We're Home!

We've been home almost one week now, and we're still adjusting and trying to establish a schedule for Cameron, so he'll sleep through the night.

Marat arrived at 1:05 a.m. on April 10th, to take us to the airport. The streets were quiet as we speed to our awaiting plane. The others in our party arrived shortly after and we all went inside the terminal. Dimash organized all our luggage and obtained our boarding passes.

From there we went through customs and passport control and showed Cameron's visa. We then went into a waiting area which had a TV. We waited there for a while and then were called to board a bus that would take us to the plane.

The flight from Almaty to Frankfurt went very well. We had bulkhead seating, and the flight attendant attached a bassinet to the wall for Cameron. He went right to sleep in that, and slept for most of the flight. He woke up about 45 minutes outside of Frankfurt, and we entertained him while he sat in the bassinet.

Our stay at the airport seemed pretty long, and we passed a lot of the time at the McDonald's. Finally, at 10:30 a.m., we boarded the plane headed for Atlanta, Georgia.

I won't bore you with the details of that ten hour flight. I'll only say that it felt like the longest ten hours of our lives. Cameron was a very good boy, but he played for about 5 hours straight! And by the time we arrived, Tom and I had been up for 48 hours. I know we were barely functioning.

Eventually, the plane did land. We went through passport control. Use the lines for US citizens, they know what to do, and it is much faster. We were sent to another room, for Cameron's paperwork to be processed. They called us to the counter, reviewed his documents and stamped his passport with the IR-3 stamp. Cameron became a US citizen.

Then it was on to collect baggage and find Linda, who was picking us up. On the way we saw the Kent family contingency and Jim and Cindy Harding. Then, there was Aunt Linda, patiently waiting for us.

We collected our luggage, and we were on our way. The entire Williams family slept for most of the ride home. We walked into the house after greeting our wonderful Dante, and placed a sleeping Cameron in his crib. The journey to bring Cameron home was complete.

And the adventure begins....


Addendum: For those interested, we used World Partners Adoption Inc. We were and are extremely happy with everyone involved with the agency, particularly the agency directors Jim and Cindy Harding. If you have any questions about World Partners or Kazakhstan, please don't hesitate to email me. I'll answer during one of Cameron's naps.

Only hours until we leave Kazakhstan.

Between teething and a cough, Cameron had a rough night last night. Mama and baby finally got a good three hours of sleep between 3:30 and 6:30 a.m.

Both my mother and Linda called to check in on us. Linda call mainly to finalize arrangements for our arrival in Atlanta tomorrow.

After Cam had lunch we all managed to get a little rest. I had spent the morning packing, and I now have almost everything in suitcases.

Right now, as I write, Cam is on the floor playing with his dragon. He seems to like the mirror with crinkly cover.

Cameron slept pretty well last night. He really fought going to bed, even though he was obviously tired. It took about 1 1/2 hours, but he finally fell asleep at about 9:00 p.m.

He woke us up at about 2:00 a.m. At 2:30 a.m., he started crying, so we got up and fed him a bottle. He didn't go back to sleep until 4:30 a.m. We all pretty much slept then until 6:30 a.m.

We got up, and at 7:00 a.m., we called my mother with our new I-Card. She was able to call us right back and we had a nice chat.

After the phone call, Cameron had breakfast. He had some warm cereal and formula. Cam seems to enjoy the cereal and rinks the new formula with no problem.

Cam had just finished breakfast when the phone rang. It was Aunt Linda! My Mom had called her and give her our phone number and she'd called to hear we were alright first hand.

Marat picked us up at 2:50 p.m. today for our last meeting with the lawyers. She discussed and explained what would happen at the US Embassy and covered our departure from Almaty.

Everything for the US Embassy was done. All we needed to do was show up at the office with Cameron, sign a couple forms and wait for our documents.

We also talked about our experiences in Petropavlovsk. When we told her about the donation to Vital Records, Gulzhan was astounded and a little upset. She left the room and came back with money to cover what we had given.

We were at the lawyers' for about 40 minutes, then it was time to go to the US Embassy. When we arrived, the Kents with Alma and Connie with Colleen were already there. We each waited for our names to be called. Pretty soon, we heard a woman call out "Williams" and we went to a window where a very nice lady waited for us. She was very friendly and congratulated us. She also asked about Cameron's middle name, Carlpatrick, saying it was very interesting. Tom signed two forms after taking an oath. Then the lady told us we could sit down and wait for our packet to be readied. A few minutes later, we heard our name again and went to a different window and received that precious white envelope with Cameron's US Visa.

At 6:30 p.m., we met the Kents' at "Mad Murphy's Irish Pub" for dinner. Our first dinner out as a family. We had a great time. We compare war stories and admired each other's babies. Cameron was very good. He only spit on Mama's pants one time.

Marat will be picking us up at 1:15 a.m. Thursday to go to the airport. We are paying for the VIP service, which will allow Dimash to help us with our luggage and ensure we are safely checked in. We will be on the plane with the Kents, Connie & Colleen and Jim Harding (the director of our agency.)

Tomorrow, we will lay low, relaxing, getting organized, and packed.

This is the first chance I've had to write. We went to the Baby House to pick up Cameron at 12:45 yesterday. The plane was late, so we waited at the Baby House for about an hour before leaving for the airport.

At the airport, we waited in the "VIP" lounge until it was time to board the plane. When we got on the plane, we saw there weren't very many people, so we spread out across the seats in front of us.

The flight was once again very smooth and Cameron was great. In fact, he started to nod off as the plan was landing in Kochestau!

As the plane was getting ready to take off again, about 10 young men cam on board who were in high spirits. They each had a "Juicy" box. Something tells me there wasn't just orange juice in those boxes. We were afraid we were in for a rowdy flight. But within minutes of take-off, they had all fallen fast asleep.

Cameron fell asleep too, and slept for a good 40 minutes. Everything was smooth and we taxied into Almaty at 7:45 p.m.

A couple kind gentlemen helped us get our bags, both onto the shuttle and also to the parking lot. At the parking lot, our eyes searched for the familiar face of Dimash from the lawyers' office. We did not see him. We began to be concerned, standing with all our luggage, Cameron and men asking us in Russian if we needed a taxi.

After what seemed the longest amount of time, but was actually only about five minutes, Dimash cam dashing up. Behind him was Marat, our driver. They had been stopped by the police.

Marat drove us to our apartment, which is very nice. It's different than the first one. It has a good sized kitchen, living room, bedroom, and separate bathroom. Marat returned after taking Dimash home so we could go to the Ramstore.

Tom bought some food and water so we could have dinner and breakfast.

We had a playpen for Cameron to sleep in. He had some trouble adjusting to his new surrounding so he couldn't sleep and Mama and Daddy couldn't go to sleep either. I kept trying to hear him breathe.

Tom finally laid down on the floor next to the crib and Cam and I got some sleep.

We had breakfast this morning and Marat picked us up at 10:40 a.m. to go to the medical clinic for Cameron to get his physical. Cam got a clean bill of health and the doctor told us that there was no way some of the medical diagnoses could be correct.

Everyone was impressed by how active Cam is.

In the waiting room, we ran into Denise, Scott, and Alma, and Connie and Marina. Cam and Alma were so cute together. Cam gently reached out and took Alma's hand as he smiled at her. We have a very outgoing and sweet boy. Maybe even a bit of a flirt.

Jim Harding was also there and took a group picture of us.

From there we went to get a picture taken for the visa and then to the Ramstore.

Cameron had started getting sleepy at the medical clinic and he was completely asleep by the time we arrived at the apartment. We took him straight out of his Snugli and put him in his crib. And he slept for over an hour.

Cam's nap gave us time to have a quiet lunch together. He woke a short time later and has had us going ever since.

I gave him a sponge bath and left him in just his diaper so he could enjoy being cool.

We are going to the US Embassy tomorrow for our interview, so Cam can get his US Visa. Once that is done, we'll be completely paper ready to go home.

We hope to meet the Kents for dinner tomorrow.

So anyway... From the Baby House we drove to the store, where we usually get our food. It in fact has much more than food. I have seen everything from clothes, lamps, small appliance to tables where lottery tickets are sold. We bought two boxes of chocolates to give to the ladies in the hotel restaurant, and Dr. Ludmilla, who has been Cameron's physician.

We wanted to get a bottle of Kaz champagne for Bob and Marya, so we next went to a "package store." Besides the champagne, we also purchased a bottle of Merlot.

Now it was time to go to the Baby Store. The name of the store is Kampus, and we had seen a commercial for it on a Kaz TV channel. While there we bought a pair of tights, a bottle, a pair of booties, and a small squeaky toy.

And lest I forget, our actual fir stop had been the Internet room. We wanted to tell everyone about our most Tremendous Thursday.

We are quite hopeful that we will learn this morning that Marina met Schesada (our lawyer) at the train, and that we now possess Cameron's passport. I believe that she will also have our plane tickets back to Almaty. If we hear this good news, we will be able to pick up Cameron at the Baby House and fly to Almaty!

Cameron was very happy to see his mama and daddy this morning. We were excited to tell him we had his passport and all of our plane tickets, so we can leave at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. I brought Cameron's outfit, so he will be dressed and ready to go when we arrive. Amazing! In less than 24 hours, we will truly be a family.

We went to the Internet to see if everyone had read our message about Cameron. We then went to the natural history museum, which is on Constitution Ave. (For those planning to visit, just be warned. In one room there are jars of "pickled babies", not for the faint of heart.)

One more visit and one dinner to go.

Cameron must not have much of a nap, because he was rubbing his eyes soon after we took him to the Music Room. We had stopped on the way to his room to give bubbles to the older groups. We also had a picture of Cameron with two of his caregivers to give to them.

Cameron was in a walker when we got to his room, scooting around. We went to the Music Room and Cam was falling asleep a little after 4:30. He slept for about 30 minutes. His bottle arrived at 5:30, which he downed in short order. Soon it was time to take Cameron to his room. Tom took a picture of Cam lying in his crib.

A stop at the store, and it was back to the hotel for our last dinner. We gave the ladies in the restaurant the box of chocolates and thank them for taking care of us so well.

After dinner, it was time to pack for our return to Almaty. With a relatively small amount of grunting, we managed to shove everything into our bags.

So, here we are. We will have breakfast at the hotel and then do the last of our packing. We are to meet Marina in the lobby at 12:45 p.m.

We did so much today, that I almost forgot to do an update.

This morning we had a celebration in Dr. Rimma's office, with her, Cameron's physician and Marina. We toasted with Kaz champagne and candy. We had a very nice visit, and we gave her our gift. After the celebration, we received a grand tour of the Baby House. We even saw where Cameron first slept when he arrived.

Because of the celebration, we had short visit with Cameron. But we still managed to have a good time.

After our visit, we had errands to run. I will talk about the rest of our day tomorrow.

Cameron Is Ours!

Cameron is ours! We met Marina, the lawyer, and Sveltana the translator in the lobby of the hotel at8:30. We all rode together to the courthouse.

When we arrived, we sat for a few minutes in the lobby. When the judge's secretary got there, we went up to wait in her office. After waiting awhile, we then went up to wait outside the courtroom. We waited some more and then were led to our seats in the court.

The judge, a young looking lady, sat at a desk facing us. She was dressed in a colorful robe. Directly in front of her sat the prosecutor in uniform and the clerk. They faced each other at a desk.

The judge opened the session and asked Tom to make his statement. Tom stood and told the judge about our journey to adoption, how we came to choose Kazakhstan and our ability to give Cameron a good and loving home. He emphasized how we have the complete support of our families.

When he finished, I was asked if I had anything to add. I said no. Then a representative of the Department of Education gave her testimony, stating Cameron's status as an orphan and his need for a family. Then Dr. Rimma testified. She talked about what a good relationship Cameron has formed with us and how he has developed since our visits began.

The judge and prosecutor asked several questions during their testimony, including the whereabouts of Cameron's sibling. (No one knows)

I was also asked to stand. I was asked about adoption in the US. I said, yes, it is possible to adopt in our own country, but difficult for a couple our age. I also said that we preferred a closed adoption. I was given a chance again to add anything. I told the judge I felt honored to be there and I love Cameron very much (I almost started to blubber.)

After a few more questions, we were asked to wait outside. It was just about an hour of waiting before we were called back in. We stood while the judge read her decision. She announced that she would grant the adoption and that the immediate execution had been approved. This means that we can leave as soon as the paperwork can be completed. We learned later that a couple in Karaganda were not granted immediate execution and will have to stay for the 15 days past court waiting period.

We waited for the paperwork to be completed, and then we were off to Vital Records to get Cameron's new birth certificate. More waiting. Finally, we were called in, signed two documents and had Cam's adoption decree and his birth certificate.

Tom and I returned to the hotel for lunch and a nap, while the lawyer and Marina got more documents processed. Everything got done, and the lawyer leaves tonight on the train for Astana. She will get Cameron's passport and return with it tomorrow evening. We will then have everything we need for all of us to leave for Almaty on Sunday.

We went to see Cameron at 5:30. We expected him to be tuckered out, but we were in for a surprise. I fed him his bottle and kept him quiet for about 1/2 hour. Then is was crawl, crawl, crawl and stand. He was a busy little boy and didn't seem tired at all. We took him back at about 7:00 p.m.

Four more visits, and the next visit will be our last.

Another early day to the Baby House. Oh darn. When we arrived, Cameron had already received his massage. He also was dressed for the day. All that was left was breakfast. Egg was on the menu this morning, but Cam was having no part in it. He ate one spoonful, but made it very clear that this was more than enough. We had some cereal and milk.

Cameron did some more crawling. A few times he rocked so that he was almost balancing on his hands and feet. Cam loves Spongebob Squarepants. His face lights up when he sees the book I brought. I used the book this time as incentive for him to climb up on the mat.

After our visit, I had a couple minutes to talk to Cameron's physician. She talked about how active he'd been since he was an infant, and believes this had helped him fight to survive, when he was born so small. She said what a tender boy he is and thinks he will grow to be tall. She is very happy that he will have a family.

We went with a lady from the Baby House to buy some toys for the children. The lady was able to pick out three big bags of toys at the store, including dump trucks and blocks and other toys that make all kinds of music and noises. We brought them back to the Baby House, where Dr. Rimma will see them tomorrow.

Cameron stood today and even was able to hold himself up a little. I supported him and he used a chair for support and to lean on. It was quite apparent that Cam was proud of himself. We were very proud of him too.

At 5:30, the caretaker brought a bottle and Cam sucked it down. Not very long after that, he was asleep in my arms.

The lawyer will arrive by train at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. We will all meet at the hotel at 8:30 a.m. for our 9:00 a.m. court hearing. An hour after that, Cameron will be legally ours. God willing.

It's April! We arrived early at the Baby House again this morning. I was able to only watch Cameron being massaged this time by promising to do it tomorrow. After the massage, I dressed Cameron with assistance from Tom. Long sleeves and I do not get on very well. Then it was time for breakfast. I worry that he is getting enough to eat, yet worry about forcing too much on him. He had a bit if egg, some type of hot cereal and milk.

It was Crawling Cameron again in the Music Room. This time he was able to climb back up on the mat. Not once, but two times! Cameron once again did quite well in his Snugli.

Following our visit, we made a quick stop at the Internet room to check email and the WPA board. Next, we went back to the store where we had purhcased the birch boxes. We bought Cameron a red nesting doll, a painted box for Linda, and a few more boxes, painted and natural.

We had lunch in our room, as we usually do. Lunch consisted of bread, cheese, salami, potato chips, soda, and chocolate for dessert.

On the way back to the Baby House, we stopped at the Kaz store again. We bought a beautiful black embroidered velvet hanging, a miniature yurt and a leather horse.

I almost forgot. At the first store, Tom got two forest paintings, one depicting summer, the other winter in Petropavlovsk.

We spent another good afternoon with Cameron. He seemed to enjoy listening to the CD that has children singing on it. He also seems to enjoy being carried so he faces forward and can see the world.

Only one more day of visits before court!

PS I've learned that we won't return to Almaty until Sunday afternoon, which also means we won't get Cam until then.