Check out my babies. Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year!

Three Baby Showers, A Birthday and Other Family Pics

~Michael's Team at Yahoo! Celebrates the Arrival of Baby Drew~

~Friend Melanie Hosts a Baby Shower/Birthday Party For Drew~

Melanie was kind enough to host a baby shower for family and friends. Everyone enjoyed welcoming Drew to the family...even Drew!

We also used this gathering to celebrate Drew's 1st Birthday

since we couldn't be with him in May.

Liam scopes out what piece he wants...

~Drew's Aunt's and Grandma Welcome Drew's Arrival~

Aunt Kath makes an awesome diaper cake!

A collection of Drew's baby announcement, a Matryoshka doll, two Russian cups and a spoon brought home from Nizhniy Novgorod and the lyrics to "Somewhere Out There", which we deemed to be a song written about our little Drew.


And a yummy cake!

After 14+ weeks of maternity leave and spending lots of time at home with Drew, I think we're all doing really well with the integration of Drew to the Crowley home. Mom is back to work and Drew is adjusting really well to Kindercare with all his new friends. Liam LOVES having a baby brother and is very tolerant of the little fire ball that has entered our lives.

Drew is very eager to see what's behind every corner and get into anything and everything that he shouldn't. Having said that, he is really developing a bond with both Michael and I and for that we are thankful. I believe it took about 8-9 weeks for Drew to actually want to be picked-up and held by one of us and close to 11 weeks before he would rest his head on our shoulders and hug us. These are the things that Mom's and Dad's yearn for and yet, not ever having received this attention, Drew was completely uninterested. And, these are the things that teach your children that your parents are special people and that they are the ones you should look to for love, advice and general help and guidance. That's why the bonding part is so important with an adopted one. So, Michael and I really feel like a lot of that has taken place and we feel confident that we will continue to build our relationship with Drew, as we have with Liam.

So, in summary (not really!) we're all adjusting nicely to the addition and the chaos that it brings. We definitely feel like we have a three ring circus sometimes, but it's all worth it and we look forward to the twins that are on the way...JUST KIDDING! :-)

Enjoy the pictures and thanks for checking the blog. xo

This picture was taken while Mom was in Florida at Turk's wedding...while the cats away...


[insert boys in underwear/diapers on stairs]



Liam desperately wanted Mom to take a pic of he and Drew both in their car seats drinking the infamous Goat Milk. :-)




This is Drew's first experience with being in water...he was very concerned and did not initially enjoy it at all. Within 15 minutes, Dad had him walking around the pool and giggling!

Pictures from our Arrival Home

A few photos of Drew's arrival home and meeting Liam for the first time. Also, some cute pics of the boys together. Enjoy!

Finally...Some Pictures! More To Come...

Below are a few pics of our visit in Moscow and the apartment we stayed in for a few days.

We Made it Home!

Well, Grandma Kia, Drew and I embarked on our adventure back home on Friday, June 29th, one day earlier than planned (thank goodness!). While we tried to enjoy our time in Moscow, we were ready to head home and begin our lives together.

We had a nice afternoon the day before we left. There was another couple there with us going through the process, so after we got the passports and visas for the boys, we headed to the Kremlin to have one more walk around. It was a beautiful afternoon...that is until it started POURING RAIN and we had to quickly seek shelter next to a McDonalds! But, we enjoyed a little walk around the Kremlin and were able to see the Changing of the Guard, which was cool.

Once we returned back to the room, it was a race to pack everything before Drew needed to go to bed. Mom and I were almost completely packed by 8pm and in bed shortly thereafter, ready to wake-up in the morning and head to the airport.

We had a fairly uneventful trip to the airport, other than trying to get all our luggage crammed into the tiny elevator in the apartment building we were staying in (aka the bunker). Once we arrived at the airport, it was a waiting game, but Drew was being a little trooper in his stroller. I tried the Benedryl tactic, you know to open his ear tubes and hopefully relieve any pressure in take-off. Well, it had no physical affect on him, unlike Liam who completely passes out for about 1-1/2 hours. Yikes were we in for a LONG trip home. Until, Drew did fall asleep on take-off. Well, I'm think "this is great" the medicine did finally kick in and he'll sleep for hours...or not! He slept for 1 hour before he woke up reinvigorated. :-( Mom and I literally passed him back and forth (thank goodness we bought a seat for him!) for the next SEVEN (7) hours until it was about 10:30pm russian time. Drew finally fell asleep for three hours, which was awesome. Only catch is that he would flip around and almost roll off the seat, so we had to stay awake to monitor his flipping. So, basically, my Mom and I pulled an all-nighter...not like the old days. :-)

Anyway, we all made it safe and sound and even connected to our Southwest flight to Oakland. Michael had parked the car and he and Liam met us at baggage claim (which I didn't expect). Liam was SO excited to see Drew, he blew right past me and went straight to Drew and hugged and kissed him. It was so very precious. Liam even wanted to push Drew around in the stroller while we waited for luggage.

Ah, so nice to be home!

All my best to Nancy and Sophia and Chris, Jackie and Costen! We had an amazing experience and I'm so happy were were able to share it together!

Stay tuned for pics as my techie hubby posts them. (CD's will be sent to the Lentine and Line's.)

It is official!

Well, it's even more official, Drew has a passport and visa and we're heading home tomorrow! Mom, Drew and I will arrive at the Oakland airport around 8:30pm and we'll anxiously await our reunion with Daddy and Liam!

Hope to catch-up with everyone soon.

The Journey Continues......

Well, since the last post many things have happened on our Russian adventure.

On Sunday, Mom arrived via train fro Moscow in the evening. We got somewhat settled and then we said farewell to Michael who was taking the overnight train back to Moscow. His train arrived around 8am and then he did some sightseeing with his driver, Sasha, before heading to the airport. He arrived home on Monday night and kissed his baby boy goodnight!

Mom and I went to the Police dept on Monday in NN to get Drew's passport. We couldn't get a ticket for the over night train, so we got a good night sleep in the hotel and took the 8am train on Tuesday and arrived in Moscow at 2pm to TONS of traffic. We checked into our apartment (we call it our "bunker-which is a whole story in and of itself!) and then did lots of immigration paperwork for US Embassy appointment the next day. Then, exhausted and hot (it's humid here), we walked a few blocks to do some grocery shopping and the three of us hauled our load back to the apartment, had dinner and passed out!

Today, Wednesday, we all went to the international adoption pediatrician, which is a requirement to get a visa. He passed with flying colors and the doc nicknamed him "buddha belly". I think there were a few times we called Liam the same! After the doctor appointment, Mom sat in the car with Drew while I went to the US Embassy to submit paperwork and request the visa for Drew.

After all the adoption work was done we asked to be taken to an area called Arbat. There is a pedestrian walkway and we had lunch at....The Hard Rock Cafe; such the adventurers! Then we walked the street and shopped and enjoyed the fresh air. Drew was such a trooper all day. It was good for us to get out and about for a change. Once home, Drew went down for a 2 hour nap and so did Mom and Baba Kia (Grandma Kia).

We've had a pretty lazy evening around the house and Drew went to bed early.

Tomorrow we are free in the morning and then head back to the US Embassy around lunch time. After we're done, I think we will be dropped off at Red Square and walk around for a bit.

We fly home 1 day early, on Friday. Very happy about that! We'll be home late on Friday night and hope to update the blog this weekend with more pics...especially of NN and Moscow sites.

And, thank you to everyone who looked after Liam while we were away. We can't tell you how much we appreciate your help.

Update from Nizhny!

Hello to all!

It’s Sunday morning and we just put Drew down for a nap. Whew! I forgot how hard it is to watch a child in a non child-proofed area. Anyway, the following is a brief update since we picked up Drew on Friday afternoon.

Friday eve: After picking up Drew from the baby house, we arrived back at the hotel and played in the room for a few hours. Boy oh boy did he crack his head quite a few times on every possible corner of every piece of furniture. Ouch! We went to dinner with the two other adoptive parents and enjoyed our last night together in NN as the single woman was leaving the following evening. When MSC and I came back to the room after dinner (and after pretty much ignoring the schedule we’d been given from the baby house), Drew was full of life, but we knew he must be tired because he hadn’t had a long afternoon nap. And, it was odd for me because I didn’t know how to soothe this little guy or what would work to get him to go to sleep (he’s not addicted to the binky like his bro was). Anyway, we just put him in his jammies and popped him into the crib and let him move around. He sat down after about 2 minutes and layed down after another few minutes and was out 5 minutes after that. Then we realized that’s exactly what they do at the baby house, they just put them in their beds and let them work it out until they go to sleep. I’m pleased to report that Drew slept for 10-1/2 hours without a peep! J So unlike his brother!

Saturday, we went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and had the same breakfast we’ve had for the last 7 days. Drew has been eating really well and is on soy formula as per the request of the baby house…ring any bells? Anyway, after breakfast we had planned to take the trolley car/bus into town with other families, but all the kids went down for naps (and so did we!). So, after napping, we then all headed out to see with world. The trolley was very easy and got us to the cool pedestrian area in City Center. We walked for a little bit and then had an early dinner at an outdoor café. Most people speak zero English and the menus are not translated, so you really have to eat at a restaurant where someone knows a tiny bit of English. We found such place and had fried and chicken sandwiches…all of us. That’s the only thing we could communicate to the server. Anyway, it was good. After lunch we took the trolley back to the hotel. There is a shopping mall of some sort that is attached to the hotel, so we went and stocked up on more baby food, had dinner in the room. Drew fell asleep while drinking his bottle because he hadn’t had his afternoon nap…again…what kind of parents are we? J

Today is Sunday. I’ve confirmed that my Mom made it safe to Moscow, although her arrival was cluttered with logistical problems, but she made it safe to an alternate hotel by 10pm (her plane landed at 6:30pm!). She is scheduled to get on a train to NN at 2pm and will arrive here at 7pm. The translator and driver will pick me up and we will all go to the train station to pick up Grandma Kia.

As for our Sunday, we’ve had our breakfast and Drew is down for a nap. Interestingly enough, today he tried the crying thing for about 5 minutes vs. just going to sleep. He’s catching on the response he usually gets with a cry. I think when he wakes up, we’ll head back to City Center again and do some more walking around before Kia arrives.

As for our Drew’s personality, he is an inquisitive little boy, he likes to see and touch everything. His caregiver told us that he needs to have goals set for him and he will hit them. Based on the fact that he’s walking already at 13 months and he was 8 weeks premie, I think what they’re saying is that he’s ahead of others his age and so they’ve had to set his standards or achievements higher. Not really sure, as I think part of what they said was lost in translation. We’ll find out as we spend more time with him. Having said that, he is very happy and smiley, eating and sleeping well, and yesterday he even had a poop!

So, all is well. MSC is leaving on a train back to Moscow tonight and tomorrow (Monday) takes a flight back to SF via LAX. He will be home late Monday night.

Kia and I will get Drew’s passport here in NN on Monday and hope to take a Monday night train back to Moscow. From there we will need to files some papers and get Drew’s visa and then we will head home on Saturday. Seems so darn far away!

All for now. We’ll post updates as we can.

xoxo

The Day Has Finally Arrived!

We're leaving the hotel to pick-up Drew at 12:15pm today. We should be to the baby house by 1:30pm and will be on our way back to the hotel with our newest addition by 2:00pm.

We hope to continue posting pics and updates of how Drew is transitioning, but may find our time is limited.

We'll send updates as soon as possible.

Love to All!

Thursday – Court Date Finally Arrives!

This morning Michael and I had a court appointment at 10am. We were asked to meet our interpreter and agency rep in the lobby at 9am. We were both very quiet this morning before we went to court and pretty quiet before court began. Translation: While we had both been told that this Judge has not turned anyone down, we were still very nervous to speak in front of her and to respond to any questions she or the prosecutor may have had.

Michael had the longer speaking part of the two of us. He had to cover much more territory than I did (Whew!) and it took about 30 minutes for the Judge to be satisfied with Michaels “presentation”. She is very thorough and while our story is pretty compatible with adoption, she still ALWAYS asks additional questions, sometimes that same question over and over again.

Then it was onto me and I spoke for about 20 minutes. I tried to give more detail to the Judge based on her questions to Michael. She did ask me a few additional questions after I spoke, but the prosecutor did not have any questions. The rep for the city that Drew is from did ask one question, but all were easy and info I knew.

After Michael and I finished speaking, the Judge leaves the courtroom to make her final decision; will she grant custody to us and will she waive the 10 day waiting period.

The Judge returned within about 5 minutes, and the verdict was…

WE HAVE BEEN GRANTED CUSTODY OF KIRILL VLADAMIRAVICH POLYAKOV and the 10 day waiting period has been waived!

We’re very excited and look forward to picking up Drew tomorrow! There are two families that have already brought home two girls and tomorrow we and another couple will bring home two boys, so we’ll have lots of fun play dates before we leave NN and we’ll probably all get together in Moscow as well.

More to come…

Wednesday Visit with Drew

On Wednesday, we had somewhat of a free day and took our time getting out of the hotel by late morning. We did some walking around and checked out this shopping center-like place; interesting everyday items like clothes, shoes, coats, etc. This isn’t a tourist city, so very few people speak English and you really have to search for shops that see trinkets.

Anyway, we went to see Drew in the late afternoon and spent another hour with him. Pics have been posted below. He was even more interactive and really “played” this time vs. watching us and tentatively engaging. He seemed to enjoy his time with us as we did with him. He was most interested in eating the “Hi Liam” sign, although we didn’t get any pics of him with his mouth all over the sign. After about an hour they came to get him again. We were sad to see him go, but very pleased we were able to have had 3 visits with him prior to our picking him up on Friday.

When we returned to the hotel, all four families went to the grocery store with our interpreter and we shopped for baby stuff. I had most of what I needed already, but did buy some similar products to what the baby house would have. It was a fun little trip for all of us.

After our shopping excursion, we all had dinner together in the hotel. There is a single woman here with her parents (adopting a baby girl). Both she and an older couple had court today and so we were all in a celebratory mood. Those two would pick up their children tomorrow, so they were excited. The other couple and Michael and I were nervous because we still had to go to court. Anyway, we had a nice long grown up dinner…would probably be the last during our stay in Russia.

Stay tuned…tomorrow is our day in Court!