She's my daughter!

It just dawned on me.......I have been Stella's Mommy officially since August 17th, 2010. For me it felt more real when I got her home. That was in October, so it has been over 5 months. It hit me like a brick that I have been her Mommy for longer then her birth mother was with her. I don't know all of the circumstances of her life before me but I do know that she was with her BM for 3 months.....a hospital for 2 months then the Baby House for 11 months before I whisked her away to Texas. Oh how I love my daughter! It's taken me awhile to be able to say that word...daughter. I don't know why....It just didn't seem real somehow.

Enough about the adoption now on to my Stella Bella! She is growing in leaps and bounds! Her little size 2 infant shoes no longer fit and her clothes seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Stella came home weighing 15 pounds at 16 months and now at 21 months is weighing about 19.5 pounds. She is eating big people food but still gets a bottle for the vitamins and nutrients that she missed. She is saying lots of words like Chichen (chicken), bath, car, cracker, bye bye and her favorite is ball! She is not so much into toys but she can spot a ball a mile away!

Now that she is home we have had all the doctors appointments to determine that she is 100 percent healthy! Her eyes that we worried were "lazy" are totally normal. Nothing wrong with this little girl!! Such a huge relief! Oh, one thing that I should mention is that she did test positive for TB...apparently normal for some of these Kaz kids. At birth they are given an inoculation with the dead TB virus in it so she will ALWAYS show positive and they will have to do a chest x-ray to determine that she doesn't have TB when a TB test is required.

My little Stella is one of the most stubborn little critters that I have ever met. Stella is also funny and demands attention from everyone! Stella wasn't a favorite at her Baby House and was very quiet....now......when I have take her to day care...once a week...the older kids come running up yelling "Stella"! Her caregiver there said "Yes...they all know Miss Stella"! Ha ha! My little toot. Okay on to the pictures. We took her to Padre Island last weekend and we have another Kaz water baby. No fear! And about a month ago she rode a pony, funniest thing....she had one hand on the sadle horn and the other resting on her knee like a real pro! Must be in the blood! Enjoy my favorite pictures of my favorite daughter!

Happy 18 months!

Today is Stella's 18 month birthday! On her first birthday she was still at Baby House #1 and I was back home, so we didn't get to celebrate. Tonight we will have a piece of the special pink cake that we had for her back in June. It's been in the freezer just waiting for Stella!

This past summer I finally got to meet Lou Ann and Lexie. I can honestly say that I have not met a couple of girls that I like more then these two! I feel like I have known Lou Ann for years. More then the 3 years that she has been there for me through the times with CHI and every aspect of the adoption. I know that I can ask Lou Ann anything and she will give me her honest opinion. She and I have so much in common. Both military brats of pilots, attended the same University at the same time, Her major theater, mine art. Both lived in LA to persue careers in motion pictures and television (she was successful....I was an extra ; ) ) Both single Kaz mamas.

Finally yesterday we got the two Kazakh princesses together. A fast friendship was created and I know it will be a forever one. These girls even had the same color on. Stella loves Lexie and I see a new light in her that I didn't see yesterday!




On Sunday we got into the holiday spirit and Stella, Tina and I went out to the winery and enjoyed the sunset, which you can't see but we really had a nice time.

My sweet star Stella

Stella's first photo shoot...our sneak peak

Stellabration!



Every thing I want to say here sounds so cliche' but Stella and I are really settling in famously! It was a huge adjustment for both of us in the beginning...just getting out to the grocery store or cleaning the house even! We seem to have our routine down pretty well now. Stella sleeps until about 8:30 or 9 and takes 2 naps a day. Now that I have a monitor I see that she actually plays a lot on her naps, she sings and loves on her stuffed animals. Precious.

We have already had two doctors appointments and in the 6 weeks in between Stella gained 2 pounds! The doc said that she is doing awesome and to keep it up. Oh...and she is perfectly healthy!! No anemia, no scabies, no TB!! We have also had several visits from the ECI folks. Early Childhood Intervention. They are working with Stella where she needs it most to catch her up. Mostly in the areas of walking and talking. The Therapist said that she is a flower just ready to blossom!

We've also made an appointment to have Stella's eyes checked but can't get in until February. Hoping it's just something simple. It seems like it's just her right eye that goes in at times. Maybe a lazy eye or could be one crossed eye?

Every day she says or does something that really surprises me. Yesterday I was talking about going out to eat with a friend and she did the sign for eat. Later she did all done (had that one down early), then later it was the sign for more. I was talking about her baby puppy and she signed baby and said puppy!

On November 20th we had an adoption celebration/party/shower for Miss Stella. It was so wonderful! I had new friends, my high school friends and my Continental work family all represented. Stella got some wonderful things and was very gracious in meeting everyone.

We also had a photo shoot for Stella last week...the pictures turned out just wonderful...better then I had hoped! I am still amazed that this is the same little girl that I met back in June. She really is blossoming!

Paka for now......

coming home forever

I think we were a little overwhelmed upon arriving into Houston. My little Kazakh cutie became a US citizen, and then we quietly collected our lugguge. Most of my family was out of town so we didn't expect much fanfare. As we walked through the arrival gates I heard someone yell...Aunt Lisa...look over here! It was my sweet niece Paige! I couldn't have been more surprised! Paige brought a sweet puppy and ballons fit for a princess, Paige helped us out with our luggage and we were met out in the arrivals area by my bestest friend Tina. How wonderful to have such great friends and family!

The following week is a blur. I brought home a stomach bug, ate something I shouldn't have or was just exhausted but sick! Tina stayed over and almost completely tended to the needs of my sweet Stella. A fast bond was created between the two of them. About a week later I woke up and was like....where have I been?? My little love forgave me and it has been a wonderful mix of family and friends meeting Stella and welcoming her to our family and our small town. I never thought that there would be so much love for this little sweet baby. I felt so alone at times in Kaz and am just so happy that everything has worked out so well. I will always tell Stella about her wonderful country of Kazakhstan. The people where so kind and they helped me bring her into a life of so much love. I love you Stella Bella....welcome home!

leaving Almaty

Our KLM flight was scheduled for 8:20 am, so I woke at 4 and quietly packed all of our belongings in the dark. Nothing more important to me then the sleeping beauty in the bed. She is my everything. We got to the airport and thankfully got two seats together, I took a big chance and booked staff travel tickets, so we were on stand by. As we waited in the boarding area I had a moment of shear joy and I cried. I was trying to be quiet about it but the hiccups kept escaping from my mouth. I was actually going to get on this plane with this sweet little girl. Simply surreal.Stella did so wonderful on the flight, I had oatmeal and apple juice and formula to get us through.

We arrived in AMS at about noon. I thought I had all my bases covered and a friend had booked the Sheraton for us, just off the airport through the transit area. I stopped at the customs area to get a temporary transit visa for Stella. DENIED!! Apparently they haven't given those in 4 years. Previously to the trip, I had called the Mercure which is a hotel in the transit area and tried to book a room there, just in case something like this happened, they said they were booked. Meanwhile...my luggage is going round and round along with my stroller. I called my friend Tina in the states and she immedietly got on the phone and called the Mercure....thank goodness they had a room available. BUT my luggage. I spoke with KLM and then had to walk all the way to the other side of the airport and have Continental work with KLM in locating my luggage. I couldn't check in with Continental until my luggage was found. After an hour or so, everything was located and we made our way mid airport to the Mercure. Stella and I fell into bed at 4 pm and both woke wide awake at midnight. At this point I am running out of food for my STella Bella. On the otherside of the transit area there is a wonderful grocery store called Albert Hein....not much for a baby on the side I was on. My formula had also turned mushy. I made an emergancy call to a dutch friend who called my wonderful flight attentdant friend who was laying over and she got Oatmeal and fruit puree to give to us inflight. We just had to make due with what we had for the time being. Stella being a trooper the whole time. so at about 3 in the morning in AMS...Stella and I walk the airport....even on this side there are fun shops and such.
Stella at the Mercure...ready for our next flight.....
I have to say that my 23 years with Continental paid off all in that day. We got to the gate pretty early and my concierge friend was there to greet us...she said there were only 4 or 5 seats available for that flight but they were trying to block us two of those seats together on the 11 hour flight. the gate agents who I have know for years of coming and going through AMS where so wonderful to us. They came to us first, tore my tickets and said that I could go on first. WOW....such treatment! Once on the plane of course the flight attentdants absolutely made a huge deal over Stella. My friend Sylvia made us so comfortable and we had such a nice flight. As familiar as I am with this flight...this was the longest 11 hour flight of my life. Stella was a dream. She didn't sleep much but she never cried and I always had a bottle of juice ready for take off and landing. She was a trooper! Here is Sylvia and Stella.
Sweet little landing outfit from Auntie Sylvia.

a few days in Almaty

Here are a couple of pix of Stella at our Luxury apartment in Almaty. You do what you have to do...right?? We started out on Monday the 18th, after we left the baby house we went straight to the SOS clinic where they poked and prodded my little sweet pea. They mentioned that she had rickets, vitamin D deficiency...first I heard of that. After that we went back to the apartment to settle in. Stella just took it all in stride. She loved the car ride and later we met up with Galina (interpreter) to walk to Tsum to get more Internet minutes. Seems my phone minutes expired on the same day the Internet expired.

On Tuesday we had such a nice day, we decided to go to the grocery store near Tsum...the minute we walked in Stella started screaming...if you have ever been to a Kazakh grocery store you will notice people following you around, it's a very strange feeling. Do they think I am going to steal something or just trying to be helpful? I still don't know. So there is no baby food that I want there...what I do want is wine...here I am with Stella in the stroller and a hand basket with wine in it...I have to adjust everything to pick Stella up, then she stops crying..... BUT...I have to check out...so I put her back in the stroller and she screams away...we have become surrounded by every Kazakh young girl in the store!! They must think I am a very awful mama, they are touching her skin and saying something....I was trying to explain to them that we were just getting to know each other...they didn't understand a word I said. Oh well.

On the morning of the 20th, we had our "roommates" show up. The French lady adopting from Karakhstek. Stella and I had an appointment that day for the US embassy. We got home and took a nap. We woke to screaming...it was the French lady with her 2.5 year old boy that she just "got" from the Baby house. He was not having it. I guess the poor little guy had thrown up on the long trip home. Later on that night, one of the Mama's of the Taraz 10 showed up to spend a couple of nights also. Our roomy 2 bedroom turned into a very small one room for me and Stella....something I would not do again. Somehow it is NOT fun to make the mistakes with your first child on the first few days of your life together in front of strangers. What was I thinking!? It is also not fun to feel like you are staying in someone else's apartment because they stayed there many times before. However the two kids got along quite well for two babies just barely out of the Baby House.

I think that covers our stay (my 4th trip) in Almaty. Oh, we never got out again....we spent Wednesday and Thursday holed up and poor Galina had to bring us food. It was getting cold and rainy and just not easy to lug everything down the stairs to go out. At this point I have never wanted home so bad in my life!

back tract to October 15

Wow, time has just flown by...so I thought that I would just go back and post as I remember instead of all in one post. I arrived in Almaty on Friday, October 15. For some reason I can't even remember my flights. Oh wait....lets see on Continental I got lucky and used a pass to get me in business first..it was very nice. My friend Pam who worked the flight gave me and Stella two lovely gifts that she made. A bib with an airplane on it and a needle point pillow with her birthdate and foot prints on it. So so sweet! Oh now it's coming back to me. I was also upgraded to business first on KLM...there was hardly anyone up front and it was such a nice treat. I ate and slept in style. I think I've said before...Stella means star and she is my lucky star!

I had expected to take custody of Stella on Friday but my coordinator had different plans...thank goodness! I was exhausted and fell asleep at 7 pm. I did get to see Stella that day and she was just as sweet as ever, however in the first of our visit she seemed a little angry...is that possible? I saw her also on Saturday and we took back where we left off. So Monday was to be our "gothcha day"!

October 18, 2010. I had an outfit in mind for the day but it got a little chilly so I had to scramble to find something warm enough. We got the baby house around 10 after we shopped for cakes and candy. I also had my gifts I purchased for the chief doctor and the care givers. I was so nervous! I gave the visiting nurse, Batima, Stella's outfit and waited....a few minutes later they brought in the sweetest little girl in her "gotcha day" attire. What a sweetie...we all couldn't help but laugh. I topped it off by adding a nice set of pearls for the occasion.

We left the baby house and went straight to the SOS/International clinic. Stella cried huge tears as they poked and proded. What a trouper! After that we went the apartment and got to know each other a little.

That evening Stella would have nothing to do with the pac and play so in the bed she went. I can't even tell you how important that bonding time was for us. Several times she woke just to touch me or to smile and then slide right back to sleep. In the morning she layed there for about 20 minutes just smiling and looking at me and taking it all in. If I wasn't already in love with this little bit...well that was the icing on the cake!

Enjoy the pictures, they are a little out of order. Stella was in the same outfit, 4 months later that I met her in. So to Stella...I promise you, no more silly outfits or silly hats...more later.....