In early November 2001, my Aunt Mary and I left for Almaty, Kazakstan to meet my daughter, Annalee Grace. I was extremely excited, yet apprehensive about this trip. Looking back, it was one of the best two weeks of my life, not only because I finally held my daughter in my arms, but because of the wonderful people we met along the way. I can honestly say that I will never be the same again. Below are some pictures and the emails I sent home from Almaty. They tell Grace's story.
Tuesday
Aunt Mary and I arrived in Kaz on late Monday night our time, and mid-day your time. The trip was ok. Hard at times due to lack of sleep and cramped space on the airplane, but it really didn't seem that long until we got here.
When we got to Kazakstan, we went through passport control. Not only were we at the end of the line, the official took Aunt Mary's passport out of her booth, locked the door, and left with it for about 3 mintues. We just stood and waited. The official brought it back and stamped it. Scary for a few minutes. Then we struggled with heavy luggage and made it through customs.
The apartment we are staying in is nice. It has a living room, small kitchen, bathroom, and two other rooms. One is a room with a double bed and the other has some couches in it and a horrible looking crib. I slept on the couch last night and it felt so good.
Aunt Mary and I arrived in Kaz on late Monday night our time, and mid-day your time. The trip was ok. Hard at times due to lack of sleep and cramped space on the airplane, but it really didn't seem that long until we got here.
When we got to Kazakstan, we went through passport control. Not only were we at the end of the line, the official took Aunt Mary's passport out of her booth, locked the door, and left with it for about 3 mintues. We just stood and waited. The official brought it back and stamped it. Scary for a few minutes. Then we struggled with heavy luggage and made it through customs.
The apartment we are staying in is nice. It has a living room, small kitchen, bathroom, and two other rooms. One is a room with a double bed and the other has some couches in it and a horrible looking crib. I slept on the couch last night and it felt so good.
Now about Grace. She is just beautiful. This morning the driver came and got us to take us to the babyhouse. We were to meet the lawyer there. We arrived at the babyhouse and waited a little while for the lawyer and two other families to arrive. We went into the orphanage and went upstairs to meet the director. The lawyer told us that this was not Babyhouse #3. That one is being renovated and they recently had moved all the children to this orphanage. She warned us that the children may seem sad because of it as their regular caregivers did not come with them. We were sad because we wanted to meet and thank them for caring for our children. We talked to the director and she told us about our children. When she got to Grace she told me that she was weak and her legs would not withstand her weight. I asked is she was crawling. No, said the director and the lawyer said that she wasn't even sitting up yet. It didn't matter, she was mine, no matter what. They took the Schemmers to see their little boy and left the Millers, Aunt Mary, and me to wait. They finally came back and took us up to the room where the girls were. We left our things in an outside room and then got to go into the room where the girls were. I just about could have jumped out of my skin. It was finally here- the moment I had waited for so long. I walked in and they were "walking" her (she was holding on to a caregivers fingers and walking). They told her in Russian, "This is your Mama (I understood the Mama part)." She came right to me and I held the little person I have dreamed about for so long. She just looked at me. She really didn't know what to make of the idiot who was holding her choking back tears. Aunt Mary has it on video.
She is perfect and beautiful. She wasn't too sure of me at first. We were invited to sit down and play with them. We pulled out some of the toys we brought and played with her. She wouldn't look me in the eye, but was fascinated with the cameras. We looked at books and she loves to put anything in her mouth.
Then my daughter did exactly what they said she couldn't do. She crawls and sits up! The crawling is the funniest though. She crawls on her left knee and right foot. She also can go from crawling to sitting and can get up on her left knee like she is going to walk anyday.
They told us we would have to move to the music room with the babies at this point. We gathered everything up and went downstairs. This is when the girls really came to life. Both were so animated. Grace crawled all over. She was more interested in everyone else but me. She really didn't want to interact with me at all. Once again, just like me- she was being nosy and wated to know what else was going on in the room. Towards the end of our visit she would smile at me.
We left and went to lunch and came back to the babyhouse at 2:00 pm for our next visit. Once again, we had different girls on our hands. Grace will fit into the family. She is high energy, all smiles, and demanding. She likes things her way! During these two hours, she smiled at me, reached her arms out to me, and was more interactive. She even got Aunt Mary to hold her for a little while and then spit up on Aunt Mary!
She has all ten fingers and toes (Michaela and I waited until the caregiver left the room so we could take their socks off and look at their feet). Everyone keeps saying how active she is. They aren't lying, trust me.
Now I'll tell you what I've already concluded about our Amazing Grace. She will keep up with Davis and Paiden (her cousins), she will never sit still, she will charm anyone with her smile, and she will never go to sleep without fighting it. She is strong-willed and nosy. She is the one thing that is making my heart whole.
We got our court date, Wednesday the 14th. We will get Grace that day or early the next morning. Until then, we visit from 10-12 and 2-4 everyday.
Thank you all for your prayers. They got us here safe and sound and helped me finally hold Annalee Grace in my arms. My life will never be the same.
She is perfect and beautiful. She wasn't too sure of me at first. We were invited to sit down and play with them. We pulled out some of the toys we brought and played with her. She wouldn't look me in the eye, but was fascinated with the cameras. We looked at books and she loves to put anything in her mouth.
Then my daughter did exactly what they said she couldn't do. She crawls and sits up! The crawling is the funniest though. She crawls on her left knee and right foot. She also can go from crawling to sitting and can get up on her left knee like she is going to walk anyday.
They told us we would have to move to the music room with the babies at this point. We gathered everything up and went downstairs. This is when the girls really came to life. Both were so animated. Grace crawled all over. She was more interested in everyone else but me. She really didn't want to interact with me at all. Once again, just like me- she was being nosy and wated to know what else was going on in the room. Towards the end of our visit she would smile at me.
We left and went to lunch and came back to the babyhouse at 2:00 pm for our next visit. Once again, we had different girls on our hands. Grace will fit into the family. She is high energy, all smiles, and demanding. She likes things her way! During these two hours, she smiled at me, reached her arms out to me, and was more interactive. She even got Aunt Mary to hold her for a little while and then spit up on Aunt Mary!
She has all ten fingers and toes (Michaela and I waited until the caregiver left the room so we could take their socks off and look at their feet). Everyone keeps saying how active she is. They aren't lying, trust me.
Now I'll tell you what I've already concluded about our Amazing Grace. She will keep up with Davis and Paiden (her cousins), she will never sit still, she will charm anyone with her smile, and she will never go to sleep without fighting it. She is strong-willed and nosy. She is the one thing that is making my heart whole.
We got our court date, Wednesday the 14th. We will get Grace that day or early the next morning. Until then, we visit from 10-12 and 2-4 everyday.
Thank you all for your prayers. They got us here safe and sound and helped me finally hold Annalee Grace in my arms. My life will never be the same.
My first time holding Grace on the floor of her room.
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