child in the world) and #5 (very secure and curious as can be. I can't help but wonder, "What IS he thinking?"). He is sweet, intelligent, and cute as can be.
Unka D, to print a picture, assuming you have a PC (I know nothing about Apple), you RIGHT click on the picture and a window will pop up with several options: save, print, etc. Select print, and it will print the picture only. Hope this helps.
| Comment from
Jonathan | Alright! I can't take the excitement anymore! I was thrilled when I saw the first photos of Jeff,Dina and Alex together, and now to see that things are really moving right along and you're getting ready to come home, I can't take it!!!!!! I'm very envious of all you lucky folks on the west coast who will see this wonderful little guy first!!! Jeff and Dina, I am full of happiness for the two of you! This is truly wonderful.
Jeff, the picture of the "Bada Bing" is hysterical. I can't believe the Sopranos have made it over there so fast! Tony must have quite a business going!
Do nothing but have pure fun with your wonderful new son!
+ the Lord be with you +
Jonathan | Comment from
Julianna | Oh my gosh, I LOVE the backwards hat! Too cute! I love the binky pictures, too!
What does "lo." mean in Alex' birth name?
Can't wait to see you all!
-Julianna | Comment from
Julianna | Oh my gosh, I LOVE the backwards hat! Too cute! I love the binky pictures, too!
What does "lo." mean in Alex' birth name?
Can't wait to see you all!
-Julianna | Comment from
mairesue | You guys are such 'parents' it is so cute!! I love it! I love Dina's "Please Oh Please let this continue." I hope it does too but the minute you get used to it it changes hahaha the joys of parenting.
I am smiling with JOY and very happy for all three of you.
| Comment from
patti | i HATE house centipedes. HATE them. lara and i had an experience with one a while back that would probably make a pretty entertaining video. :) |
|
 |
previous
day
|
|
next
day
|  |
|
|