Court is Zaftra

We will nervously walk into the courtroom around 10 am tomorrow to bid our plea to become Milan’s legal parents. This is 1:00 am eastern standard time. If you are awake, please light a candle for us!

Frank has been working on his speech and I have been working on my supporting comments. I have also been drilling Frank with questions the judge may ask. (They always mainly address the male in a couple as this is a very old fashioned society in that regard.) When court is over, if there is a favorable decision, then we are required to go to the baby house and take another official family picture with Milo. We will try to post the judge’s decision asap. Neither the judge nor the prosecutor ever came to observe our bonding visits. Apparently the testimony of the social worker who was present in the bonding room for another family will suffice.

Milo’s grandmother (ba-boosh-ka) signed for his release. Our Aktobe coordinator seemed relieved to deliver this news. When we pressed her for more information, she smiled, sighed and said she didn’t want to talk about it. Holy cow. Not to state the obvious, but I think that it’s ludicrous that Kaz laws would not require the final sign off before parents even begin the bonding process. If babooshka had said no, then all of this would have been for nothing. If I had truly understood the process and that our timing / trip requirements would be so drastically different than expected, then we would never have chosen Kazakhstan. But thank goodness we didn’t know because this is where Milan is and I can’t imagine a more perfect child for us. Really and truly he is now at 110% and we are more in love with him every day. He is incredible and I know he will be worth it.

New Requirements

Speaking of timing changes, we are now being told that one parent must be present in Aqtobe two weeks after court (when the appeals period is over) in order to sign the paperwork for the birth and adoption certificates in person. We have been told that this requirement has always been “something on the lawbooks” but only some regions choose to enforce it. Aqtobe is the only region I know of, and we are the only family I know of.

This means that one of us cannot leave as planned. We have decided it will be me (Regina), and Frank will return to the US as anticipated. As far as after that, it seems senseless for me to return to the US and fly back to Kaz again because I will have full custody of Milo once these certificates are signed. I would be leaving just as I could take him from the baby house forever, and then turning around to come right back in only 2 weeks. So as of today, I am planning to stay the whole time.

I have my theory about why they are requiring this. On one hand, I think it’s BS. On the other hand I really didn’t know how I was going to bring myself to leave Milo again anyway -- especially after hearing what a difficult time he had the first time.

In addition, there has been an announcement that adopted children’s passport processing time is now taking longer. Shocker. They estimate an additional 2 to 5 days for this. So unless something else changes I am looking at coming home with Milo around August 15.

We got a little bit of scoop about court today because we were invited to Brigitte and Robby’s (the French couple’s) apartment for lunch! They shared a little about their court experience with us. They have a very nice place near the Mosque – even nicer than ours although a little smaller. They made a traditional French dish of rice, tomatoes and eggs with our choice of tuna or sausage. We had mixed fruit with cake for dessert. It was delicious and they were so hospitable. Another French woman named Claudine joined us, along with her mother. Claudine is here adopting a cute baby boy who has a milder case of strabismus. We had a nice time and it was so good to see them outside the baby house. They all have warm personalities and were lots of fun. They spoke English pretty well, especially Claudine, so language was not a barrier to enjoying ourselves. Unfortunately my French was way too rusty to be of much good.

Little Tim is doing great and has adjusted very well. He was a delight to watch and seeing him happily waddling around their apartment and sleeping in his crib stirred my excitement to have Milo here with me at our apartment. After all of this time together I still have not watched him sleep. It will be heavenly. That is, if the judge says yes and if the appeals period passes without incident.

Wish us luck!