Greetings from our family to yours! Our Christmas holiday was sweet and special - for the first time ever we had a little princess running around the house, all caught up in the excitement of Christmas. We baked Christmas cookies, visited Santa (not the most positive experience) and simply delighted in watching our daughter's eyes light up over the lights and sparkle on the tree.
Angelina will be two the end of this month, and we are amazed how much she's grown and changed since we came home last March. I was recently reflecting about all we went through to adopt Angelina. All of the tests (how many tb tests must a person take?), paperwork, money spent, traveling and anxiety that we went through for the approx. 14 month long adoption process. While we were in the throws of the process, the adoption defined us; it was all we talked about and all we thought about. We shared what we were going through with everyone we met - regardless of whether that person wanted to know or not.
Now, only 10 short months later, that experience seems like a world away. The three of us are tight; we are indeed a family. When we meet people, or talk about our daughter, we no longer feel compelled to volunteer information about the journey we went on to become a family. And while we are extremely proud of how we became a family, and of our daughter's Russian heritage, we now feel it is no one's business but ours. I guess we are developing our own identity as a family; no longer singularly defined by our adoption experience. We are a family. Period. It is awesome.
I wonder how many of my fellow ap's feel the same way?
I hope my friends in the blogsphere (you know who you are) had a wonderful, blessed holiday. I read your blogs often, but for some reason, am no longer permitted by Blogger to leave comments on your blogs (OMG! HOW FRUSTRATING!). If any of you know how to overcome that problem, please - do tell!
Best wishes to you and yours for a blessed New Year,
Eric & Kathryn
Kathryn! So good to hear from you!! Angelina is absolutely gorgeous!! Andrei will turn 2 in February. You guys make a beautiful family! Thanks for the update!! (I too have had my troubles posting comments. Lately it's been working again...)
ReplyDeleteYou know, it's so funny that you wrote this. We were watching a television show and the contestant said something about her son, who was 11 and was adopted at age four from foster care. And I just shook my head because it seemed such an odd fact to announce about your child on national television. Six+ years after the fact. So, long story longer, I agree with what you say here.
ReplyDeleteI love the family picture! Angelina is growing up so quickly and I see that she's finally slowed down a bit for a picture :).
Merry Christmas!
P.S. I had the commenting problem. It resolved on it's own...I have no idea how. When I was having the problem, I used name/url to leave comments and just linked to my blog like that.
Love the updated pictures. Angelina looks so happy and so do the two of you.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteI just happened to come across your blog and as I was looking at the video and photo's I realized we are adopting our child from the same orphanage. I almost had a heart attack when I saw your video when you drove up to the front entrance. We just made our first trip this past Dec and there were just so many similarities with the dates and all. We also live in Orlando. Would love to talk sometime if possible. We are so anxious!! Many blessings to you and your family. My contact info is
orou2545@bellsouth.net/ 407-766-1904. Enjoy every moment !! Melissa and Mike
HI Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteI just came across your blog and I too realize your little girl and my little boy were from the same baby home. I spent time in the music room you show in your trip 1 video and I recognize the doctor in the doorway. I brought my son home on July 13 2011(first trip was end of April). He will be 2 years old in March. They may have been in the same groupa since they are about the same age.
Your little girl is so precious. She seemed so comfortable and affectionate during your first visit. Wonderful for all of you. Children are a blessing and these kids are just great. I know you are enjoying her.
Lynda
(kroegerL@windstream.net)
Wow! What a wonderful family you have! This is Rose and Tony from Massachusetts, who emailed you a few times early in your adoption process. We love to see the updates that you post from time to time.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, your story reminds us of our own. Almost 3 years on now, it's funny how we almost forget about the adoptive aspect of our family. We're just a regular family. Then something like your blog brings back memories of the hectic (and fun) trips and the joyous homecoming.
On a similar note, last year the IRS asked to see documentation in support of our adoption tax credit. It was a "tax examination," which I guess is simpler than an audit. In the end it was no big deal, since we had all the receipts and canceled checks, but the funny thing was how it triggered another trip down memory lane. Agency fees, apostille fees, visas, air tickets, hotel receipts, train tickets (St. Petersburg to Moscow), and best of all, our child's US immigration visa. Every bit of paper told a part of the story. A friend joked that we should have told the IRS examiner "Thanks... for the beautiful memories!"
My new book called "Separated Lives" is a true story about the adoption of a baby boy. Years later I take him on a fascinating but uncertain journey to search for his birth parents. It is available from Dorrance Publishing (in Pittsburgh, PA) www.DorranceBookstore.com, Barnes & Noble barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lynn Assimacopoulos