Last day of bonding period!

We will start off with Wednesday morning and it began with another outing, allbeit a short one. We had to take Matthew to get a passport photo taken and I think by this time, the little guy was wondering what is with all this taking me everywhere. He gets pretty serious on these outings b/c everything is new and fast moving and nothing is familiar. They also don't worry about seatbelts or car seats or anything like that - coupled with the driving in this city - a very bad combination. I think it made Jennifer nervous at first, but we have a lot of confidence in our driver. Once we got to the photo place, it took a little longer to get Matthew's attention as he sat on Mom's lap to take several pictures as he was quite interested in everything around him.
We were only gone maybe 20 minutes total and then it was back to the orphanage. One of the caregivers told us that they give him juice (real juice) that comes in little bottles of many different flavours (fruits). We were really glad that he couldn't have anymore of that sugary fruit juice as all it's made of is sugar. So later in the morning we gave him some of the juice (apple with a little water added - about 180 ml) and he just sucked that back in no time. I think he is used to getting fed so quickly by the caregivers, that he just thinks that is the way everything has to be. So the next day we brought some of our own juice and when I showed him the juice before I gave it to him, his eyes went big and he got very excited.
Also, we found out that his original name Milat is actually spelled Milyat - we were just given the wrong spelling originally. Matthew's ancestors were Tatarian, as far as they know anyway, which is a part of Russia.
On Thursday, we went to a business lunch that was very close to the orphanage - probably only a 3-4 minute drive. It was a very big place inside and quite fancy like the other one we had gone to before. Again, this one only cost 700 tenge/person and had quite a selection of Kazak foods. After lunch, we weren't sure how we were going to get back home, as it was too far to walk. We thought of just getting a taxi, but we were afraid we would get hosed b/c we weren't from around here, so we took the bus instead. The bus is very cheap, but this one didn't have any side windows that would open - just 2 little roof openings and the front door was left open. Everyone else on the bus but us looked comfortable and we just stayed standing as sweat dripped off of us.
Thursday night was movie night at Annette's, but before that we went to a shopping mall close to her apartment.
Now to the title of this posting - LAST DAY OF BONDING PERIOD - which doesn't mean we stop seeing our little boy, but just that our official 2 week period is over and now our coordinator could petition for a court date. After our visit with Matthew at the baby house we had to get some forms signed for POA. While we waited, we asked Bayan about the results of the blood work and everything, to our relief came back negative, which means that everything is fine! Tomorrow, a Canadian recognized doctor from Karaganda will come to the baby house to do a general checkup of Matthew and review his medical records. Hopefully that all goes good as well! This little boy has sure had to go through a lot of tests this week - between getting blood samples 2 different days, to going for 2 different ultrasounds, a test to check his heart, and then a doctor coming to do the checkup. Hopefully Bayan can get the petition to court started today, because that would mean that we would only have to wait about ten days before we actually go to court. We will find out more tomorrow (Saturday) about this.
While we were on our way to the orphanage, we got to learn some Kazak words. We learned how to say hello which is pronounced salamatzitsba (a mouthful), thankyou - pronounced rrrackmyet (roll the r), how are you? - kul kaliy, goodbye - sow bolinas. You don't even want to know how they are spelled! We can now say these words in four different languages - english, french, russian, and now kazak. Friday morning, I used the Kazak hello and how are you and our driver just says Mikael, Mikael(pronounced a little different) - and laughs. Our driver, Ashat, is very funny, and always tries to say some english words so I thought it was only right that I could say some in his native tongue. We get a real kick out of our driver as he always has something to say, even though many times we need our translator to tell us what he said. When he pulls up to where Aliya lives, he is not even there and he is already honking his horn with several short bleeps - waits a few seconds and does it all over. She usually comes out very shortly after, but walks to the car in a very calm but deliberate manner. Had to add this b/c Jennifer finds it very amusing.
Most people in Astana, according to our translator, can speak both russian and kazak.

Here is a picture of Matthew's belly - you are starting to get the pieces to the puzzle (he is quite a tease at this young age!)

Family Outing!

Well, we have had a couple of interesting days! The weather is turning hot again but it cools off nicely at night! I don't think we are as hot as you are at home!

Yesterday we had the playroom all to ourselves for most of the morning while Marwan and Annette & Tony and Maegan were at court. We are so happy that everything went well for them and they are now officially the proud parents of two beautiful little girls! Marwan and Annette got a little visit in with their daughter after court and we were almost blinded by the glow radiating from them!!! We had to take Matthew downstairs to have some blood drawn. Thankfully we weren't allowed to watch since they ended up having to take it from his head. Michael turned a little pale when they told him and he said he might have fainted if he had to watch that! Matthew was facinated by a musical toy we got him. It is a cube that sings and rocks back and forth (unfortunately, it seems to sing "Mary had a litttle lamb" frequently - Michael keeps threatening to throw it out the window as he finds the voice annoying!) Matthew also spent a lot of time on his hands and knees rocking back and forth before launching himself forward, then doing the same thing again! He is really trying to figure out this crawling thing!

After our visit, we went for a business lunch at a new restaurant, with Aliya. We were supposed to be joined by a friend of hers who was back visiting after marrying an American. Unfortunately, they were held up and we never got to meet them. We then walked over to the Eurasian Mall and did some window shopping. It is huge! We were looking for a traditional Kazak outfit for Matthew, but couldn't find one small enough! We will have to keep looking. I love the traditional adult robes, maybe I will have to get one for myself if the price is right! I also love the traditional swords. I would love to hang one on the wall at home, if I could figure out how to get it home!

Restaurant we went to for business lunch with Aliya - the inside is as interesting as the outside.

Jennifer and Aliya at the Eurasian mall

Today was a GREAT day! We got to go on a "field trip"! Our family outing was to two doctors, and we got to go with just Aliya and Bayan, no caregiver (because they were all busy!). We went to the first where Matthew had what I think is an EEG or an EKG - they attached suction cups (actual suction cups, not the kind you see at home) to his arms and chest, with other straps on his legs. The technition said she thought everything looked good! Matthew was so brave! His little chin quivered a bit but he never cried! Then it was on to another clinic where he had an ultrasound of his abdomen. Again, every thing looked good! (He was very brave here too!) At first the tech told Michael he had to stay outside but Michael insisted he was staying and after Aliya said "Papa", she let him stay! This tech told Michael that she thought Matthew looked like him! We got back in time to have a few minutes in the playroom before nap time. We were told that Bayan was going to meet with the doctor tonight to go over the findings, and did we want to come?? Of course we did! We got to the doctor's office only to find out we were supposed to bring Matthew too! YEA!!! We got to see him again. What a treat!!! We had to wait quite awhile and he was so good! Then he had to have another ultrasound - of his heart this time. The doctor exclaimed over how good he was and called him "her little hero"! Wow, what an experience. We got to see his little heart pumping and then hear and see it beating! It must be something what it is like when you are pregnant and get to see it! We got a little choked up! Doctor said everything is fine!!!! Yea!!! Now we just have to wait on the results of the blood work which are supposed to come back on Thursday afternoon. Then on Saturday we are flying a Canadian approved doctor out from Karaganda to give him another check up!

After two family outings in one day, and one a huge surprise, you would think we would be all out of excuses to leave the baby house premise. But we got another nice surprise on our way back to the apartment tonight. It turns out we get one more outing tomorrow! We get to take Matthew for passport photos! We feel giddy with good fortune!

For lunch today we went to a restaurant that Marwan and Annette had found before. It was a going away party as Marwan was leaving to go home late this afternoon. We are sorry he is going as we have enjoyed getting to know him. At least we get to keep Annette for a few more weeks! Hopefully we will be able to keep in touch with all the couples we have met. We had very tasty lunches - Michael had a pilaf with meat and I had a dish with homemade noodles, veggies and meat (I can't remember what it is called). We all shared the most delicious "dumplings" for appitizers (can't remember what they are called either, Aliya told me yesterday though, and I had trouble pronouncing it!) They are a meat and onion filled pastry that are (not so) little bites of heaven! And very cheap!!! Including beer and other beverages, it worked out less than $80 for all nine of us!

This is Michael's spoon at that restaurant - he knew that Brian would love this one!

Tonight, Michael played basketball again with the young guys he has met on the court. After playing for awhile they asked him many questions about Canada. Was it the same as Kazakhstan? What is farming like? Michael said, "Imagine how hard it is to explain farming to a city boy who doesn't speak much English and I don't speak Russian!" They are very interested, none the less.

While he was gone I thought I might actually try to do a session of Pilates. Yes, I actually did it! Don't know if it will happen again though! What is really funny is that normally, the phone rarely rings and the door bell NEVER rings. Of course while I am trying to twist my body into positions it just doesn't want to be in, and becoming sweaty and red faced in the process, not only does the phone ring twice, but someone is also at the door! At the door was a woman and a little boy. She starts talking a mile a minute. When I finally got to say "Ya negavaru Parusky" (boy has that come in handy!) she starts to say in broken English something about needing couches for her son. If I were at work, it would mean she needed diapers but then she mimicked eating and I figured out she was asking for money. I didn't know what to think. Aliya had just told us yesterday that there is a group of people who live in Kazkahstan who's culture includes begging for money, even though they aren't poor. She said most Kazak people just ignore them. This mom and son didn't look poor but who really knows. I motioned them to wait in the hall, shut the door and got a little bit of money for her. She was very polite when I gave it to her and very dignified. She just made a little bowing motion and said something that must have been thank you. These are the tricky cultural things that we don't really understand and are terrified of getting wrong!