GOTCHA DAY!

So after 13 months the day FINALLY arrived that I have been waiting for since this process started!!! At approximately 12:30 p.m. today (St. Petersburg time, which is 3:30 a.m. CST) Mom and I walked out of the orphanage with RP! She cried a little when they dressed her and handed her to me, but she was pretty much an angel the rest of the time!!!

Even though it was her nap time she was enthralled with being in the van and all the cars and commotion around her, so her little eyes were as wide as saucers during the entire trek to the airport!! At the airport she was content playing with a few of her toys and taking countless walks around the terminal with Grandma or I. She was even a trooper on the plane until the last 20 minutes when she decided that she didn't want to sit anymore and pitched a royal fit! Poor little thing's ears were probably killing her too, and they told us that she had gotten sick last night so it's no wonder.

She was even pretty good in the car ride over except when she puked all over herself, me, and the brand new SUV we were riding in (I don't think the driver was too happy, but she's a baby and she really can't be the first adopted infant to get sick on the car ride in Moscow, can she?). She fussed a bit at having to take a bath (we sponge bathed her) but seemed to relax a bit after that so that she even let me lay her down on my bed while we waited for the crib to be delivered, then laid down without fuss in the crib. It took a while for her to drift off, but she's sleeping soundly now with only a few fusses along the way.

The IA doctor from the Embassy is coming tomorrow at 6 a.m. (and yes, it's already after midnight here!), then I am meeting the coordinator at 8:30 to fill out paperwork (yes, just when you thought there couldn't POSSIBLY be more papework, there is!), then we are free for the rest of the day. Friday is the Embassy visit and interview (which I found out about tonight - no one told me anything about an interview!), then we are DONE. We don't head back to the US until Sunday due to a scheduling snafu, but having a lazy day should be nice before we begin our 18-hour trek back to the states (yep - 18 hours as we are headed back through Zurich and have a 4.5 hour layover there).

I cannot thank my friends and family enough for all their support and prayers - I truly know how blessed I am and how much I owe to each of you for all you have done for me these last few years... and more. I can't wait to introduce her to all the special people in my life - YOU!!! :)