Join Our Journey 2007

If my friends could see me now!

2011-02-06T18:06:00.008-05:00

A long overdue update on our Kyrgyz princess. Lana is 4 years old now. She attends a wonderful preschool and enjoys ballet class, riding her bike and playing with her friends. She is happy and heathy and full of herself.

The entire Guvernator clan is well. Luba is in her third year of college as a Parks and Recreation major, Quint is a sophomore in high school and continues to enjoy music and languages and Chris and I continue to be blessed with good health, satifiying work and fun and crazy family. Life is good.

Now the big news, we are adding to our family again through adoption. We hope to soon travel to India to bring home Lana's new sister. Her name is Laxmi Priya and she's 3 and 1/2 years old. We have been in the process for a little over a year but things are starting to move now and we hope to travel sometime this spring.

We have started another blog to follow our journey to India. Please feel free to join us at:

http://joinourjourneytoindia2011.blogspot.com

Lana Likes To...

2008-10-26T16:52:00.015-04:00

Swim
Swing
Slide

Laugh
Look
Explore

SMILE

Many Milestones

2008-09-23T19:51:00.016-04:00

It's been one year since Chris and I first met Lana. I couldn't let this anniversary pass without an update for our cyber friends. These past couple of months have brought quite a few milestones and changes for the Guvernator family.

Lana celebrated her second birthday on August 17 with a big family get together. She loved the cake and ice cream and all the attention. Her favorite gift was a leopard print bathrobe with a hot pink collar, very diva.

Big sister Luba went away to college on August 30. We miss our Bubba, but I'm happy to report that she's settled in nicely and she's having a great time.

In the midst of all the celebrations we lost our wonderful babysitter to an unexpected move. With a lot of help from Mee Maw, or as Lana calls her Maw Mee, we made it through a few crazy weeks while we scrambled to find child care. Fortunately, a really good preschool with before and aftercare had a last minute opening. Lana started preschool on September 3. Check out her first day picture with her apple "pack, pack" and matching "box". She likes carrying them into school each day. She loves school and had adjusted amazingly well. She has new friends, great teachers and plenty of wonderful activities to keep her happy and busy while we're at work.

When you ask Lana what she wants to do, she always says "pool". We spent lots of time there this summer and she's is doing very well with her swimming. She even jumped off the diving board. Chris is taking her to the inside pool for swimming lessons now and she just loves it. She also loves boat rides and even enjoyed going tubing. She is also working on learning how to pedal her tricycle. She just got a new scooter and she loves it. She rides her scooter while Buddy rides his skateboard. They are quite a pair.

The most recent picture of the bunch was taken this morning. Lana wore her Wolfpack gear to school today and she seemed quite proud of herself. She even stood still while I put her hair in pig tails.

As I reflect on the past 12 months, I feel so blessed to have this wonderful little person in our lives. I am also grateful for the help and support of our family and friends, without whom, we couldn't have made it through this wonderful, stressful, joyful and complicated year.

Lana Update

2008-08-10T13:53:00.017-04:00

I'm happy to report that Lana is having a great summer. She loves the pool, the boat, the fountains at the Botanical Gardens and all things involving water. She was baptized at church on July 27th. She splashed and poured water on herself like she was playing at the pool. One of the children on the front row commented, "oh no, she's drinking the water!". I wish we had videotaped it, she was hilarious. Then she walked down the isle waving at everyone. I don't think anyone has enjoyed their baptism any more.

Lana is talking, but not putting words together much yet. She still understands both Russian and English quite well. She has renamed most of our household. Luba is now called Bubba. Quint is Buddy. Our dog Sophie is So So and the cat, Woody is called Dee.

Lana's new trick is taking out her prosthetic eye. When she's in her bed she takes it out and throws it across the room, just like she does with her pacifier. When I get her up she will get her pacifier and place it back in her bed, then get her eye and hand it to me. When we are in the car she takes off her shoes, pulls out her hair bow and then takes out her eye. Fortunately, it's easy to put back in and it only takes a second. We've really gotten over the ick factor. It must not hurt at all because she doesn't even flinch. We're just afraid we're going to lose it. She now reminds us to put it in before we leave to go somewhere. She looks at herself in the mirror and says eye, eye. I don't know what we are going to do when she goes to preschool in the fall. I hope she doesn't take it out there.

Guvernator, Party of Five

2008-04-27T19:10:00.018-04:00

Here we are on our way to church on Easter Sunday as a family of five.

Lana gives Luba (who she calls Bubba) a hug as she heads out to the prom.

A wonderful day at the Botanical Gardens with Lana and Quint enjoying the new World of Wonders exhibit.

As you can see, we are enjoying every moment with Lana. She has adjusted so well it's hard to believe she's only been with us since December.

Life is very hectic right now with Luba finishing up her senior year. This past week she presented her senior project. It included a scrapbook she made for Lana about her adoption and information on her very successful car wash for Diapers for Tokmok. She did a great job, and she's glad to have the presentation behind her. Saturday she had her final Russian exam and this week she decides on a college.

Quint is on the crew team. Lana is enjoying all the attention she gets from the big kids at the Saturday regattas as she cheers for her brother.

Chris and I are struggling to keep up with the hectic pace (thus the extended time between posts, sorry), but loving every minute of it. If it weren't for the help of my mom, our wonderful sitter, helpful and understanding coworkers, kind friends and great kids, we wouldn't be able to make it work. These past two months have been a lesson in prioritizing for me. They have also forced me to let go of many things that I used to worry about, like a clean house and ironed clothes. Our cat, Woody, is particularly pleased with our new, too busy to sweat the small stuff, attitudes. He used to be an indoor cat, longing for the outdoors. Now we don't have the time or energy to keep him from bolting out the door each time it opens. Not only is he happier, he's lost quite a bit of weight.

Chris asked me last week if there was such thing as an adoption vasectomy. We decided that cutting up all our credit cards would probably be the closest thing to it. But we better keep them open, Luba is heading to college. And you never know what life has in store (just kidding mom).

Brown Eyed Girl

2008-03-13T20:51:00.004-04:00

It's amazing, Lana has two beautiful brown eyes. Thanks so much Dave LeGrand!

More photos coming soon.

Update

2008-02-20T20:13:00.003-05:00

Good news to report from the eye surgeon, Lana's eye is all healed. She will get her new lens on March 7th, three months to the day from when she arrived. An Ocularist (an important new word in my vocabulary) will make a lens that looks just like her other eye. It only takes one visit and she goes home with a new eye! It's an amazing process.

I went back to work in the beginning of February. We were lucky to find a wonderful Russian lady to take care of Lana during the day. She has a little girl just a bit younger than Lana, so Lana has a playmate during the day. She speaks with the girls in Russian, so Lana is learing both Russian and English at the same time.

We have had several questions about The Princess and the Little Fairy. Luba wanted me to explain the outfits. She was dressed up for a theme party. Lana had just received a package in the mail with the fancy pants and the wings (Thanks April!). I couldn't pass up the photo opportunity.

A Princess and a Little Fairy

2008-02-10T21:39:00.001-05:00

Life's A Beach

2008-02-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

Bathing Beauty

2008-01-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

We've had so many firsts in the past month I can't list them all, but Lana's first experience at the pool had to be recorded. She splashed, she kicked, she had a great time.

She has also discovered the joy of playing outside. Thanks to the success of her surgery, the light doesn't hurt her eye anymore. The weather in Norfolk hasn't been the best, but we have been taking every opportunity to get out when we can.

She's Walking, Talking and Feeling Great

2008-01-13T15:26:00.000-05:00

Lana is on the move. With all the surgery prep and the holidays, I haven't had a chance to update everyone on Lana's amazing progress over the past month.

Many firsts! First English word, juice. quickly followed by many more including So-So for our little dog Sophie. On December 29th, Lana decided she could walk by herself. No with a first step or two, but by walking across the room. Now she walks, climbs and dances.

She is a very social little girl and enjoys meeting new people. It's been fun introducing her to her new family and friends.

She continues to have a good appetite. Sometimes we can't believe how much food that little body can hold. She has gained 2 pounds and grown between 2 and 4 inches depending on who is measuring her. She has also gotten 5 new teeth, with 3 more coming in.

She continues to recover well from surgery. She seems to feel well. There is still quite a bit of swelling under her eye, but above her eye looks great. Much better than before surgery already. This coming week we are planning on having some play dates and returning to the surgeon for a check-up. We are also hoping to begin enjoying the outside. She has stopped shying away from the light. We took her for a ride in the car today and the light didn't make her cry. Next warm day we're going to the beach!

Successful Surgery

2008-01-11T23:41:00.000-05:00

Lana's surgery went well, and we're home from the hospital (finally). It took longer than expected and we stayed until they were sure Lana wasn't dehydrated or nauseous. Channing is sleeping on the floor next to Lana's crib as I post.

Dr. Joly, the surgeon, said that her eye was the largest he has even seen, even in adult patients. He was pleased with the results and let us know that everyone in the operating room was so happy as to how her eye looked after the procedure was done. We can't wait to see ourselves (bandages come off in 3 days).

Listen, I have to say that we are humbled at all of the thoughts and especially the prayers that were said on Lana's behalf. Your spiritial strength is overwhelming and we appreciate this more that you will ever know. Thank you.

More details later...

Holiday Update

2007-12-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It is a wonderful holiday for all of us. Lana is an absolute joy. This picture says it all.

She is enjoying all aspects of the season; the attention of her new family and friends, holiday decorations, food, gifts, she loves it all.

We have run into one glitch, the surgery we had planned for December 31st had to be postponed until Jan 11th. No problem with Lana, it was a problem with scheduling the surgery. So keep her in your thoughts and prayers on the Jan 11th.

Thank you for continuing to follow our story and enjoy the rest of the holiday season.

Home Sweet Home

2007-12-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to post! We're doing great, we're just very busy. Last week we had a doctor's appointment every day. We were so lucky that both of the eye specialist were willing to fit us in right away, thanks Dr. Chamblee and Dr. Joly. We got great news that Lana's right eye seems perfectly fine. We also scheduled surgery to remove her left eye and insert an implant. It will be on December 31st. Keep us in your prayers that day. She will have the surgery at The Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters right here in Norfolk and she won't even have to spend the night. The swelling around her left eye and the pressure should go away immediately. She will have a temporary lens in her left eye that just looks cloudy. After approximately three months Lana will be fitted for a lens that covers her left eye and makes it look just like her right eye.

We also went to the regular pediatrician and her health seems to be very good. I'm also thrilled to report that she is eating and sleeping well also. I almost feel guilty about the sleeping, I know several other adoptive families who haven't been so lucky.

This week she has a CT scan to check the size of her eye socket before surgery. She also has to have blood work done. We will all be glad when these two things are done and we can have some free time to play before surgery.

I'm getting lots of questions about the trip. Everything went extremely well. I'll post details during the Christmas holidays when I have a few free minutes. I'm still getting over jet lag and getting used to my new mommy schedule, so I'm going to bed at night around 8:30pm when we put Lana down. Needless to say that's not giving me any time to post or return phone calls. I get caught up soon.

images from the trip

2007-12-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

They're Home

2007-12-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

Lana and Channing are home. What a long day for them. After staying awake on all of the flights, Lana had just fallen asleep when they touched down in Norfolk. She was a little groggy, but snapped out of it once she saw that she was the center of attention from a big crowd.

We got smiles and a few high-fives (new trick that Channing taught her). But the crying started when we strapped her into the car seat.

More falling all over Lana at home. We watched as she ate everything offered for about 30 minutes. The cat and two dogs checked out the new baby smells, and so far so good.

Lana just went to sleep in her own room, which looks much better with her in it. Channing is filling us in on the details of the trip. All in all a very happy family at the moment.

Lana's numbers

2007-12-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

We talked with Channing last night and she has completed everything needed to leave the country with Lana. They are enjoying a free day in Almaty today, and will be on the first of three flights starting about 4:00 am, our time, tomorrow morning.

Lana's trip to the doctor resulted in some incredible numbers. Since we met her on the first trip, back in September, Lana has gained 4 pounds and grown 2 inches. Channing says that at breakfast, Lana can put away a soup bowl of yogurt before grabbing for whatever whole fruit they have at the table.

Stay tuned...next post should have some new pictures of our little (but getting bigger) snowflake.

Kazakhstan friendly service (not)

2007-12-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

After numerous phone calls, we finally got in touch with Channing in Kazakhstan. Apparently the hotel staff helps to locate their guests by either hanging up on the caller in mid-broken-Russian sentence, or by just leaving the phone on the counter for 15 international-calling-plan minutes.

She and Lana endured the long car ride from Bishkek to Almaty. So far, it seems, no one we've met has enjoyed that part of the trip. Today they have a lot of paperwork to do. They will go see the Doctor and also go to the American Embassy. The last big day of things to get accomplished before they pack up to head home.

This phone call brought us some sweet sounds from Lana. We could hear her saying, "Mama, Mama, Mama" in the background. We could also hear Channing smiling.

Snowflakes in Bishkek

2007-12-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

It is snowing in Bishkek and Channing and Lana are stuck inside today. They play in between paperwork and travels to agencies and consulates. You're not going to believe this, but Lana is still sleeping 8 to 12 hours each night. She takes a nap or two in the day also. It must be the orphanage schedule. So each day it is play hard and sleep hard.

Lana took a few steps unassisted yesterday! Channing has the room set up as a racetrack. Lana can keep a hand on the crib or the edge of a bed all the way around. She's doing lap after lap, while all the time chatting up a storm. Every now and then she cuts across the middle with what Channing says is a "funny kind of side-step" that makes her laugh.

Tomorrow, they leave for Kazakhstan. Our little showflake will be one step closer to home.

GOTCHA ! ! !

2007-11-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

Today was the day! Channing walked into the orphanage in Tokmok and Lana recognized her right away. Seems like Lana has been gaining weight since we first met her. A good sign. After the traditional celebration with the Director and caregivers, and after a car ride back to Bishkek, the two of them settled down to some serious playing at the Inn.

Luba, Quint and I called them and tried to talk with Channing, while we could hear Lana in the background banging blocks together. We even traded Russian baby words with Lana. As we said goodbye, Channing said that Lana was rubbing her eyes and asking to be held. Another good sign. Maybe the two of them will get a little well-needed rest.

Leaving on a jet plane

2007-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, Channing is finally off to pick up Lana. We've all had a hard time waiting, especially after meeting her a few months ago. Both Quint and Luba are torn between seeing their Mom leave and wanting their sister home right away.

A navy duffel bag full of donated cloth diapers went with her. Thanks again to everyone who donated towards the Diapers for Tokmok cause.

In just a few days, Channing will be reunited with our daughter

Thanks Luba and NCS!

2007-11-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

A huge thank you to Luba and her friends! As part of her NCS senior project on the adoption of her little sister from Kyrgyzstan, Luba held a car wash to raise money for our Diaper Change for Tokmok. She and 20 of her friends braved the cold temperatures and misty rain and washed 35 cars. By the time they finished the sun was shining and so were the cars. I am delighted to report that their hard work raised $626. Way to go guys! We can't thank you enough for your contribution.

By Request

2007-11-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who continues to follow our journey via this blog! I hear that you want more pictures so I'll try to keep posting until I run out.

No new news about Lana. I asked our case worker to check and see if she could get an update for us. I'll post if I hear anything. I'm wondering if she's walking on her own yet. I expect she will be by the time I see her.

Special thanks to those of you who have made a contribution to the Diaper Change for Tokmok fund! It is going so well that Amazon.com has sold out of infant diapers. If you are still interested in ordering some diapers you can go directly to http://www.babybungalow.com/kudiliandac.html. They still have lots of diapers in stock. If you would prefer to make a donation, I will place our final order on November 16th. Baby bungalow has been great about shipping and assures me that if orders are placed by the 16th they will arrive before I leave. Baby bungalow also sent an extra package of diapers as a donation. A few people have asked me about shipping diapers directly to Kyrgyzstan. For several reasons I have been told that isn't a good idea. I will make sure I have enough room to deliver all the diapers we collect.

We really appreciate the continued prayers and support we are receiving from everyone. You are keeping us going during the wait to bring our little girl home.

More Pictures

2007-10-22T18:06:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share some more pictures of our little snowflake. We are in the process of packing and making travel arrangements to go back to Kyrgyzstan. If everything goes according to plan we should be able to pick her up right after Thanksgiving.

Saturday Night Diaper Change

2007-10-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

We just turned our spare change into 15 diapers! We have a big jar where we deposit our spare change. We just took the change we have been collecting for about a year to Kroger and deposited it in the Coinstar machine. It came out to more than 150 dollars! We used our money to purchase a Amazon.com gift certificate right from the machine. Then we came home and ordered three 5 diaper packs.

I have gotten a few emails asking our deadline for diapers. I am leaving for Kyrgyzstan on Nov.23rd. I'm planning on placing my last diaper order on Nov. 16th. The order I placed last week arrived within three days. As long as they continue to have diapers in stock I think that will allow time for shipping.

Thanks for the positive response to our Diapers for Tokmok project.

Diaper Change for Tokmok

2007-10-17T19:33:00.000-04:00

Quite a few people, including my co-workers, have contacted Chris or I and asked how they could help the orphanage. We are so lucky to have such kind and generous friends! We have carefully considered what type of donations would make the greatest impact and we think we've come up with a plan. We call it Diaper Change for Tokmok.

While in Kyrgyzstan we were amazed at the quality of the care the children were receiving despite the shortage of resources. Needless to say, the scarcity of supplies makes the job of taking care of children in an orphanage even more difficult. Lack of diapers is one particularly difficult challenge faced by the caregivers. They make do by using dishtowels and lightweight receiving blankets as diapers. Then they layer clothes over the cloth to help keep it in place. As soon as a child wets, it leaks through the layers of clothing and often onto the sheets as well. Caregivers must then change and launder the diaper, clothes and often the sheets. The problem is even worse when a diaper is soiled.

In the US we have several types of all-in-one cloth diapers with a water resistant cover and Velcro closures. These diapers are expensive and they must be ordered. However, we feel that that these diapers would be a long term solution to the diapering problem and thus improve the daily quality of life of the children and the caregivers at the orphanage.

If you are interested in purchasing diapers, you can click here http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby/1L9FNAX53CK3Z
to access our baby registry where we have registered for diapers for the orphanage.

Thanks to all the folks at VUPS for kicking off our Diaper Change project with a change drive at the VUPS office.

We will keep you posted on the progress of Diaper Change for Tokmok.

I'm Back

2007-10-09T06:25:00.000-04:00

I arrived home a few days ago safe and sound. I'm a little under the weather with a sinus infection but all things considered, that's no big deal. Just before I left I found out that I should be able to return to pick Lana up soon after Thanksgiving.

Thanks to everyone for you blog comments and emails while I was gone. You have no idea how much they meant to me while I was away.

A Bittersweet Day

2007-10-03T08:07:00.000-04:00

Today was my last visit with Lana for this trip. Although I'm so excited to get home, it was really hard to say goodbye. I have spent the afternoon reminding myself that she is loved by the wonderful ladies who take care of her. She also has friends to play with, a predictable routine, and she is thriving. I leave her in good hands and look forward to the next trip when I will be able to bring her home to her forever family.

Take care precious girl, I'll be back soon.

Hello From Kyrgyzstan

2007-10-01T08:15:00.000-04:00

Just a quick hello from us here in Kyrgyzstan. All is well. We are both doing fine and having a great time together. Miss you all and can hardly wait for you to meet our precious girl in person.

On The Move

2007-09-28T04:39:00.001-04:00

We've all been on the move these last couple of days. Chris left on the 26th and made it home safely. I had to leave my home away from home for one night because they were overbooked. I spent last night at a different guest house in a very remote location but I felt perfectly safe. I didn't venture out however because I was afraid I would never find my way back. Thank goodness for cup of noodles and crackers.

Lana is on the move also. Her walking gets more steady by the day. She spends much of the time I'm with her each day holding my hands and walking me around. Her balance has improved quite a bit. She crawls so fast I can't keep up with her. The nurses like her to stay on a blanket. I run from one side to the other turning her around.

Today some American military men were at the orphanage. It was great to see them playing with all the kids. I understand this is part of an outreach project they have at the Bishkek base. They bring a group to visit about once a week. The kids loved it.

Our Little Snowflake

2007-09-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

We have been having a great time with Lana. She smiles and giggles when we come in and today she reached for me the minute she saw me. Of course this brought me to tears.

Today the the nurses told us that they call Lana, Sne-shen-ka, which mean snowflake. These ladies are amazing. They really love all the children. They know each one so well and take time to interact with each child individually.

The conditions however, are tough. Chris and I are trying to stay strong, but it's very hard. We can't believe how well they do with so few resources. Diapers and formula are extremely scarce and often they are forced to make do with creative alternatives.

We stayed inside to play today. We found out that Lana is quite a crawler and has no trouble getting where she wants to go very quickly. Since we were inside the other children were around so we played with them also. It was interesting to see Lana's reaction when we were holding and playing with the other children. She already knows we are there to see her and she made sure we knew that. She would crawl up to us, or lean over and make eye contact when we had another child in our lap.

Barbara asked what we are doing when we aren't with Lana. After we feed her lunch we usually ride back to Bishkek and get some lunch. Today we ate at a place called Navigator and it was good. The other days the food hasn't been so great. We've been spending the afternoons walking around the city and seeing the sights. Today we went to a museum that was very interesting, but we couldn't really read the signs, so we weren't able to full appreciate it. We've been trying to get a real feel for the place so we have walked quite a bit. We've visited some local markets and all the official, former Soviet, sights. Bed time comes early for us. Some nights we've fallen asleep as early as 6pm. Tonight I'm up really late, right now it's 8:45 pm. I brought two book and have finished one and a half. I'm trying to pace myself, I still have a long time here. I'm doing a needlepoint for Lana's room and that's helping keep me busy. Chris has been doing quite a bit of reading also. We have a TV in our room, but we can't understand a thing because it is all in either Russian or Kyrg. The little bit of Russian we know helps us get around but isn't enough to understand a tv program. The internet has been a big help for us both but we are having to use the lobby computer and it's often occupied. We have asked to be able to help out at the orphanage in the afternoons, but we aren't sure if they will let us. We are hoping to find out tomorrow. We will both feel much better if we can do something to help out while we are here.

Our First Meeting

2007-09-20T14:22:00.001-04:00

We met Lana today! She's wonderful! She smiles, she laughs and she loves attention!

We got to the baby house at about 10 this morning. We went into the baby room to meet Lana. She took to us right away. We went outside and spent about 2 hours getting to know each other.

She has her own little personality that was amazing to see. She is curious and pays close attention to everything that is going on around her. Some other children came out to the playground and she watched them very closely. One little boy started to swing on a nearby swing. She was sitting in my lap and started to lean forward and backward, imitating his swinging motion.

Walking seems to be her current project. She would hold our hands and walk us all around the playground. That's the way we spent most of our time today.

One of the nurses brought one of her friends out and they seemed so happy to see each other. The nurse told us that they were right at the same age and the oldest two in the baby room. She says they are competative with each other and both girls hard to learn
to walk.

All the attention and activity wore her out. At about 11:30 she got a little cranky. Experienced dad, Chris identified the problem right away and held Lana on his sholder until she drifted off to sleep. We took turns holding our peaceful sleeping baby until it was almost time to go. She woke up right as we were about to leave. We took her inside and put her in her high chair for lunch and said "Paka", we'll be back tomorrow.

In Kyrgyzstan

2007-09-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

We arrived safely in Kyrgyzstan. The plane rides were okay but the 12 hour layover in Moscow was rough. Chris and I ended up alternately sleeping on a bench and walking laps around the terminal.

The Moscow airport has changed a lot in 9 years and so have we. Who would have thought nine years ago when we were picking up our beautiful Luba we would be coming back through again to meet Lana, with two wonderful children at home anxiously awaiting the arrival of their little sister. I am truly grateful.

Travel News

2007-09-06T20:20:00.000-04:00

We got the call! We've been invited to go over and meet Lana. The big day will be September 19th.

Chris and I will travel over together. He will stay about a week and I will stay an additional week to complete the visitation requirement.

Unfortunately we will not be able to bring Lana home with us this time. After our visit we must return home while the adoption is completed in Kyrgyzstan.

The plan is for me to return to Kyrgyzstan in about a month to complete the paperwork and bring Lana home.

Lana's Lunch Date

2007-08-26T09:39:00.001-04:00

This is Lana and her friend Beck having a nice chat over lunch. Thanks to Mala for sending these pictures!

Reports from Kyrgyzstan say Lana is doing well. She seems happy and active. Her left eye, however, is getting worse. Our paperwork is in Kyrgyzstan and we are hoping it will be presented to the judge this week. We have asked for an expedited adoption process to enable us to get treatment for Lana's eye as soon as possible. We don't know the specifics of our process yet but we expect to travel around mid September.

Happy Birthday Lana!

2007-08-22T17:58:00.000-04:00

Lana turned a year old on Friday August 17, 2007. Oh, how we wish we could have been with her. We will definitely have a birthday celebration when she gets home. Two adoptive parents traveling to Kyrgyzstan this week are delivering a birthday care package to Lana for us, thanks Tim and Mala.

Fortunately, we were able to spend the weekend with our wonderful 22 month old niece, Leah and her mom Elizabeth. They both helped us get ready for Lana.

Our dossier was sent to Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday August 21st. This included our home study and notarized copies of quite a few documents including background checks and photos of our home and family. This is to be presented to the judge by our facilitator in the next week or so, then we will get the specifics about our adoption process and our travel dates.

Meet Lana

2007-08-18T21:42:00.000-04:00

This is our beautiful little girl, Lana.

Where In The World Is Our Daughter?

2007-08-18T21:29:00.000-04:00

Summer is drawing to a close and still no word on our daughter. I'm spending way to much time on the internet commiserating with the other blogettes.

We are all ready for our baby, but where is she?

After a few days away from the computer, I log in to my email and see the picture of a beautiful little girl. She is 11 months old. She needs a family.

I immediately call the agency representing this child. They tell me she is in Kyrgyzstan. I've never heard of Kyrgyzstan. I am told it's below Kazakstan and next to China. It is a former Soviet Republic and the official language is Russian. This beautiful child also has a severe problem with her left eye and needs immediate surgery.

Chris and I talk. We talk to Luba and Quint. We all agree this little girl is our daughter! We are her new family! Kyrgyzstan here we come!

First Stop, Taiwan

2007-08-18T19:46:00.000-04:00

Preparation for our adoption began with a home study done by a local adoption agency, Shore Adoption. Then we chose Commonwealth Adoptions International to take care of the Taiwan portion of our adoption because we were impressed by the quality of care the children receive in their foster care program. We were one of the first families to join their Program B and we expected the process to move rather quickly.

As often is the case in international adoption, the process did not progress as quickly as we, or the agency, had anticipated. So we waited. I kept myself busy by working, getting the nursery ready, completing our adoption education classes, and communicating with other moms adopting from Taiwan (aka: blogettes). Chris was busy with work, his Masters program, and helping me get the nursery and the rest of the house ready for our new arrival. Luba finished up her junior year and spent the summer working at Busch Gardens. Quint finished his sixth grade year, swam on the swim team, went to a few camps and watched longingly as other families enjoyed their little ones at our pool.

The Journey Begins...

2007-08-11T16:37:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the adoption journey of the Guvernator family. We began this journey in January of 2007 with the decision to adopt again. As many of you know, our daughter Luba joined our family 9 years ago from Moscow, Russia at the age of 10. Quint, our homegrown son, was 3 at the time. Now that Luba is 19 and Quint is 12, we have decided that we have room in our hearts and our home to add another family member. After researching adoption options available to us we decided on a Taiwan adoption program.