Frogger

I couldn't resist sharing these photos. Our little man is obsessed with shoes -- and especially loves wearing his froggie boots after a bath. We can't wait to show these photos to his girlfriends someday!

Also, I updated my last 2 posts with more photos and a video.

I hear him stirring from his nap. Gotta run...

These Eyes

Milo came through his eye surgery this morning with flying colors!

He drank 2 glasses of apple juice and ate a whole banana in the recovery room. Once we got home he slept off the anesthesia for about an hour, and then the Wonderboy himself bounced around happily until bedtime like nothing ever happened! In fact he was in a particularly great mood and full of spunk.

His eye alignment looks so much better! The doc adjusted a muscle in the corner of his eye to allow the eye to move outward, closer to center. The doc slightly under-corrected it on purpose because over the next few years the eye will have a tendency to drift further outward. So in a few years it should look "perfect." But it looks great to us now, and if you weren't specifically evaluating his alignment you'd never notice. His eyeball is fairly red and bloody in the corner right now. It will turn from red to orange to yellow, to finally back to white over the next couple of weeks as he heals -- just like a bruise.

The doc says Milo has about 20/400 vision in his left (bad) eye. It is mostly peripheral vision because the retinal fold is in the center, so he doesn’t see anything in the center. His right eye is totally fine.

Interesting NEW news --- and a warning to parents out there: The doctor has a new theory that that the retinal fold might NOT be something Milo was actually born with. He thinks something caused it. This is because there is some scar tissue on the eye, which is what has pulled on the retina, causing it to fold. (Imagine a contact lens or piece of circular fabric being stretched until it creases.) This impaired the eye's vision, and over time the eye crossed inward from lack of use.

So what caused the scar tissue? He thinks it might have been a parasite named Toxocara Canis (roundworm), which can invade the eye causing Ocular Toxocariasis. There’s lots of info on the net about these. This is not an uncommon condition – even in America – especially for young children.

IF this is indeed what happened, this parasite is gone from Milo’s body, but as we mentioned before the damage to his retina is permanent and irreversible. There is no cure or fix for this -- not glasses nor patching will ever help. But as I mentioned in last post we're certain this will not stop Milo from living life to the fullest and achieving anything he sets his determined little mind to!

When the doctor told us this, a bell went off in our heads because he mentioned that children often get this from playing in SAND that is contaminated with dog or cat feces. The orphanage in Aqtobe has a HUGE sand pile that many of the children play in every day. Of course it was never covered and was certainly frequented by dogs and cats. I had to constantly stop Milo from eating the sand in the sandbox at our apartment complex in Aqtobe. He loves it – so I’m sure he ingested a lion’s share of sand living in the orphanage.

Here is a photo I took of his group playing in the sandpile at the orphanage:


The doctor drew some blood to test for the antibodies for this parasite. If it’s positive, then bingo. Milo’s follow up appointment is next Tuesday, Sept. 30th. We will know for sure then.

Even if this is not the determined cause of his vision loss and strabismus I wanted to share the information so everyone out there can either keep your children out of sandboxes or make sure they stay covered when not in use. I also let my friend, Alysa, know about it because she is in Aqtobe right now and she can relay the information to the orphanage workers and hopefully prevent this from happening to other children.

Thanks to everyone for all your concern and support! We are so relieved this part is over. I'll post photos of him with his his new eye alignment soon. (We can't find our camera.) I just wanted to give everyone the scoop first. In the meantime, enjoy this video. The song playing on the radio was one I sang to myself many times during all the waiting!

Pajama Dancing

One Month Home

Hello? Check…check…123 … Is this thing on? Are you guys still with me?

Well, hello good people! How I’ve missed you.

First, please check out the previous post. I updated it with photos of our homecoming!

I am finally able to catch a breath and share some snippets about our first few weeks as a family. Raising our active little imp is all-consuming right now (hence the long delay in posting an update!) I promise the next one won’t take so long, and I promise to add pictures to this post THIS week.

There has been so much to share, but it’s impossible to convey all the remarkable moments that have happened since coming home with Milo. I have written a thousand blog entries in my mind. This will be a more practical update since I need to catch up on the basics.

In short, life is good, our hearts are full and we are all happy. Milo is doing fantastically well. I’m floored at how well he has adjusted. He is a happy, smiley, goofy boy (we sometimes call him Smilo) with the most engaging little personality. It’s incredible to watch him dovetail into his new life. People say that he seems so comfortable and at home with us. It’s nice to hear. He has fit in like a perfectly shaped puzzle piece. Everything feels so natural.

Milo’s personality is very charismatic. He captivates almost everyone he meets. He has such a zest for life and he is a total flirt. It only takes him a minute to warm up to strangers, but then he is off and running, winning hearts everywhere. Once he smiles, it’s all over. That precious smile lights up not just the whole room, but the whole block!

In case you’re wondering if it’s all giggles and kisses, of course it’s not. Yes, parenting a willful 2-year old is extremely demanding, and we have had our fair share of tantrums, tears, restlessness, clinginess, whining and poo explosions. Ick. But nothing outside the realm of what is considered normal at this stage in the game. I just wish we could find an explanation for his shoe obsession. Not that I mind it!

Doctor Doctor, Gimme the News
We took Milo to the international adoption doctors at the Medical University of SC, as well as one of the best strabismus eye specialists/surgeons in the country, who just happens to work at MUSC’s Storm Eye Institute. (Milo also saw his pediatrician for his ear infection, which has cleared up completely thanks to a little Amoxicillin. His got over his cold, but has been suffering through another one this week. You would think his entire brain was melting with all that green goo coming out of his nose!)

The I/A doctors say that Milo’s health is very good. They gave him the all clear -- he didn’t even have so much as giardia or anemia. Nuttin! He is at about the same developmental stage as an 18-20 month old child, which is good! Being behind the curve is normal and expected for a child who has lived in an orphanage, and in fact the doctors think Milo is doing quite well, especially considering that he has wonky vision. Now that Milo is receiving lots of attention and proper nutrition he is expected to fully catch up with his peers within about 6 months. He is a smart cookie. He is a little small for his age, but this is also expected. He will probably catch up some there too.

The eye specialist (Richard Saunders at MUSC's Storm Eye Institute here in Charleston, SC) evaluated Milo’s strabismus (crossed left eye), and determined that he has a rare defect in the retina called a retinal fold. So Milo’s vision in that eye is compromised, and it there is no way to correct a retinal fold at this point in medical history. His right eye is totally normal (yeah for that!) His left (bad) eye does have some vision, but we will know a lot more about it on this Friday, September 19, when they can better examine him because he will be sedated for surgery to correct the eye’s inward turn. I am happy that our munchkin will be able to look “normal,” even though he will not have perfect, binocular vision. It was hard to hear this news, but of course knowing Milo, monocular vision will never be a barrier to his ultimate plan to explore, charm and conquer the entire galaxy.

He may need touch-up surgeries later in life to keep that eye straight, but that depends on many different factors. I have tried doing research on retinal folds to better understand them, and I cannot find anything that is published for a non-medical professional. There's very little out there, and even so, all of the documents I can find online are impossible to understand and nothing is written in layman’s terms. This is very frustrating for this research junkie. Is anyone out there familiar with retinal folds?

Please keep us in your thoughts on the morning of September 19th as Milo undergoes his eye surgery. It’s a pretty simple outpatient procedure, and we should be home within a few hours afterward.

Happy Birthday, Water Baby
We celebrated Milo’s second birthday at home with our family on August 23. Naturally, our little ham knew just how to play the starring role in the festivities. Milo spent much of the day in his froggie pool. We have hit the big pools since then, and he took to the water like an otter. It’s astounding to see how he loves to go completely underwater – way under – and always comes up with a huge grin on his face! He begs us to let him just go go go, but he refuses to wear a floater suit, so we must hold on to him. We throw him waaaay up in the air to each other and he squeals with delight. There’s no such thing as too high!

SAHM
Frank and I recently made a big decision. I resigned from my full time job to focus on raising Milo. It was a decision made with mixed emotions, and one we could not really make before we got home with our son. I will definitely miss my work and my colleagues, who have been fantastically supportive of our adoption, but this is what Milo needs right now. I guess I can’t call myself a total SAHM because I will be doing some limited freelance projects from home (writing, voiceovers, music) to help with income and to keep my higher mind stimulated. In fact, I will probably be doing some freelance for my former employer, which works out great!

We made this decision because, although Milo is doing well and is a loving and joyful little boy, he is extremely energetic and still in transition to some degree. He needs some very focused parenting right now to catch him up developmentally and help him through this big change in his life. I am absolutely thrilled to be able to care for him full time (with a whole lot of help from Frank, of course!) So is there a minivan in our future? Start placing your bets now...

Bonding and Attachment
I know that all you adoptive parents-to-be out there worry about bonding and attachment with an “older” child. I wanted to let everyone know that this is going beautifully for us. I don’t know how much of this is attributed to Milo’s personality verses the quality of care at the baby house versus us being constantly affectionate with him, but the bottom line is that his heart and spirit are open. We already have a close emotional relationship and it grows stronger with each passing day.

He is loving and affectionate, giving and receiving kisses and hugs easily. He never pulls back from affection. He has great eye contact and sometimes even gazes at me when I’m rocking him to sleep. He falls asleep in our arms or cuddled up beside us easily. He definitely knows we are his primary caregivers, and he categorically prefers us to others, even though he is very friendly to most others. He “checks in” with us constantly, and looks for us if we aren’t in sight. He always likes to be in the same room too. He seems to have an equal preference for both of us right now, but there are certain times he leans towards one or the other.

Because I had so many weeks alone with Milo in Kazakhstan he and I bonded quite a bit there. So I didn’t worry too much about the often-recommended strategies of not allowing other people to feed/hold/kiss/hug him for the first month home. He strongly prefers mom or dad for these things, but he does allow others to do them on a limited basis.

Eating and Sleeping
Milo is sleeping very well. He sleeps for about 10-11 hours every night, and it’s usually straight through and with hardly a peep! He’s a heavy sleeper too. He also takes a 2 hour nap after lunch. He doesn’t have any night terrors and doesn’t seem to be grieving anymore. Frank and I take turns rocking him to sleep in the big chair in his room. For his naps we lay him in his crib in his bedroom, and at night we put him in a large cradle beside our bed. When he awakes he joins us in our bed for awhile before we all rise and start our day.

Language
Milo already understands a huge portion of what we say to him. It’s astounding how much his brain is absorbing. For instance, we can say “Go get your shoes, bring them to mommy and let’s go outside to feed the fish,” he brings me his shoes to put on, runs to the door, and once outside he runs over to the fish pond. His spoken vocabulary is up to 20+ words, and about every other day he says a new one. Among his spoken words are banana, go outside, ice, ball, night-night, bye-bye, more, mama, all gone, up, and out. He’s got mad verbal skillz! And his little voice is as sweet as Maine maple syrup.

Chasing Milo
In addition to sharing our bliss, I want to share the hard stuff too. We do have a few things we are working on with our little stinker.

Milo is extremely active and curious. He wakes up ready to party and he tries his best to keep us running every moment he is awake. (I’ve lost about 20 pounds since first getting custody of him!) He can’t sit still for long. He’s like a shark – he has to be moving to survive! His attention span is short and he likes to roam from room to room, activity to activity. So we have created a schedule for him, and several times a day we do activities that require him to be still and focus for longer stretches of time. His ability to focus is definitely improving. On Thursday he actually sat in one place for 30 minutes to watch a video. I had to pull him back on my lap 3 times, but he did it, and he set a new record for himself! He does sit still well to eat his meals, and he settles down at bedtime very well too.

I have also put in our schedule certain times of day dedicated to encouraging independent play. This is because he has become attention spoiled and doesn’t like us to do much else but focus on him. If he sees me talking on the phone he especially goes into needy/whiny/misbehaving mode. That is very frustrating!

There were several days when he suddenly became very indecisive. For instance he wanted his shoes on, then off, then on, then off – all within the span of 18 seconds. Then he wanted inside the little red wagon and then out of the wagon and then back in within 18 seconds. Or he wanted to read a book, and then not, and then get another book, but then put it back right away and get another one. Of course, we didn’t play this game for long, and some of his best tantrums were thrown when we made him follow through with a decision. We have been advised that this behavior is probably just part of his “testing” process to make sure we are going to be there for him and tend to his needs.

Speaking of tantrums, our boy can definitely express his displeasure effectively! Most are mild, but some are medium. Luckily, none are hot. We usually ignore them because they’re simply a reaction to our saying “don’t do that” or “no, you can’t have another cookie.” Just everyday toddler stuff. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh when he gets really dramatic! When they’re over, we cheerfully approach him and say, “Ok, all done. Let’s go play!” He usually obliges, and also acts as if it never happened.

The thing that worries us most is that Milo knows no fear. He is a total daredevil, but he is also physically reckless and always falling, bumping his head or scraping a knee. Some of this is certainly vision-related (depth perception) but some of this is a general lack of judgment. Any ideas why? Is he just going to be a thrill-seeker and a risk-taker?

His “love biting” is about 75% better than my last report, and that makes it 90% better than when it started. But it still comes and goes.

I think Frank and I would agree that the most frustrating thing that we are trying to work on lately is the whining. Oh the whining! This will improve as his language improves, but in the meantime…oy vey!

Thank You, Village
Our successful journey to find Milo was not made alone. There are all kinds of footprints in our proverbial sand. There are so many people we need to thank for walking with us, advising us, encouraging us and helping us stay strong. I would love to list them all here by name, but I’m worried I’ll forget/hurt someone. Plus, that would take me another week to finish this post! You know who you are – a huge thank you and giant bear hug to our friends, family members, industry professionals, fellow bloggers and faithful readers from all over the world. We immensely appreciate your abiding support.

More updates and photos coming very soon!

Electric smile!

Pitter Patter

There is the most beautiful music in our home. It's the sound of little feet pitter pattering on the floor, toys playing their sweet songs and our son's giggles echoing through the rooms. We are home!!!

Milo was a super trooper on the flights. He definitely had his moments, but considering his age and the circumstances he did pretty darn well and I was so proud of him! It took plenty of snacks, toys and just a little Benedryl to get us through. He made friends and flirted on every flight, and he slept for about half of the Amsterdam-to-Memphis leg.

The trip was grueling for me. I didn't sleep and desperately wished I had taken a stroller. Milo wasn't much for walking, and I had no way to contain him with the exception of carrying him (which I did 90% of the time) and he is the kind of child who takes off running the second you let go of his hand. He was in rare form in the Amsterdam airport toddler play area during our layover there. He was playing at a full tilt -- almost frantically -- hurting himself often and even running out of the room four times. I've never seen anything like it and it exhausted me even more than the flights. A kind-souled woman in there offered to bring me a cup of coffee. I took her up on it! Later we made our way into the nursery area and I put him in one of the cribs to contain him for a few moments. He stood there and wailed while I regrouped my belongings as quickly as I could. That was a tough layover!

We did have one big scary moment in Memphis when the escalator tried to eat my carry-on bag, which threw us off balance and caused us to fall just a few feet from the top of the escalator. I was holding Milo, who hit his head pretty hard, and I've got some big scrapes and bruises, but we're OK. My bag broke open and the contents went everywhere, right down the steps of the escalator. Luckily we had many good souls around us who helped us out. I did break down crying in the ladies room once we got away from the crowd. I guess the scare broke my spirit for a few moments. I had been strong for so long and I was just plain tired of being strong.

Thankfully there were no unexpected delays, and we pushed through to make it home right on time. We were greeted warmly at the Charleston airport by one very eager papa and many of our family and friends. My mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew came down from Indianapolis to surprise us too! I cannot even express the anticipation and relief I felt walking off that plane. I will never ever forget it. I was practically hyperventilating rounding the corner to the lobby in the airport. I felt joy to the bone. As I approached the group of people I knew was my tribe I couldn't make out faces through my tears, but then Frank stepped out and walked toward me. Our stars realigned the very moment he put his arms around Milo and me. As I sobbed into his soft, warm shoulder all became right in the world again.

Milo remembered Frank, but clung to mommy for a little while. He was shy meeting everyone at first, but after a few minutes of introductions and high fives I put him down so everyone could get a good look at him. They were just staring at him with big smiles and taking pictures, and he was just staring back in his little red, white and blue outfit. Then he suddenly got a grin on his face and started clapping and hamming it up, much to the delight of his admirers! By the time we made it to the luggage carousel he was on fire and being his silly little self. What an entertainer!

Thank you so much to everyone who showed up to the airport so late at night. You were all a beautiful sight for sore eyes and we all felt so supported and loved. It was a moment we will remember forever.

Milo has hit the ground running and has adjusted to his new environment incredibly well. I am amazed! He is such a happy boy and almost always smiling. He is just all around wonderful and is capturing hearts left and right. He has has gotten comfortable quickly and our eating / sleeping / playing routine is going pretty well. He and Frank are right back where they left off too. You can tell he feels the love around him and knows that everything is going to be alright. Sometimes I can't believe he's here. It's just the most incredible feeling, made even better by having our loved ones here to share it with us. Our home feels so full and so complete!

Thank you to everyone out there for following along and sending your good vibes and prayers for our safe journey. They worked! We finally made it through the most excruciating, mind-blowing, unforgettable experience of a lifetime, and our sweetest dreams have come true.

We are a family, and we are now living in the happily ever after. It is the end and the beginning.

Big love,
Frank, Regina and Milo Ruopoli

P.S. Stay tuned for more updates every few weeks!

Notice the fresh scrapes on my left leg from the escalator incident!

After all the freeform car rides in Kaz,
Milo was not happy about being restrained!
But mommy rode in the back with him
and he calmed down for a pleasant trip home.
Yes, HOME!

Just close your eyes and click your heels...

Goodbye Kazakhstan. Thank you for the most precious gift of our darling son. And don't go thinking we're giving him back just because he pooped in the bathtub tonight.


We're going home!!!

The Final Stretch

It’s Sunday morning here, and that means we only have two more full days left in Kazakhstan. I can hardly believe I just wrote that! Our appointment with the US Embassy is tomorrow, and we fly out early Tuesday morning. Since we are gaining 10 hours on the flight back, we will arrive at Charleston International at on the same day at 10:40 pm EST.

As relieved as I am to be going home, I know that I will miss this moment in time. No doubt the memories of this crazy, nail-biting, life-affirming saga will all become more quixotic than the reality ever was, the trials will be remembered as triumphs, and the fondest recollections will remain the strongest. It has been a summer of basking in the full human experience. It has been a summer to remember.

Since the last post, Milo and I have had some terrific days and some tricky days. Some were so good that on those evenings I actually had enough energy to cook something special for myself, rather than the usual bowl of cereal or cheese and crackers. I even made tomato sauce from scratch! Thank you Alysa for leaving me your spice packets! A tip for traveling families: Spices are hard to buy here if you don’t read Russian, and the selection isn’t as plentiful as in the US. You might want to bring a few basics if you plan on cooking much.

Milan is doing great, and seems far less “lost” than in the beginning. His cold is getting better, he has much more color in his skin and a tad more meat on his bones. I am certain that he has an ear infection, and I’m using homeopathic eardrops I brough from home until we can get him to a doctor. (The SOS clinic doctor didn’t give him anything to help. Apparently their role is only to determine that he isn’t bringing any communicable illness to the US, not to treat him for little things.)

He always falls asleep in my arms now, and it is divine. It only took a small amount of gentle persuasion from me to get him in this mode regularly, and last night he even "requested" it. Sometimes I cradle him, but he usually sits facing toward me, straddling my lap, and puts his head on my chest. I can’t even describe the feeling. To have him trust me enough to fall asleep in my arms is such an honor. And the icing on the cake is that now he always kisses me goodnight. He lifts his little head up from my chest and looks up toward me making a smacking sound with his lips. We kiss and then he plops his head back down. A few seconds later he does it again, and sometimes a third or fourth time. I know he is only stalling going to sleep, but of course I like to think he just loves our kisses so I let him do it as long as he wants. ;-)

His transition to English is going well. He picks up new things so quickly. I still speak some Kazakh to him, but I mix it up with English. For instance, I'll say "Boll Mite, Don't do that" or “Mala Deits, Good Boy” together. His most regular English word right now is "up." It's so sweet when he says it, with a very pronounced P, and holds his arms up for me to pick him up. He also regularly and enthusiastically says “um” when he’s eating or wants to eat. Not exactly a word, but a very cute exclamation! Last night, he said "nose" when I was teaching him the parts of the face. He can now point out my nose, eyes and hair! He says "hi" a lot, but not always as a greeting. He also still says “mama,” but not at me just yet.

He definitely understands much more than he can speak. Here are just a few of the many phrases he knows: “Good boy, No, Sit down, Let's go, Where are your shoes?, Where is your drink?, Let's change your diaper, Let's go outside, Give mama a kiss, Let’s brush your hair.” It’s so funny, when I say, “Let’s brush your hair” he walks toward me with his head forward. Well, first he runs around and wants me to chase him down, but I refuse to do it and I busy myself with something else while continuing to encourage him to come to me. Finally, he comes toward me with his head bowed in hairbrushing position. It's adorable.

He still loves for us to read books together, which makes me very happy. He will curl up on my lap as we look through the same book a hundred times. He likes his stacking cups and any kind of bag or box -- anything that he can put things in and take things out of. He also loves to get IN them. He is obsessed with opening and closing doors. He just loves doors and light switches, although I guess most 2-year olds do! He still loves his baths, but expresses his bliss a little more calmly now, thank goodness.

As far as our challenges, the play-biting is our biggest one. It’s not usually when he’s angry, but when he’s being silly. He thinks it’s fun, and whenever we do much of anything physical together (tickling, wrestling, etc.) he goes into this mode as part of the game. He generally does it when we are comfortable at home and he is not stressed or angry. He usually doesn't bear down, but sometimes he does. I can usually outmaneuver him and avoid anything painful. Everything I find on the Internet about biting is regarding toddlers who bite out of anger and frustration, and is not geared toward institutionalized children or this kind of excited play-biting. I have been very consistent with disciplining him for this. I have been either holding him, as described in an earlier post, or sometimes I hold his mouth closed for a few seconds. In both cases I calmly say “no biting” several times and show him how to be gentle or to kiss instead. Some days it seems to be working, and other days I think not. It’s a common toddler behavior I know, but being in an orphanage usually magnifies it. It can be exasperating, so any additional information or tips would be much appreciated!

He definitely has an oral fixation, as he is always chewing on something and putting things in his mouth. The good thing is that he usually doesn’t swallow whatever he puts in his mouth. I have given him a pacifier to chew on, as well as a teething ring. He chews the heck out of both, and everything else he can get his hands on. He has 8 upper and 8 lower teeth. Could he be getting more? He still drools quite a bit. I do realize that because he has been through some traumatic experiences in his short life, and his oral fixation is probably his way to cope with it. This is probably why he sucks his thumb, and as our I/A doc recommends we are not discouraging it because he really needs it right now. It’s not doing him any harm, but it brings him comfort. She said if he is still doing it at 5 years old, then we can address it.

Overall he is a very good and tremendously sweet boy. He is such a clown and he cracks me up constantly. I think he knows he's funny too. He has such a large and charming personality. I very often find myself feeling so proud of him. He has come through a frightful storm and is a happy little trooper. What I’ve really come to recognize lately is that I am far from a perfect mom. But life with a child is a daily opportunity for mutual redemption in many fleeting moments, and despite my occasional missteps he seems to love me back and he is allowing me to become his mother.

This week we have been able to enjoy many tourist destinations in Almaty. We visited a place called Medeo, a beautiful mountain valley.

The gorgeous Sergei (driver) and Kate (translator)

We went there with another adoptive family who is here -- Cindy Bilbray; her sister, Beth; her nephew, Taylor, and her new son, Tristan, who is from Semey. They are awesome people. The weather was perfect, the mountains were beautiful, and the views were awe-inspiring. The air up there is so fresh, cool and clean. It felt like something out of a musical. I half expected to see a young girl in braids, a ruffled skirt and peasant blouse skipping by us with a basket full of bread in her arms. On the way home we stopped for lunch at the “Ramstore” Mall. It was interesting because for the first time I felt that stopping at a restaurant for lunch with a toddler wasn't such a huge undertaking after all.

We also went to the Green Market with Cindy (center in the photo below) and her family. This is a very inexpensive, bazaar-like shopping district. I was on a quest to find a large duffel bag, some stickers for the flights home and another large bib. I found all three in less than 20 minutes and paid very little for them!



We also visited the Almaty Zoo with Cindy and her family. It was a nice zoo as far as Kazakhstan goes, but I have unenthusiastic feelings about zoos in general. But the kids were impressed and Cindy and I were able to really talk while we strolled through the grounds together. The big drama there was that a horse nearly kicked me. It came so close I could feel the breeze from it! It was a horse they use for pony rides. Another male horse tried to get fresh with her just as we were walking by and I was looking down to turn on my camera. Apparently the female horse was not in the mood and let him know it via some very high and vigorous back-kicks. Although her kicks were intended for him, they very nearly took my head off! Lucky lucky lucky me.

Milo and I also visited the celebrated Kok-Tobe, which offers striking views of the city below as well as some nice gardens, restaurants, a mini-zoo, children’s play area and table tennis courts. We took the cable car there, which was very cool!




There is also a random, large bronze sculpture of the Beatles there (I thought of you, Jeff!) Many adoptive families stop to snap a photo here. We did too, but please forgive the poor quality of my photos lately. My camera broke in Aqtobe so I bought a cheap replacement until I get home. It doesn't always do the job well.

It was just the two of us on this outing, and it was nice to be able to quietly reflect on the splendor surrounding us. I neeeded it. But it also made me miss Frank more than ever. He would have loved it.

Yesterday we went to the very lush and pretty Gorky Park with a neat woman named Leslie, who just adopted a 10-month girl, Saiyora from Shymkent. Her husband also went home after court, so she and I have been in the same boat. She is from Colorado and was a midwife, and she has an art degree.


Today we are going to the State Museum of Fine Arts together. I look forward to spending more time with her, and seeing some of the finer examples of this country’s impressive artwork.

I’m trying to soak everything in these next two days. Knowing that this chapter is coming to a close, I can’t help but be reminded of this quote:

“It’s when you’re safe at home that you wish you were having an adventure. When you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.” -Thornton Wilder