Friday, November 23, 2012

Planes, Trains, Automobiles... And a Roller Coaster.

 

November 22, 2012

Here we are. Awake in the early morning hours listening to the city wake up (although it never really went to sleep from the sounds of it).

What a change of worlds, not only for us but especially for Kyla! We have travelled from Vladivostok: a small industrial city that feels about 30 years back in time to Moscow: the NYC of this massive nation. From no English, no Starbucks, and very little western influence at all to "lights-camera-action, it's Saturday night in Red Square!

Kyla, our sweet carsick baby, spent 6 hours in and out of a car on Wednesday as we drove all over creation in Vlad to get her medical exams done, Russian passport issued, notary signatures made, orphanage donations given, custody worker papers delivered and who knows what else done. Then, on Thursday, she hopped aboard an airplane for the first time in her life (which also moves, hence the sweating and vomit rerun) and proceeded to fly for 9 hours across her motherland. Other than the monumental blow-out that she experienced during the plane flight and the sheer TERROR over the airplane toilet, she actually did amazingly well. Once we arrived in Moscow we boarded a train...you got it--another moving vehicle :(....and made our way to the city center where we got in a taxi and jolted forward and backward through the night lights on our way to the hotel. Finally we stepped out of the taxi and into the historic Hotel Savoy-just 1.5 blocks from the Kremlin. 8:30 pm Moscow time, 3:30 am Vladivostok time. Lord, help our baby to be resilient, and help us to be some sort of anchor for her in the storm.

Well, she slept through the night and se did we. Whew! At breakfast she ate the most we have seen her eat so far. Much to our surprise her appetite has been very meager up to this point. Finally I think it caught up with her. As we walked into the gilded, Baroque style dining room (breakfast is included with the room-whoopee!) her eyes opened widely at the array of food options. We went through the buffet letting her chose what she wanted to try. The child loves fruit, eggs and coffee... Yes, coffee! She'll have nothing to do with dairy of any sort. Humph! Watching her finally eat makes this mama's heart soar.

So... How's the whole thing gone so far? Has it been all roses? No, definitely not. If bodily fluids (pee, vomit....among others) are any initiation into the parental club then we quickly became inducted members. If boundary setting and murky parenting waters are part of the gig... well, we're there. Has it been hard? Yes. Are we freaked out? Thankfully, no. There have been moments of pure joy, moments when Kyla will call out for us, nuzzle into us and clearly feel some kind of security in us. There have also been moments of intense trial. There was one "meltdown" in particular during which we could only act to hold her (much against her own will at the time), rock her, and whisper over and over that we love her, we will not leave her no matter how much she tries to push us away, and that we are here to stay. Exhausting, yes. Doubt instilling, no. To finally feel her little body melt and to have her rest her head on our shoulders says more loudly than any words, "okay, you must mean it." Yes, baby, we do. This roller coaster ride we are on clearly has moments when we squeeze our eyes shut tightly and hold on for dear life thinking "why on earth did we ever get on this crazy thing" and yet, almost immediately after, we find ourselves throwing our arms up in the air and laughing, ALL TOGETHER, in pure delight. Is it easy all the time? Heck no. Is it worth the risks? Definitely! Are we glad we took the ticket from The Conductor when we He handed it to us... ABSOLUTELY!!!!

So here I am, back in the room. Thick, puddling, tapestry curtains drawn, lights off and Kyla is finally napping. We have a couple of free days today and over the weekend to explore this amazing city since our trip happened to correspond with the Thanksgiving holiday and the Embassy is closed. Other than fiercely missing our kids at home we must admit we are not too sad about being forced to explore Moscow. Neil is out for a run at the moment...racing around Red Square. Perhaps he has a familiar Beatles ditty playing on his playlist.... "Back... back in the USSR, you don't know how lucky you are...". I would if I were him. Most certainly he has his black beanie cap on. He says he started a trend here since all the other young male Muscovites wear them. That's right, babe. You just keep thinking that.

I love my husband. I love ALL my kiddos. I love my life.....

 

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