YAY We are a family!!!

HI Everybody-

We are officially a family. It is 11:30pm on Tuesday night and the kiddos, while still in their beds are STILL NOT ASLEEP. That is right, they have decided there is no way, no how, they are going to sleep at all. And, if we leave the room then they are unhappy and we dont want that either. So, right now Papa is in there and I will go relieve him momentarily. I cannot believe they are still awake. We started the 'to bed' process at 8pm- their bedtime- and are still at it. Any advice?

But to give a recap of our wonderful day!

First we went off to the vital records office- a boring place, filled with bureaucrats. Aaron filled out some very unofficial looking paperwork and off our coordinator went to the powers that be. A little while later we were called into an office where this lady handed us very official looking -- new birth certificates- naming Aaron and I the parents of Apple and Orange. Wow, seeing my name, in Russian, as the birth mother- for some reason I didnt actually realize you got a totally new birth certificate with all new info. Kind of surreal to be honest but in a good way. Then we got the adoption certificates and decree, stating that the children are now ours and the 10 day period has ended. YAY! We had to sign about 20 different places- it was crazy she kept handing us papers and saying Mama, Papa, sign here over and over again. No idea what we signed because it was all in Russian but hopefully not led astray! Then she gave a lovely speech about family and we were off.

Next it was to the bank to exchange more $$ for donations to the baby home and then some last minute shopping for some other gifts I hadnt known about before. Then we were off to the Baby Home! We got there around 4pm and the kids were awesome- I mean, totally calm, totally happy- let us change their clothes no problem, happy to read a story while we waited etc. I was so worried, and for nothing! There was one moment of tears when we left and got into the car but that was soon forgotten as we whisked down the highway for 2 hours of sights and sounds they had never heard or seen before. They were so great in the car- so brave and cute and good - very proud! Seatbelts were not their favorite thing so who knows what they will feel about car seats but they were so good anyway!

Then to the apartment- elevators are very very scary if they are tiny, old, Russian, noisy and you have never ever seen one before. Once we got over that and up to our 9th floor apartment things were great. We fed them a light dinner and they loved it- had 3rds and 4ths of things but here is a shocker, Orange, who we thought would eat anything, will not eat hard boiled eggs. Nope. Very interesting.

Then onto bathtime- Apple was so awesome- she loved the bath, great at brushing her teeth, combing her hair etc. She didnt even mind me washing her hair. Orange was also a trooper to be sure and cute as a button-- he doesnt like to have his hair washed and brushing his teeth was not high on his list of favorite things but they both love being wrapped in big fluffy towels to dry off. :) So adorable.

Then a story, a snack and a cuddle. Things are going well, right. You are all reading along thinking- Wow, even though Sarah and Aaron have never parented a moment in their life, they are doing a pretty bang up job of it. Well, here is where the wheels come off the cart. Bed time. Yup, at 8pm we put them down- lots of tears, scared, unhappy. Get that sorted out, but no sleep. If we leave the room Orange is out of his bed runnng around and Apple is sitting in her bed crying. She still has not even laid down- she would not even take her shoes off until 10:45pm (she had put them on again with her jammies after her bath- apparently this is common with kids from baby homes- their shoes disappear onto other kids if they do not guard them so she is feeling quite attached to her new pink sparkly sandals). So, at least we have her shoes off now! I will let you all know how it goes if and when we ever go to sleep but for now we are HAPPY, THRILLED, and TIRED.

Love,
Us