Sweet Home Chicago!

After a long journey from Almaty, with a stopover in Frankfurt, we finally arrived in Chicago!

Piece of Cake!
The first leg of our journey was relatively easy. We were once again travelling on a "red eye" flight departing from Almaty at 4 am. We had requested bulk head seating where we could set up a bassinet for Samantha. After an uneventful takeoff, we put her in her bassinet and she slept through most of the 6.5 hour flight. We were really grateful that she was such a well-behaved little traveler!

You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too
Our layover in Frankfurt was a bit rushed. Once landed, you disembark the aircraft away from the airport, in an airplane parking lot. Then you take a 5 min. bus ride to the airport. The airport is so spread out that it takes a good 30 minutes just to get from one terminal to another. To add to our travelers' anxiety, we had the misfortune to be on a tram car between terminals that was being fixed for a mechanical problem. At one point, we wondered if we'd make our connecting flight home. Being crunched for time, we could only make a quick diaper change and had no time to eat.

Once again, we were thrilled to be seated in the bulkhead area, just behind business class. The businessmen, seated in front of us, however, were not as thrilled to hear Sam wailing as she sat hungry during the takeoff of our flight! After a rough ascent (baby made it rough, not the turbulence), and finally consoled by some formula, she was given a bassinet in which to sleep. This one was like a bowling ball bag/Indian papoose, it laid flat on the floor and zipped up the sides. Thankfully, Sam has not figured out how to work zippers! For the most part, she was wide awake on this 8.5 hr. leg of our journey. It was a constant struggle getting her to lay quietly (even when Mommy and Daddy pretended to be asleep). She kept popping up out of her bowling bag as far as the opening would allow her (we stopped counting the number of times she attempted this escape tactic after about the 15th try)! Diaper changes with Sam in the claustrophobic bathroom were also a high point for the sleeping passengers, as she screamed and cried at the top of her lungs.

At the end of the day (and I do mean "day", as the trip, door-to-door, took 24 hours!), we all made it home safe and sound. Uncle Don was kind enough to pick us up from the airport the morning of March 7 and was insistent on capturing pictures of Samantha Ayazhan Blix's arrival to the USA! This date will be our annual "Welcome Home Day" celebration/tradition in the Blix family, as we continue to share with Sam the story of our adoption journey and our great joy in becoming her parents!

Almaty Sightseeing

While in Almaty for 4 days, we were able to squeeze in some some shopping and sightseeing. Almaty is situated in a very pretty geographic area, with mountains, lakes, canyons, and parks. From photos we've seen, in the summertime, it's a scenic wonderland. During our visit, thankfully, the weather was a balmy 40+ degrees (F).

The City of Apples
Almaty is an unusual city. It has adapted to the changing times faster than any other Central Asian city. Almaty is the former capital of Kazakhstan, and is still its largest city. Most countries with diplomatic representation in Kaz. have moved their embassies to Astana, the new capital for ten years now. Some (e.g., US Embassy) maintain consulates in Almaty. It also appears to be a wealthy city, with high-end stores such as Prada, Christofle, Bruno Magli, etc.

During ancient times, the settlement of Almaly was found on the location of present day Almaty. Translated from Kazak, "almaly" means "apple". Previously, the city was called Alma-Ata, that is "father of apples". The ancient town of Almaly was an oasis along the Silk Road. Traces of the ancient town are still found when earth-moving work is done in the center of the city.

Cathedrals and Park
There is a variety of beautiful architecture throughout the city. Normally, buildings are five-nine stories due to the high seismic activity in the region. The top photos (of the green cathedral) were taken at St. Nicholas Cathedral. There was a Russian Orthodox service being conducted while we were there. Parishoners (primarily old women) were gathered around the Priest (as opposed to being seated in pews) as he gave his sermon.

The Voznesenski Cathedral (photos of the dollhouse-colored cathedral) is breathtaking inside and out. It was built of wood, entirely without nails in 1904. It is one of the eight most unique wooden buildings in the world. Of special interest is the fact that it survived the 1911 earthquake with a magnitude of 10 on the Richter scale.

Behind this cathedral, we walked through Panfilov's 28 Guardsmen Park. The park features the Glory Memorial with its Eternal Flame in honor of defenders of the Motherland and the Memorial Lane. The Lane is lined with stone pedestals engraved with the names of the 28 Panfilov’s guardsmen who gave their lives in the battle of the Great Patriotic War (World War II). It was during the Moscow Battle, 1941, when 28 fighters resisted 50 German tanks. Almost all of them fell but did not draw back. The division was raised in Almaty and was led by general Ivan Panfilov.

We would have loved to stay a couple more days in Almaty and take in a few more sights, but it was time to depart for home! When Samantha becomes a teenager, we plan to take her back to see her birthplace. In addition to visiting Karaganda, we'll also return to Almaty (and perhaps tack on a visit to Russia and/or Turkey?!). Afterall, Samantha is already a world traveler, having been in three countries prior to her first birthday (Kaz., Frankfurt, Germany (airport), and the USA)!

Our Home Away From Home

We were pleasantly surprised to find that our apartment in Almaty was very nice. (If only we had been able to stay here for our first 7 week trip in Kaz!) While at "home," we all tried to overcome our fatigue. Mommy and Daddy were still challenged by the 12 hr. time difference from the USA and Samantha wasn't always sleeping throughout the night. Furthermore, we were trying to keep to her regimented feeding/napping/playing schedule that she had been on at the B.H.:
6 am feeding (way too early for Mommy and Daddy!)
6-8 am playtime (seriously, can't we go back to bed?)
8-10 am nap (this is when Mommy and Daddy would have liked to have been waking up!)
10 am feeding
10-12 playtime
12-2 nap
2 pm feeding
2-4 playtime
4-6 nap
6 pm feeding
6-8 playtime
8-10 nap (shouldn't you be going to bed for good, now?!)
10 pm yet another feeding!
Thank God, it's finally bedtime!!

Imagine sticking to this 2 hr. interval schedule while attempting to sightsee and attend various appointments. Not an easy task, but somehow we all survived (and had fun, to boot). We experienced a number of first's on this trip, including: a bath, sleeping in a crib with no other babies crying around us, bottled baby food, and Mom's 44th B-Day (with Godiva truffles).

Can We Go Home, Yet?

Once in Almaty, there were several legal/administrative things to be done, including: getting her photo taken for her Visa, getting the Visa processed by the US Embassy, having a medical exam conducted, and completing paperwork at our Adoption Agency's office. Throughout it all, Sam was a real trooper. Good in the jolting car (Almaty traffic is like NYC!), patient with waits, and flexible with diaper changes in many different places. We (and others) continued to comment on what an easy-going baby she was!

Pick Up "Peanut" Day

For our second trip to Kazakhstan, we flew into the new capital city, Astana. While we would have enjoyed taking in the sites of this modern Kaz city, we were immediately whisked away to Karaganda that same night. After a 2.5 hour trek in blackness (there are few streetlights along the 2-lane road that links Astana to Karaganda), we arrived in our hotel around 3 am. This hotel was a few blocks from the Baby House. In keeping with our adoption theme, the hotel was appropriately named the "stork," and based on the dirty sheets, buckling linoleum floor, and toilet that didn't flush (but was soon fixed), we were thankful to be flying out of there, with our baby, the very next day!

We were given the option to see Samantha for our usual 10 am visit or sleep in and visit her at 2 pm. While eager to see Samantha, after considering our late arrival, lack of sleep over the previous 24 hrs. of travel, and 12 hour time difference, we decided to get some much needed rest and come energized for our afternoon visit. Our visit with her in the afternoon went by so quickly. We were taken to a different baby group room, as Samantha was now being kept with slightly older children than the room we saw her in during our first trip. After searching the crib room for her distinct black head of hair, we found her awake and looking around. She gazed up at us, seemed to process for a few seconds who we were, then smiled a wide smile and began to kick her feet excitedly! When we picked her up and carried her into the next room we got the sense that she remembered who we were and was happy to see us. And of course, we were thrilled to see her again, albeit in a slightly older looking state.

After playing with Sam and another couple and their little boy (from Belgium, of course!), we had yet another choice to make. Take her that afternoon back to our hotel and keep her with us until our 10 pm departure to the airport or leave her in the Baby House and pick her up that night. Since our hotel room did not have a crib, let alone a clean set of sheets on our bed, we decided to postpone our big exit and pick her up that evening. We left a change of clothes, diapers, and a snowsuit so the caretakers would have her all ready to go.

Sherri had had visions of a ceremonial exit from the B.H. We had been told that some parents throw a "going away party" to thank the staff (which we would have liked to have done). We also wanted to take some photos outside the B.H. with Sam, as we were never allowed to walk outside the baby room with her during our previous visits. Well, as we have learned throughout this entire adoption process, things don't always work out as planned. You have to set your sights on the end goal which in this case was exiting the premises with our daughter! Returning to the B.H. at 9:45 pm, we quietly took her in our arms, all bundled up in her "Michelin Man" snowsuit, thanked the caregivers again, and took a few photos with her inside the B.H. as we were leaving.

Once at the airport, we had a 2 hr. wait for our flight. Thankfully, there was a very nice play room for children outside of the gate area, where we were able to keep Sam entertained. Periodically, we would check to see if our flight had been announced (i.e., were folks still in the waiting area). Peering out for about the tenth time, we suddenly realized no one was sitting at the gate! We hastily gathered Sam and our belongings and ran outside to the gate where an agent yelled down the hall for them to hold the plane! Wow, that was a close call. We almost ended up spending another night at the lovely Stork hotel!:-)

As we were rushed outside into the freezing night air, we soon realized (much to John's dismay) that we would not be flying on a jet plane, but rather a small propeller plane. While terribly loud and cramped for space, we were surprised that before too long, Samantha was sleeping in Sherri's arms. As we would frequently comment during our week's travels, this little "peanut" was (for the most part) quite the easy-going traveler.

We arrived safely in Almaty and were taken to our apartment where Mommy, Daddy, and Samantha hit the hay around 4 am. What a day!

Sam I Am

Here are a few more photos of our beloved, precious daughter!

Never Can Say Goodbye

Bye bye Samantha
After court, we had our afternoon visit with Samantha. I don't think she realized what a monumental day it was for her! We told her how excited we were to officially be her parents, played with her for a couple hours, and then quickly put her to bed. We promised her we'd be coming back soon to take her home! Because we were running late to meet our driver, we didn't have time for a long good bye (which was just as well, as we both would have been crying). We printed a few photos of us with Samantha for the caregivers to show her while we're apart for a month, in the hope that she doesn't forget who we are by the time we come back.

Bye bye Karaganda
Our flight home was scheduled to depart Wednesday morning, Feb. 4. But as luck would have it, Sherri came down with a nasty stomach bug the night before. Around 3 am, after a 6 hour bout of barfing (did we mention before that there's a dishwashing detergent here called "Barf?" Totally true...it's too funny to just make this stuff up), she realized she was in no condition to be getting on a plane. She couldn't keep any food or water down and was feeling too weak to walk more than a few feet. As John would later say to her, "you looked so cute...you were so pathetic." "Gee, thanks dear." We were able to reschedule our flights for the next night, which gave Sherri the needed time to recover.

Our 11 pm flight to Almaty was delayed until 1 am. On the way to the airport, we came to a section of the road that was blocked by parked semi trucks and police. Due to high winds and drifting snow, the road to the airport was closed. Our interpreter told us that this road continues on to Astana (the new capital of Kaz), but that there are no lights on the road and therefore cars often run off the road in these conditions. Our driver got out of the car and gave the police his registration explaining to them that he was transporting us to the airport and would be returning shortly. Perhaps knowing that the police were preoccupied at the blockade, he proceeded to drive extremely fast on the empty road, the rest of the way to the airport. At one point, crossing a bridge, he hit a patch of ice and the car skidded a few yards. We yelped from the back seat and thought we were going off the road! Thankfully, we made it safe and sound to the airport.

Bye bye Eric
As we waited at the gate for our flight to arrive, Sherri and John noticed a man who looked familiar. Sitting at the Efes Beer bar (the only place still open at 1 am in the airport), having a beer, was our drinking pal from The Old Windmill, Eric! Once we boarded the plane, we passed by him and said hello. He was happy to see us and was already, shall we say, "relaxed" and ready to enjoy his flight! While we didn't get to formally say das-vee-dania (phonetic spelling of "good night" in Russian) to our Karaganda buddy, he did stop by our row and asked if we needed a car in Almaty. We explained that Chicago was our final destination!:-)