View RSS Feed

Virgil

Six Weeks

Rate this Entry
Today made six weeks since we left home. I have to say it’s getting tiresome. We were supposed to get a court date by the end of the week and it didn’t come through. Now they’re saying we’ll know possibly by Monday afternoon. I hope so. My job is getting antsy. We were hoping for a quick court date to make up for the delay at the beginning, and it didn’t happen. I had said I would be back at work sometime before the end of June. Then I told them I would be back by the fourth of July. Now it looks like at least a week after that.

I may have explained this in replies to comments, but let me put it here too. The court date is the big day. That’s where we get interrogated as to why we are worthy and capable of adopting. The judge will make a decision. There is no guarantee, even after all this, that we will be approved. I don’t see why we wouldn’t but it’s always possible.

We were told by our translator that usually the judge makes a decision right then at court. But the last time he went through it, the judge took over a week. It took the British couple about two weeks to find out. So the trend may be away from an instant decision and to longer intervals. Once the judge approves, then there is another two week period to allow appeals. I guess this allows the family of the child to change their mind. It’s at that point we will be informed that Matthew is completely ours.

After our court appearance, whether we’re approved on the spot or not, we will be heading home. We still have one stop to make. Our fingerprints, believe it or not, have expired again and we have decided to have them redone at the American Consulate in Almaty rather than back home. We will have to connect planes in Almaty anyway. But then we go home and wait for the decision and the appeal process. If approved, then the government here needs another two weeks or so to write up all of Matthew’s documents and certificates with his new name and generate a passport. At that point we come back out to pick up and go. So if all goes well, we should have Matthew home by early August.

Last week the Baby House asked for a donation. We knew this was part of the process. We had anticipated a monetary donation, but what they wanted was a cabinet with a sink. So on Friday the driver and translator took us to the part of town with the home construction bodegas and we stopped at a cabinet making store. I don’t know how they do business here, but after the driver and the store owner talked in Kazak or Russian, they came to a price of 30,000 Tenge (just over $200). No dimensions were given, no invoice generated, no receipt written. An agreement was made and we just handed over the money, and sometime next week the cabinet would be finished and delivered. We are getting off easy if that’s all they want as a donation. We had anticipated more than that, even if we still have to buy a faucet for the sink.

We’re getting on each other’s nerves being out here this long. It’s not easy being tied to the hip for six weeks and stuck in a small apartment. We don’t have that much to do during the day and almost nothing on the weekends. Neither of us goes out on our own. We can’t even get into a car and just ride. TV is essentially useless since there is no English. Thank God for the World Cup or the TV would be a complete bust.

We bought some melons on Friday after the cabinet store. I had seen some melons being sold along the street and I had our driver stop at a good fruit and vegetable market. I picked a nice watermelon and the driver suggested we try one of these yellow melons. Ok, I bought one of each. We finished that yellow melon in a snap. It was delicious. I’m not sure we have that kind of melon back home. It’s yellow on the outside and has whitish flesh inside and it’s sort of crispy like an apple almost and very sweet. We loved it. We just tried the watermelon and it was very good too.

So much for now. I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures. This time I’ll feature my wife and Matthew.



This next one has a little story to it. Matthew just loves being walked around and sticking his head though doors and rooms and just being nosey. We stick our heads into rooms all the time. Here my wife took him up to the glass door and showed him the glass with me being on the other side. He was fascinated with the glass and touched it. The next day, one of the Baby House workers stopped us in the playroom and told us not to have Matthew touch the glass. It leaves fingerprints and her Director believes she doesn’t clean. LOL, Matthew got into trouble for the first time.



And finally Matthew and my wife in an outside crib under a gazebo. My wife gets the best smiles out of him. No question he can tell our genders and reacts accordingly. In fact, with all the women that work at the Baby House, I’m probably the only adult male he’s ever had contact with.

Updated 08-03-2010 at 02:37 PM by Virgil

Categories
Uncategorized

Comments

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
  1. qimissung's Avatar
    As usual, Matthew is adorable, and together he and Pussnboots are. Babies are joy.

    I hope your workplace can man up and do the right thing, that is, be patient, because this is big stuff. Good luck.
  2. PrinceMyshkin's Avatar
    Thanks for the latest update. Hey! Could you bring each of us one of those yellow melons? or at least see if you can find out what they're called in English...

    Best
    Jerry
  3. AuntShecky's Avatar
    The photos are wonderful, especially the last one with smiles all around. I do hope that from this point, the process picks up speed and that the three of you can head home! Best of luck and wishes!

    Auntie
  4. TheFifthElement's Avatar
    Could it be a honeydew melon?

    Nice pictures, Virgil.
  5. Lulim's Avatar
    Matthew looks so cute, and this funny hat he wears in the middle picture
  6. OrphanPip's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by TheFifthElement
    Could it be a honeydew melon?

    Nice pictures, Virgil.
    Sounds like a canary melon.

    Best of luck with the court date, Virgil, Matthew is looking great.
  7. Virgil's Avatar
    Thank you Qimi, Prince, Aunty, Fifth, Lulim, and O-P.

    Fifth - No, defintely not a honeydew. We have plenty of those back home and are quite familiar with them.

    O-P - It does have a resemblance to a canary melon, but ours was round and it seems canaries are oblong. It's somewhere between that and a cucumis. It seems to share aspects of both.

    I did take a picture of the melon and i will post it in my next blog. I didn't think it would raise such interest.
  8. mtpspur's Avatar
    I still pray all works out. Government red tape--sigh. I want the three of you guys home with your son. Also hoping your company hangs in you being supportive. It will all be worth it in the end. Thanks for keeping us all updated.
  9. L.M. The Third's Avatar
    It seems like such a long process, with so many hoops to jump through, eh? Best of luck! And the last picture is just beautiful!
  10. Olga4real's Avatar
    Don't forget to was melons thoroughly before eating!!!
    Those kinds of melon you can't find in Europe it's for sure, nor in North America.
    Do you believe in destiny?
    Eventually everything turns for good!
    Updated 06-27-2010 at 02:15 AM by Olga4real
  11. Virgil's Avatar
    Thank you Rich, L.M, and Olga.

    Rich, Qimi - Yeah my job is not going to fire me, and after all maternity leave would be a lot longer than I'm taking off. But still, they're getting edgy with the things. They are missing me and though I know things are well on my project, people's schedules are being affected. They'll understand in the end once I'm back. A week plus or minus is not going to change things. I guess it's the lack of fixed dates that's making me edgy too.

    Olga - I wish destiny didn't take so long. Thank you.
  12. Maryd.'s Avatar
    Patience dear Virgil... Young Matthew will be in his daddy's arms soon enough. That's when you will have new worries, doctors, dentists, schools, uni, partners... This list is never ending. Good luck.
    Did I mention how cute Matthew is?
    xox
  13. applepie's Avatar
    The two of you are getting close. Hopefully this last part will move quickly, and your work will not be too put out by the whole ordeal. Just keep thinking of the prize, and the both of you try not to let nerves over the court date get the better of you. I'm sure you will do fine, you just have to wait a bit longer.

    Much Love,
    Meg

    By the way, I would love a picture of the melon. I may have to try and find it. I'm always on the look out for new fruit ;)
  14. Petrarch's Love's Avatar
    I can only imagine how anxious you are for this time to pass, to get to the judge, to get the right decision, to get your darling Mathew and bring him home! Great pictures of the little one. The expressions on Puss n' Boots' face make her look like a radiant new mother!
  15. Virgil's Avatar
    Thank you Mary, Meg, and Petrarch.

    Mary - I know, but patience is not one of my virtues.

    Meg - I will post the picture of the melon next blog.

    Petrarch - Maybe it's because she is a new mother.
  16. *Classic*Charm*'s Avatar
    Best of luck with the job situation, Virgil. I would hope that allowances could be made for circumstances like yours!

    You're so close now, the two of you! Another month will seem like nothing after all this time!
  17. ClaesGefvenberg's Avatar
    I'm with CC, here, I hope and believe that allowances will be made in a case like this. It's not like you are staying there for no reason, after all...

    Hang in there... /Claes
  18. Paulclem's Avatar
    Hope everything goes along smoothly. Lovely pictures - he's a right Bobby Dazzler - as my Gran would have said.
  19. Buh4Bee's Avatar
    It is enough to frustrate anyone- all the waiting. I just wish you all safe delivery through this process. He is sooo adorable.
  20. The Comedian's Avatar
    Great update Virgil. I can't imagine the judge would turn you down. I mean, you did tell him/her that you were a regular poster to Litnet, right? I mean that should seal the deal right there. . . . or, on second thought. . . .
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast