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Regina, Frank and Milan (Milo) at the Orphanage in Kazakhstan, May '08
Two Months Home
Four Months Home
Six months home
Flower power
FRANK AND REGINA'S JOURNEY INTO PARENTHOOD THROUGH ADOPTION
This site chronicles our experience of adopting a child from Aqtobe, Kazakhstan. We never thought we would want children, but we've learned to never say never! To start at the beginning click on "May 2007" in the blog archive and scroll to the bottom. Our two trips occurred in May and July 2008. We live in Charleston, SC, and can be contacted at regina(at)ruopoli.com. Enjoy!
Regina, Frank and Milan (Milo) at the Orphanage in Kazakhstan, May '08
Two Months Home
Four Months Home
Six months home
Flower power
Blog Archive
- May 2007 (1)
- June 2007 (4)
- July 2007 (3)
- August 2007 (3)
- September 2007 (7)
- October 2007 (7)
- November 2007 (11)
- December 2007 (6)
- January 2008 (7)
- February 2008 (6)
- March 2008 (8)
- April 2008 (11)
- May 2008 (12)
- June 2008 (5)
- July 2008 (18)
- August 2008 (7)
- September 2008 (3)
- October 2008 (3)
- November 2008 (3)
- December 2008 (2)
- January 2009 (2)
- March 2009 (1)
- April 2009 (1)
- May 2009 (1)
- November 2010 (1)
- November 2013 (1)
Followers
Kazakhstan Map
Kazakhstan Flag
Aqtobe Weather
Aqtobe Time
Links
Other Adoption Blogs
Visitor Map Archive
Visitor Map (since 10/8/08)
Our Adoption Timeline
Apr 21, 2007 - Application sent to LMI
May 3, 2007 - Home Study Home Visit
Jun 4, 2007 - Agency Contract Signed / Sent
Jun 28, 2007 - Filed I-600A Form
Jun 12, 2007 - Home Study Complete
Jul 13, 2007 - Immigration Fingerprints
Jul 27, 2007 - Received I-171H
Jul 29, 2007 - FBI Fingerprints
Aug 20, 2007 - Received FBI Fingerprint Clearance
Aug 23, 2007 - Dossier Completed & Sent to Coordinator
Aug 31, 2007 - Dossier Sent for Apostilles by Coordinator
Sep 11-16, 2007 - Dossier in Final Review
Sep 17-Oct 5, 2007 - Dossier in Translation
Oct 5-Nov 7, 2007 - Dossier in Limbo, Waiting on Missing Info
Nov 8-Dec10, 2007 - Dossier at the Kaz Consulate
Dec 11, 2007- Feb 11, 2008 - Dossier at the MFA in Kaz
Feb 12-18, 2008 - Dossier Held for Region Search
Feb 19, 2008 - Assigned to Aqtobe
March 4, 2008 - Dossier at the MOE
May 8, 2008 - Received LOI!
May 14, 2008 - Received Visa/Left USA
May 16, 2008 – Meetcha Day
July 14, 2008 – Court Day
July 30, 2008 – Gotcha Day
August 19, 2008 – Touchdown USA
44 comments:
WHOO HOOO................THIS IS THE BEST FREAKING NEWS EVER... Yahoooooooooo.. YIPPY SKIPPY
You guys are gonna be in country with Kelly and Sne..
Ummm hello when are you expected?
Sandi
OMG!!!! How awesome is that :) I'm so excited for you two!!!
Eileen
YAYYYYYY!!!!!!! How exciting!!!!!! When are you leaving???? Details Details
Hip Hip Hooray !!! It has FINALLY arrived! We are so excited for you guys. Travel safely and best of luck to you. We look forward to following along with your adventure. Most of all we look forward to seeing the first family picture.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask Aqtobe is still fresh in our minds.
Tears of joy for you all. . .
HUGS - Kami, Eric & Lincoln
I forgot to add: (chanting) We want details, we want details :)
Okay, I'm in tears. CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I've been blog stalking waiting for this news. And that has to be the coolest "we've got the LOI" post ever! So real and so wonderful. Happy pre-travel frenzy!
Tears Tears Tears.. of joy of course. As I listen to your post I was surprised the tears of JOY running down my checks. I am so excited for you guys. I am also excited my theory worked again (see last post comment). Please let us know if we can do anything to help you get on that plane.
With love and best wishes you guys get over there and be the best parents ever!!!
Love The Kieffer's
Yay! We are SO happy for you guys :)
I've never "seen" such a great post.
With this Mother's Day present comes a great Father's Day with your baby.
Thank you for sharing this intimate moment with everyone. Those of us who have been through it are reliving it with your phone call, and those who are waiting can see that LOIs do come true.
Thanks for sharing such as special time. I have tears of joy & a sniffly nose! What an awesome Mother's Day gift! Like everyone else, I want details!!!
I am soooo happy for both of you!
So, so, so excited for you! We can't wait to read all about your journey. Just to think of how your child is there right now waiting for you...and you will be together so soon...congratulations!!!!
Lisa and Corey
Woo hoo!!!! The best news!!! I'm so excited for you. Just thrilled! So when, when, when?! :-)
I'm doing the happy dance!
tHAT WAS THE COOLEST EVER WAY TO ANNOUNCE IT! thank you for sharing that. that was really cool and special.
So, as soon as possible...how soon can that be??
that is so amazing!
YAY!!! :)
Ya'll are so creative-and it was so cool and "real" to hear the emotion in your voice. :)
happy happy day!!!
So cool that we'll have you and Frank and Kelly and Sne to follow. :)
I truly have a heart full of joy for you. :)
I cannot wait to cheer you on! :)
OMG THIS IS FREAKIN GREAT! I am so happy for you!! Your water broke - that had me cracking up! Oh I am so excited to follow your journey! I can't wait! Awesome!!!!!!!!!
OMG! That's so awesome! I'm so happy for you. Can't wait to read more as things progress. You have me crying here! :)
Gretchen
You have got to be kidding! How did you have the presence of mind to set up a video camera? I feel like such a voyeur - Thank You for sharing such a magical moment with all of us. We are so wonderfully happy for you, Frank, and your child. Have a terrific next few days. Lots of Love, Take Care.
Tougy, KJ, and Steve
Holy Smokes...you are one your way!!! Love how you recorded your message - very nice! I know how you are feeling now. A million things to do, your heart is pounding, then crying with tears of happiness. Focus and get packed! You've got a child to bring home. Safe travels!
This is one GOOD Day. WHOOO HOOO! It's happening.
We will be beside you in thoughts!
YEA! and AW!
Thanks for the heads up as blogs are the last thing on my mind right now (I just arrived home after my business trip and a 6 hour drive).
Woo hoo! And a double yippie - yi yo! We must be on the same wave length! Though I hope they gave you a little more time to prepare...
Can't wait to see you in Almaty... or if you want to leave on Saturday KLM still has some decent fares and we'll see you in Amsterdam! Congratulations! The end of the agony is nigh. It's the start of somethin' special...
Regina & Frank,
It happened when you least expected it, see??? I have such tears of pure joy for you. And in the true and coolest Regina fashion, what a unique way to announce your blessed news! SOOOOO awesome, love you guys, know your head is a spinnin' and your heart is full. Lemme know if I can help in anyway. I am here if you need me. HOOOOOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a beautiful way to let your family of bloggers hear the great news!!
We are all holding our breathe waiting on the details!!!
Darlene
Congratulations and what an awesome post!! We are very excited for you and it must be an incredible feeling. We can't wait to follow along.
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! Tears STREAMING down my face. That is the EXACT conversation we had. EXACT! Except I was screaming and we were together in a parking lot at Marshall's office.
WE ARE BESIDE OURSELVES with joy for you! This is the greatest news in SO LONG!!! HOOORRRAYYYY!!! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!
YAY!!!! I'm so excited for you guys! whoo-hooo :) aww, I loved hearing the phone call, such a great way to tell us all about the LOI. Can't wait to see you holding your little boy or girl. whoo-hoo!!!!! :)
CONGRATS!!! How exciting...HOW EXCITING!!!
Lisa Masse
Congratulations!!! Tears of joy are streaming down my face as I was listening to your phone call to Frank. Can't wait until you can post more details.
Holly (and Dean)
Woohoo!!!! I can't wait to hear the details and see posts of you guys from kaz with baby Habibi!!! Congrats!!!
Christel
http://cookfamilyadventures.blogspot.com
I am crying. What an awesome idea, taping your initial conversation. I am SO incredibly happy for you two!
Safest Travels!
Christy
OH, I'm teary-eyed now, like everybody else!!!! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!!!!! It's so cool to hear your voices and so amazing of you to share that moment with all of us out here. I have to say... you sounded so CALM! Or maybe it's just because you'd already done your fair share of screaming and passing out? :^)
And yes.. it happened when you least expected it... in the middle of a Kazakh holiday, no less. Cool.
Details, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got Frank's email at work, and came here -- I am joining the tearing-up crowd -- congratulations!!!!
Safe travels!!!
Tell Habibi we all said hi!!!!!
Hooray!!! Can't wait to hear the details and to follow along. Happy Mother's Day! :)
Sara
P.S. Love your creativity, as always!!
You are so damn cool. Great post! Congratulations and safe travels.
Heidi Biglin
Regina and Frank - Now that's what your public wanted to see and hear! I'm so excited for you both! What perfect news to start Mother's Day weekend...I think you'll agree getting your LOI is better than getting flowers or even chocolates :-) Anything I can do to help, let me know, I'm so very excited you're finally going to get your baby!!!
Our only advice is bring a decent stroller - they are expensive over there and are really flimsy - we went through 3 of them.
Happy Trip Planning!
Sheila, Stephen and Maxim (Kokshetau a. 29-Feb-08)
Hooray! Congrats Congrats! Can't wait to follow along!
Kristi
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations both of you !!!!!!!!!!!! Soon you will be wiping butts and noses like the rest of us!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see how it all goes!!!
Very cool. Savor this moment...the very one you have been waiting for after what seems an eternity of waiting...and the excitement and anticipation which follows. Until the next great moment...meeting your child. Can't wait to see your journey unfold. Thanks again so much for letting me come along for the ride.
Pam and Nicholas (from Ust Kam)
www.lifewithnicholas.com
Wow - I have chills and tears in my eyes! I love the joy in your voices!! Congrats!
Jodi, Owen's mom
Congratulations!
We just got our LOI too - May 7 - and we'll be leaving on the 24th. As far as we know, we'll be in Almaty - but our agency is waiting for official word before they tell us all of the details!
Take Care,
Tammy and Rod
Congratulations! I actually did read your blog before you went undercover. Glad to be included on the rest of your journey. Some day it will be me...
Margaret
That brought tears to my eyes. Hooray for your LOI. We are so excited for you and wish you the best. Chris and Tricia
Happy Mother's Day indeed!!! Plus, I made the blog! What a star moment! We couldn't be more thrilled for you.
Love, Cindy
You guys suck! That made me cry!
I love both of you and wish all the best to you and your family! I can't wait to meet your new addition! Have a safe trip , take lots of pictures and I will see you soon.
Friends for life!
Wendell
Way to make a total stranger tear up! Happy for you. I haven't been on in a bit and so I am just now catching up!I see you are there and am anxious to hear everything! Gena
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