ALEXANDER
There
were many emotional ups and downs in our adoption process, but overall once
our paperwork was in order and sent to Russia, our wait really wasn't that
long. I must say though for me the longest wait was from the time we received
the video of Alexander until the time we got our court date in Russia and
were able to make our travel plans. Just knowing what he looked like and that
he was over there waiting for us made each day seem like forever. Of course
now looking back, the actual time was relatively short. The main thing to
remember is that you cannot control any of these time tables. They are set
by the Russian government and some things move much slower than we are used
to in the U.S.
Alexander was six months old in the video we were sent
and would be just over nine months old when we traveled to pick him up. We
left Seattle for Moscow on June 4, 1996, his Uncle Dana's birthday, which
we felt was a good omen. We were greeted in Moscow by Global's Russian coordinator,
Alexander (who we referred to as "big Alexander" so as to not confuse
him with our "little Alexander"!), who had a car & driver waiting.
The plan was to take the train to Perm, where the Rehabilitation Center is,
later that afternoon. Alexander asked if we would like to go sightseeing in
Moscow so we drove around and saw Gorky Park, Red Square, The Kremlin and
some other beautiful buildings, cathedrals, etc. This was a whirlwind tour
but at least we can say we saw these places. We just barely made the train,
it was actually 
moving
when my husband jumped on! We had a sleeper car with 2 lower and 2 upper bunks
and settled in for the ride. It was a great way to see the Russian countryside
but of course mainly we were just anxious to get to Perm.
Once we arrived in Perm we checked into the Spa (the hotel where we stayed) and rested for a bit before we went to the Rehabilitation Center to meet our little Alexander for the first time. We weren't sure what to expect as far as the Center's atmosphere, it was an older building, but very clean and well kept. While we wait for the staff to bring Alexander to us, a group of toddlers ran by. They all seemed very happy. I can't describe all the emotions that we went through when we first got to hold Alexander. He was just beautiful and so happy and alert. He was (and still is!) a very sociable little guy, going right from the nurse to my husband and I. For the next few days, we visited Alexander two times a day for several hours. This was a really good experience because we were all able to bond and get used to each other so that when it was time to leave the Center he was familiar with us and us with him. The court process in Perm went smoothly, although the proceedings were in Russian so "big" Alexander translated, but of course we were still very nervous. The judge waived the 10 day waiting period so we knew we would be able to leave for Moscow the next morning.
There
was a lot of running around the city of Perm to get Alexander's passport and
buy plane tickets for the trip to Moscow. We weren't sure we would be able
to get in for the interview at the American Embassy in Moscow the next day,
and the following day they wee closed due to a Russian holiday. This meant
we may have to stay and extra two days, and of course we were very anxious
to get back home. We Faxed the Embassy from Perm and also had my mother call
from the U.S. to Moscow to see if we could secure an appointment for the following
day. We left Perm not knowing for sure if all that had worked, but hoping
for the best. We went to the Center for the final time early the next morning
to pick up "little" Alexander. We had left clothes there for him
to change into for our trip, since the Center keeps the clothes the children
wear there for the next little ones. I should take a moment to say just how
loving and caring everyone of the workers at the Rehabilitation Center are.
You could see that they genuinely care for and love these children. A nurse
was feeding him a bottle when we got there and a few other nurses were gathered
around him too. I could tell they were going to miss him, but I'm sure they
are also happy to know he is becoming part of a family. They handed him to
me and of course there were tears, but there was also a plane to catch!! So
off to the airport we went.
Once in Moscow we went for Alexander's medical exam right near the Embassy and then got his photo taken and then went to the American Embassy for the interview process. It was very hot, no air conditioning, and lots of families waiting. The best part was that there was a coke machine in the Embassy!!! This may not seem like a big deal, but it sometimes is the little things that help you get through the bigger thing!!
After all of that was over we checked into a guest
house (hotel-like), rested a bit and then "big" Alexander and my
husband went back to the Embassy for the paperwork and went to buy "little"
Alexander's plane ticket home!! The guest house was a step down from the Spa
in Perm (which was really quite comfortable). There were two beds, one of
which collapsed as soon as my husband sat on it, and we realized "little"
Alexander would be spending his first night as our son sleeping in our suitcase!!
Between the heat, the lack of hot water for showering, and just plain exhaustion,
we decided that we would splurge and spend our last night (the next night
) at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Moscow. This was really quite extravagant
in "big" Alexander's eyes, but we felt we needed a good night's
rest before our long journey home. We checked into
the Radisson and thought we were in heaven!! It was air conditioned, had a
fridge in the room with bottled water and there was a crib for Alexander.
We all just hung out in the room and rested up for the plane ride home. The
next morning we drove to the airport, said good-bye to "big" Alexander
and boarded the plane to New York. I must say, our son is quite a traveler,
he slept almost the entire flight from Moscow to New York. Then we boarded
the plane from New York to Seattle and that flight wasn't quite as restful
for him, but we all did fine, just knowing we were almost home!! My parents
and brother and his family were waiting at the airport when we got off the
plane and then we all went back to our house where my husband's brother and
his family were waiting for us. Everyone was so excited to meet Alexander.
He went from one person to the next, happy as could be.
We have been home for about seven months now and it
seems to have just flown right by. We took Alexander to the pediatrician the
Monday after we got back and he checked out just fine. He is a little small
weight and height wise for his age, but he was also premature so when you
factor that in, he is doing well. In his subsequent checkups he has been gaining
weight and growing appropriately and is doing all the things he is supposed
to be doing, crawling, walking, starting to talk, etc. Other than for a few
colds he has been perfectly healthy. 
We
are so fortunate to have found this little bundle of joy, he has filled our
lives with so much love. He is quite a character, loves to be the center of
attention, but I must admit we are probably spoiling him just a little bit!!!!
He has two cousins that are close in age to him, Aaron is 4 and Brittany is
just a few months older than Alexander so they all play together and have
a good time. His oldest cousin, Amanda has enjoyed for us and spending time
with him. Alexander is also becoming quite the ice hockey fan. His older cousin
Adam is a goalie and we have been going to a lot of his games.
Looking back now on the whole experience it is easy to say that things basically went well and didn't take as long as we expected, but of course when you are going through the whole process each little setback seems catastrophic and a week seems like a year. All I can say is the (as others told me when I called for advice, support, etc.) once you are home with your child it is all so worth it, you seem to forget all the hassles and just focus on this precious little person and wonder what your life was like before he came along!!!