Yay! The man from the ministry who rips off the bits of ribbon is back from holiday...

[suejonez]

For those few of you who have been following my snail-paced adoption. The man from the Ministry of Foreigh Affairs has found my file stuck behind the back of a radiator, dusted it off and passed it on to the next bureaucrat in line. So its progressed to the Ministry of Education. Hurrah!

Now I wait for a travel date and confirmation of where in Kazakhstan I'll be travelling to - most likely Ust-Kamengorsk in October 2006.

This is the first good news I've had since my file disappered in early June!

Hurrah! (Have I said that already? - what the heck I'm going to say it again...) Hurrah!

I hope they helped sue - I did try!

Hurrah! finally. so glad for you!

great news.

Suejonez

Just saw this! Congratulations, you must be so exited! All my friends who've tried to adopt have had to wait such a long time too - why is it made so damned difficult?

You're in sight of the last lap now hopefully. Do you know what happens when you get to Kazachstan?

Congrats! Looking forward to hearing about the next step! [sends speed up vibes to the Ministry for delicious babies]

Great news! Who gives you travel date, is it the orphanage (or other agency) or do you have to wait for that stage before you have any contact with them?
So exciting - hoping that you get a match soon.
Good Luck

Vsevo khoroshevo, Sue Jonez!
Wonderful news for you and some lucky little baby out there on the steppes

This is fantastic Sue, I'm so please for you.

Fantastic news Sue! Read on another thread that you are looking for a snowsuit?? Have one you are most welcome to. I am in Budapest but DH is travelling to UK in Sept so I will get him to send to you if you like.

If you want to send me your address my e-mail is
fiona simonds at hotmail com (no spaces and a dot obv!!)

proudofmyboobs (are you really? Mine are hideous after 3 kids ), adopting from China's a great idea. I used to live there, and visited an orphanage near Beijing sometimes. Huge, full of abandoned girls and handicapped kids of either gender. It is on the same site as a psychiatric hospital and a prison. The kids that 'graduate' from the orphanage at 16 generally end up in either the loony bin or the prison. So sad.

Balshoi spaseeba Marina

Beemail - when/where I travel is a complicated combination of government/orphanage/agency - depending on wihch region has most children available at any time, who else is travelling and how quickly the local govt dept can send me a letter of invitation etc. Nothing in Kazakhstan is easy and to add to the confusion eaxh region has slightly different procedures, a bit like States in the US.

great news sue - hurrah indeed! here's wishing the next couple of months away quickly for you, iyswim

Woooooohoooooo!

I'll look forward to seeing your 'birth' announcement.

Fantastic news SJ, I hope everything fast forwards now and you get to Kazakhstan very soon to meet your child.

SJ is there anything you need for the 'collateral' you'll be giving to the orphenage? I'm sure I can find stuff in the flat and in the storage unit we have.

I'm trying to keep luggage down (trying to pack for a 9-18 motnh old for a 6 week stay in a foreign country with a single persons weight allowance is challenging!).

I'm planning to take small hard developmental toys (they need to be sterilizable by the orphanage) and small good condition basic clothes like babygrows, socks, tights etc - ages 6months to 2 yrs. They would need to be in v good condition as you can imagine they get washed and worn a lot!

Very happy to take anything like that if you have it to spare, with the proviso that if I don't have room in my luggage, then you can either have back or I will pass on to someone else.

Sue that's wonderful news - many many congratulations!

Unless you are going to a really REALLY small town you will be able to buy clothes out there. Cheaper and more suitable for the weather there. They wont be the styles or quality we are used to but they will be fine for the duration. Its almost impossible to guess what sizes to take. Remember your child will probably be much smaller than the same age here in UK. Will you get a report with the childs height and weight?

Take just the basics & save your luggage space for books, videos etc to keep you occupied on these long evenings. You can always leave them behind too.You will want to use local bought nappies and food first anyway, as thats what your child is used to ( even if they tell you the child is toliet trained they wont be - its the staff who are trained ).

Dont forget first aid kit for those colds

Will you be in a hotel or with a family ( homestay)? How long will you be there before you get to have your child with you?

Yes Krtistina, I'm not planning to take many clothes, just a few basics to keep me going when I first arrive until I can buy some. The orphanage expect you to supply clothes and nappies from the day you srrive so I need to hit the ground running so to speak. Disposable nappies are very expensive, so expensive that they sell them singly so I will be taking a supply, though obviously not enough to last me the full 6 weeks obviously.

Not taking any food except some formula to start mixing with the local stuff to wean them onto it gradually.

Luggage will be taken up with donations of clothes and toys for the orphanage, bizarre things like inflatable baby bath (mostly hotels have showers), and obviously books, also my laptop with as many DVD's as I can load.

I visit the orphanage for two weeks before being allowed custody (probably)then stay in Ust for another two weeks before being allowed to transfer to the relative civilisation of the capital Almaty for anpother 10 days.

I will be staying in a hotel for the four weeks in Ust and probably an appartment for 10 days in Almaty.

No information before hand I will be travlling "blind"

Of Wow! how exciting for you!!!!!!!!!!1

so so very pleased for you

(i remember u hleping me out on my adoption thread a while back)

cx

Just seen this thread - DELIGHTED for you ... sounds a bit of a logistical nightmare however!! If memory serves me right I think there is a big Russian / American federation complex in Almaty - so maybe you could check that out and meet up with some "Western" parents whilst there who may be able to give you a few hints / tips

Oh Sue thats a long stay in Ust No wonder you are taking plenty to do

BTW you must MUST MUST go and hear Dana Johnson et al before you go

OasisSeminar

I'm planning to but it is perilously close to my travel dates (literally days before) so it will depend on how many vital things I have sorted (still outstanding paperwork to be done, notaried and apostilled). I'm actually planning to use them from Ust to review medical info, so it would be great even if I could only manage to go for a few hours.

Yes agree with KristinaM most of what you need will be available locally and many people in the world of course manage perfectly well with about 90% of the baby paraphanalia we are led to believe is essential!
I bought a huge washing type of bowl in local market which was a great baby bath! I found that disposable nappies were very expensive and far inferior quality and also in the heat (which I know you won't have) it wasn't very good for the babes. I took some from here and used them for travelling and difficult times but did used washables the rest of the time. A washing machine seemed like an amazing luxury after all that hand washing!
I too did the gradual transition with baby milk - this was quite hard ( she was used to VERY sweet milk) but did work.
I approached the airline and was allowed to take things for the orphanage in addition to my own luggage allowance and took LOTS of stuff some of which was still there when we visited 8 yrs later so well worth the effort.
i also made contact with my health visitor to be who invited me in and gave me some good health tips, suggestions for medical kit , what was normal and what was not etc etc
Bottles had been sterised in boiling water only at the orphanage and I continued to do the same - didn't have any probs. HV said they probably had quite high immunity and it was good not to weaken that by going OTT with steam sterilisation etc etc Seemed to work they actually have hardly ever been ill!
I envy you the whole thing, guess you must be feeling somwhat apprehensive. I was away for over 2 months on my own and it was great how much support I received from local people, such kindness to a total stranger, memories that will stay with me forever and helped me to feel so bonded with the place of my children's birth - they love to hear stories about it now. I agree also with KristinaM about hearing Dana and his team.

I was planning to go to the Dana Johnson thing but it will be the last saturday before I travel and I can;t help thinking that I'll be too busy panicking! I looked at the programme today and there's a specific workshop for about 2 hours for pre-adopters so i thought I might book and maybe just go for that if I can;t make the whole day.