Almost There!

If you read my post below, you've probably figured out that we've taken the train back to the capital :) I had absolutely NO time to update as our TWO days in Sofia's region were jam packed full of baby-loving and paper chasing! Her region is the only region in the entire country that still allows passports to be processed in one day! This is changing, though, so it seems we were probably the last family to receive a one day passport in this country! We are thankful as that shaves 3-5 days off our time in country! Our in-region translator is simply THE best. We had another family there adopting two children and she was able to set a new record by obtaining 3 court decrees, 3 birth certificates (all from different regional offices), changed 3 tax ID numbers, applied and received 3 one-day passports, 3 children's bank accounts cashed for the orphanage, purchase train tickets for both families....and did this all within the working hours of ONLY TWO DAYS! So last night we said a teary goodbye to her (if you haven't figured it out yet, we're in the same region we adopted Mila from ;)). We've grown so close to this friend and will miss her greatly! She has a heart of gold and is amazing at her job!

So far we've had one night in an apartment in Sofia's region, one night on a train, and one night in an apartment in the capital! Sofia has been pretty laid back and just going with the flow for the most part! Tonight she had an upset tummy and was a little fussy. She missed both of her naps but caught about an hour worth of naps in Uncle Niko's car....but it just wasn't enough! All of the craziness of the past few days is starting to catch up with her! She slept well on the train last night, but semi-woke many times fussing and needed some consolation. It's gotta be so tough in this transition period for kids. In the end it's all for the best, but the transition time can be tough...I'm doing my best to make her feel loved and safe while we continue trying to figure one another out!! She really did VERY well in all of our travels so far...so I hope the flight home will be the same.

Today we had our first embassy appointment and medical exam-both went well! Tomorrow morning we can pick up her visa, which is the last thing we need before we can spring her to America! Right now we're scheduled to fly out Saturday afternoon with one very short layover in D.C.....I really don't think it's enough time to go through secondary inspection and do everything else we have to do at the first stateside airport....we're looking into some other options but it's unlikely with Christmas travel paired with the storm that just hit our area at home.

Sofia REALLY enjoyed her first bath. It was the cutest and funniest thing ever! I showed her how to splash and it was all over from there! I'll leave you with some pictures of her first few days outside of the orphanage!





Sofia's first bath! Let me just tell you, I've NEVER seen a child love a bath so much!!!


 She wasn't sure what to think or do at first but I showed her how to splash and she went crazy!!







So fresh and clean! There is something magical about that first bath and washing the orphanage remnants away :)



Uncle Bub is just the best! He is like a baby whisperer ;)  He's rocked Sofia to sleep a couple of times and she was out like a light! He did solo duty the second day in region while I did some paper chasing..even though she napped most of the time, he's still  so brave for stepping up and helping out with his new niece! He fed her, played with her, and rocked her to sleep! I think it's safe to say she loves him already ;) 

Comments

  1. Sofia surely does adore her bath time--what a delight she is! And doing so well--despite the hectic pace!
    Sarah, do you ever wonder if they grieve what was left behind simply because it is all they have ever known? I'm speaking not specifically of your girls but of the children in general... Another blog I read, she talks about how EVERY adoption begins with loss and grief to some extent. But I haven't seen grief in your sweet angel girls!
    Still, like you I can't help but wonder what she is thinking, how she/they manage to process it all when a stranger chooses them and becomes a dearly beloved mama and daddy. Things they've never seen--things as simple as life outside four walls which we take for granted. It must be so strange at times. I love how you (and thankfully, many others) are aware of all the changes in the midst of this great blessing and new life, and keep them close helping them feel safe and loved and reassured. I can't WAIT to see photos of her with her sweet sisters! They are all going to just fall in love with each other--and mama too of course lol! Prayers for continued safe travel and perfect timing!

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  2. Thank you so much for sharing this exciting journey. I've adopted 6; foster to adopt. So simple compared to your experience. My prayers include your family.

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  3. She is so beautiful. I love the bath pictures. Your brother seems like an amazing guy, going with you and helping take care of your little one. I hope my sons will grow up to love their sisters as much as he loves you.

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  4. LOVE the bath pictures!!! Sooo darn cute!!! ♥♥

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  5. Precious, precious, precious!!!

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  6. Wow! It's all happening so fast this time! Will you really only of been gone a week this time?!

    I can almost hear the squeals of delight coming out of Miss Sofia in those bath pics. I can already imagine the fun chaos that is sure to ensue with the 3 girls together in the little splash pool next summer.

    Good job Uncle Bub! We can see that Zoya and Mila have trained you well for giving lots of attention to adorable nieces.

    I'm saying a prayer for safe travel the rest of the trip for y'all and for the weather to be nice!!!

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  7. Joy radiates from her sweet little body! Thank you for sharing your journey and daughter! She is absolutely perfect!

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  8. Sarah,Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful daughter with us. I just love the picture,you have so many good ones but the one where Sofia is laughing after taking off Santa's hat just makes me laugh. I am sure there is a rubber ducky waiting for her a home. If not let me know and I will send you a flock of them. Please,once you get her home safe and sound, take some time for yourself, even if it means an extra hour of sleep. You have been going non stop for a number of weeks and we don't want you to get ill or worn out.I wish I lived close to you so that I could help you and Summer from time to time. Carol

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  9. The tubby time pictures are the best!!! Sofia is just the cutest little curlie girlie!!! So happy that Uncle Bub could travel with you and be such a big help!! Can't wait to hear you are home!!! (((BIG HUGS)))!!!

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  10. That little girl has so much life in her eyes. I cannot wait for you to get your butts home! I may have to swing by when I visit Summer, if you guys are settled enough to have visitors! Also, Uncle Bub is the best! I'm totally jealous of the Sofia snuggles he must have gotten. So precious!

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  11. She is SO delicious! And what a fantastic brother you have!!

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  12. I had a feeling you were in the same region :) Im just curious about the rest of the story.... How you came to find Sophia. Like I said before I have a feeling but I dont want to say just in case I am totally wrong!

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  13. I've been following your journey for awhile now, and am in love with this little sweetie! She is seriously adorable! Congratulations to you both:). My last girlie is adopted from St. Petersburg, Russia. There's nothing like those first few days with each other!

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  14. I hope you've made it back to the USA! Been thinking and praying, especially with the law passing. I hope you saved Sofia just in time!

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  15. Sunday, We are so looking forward to seeing how Sofia did on her long trip home. Can't wait to see new pictures, especially of her interacting with Zoya and Mila. You have a cute live wire for sure, she is so lucky to have such a loving family. Sarah, get some rest as Soifa will no doubt change the dynamics of the family. She will inspire Mila to do more things and Zoya will be the best big sister. Share your experiences when you "have the time", we will wait. But I can tell you a number of us check your site frequently. Could Sofia use more clothes? If so I would like to send you a gift card to the store of your choosing. Carol

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  16. So sweet. Can't wait to see her meet her sisters!

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  17. She is so gorgeous! I love the bath photos. I've been reading your blog for a while since you were working on adopting Zoya, but I've never commented. I hadn't checked in here for a while, and I was so thrilled to see she was already home with you. :) I have sort of a dumb question, and I'm sorry if you have answered it before and I missed it. How do they do baths/showers in the orphanage? You referred to it as her first bath, so I'm assuming they don't use bathtubs. I was just curious how they wash the babies.

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