The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

Sunday was our first full day at home. Other than Steven, who had to go work the sound for the services, the rest of us took a day off from Church to recover from the trip and our jet lag, or to help take care of the girls and help them get acclimated to their new environment. It was a much needed day of rest. The girls had a blast playing together, and everybody got along surprisingly well. Everybody is still trying to figure out their places in the new family structure, but it will come together quickly, I think. Emily Cate has a servant's heart and wants desperately to help any way she can. Elizabeth wants to help take care of "the little girl," and Caroline is enjoying having two new sisters and playing with both of them. Madelyn is enchanted with the doll houses, and spent a lot of time playing with them.

The language barrier really doesn't seem to be a problem. The girls jabber back and forth while they are playing and nobody seems to notice that they are using two different languages. I have been surprised how easily both of the girls are able to decipher and follow instructions based on context, tone of voice, and gestures. We are basically talking to them just as we do Caroline and Elizabeth, and for the most part, they seem to understand what we want. Occasionally, something doesn't make sense to them, but a quick demonstration clears up the confusion. I think they will both pick up English very quickly. Already, I pick up a word or two here and there that sounds English. It may just be that the word they are using in Bulgarian sounds very much like the English equivalent, but I think they are starting to pick it up, at least a little. The flight from Sofia to Paris was a huge transition for them. They went from an environment where, even if we didn't understand them, everybody else did, and they could speak to anybody they wanted and be understood, to an environment where absolutely nobody understood them. There were times in Paris when they would start talking to someone and would be totally ignored, not because the people were rude, but because they couldn't understand and so didn't realize they were the intended object of the conversation.

From this point forward, we are just all working to learn how to get along better, to love each other more, and to build a stronger family. We are so blessed and excited that Emily Cate and Madelyn have joined our family, and we can't wait to see what wonderful things God has in store for them as they grow up.

 

The Longest Day

Our trip home was a huge day. From the time we woke up in Sofia until the time we went to sleep at home covered about 28 hours, all in the same calendar day. The girls were both excellent travelers, and the trip was much easier than it could have been, but it was still quite an adventure nonetheless.

We had been warned that there was heightened security at the airport and that we should be there at least two hours before our flight time to allow enough time to get to the airplane. The extra security was triggered by a terrorist bombing on the Black Sea coast a few days earlier. Since our departure time was 6:55 AM, this meant a very early morning. The alarm was set for 3:45, but we were up before it went off. Emily Cate woke up while we were getting ourselves dressed, so we got her ready, then she helped Carolyn get Madelyn up and ready while I finished loading the car. Not sure what took so long, but we were out of the hotel at 4:45 and made it to the airport around 5:00. There was definitely heightened security!

The front of the Sofia airport terminal is essentially a very long hallway with ticketing and baggage check-in on the right side, and the arrivals lounge with all of the rental car desks on the left side. Right in the middle is the entrance from the main parking deck and the escalator for departing passengers to go upstairs for security screening. The rental car parking lot is on the extreme left of the terminal, so we entered at the end of the arrivals side. After dropping off the car keys, we hit our first security obstacle. They had roped off a big "no man's land" that divided the arrivals lounge and parking entrance from the ticketing area, and there were a bunch of people just standing by the rope in what looked like a line. It turned out that those were people who were there to see somebody else off, and security was just controlling access to ticketing and limiting it to departing passengers only. We found a narrow corridor around the roped off area and asked one of the security guards there if we could get to ticketing. He checked our passports and let us through without any problem. Emily Cate said something to him that apparently charmed him, so he even sent us on with a smile and a kind farewell. At the other end of the little corridor was the main departures entry from the sidewalk outside, and we had to show our passports again there before we got admitted to the actual ticketing area.

Once we got there, everything was fairly normal, though somewhat chaotic. The baggage check process is done not just by airline, but by destination as well. When we found the line for our Air France flight to Paris, the signs were very clear that you had to have boarding passes before you got to the counter. I tried the kiosk using our passports for identification, but that didn't work. We decided to get in line anyway, then I went back for a second shot at the kiosk. It found us by using confirmation numbers, and I was able to print boarding passes, but only for the flight to Paris, not the connection to Atlanta. Back to the line for baggage check, and when we finally got there, the agent was able to take care of everything, get our bags checked all the way through to Atlanta, and print our Paris to Atlanta boarding passes for us. Our experience in leaving Sofia both trips has been that the baggage check-in process is rather slow, and they have to process everybody on the flight regardless of whether you have bags to check or not because that's where the airline checks for valid passports and visas for all connections and the final destination.

After we got our bags checked, we went and stood in line to get upstairs to security. The security checkpoint is right at the top of an escalator, and they do the passport and boarding pass check at the bottom in order to control the crowd at the top. Security actually went very quickly, we had no problems communicating with the girls about what they were supposed to do, and we cleared that hurdle quickly. The final hurdle was passport control, and we almost got thrown a curve ball there. I handed the passport control officer our passports, and after looking at them, he wanted to see the "documents" for the girls. My first thought was that he wanted to see the immigration visa packages, so I pulled them out. It wasn't what he was looking for. He wanted the "Bulgarian documents". Fortunately, I had all of the documents we had picked up at FNA on our last visit in the carry-on, so I just pulled out the stack and handed it to him. Turned out, what he needed to see was the original copies of the new birth certificates that were issued listing us as the parents. He was just trying to make sure we had the right to be taking the girls out of the country. That's obviously a very good thing, it was just something I wasn't expecting, so there was some momentary panic until he found what he was looking for. The lesson for others in this process is to make sure you carry all documents with you at all times. You never know what someone will ask for.

After passport control, we made a quick stop at the restroom, then on to the gate. We got there just as they made the initial boarding call and so we got at the back of the line that was already forming. I was holding Madelyn at the time, and after standing in line for maybe a minute, I noticed the gate agent motioning for us to come up to the counter. She had spotted the girls, so she was calling us up to the front for pre-boarding. So we essentially walked right onto the airplane with no waiting at the gate. This was a huge blessing because we weren't sure how Emily Cate was going to react to getting on an airplane for the first time. As it turned out, I think she was on it before she even realized what was happening. She sat with me on the plane, and Carolyn and Madelyn sat a few rows in front of us. Emily Cate was fine with the airplane until it started moving. Then she began to get nervous. As we taxied out, every once in a while she would see something out the window that excited her, and she would point it out to me, but otherwise she just wanted to sit quietly with no one bothering her. Once we got airborne, I tried distracting her with computer games to no avail. After 10 or 15 minutes, I pulled out some of the craft supplies we had and tried to interest her in decorating some foam butterfly cutouts with stickers. At first, she didn't want to participate, so I started working on one myself. After about four stickers, she got interested and started having fun. When she finished it, she wanted me to take it to mommy. The next one she wanted to take to mommy herself. Somewhere during the second butterfly, we also made a trip to the lavatory. After that, the whole flying thing was no big deal. She completely ignored the landings, and getting on the plane in Paris was no problem at all.

 

We had a seven and a half hour layover in Paris, and based on our past experiences with Charles de Gaulle airport, we were dreading it. As it turned our, CDG redeemed itself to a large degree and proved to be pretty nice after all. The problem was that both of our times in that airport before had been outbound from Atlanta to Sofia. We had arrived at 6 AM both times for a 4 hour layover at what, to our body clocks, was midnight to four AM. No airport looks good at three in the morning. Also, the terminal that the Sofia flight departs out of is an older terminal set up for smaller aircraft with destinations typically in Africa or South America. It is cramped, uncomfortable, and there isn't much selection for food or activity, especially with kids. This time, we were spending late morning and early afternoon at the airport, so we weren't as tired. Also, the terminal where the Atlanta flight departs is much larger and newer. It is designed for larger airplanes, so the gate areas are much larger and spread out a lot more. They have more eating options, including a food court, and there were more things for kids to do. In fact, as we were going through security, one of the security agents on the front side gave each of the girls a Scooby-Doo book about traveling, and as we came out the other side, there were ladies handing out activity/coloring books and colored pencils. It was a much different atmosphere. We ate two meals there, had a snack of ice cream, the girls colored and made more butterflies, and Madelyn took a nap. The whole layover actually went very quickly.

 

The Paris to Atlanta flight was very long - about 9 hours. They pack the early part of the flight with beverage and snack service, then a lunch meal, so, combined with some craft activities and computer games, and several trips to the lavatory, it wasn't too bad. Madelyn settled down to sleep about four hours in, and other than a restroom break or two and a few fussy moments where I held her and walked around a bit, she slept until we were getting off the plane in Atlanta. Emily settled down about an hour later, and I woke her up about 30 minutes before we landed and gave her some ice cream they had served as a final snack.

 

When we got to Atlanta, since Madelyn was asleep and we were almost at the back of the airplane anyway, we just waited until everyone else got off. We headed down to immigration and passport control, and stopped in a family restroom for a quick change of clothes, a hair fix-up, and a potty break. Then we headed out for our entry process. The vice-consul in Sofia had advised us in the visa interview to find a DHS official at immigration and ask where we needed to go so we didn't end up waiting in two lines. Atlanta has stewards posted in the immigration area to help people find the right line, so I asked one of them where I needed to go. He sent us to the regular US citizen passport control line (which was huge at the time), because we were US citizens. After getting in line, I figured out that these stewards were not DHS personnel. They were the same folks they use for things like wheelchair assistance, and I wasn't feeling real confident that his instructions were right. So, I found a lady in a suit who looked much more official, and asked her. That turned out to be the right thing. She directed us to the far end of the immigration area to the line where they process aircrew and diplomats. It is also the same line where they do immigrant visas. There was only one couple in line ahead of us, so our wait went away. She followed a minute behind us when we got to the right line, and asked me for the visa packets, the passports, and our customs declaration card. She took the whole package to the desk, handed it to an immigration officer who wasn't currently attending someone, and he started going through the packages immediately. In less than 10 minutes, everybody was cleared into the US, and the girls had become US citizens. It was very easy. Baggage claim actually took longer than anything else. When we found the right carousel, the bags from the flight were already on it. I found our smaller suitcase immediately and pulled it aside. Our larger suitcase turned out to be a minor issue, though. We watched the carousel go around 5 or 6 times, and no suitcase. We asked a passing airline official and she said there may still be bags to be loaded, and we needed to give it more time. I was already trying to spot the lost baggage desk and getting annoyed that I was going to have to go through that hassle. There was another group of people looking for a missing bag as well, and one of the men spotted a row of bags on the floor next to the carousel on the other side from where we were standing. I followed him over, and sure enough, there was the bag. So, with all luggage in tow, we went through customs, handed in our declaration card, and we were out into the arrivals lounge. It all went very smoothly except for the bag being pulled off the carousel.

When we got out to the arrivals lounge, our other five children and both sets of grandparents were there to meet us. Emily Cate and Madelyn were so excited to meet their new sisters, and they both took to their brothers immediately. I was pleasantly surprised at how eager Emily Cate was to be picked up and carried around by her brothers, especially since they are all so big, but she warmed up to them immediately and reacts to them the same was as Caroline and Elizabeth. It probably helps that she has them to set the example of her, but there was no reticence on her part at all.

After a short visit at the airport, we said goodbye to grandparents and headed for home. The hour and a half drive was torture for me since I was exhausted from traveling, and of course there was the obligatory traffic jam south of Atlanta just to make it that much worse. We got home around 11:30 or so, and the girls were welcomed by balloons on the mailbox and a big banner with more balloons in the kitchen. After a quick exploration of the new house, everybody went upstairs to the new bedroom and got ready for bed. Caroline and Elizabeth were also excited about the new room because they were getting to move in there for the first time as well. After all of that, everybody went to sleep quickly, despite all of the excitement, and it was a good night of rest.

Bye Bye Bulgaria

It has been a very busy few days, so I am a little behind in posting, but I am trying to sneak in a few minutes to catch up on our last day in Bulgaria, the trip home, and our first day together as a complete family.

Friday was our last day in Sofia, and the only real scheduled event we had was to drop by the offices of the adoption agency to pick up our document package with all of the court paperwork, medical records, birth certificates, etc. Family National Association was such a pleasure to work with as our representatives in Bulgaria. They really went all-out to make the adoption process go as smoothly and easily as possible, and in our case, that wasn't necessarily always easy. Since we adopted 2 unrelated children, everything had to be done twice. That made the initial 5 day visit into a 13 day event for our attendant and translator, Maggie. It also meant she had twice the amount of documentation to keep up with. The whole adoption process is an exercise in document control, and there is a lot to keep up with. Maggie did a wonderful job. As I have said over and over again, she was so much more than just a translator. She was a wise counselor, an encourager, a comforter, and a good friend. There are a lot of different emotions involved in the adoption process, many of them unexpected, and it is wonderful to have an experienced confidant who can assure you that everything you are experiencing is completely normal and happens in every adoption case. It was great to be able to have Maggie go with us for the pickup as well. She was a lifesaver on the long car rides, and the fact that the girls already knew her made the travel experience much easier for them. We also received excellent staff support from Nina and the office folks at FNA in making reservations, working out details, making sure everything was in order, getting passport applications ready in time, and a million other things that they handled very efficiently behind the scenes that we will probably never know about. Angela and Nadya took care of all of the legal stuff involved and made everything run smoothly and easily for us throughout the whole process, from finding and requesting the girls and getting the referrals timed so that we could visit both girls in one trip, to making everything work out on the pickup trip so that we could get both girls from opposite ends of the country, get the passports, visas, and medical exams completed in less than a week, and get our paperwork in order in time to make our flight out on a very short schedule. They were all amazing and so very helpful. I don't think we could have made it through the process without them. Thank you so much for all your help!

 

After we said goodbye to Maggie and the folks at FNA, we had a quick stop for some gelato to cool everybody down a little, then finished up the shopping that Carolyn needed to get done. We had lunch in town, then headed back to the hotel for a quiet afternoon. After the girls went to sleep, Carolyn and I spent the evening packing, and as much as we tried, it was still very late when we got to bed, and the alarm was going off VERY early in the morning to get to the airport on time.

 

Another Day in Disneyland

I said yesterday that we were going to try to slow life down a little bit today because we really didn't have any required events except to stop by the US embassy to pick up the girls' passports, visas, and immigration document packages. Of course, it didn't exactly work out that way. We did at least have a relaxing morning, and ended up having to hustle to make it to breakfast before they stopped serving. We then headed to the city center area to run some errands. The city center is apparently a fairly common concept in Europe - I saw the same thing in Italy. In Sofia, there is a section of Vitosha Boulevard that runs from the presidential offices to the cultural center that they have blocked off to automobile traffic and designated as a walking zone. It is lined with small shops, restaurants, and cafes, and then the overflow spills out into the side streets and parallel streets for two or three blocks either side of the main street. The walking area goes on for quite a few blocks, maybe a mile or so, so it is a bit like walking through a huge outdoor mall. The main problem is that given the Bulgarian penchant for vagueness in their directions, there are certainly no maps of the area showing what is there, and the people who work there every day seem to have no idea what else might be in the area other than "I think there might be one of those a few streets up."

Our first quest was for some different medicine for Madelyn. The nose drops we got yesterday seemed to make very little difference and she was so stopped up that we were concerned the drops were not even getting far enough into her nose to be effective. So, after parking in a little parking lot we found Sunday tucked away behind the Central Department Store, we headed up the hill toward the Vitosha Boulevard shopping district. On the way, you have to cross one of the streets by going down into the subway station and then back up on the other side, and right before we got to the steps to go down, I spotted a pharmacy on the other side of the street. For someone adopting in a country where you don't speak the language, or for anyone traveling to such a place, I highly recommend a good medical reference application if you have a smart phone of some sort. I use Medscape on the iPhone, and it has been a lifesaver. We were looking for children's Zyrtec, but of course the Zyrtec brand name is American and is not relevant over here. But, by searching for it in Medscape, I was able to show the pharmacist the active ingredient name of the medicine I was looking for, and when she came back with a couple of choices, by comparing the dosage concentration of children's Zyrtec with the medicines she pulled out, I was able to make sure we got the right thing. We also picked up some saline spray to help wash out her sinuses. Madelyn hates it! We gave her the Zyrtec this morning, though, and by this evening she seems to be having an easier time with the congestion.

Our next errand was gift shopping. Carolyn wants to get something special and of heirloom quality from Bulgaria for each of the girls to have when they get older. She had a pretty good idea what she was looking for; the issue really was just finding it. We were partially successful. We spent most of our morning and early to mid afternoon walking around the area, exploring up and down the side streets looking for the gifts. Along the way, we stopped at a Lavazza (an italian espresso brand) coffee shop that was similar in concept to Starbucks, but much better. They had table service, a lunch menu (we went back for lunch), and some really nice drinks that you would never see at Starbucks. I had a cappuccino that was served in a porcelain mug and the barista had created a latte art tree with the milk. Not a huge deal, but a little something extra that requires skill and practice. Carolyn had a decadent hot chocolate with a thick custard that was served unmixed in a clear glass so that it was a beautiful brown and tan marble, and when mixed up, it had the taste and thickness of a melted chocolate bar. The girls split a chocolate shake made with gelato. When we came back for lunch, the sandwiches were great. We also had to make an afternoon stop at a gelateria for a snack. Emily Cate desperately wanted some chocolate gelato, but when the time finally came, she got something that was either vanilla or white chocolate with a cherry drizzle. We spent a total of about 5 hours wandering around in the city center, and the girls were troopers.

 

After shopping, we headed directly to the embassy to pick up the passports and visa packets. We ended up with a fairly fortuitous misdirection from Google maps when it came to parking. There is a side street that runs up beside the embassy, and it looked to me yesterday like parking there wouldn't be a problem. There is a hospital of some sort behind the embassy, and there were cars parked on the road up near the hospital entrance. I had intended to park up there, have Carolyn and the girls stay in the car to avoid trooping everybody back through the security check at the embassy, and then if necessary, Carolyn could move the car or just drive around while she waited. Instead, following the route on Google maps, we ended up getting blocked by road construction (obviously not Google's fault and the route would have worked fine if the road hadn't been closed) so we tried what looked to be a detour around the closed road. We ended up at a dead end on this little dirt road that accessed some of the housing in the neighborhood and unable to reach the embassy. The good news was that the dead end was right across the street from the embassy, they just hadn't cut the road all the way through because it would have interfered with a busy intersection. So, I just parked the car at the dead end and walked across the street. It turned out really well because there was apparently something going on in the neighborhood. In addition to the normal embassy guard that was there yesterday, there were quite a few Bulgarian gendarmes, who seemed to be a bit more of a special forces detail than the regular police, out in front of the embassy. Carolyn said she saw some guys patrolling with dogs, and the street to the hospital was being actively patrolled, as compared to being pretty much ignored yesterday. I suspect they would not ahve let us park there. The entry into the embassy, however, was no different than yesterday, and I was able to get in and out easily and quickly, and yes, I visited the ice cold water fountain one more time while I was there.

We got back to the hotel about 4:30 and spent some time unwinding before dinner. The girls played a few iPad games, then started watching their Bulgarian kids' songs videos. I did a quick search for nursery rhyme videos on YouTube (in English), and they started dancing to the music. We got some cute videos. When the dancing had run its course and we had moved out onto the balcony, Emily Cate decided it was time to play hair stylist. Her mommy was a willing subject. Later, we somehow got into a tickling game, and they both loved it.

 

There are two restaurants right up the street that we have alternated between for dinner each night, and for lunch yesterday. At the one where we had lunch yesterday, Bistro 53 (53 is the address of the building), the waitress gave Emily Cate and Madelyn each a little chocolate gelato sundae in a paper cup as we were leaving, and tonight at the Marseilles, the manager gave us VIP cards that are good for a 10% discount because we have been eating there so much. Both are great places to eat and we have enjoyed them very much. After dinner, it was back to the hotel for baths and bed. Both girls were worn out, but Madelyn seemed to be feeling much better, and Emily Cate went to sleep with a happy heart.

I can't imagine what this week must be like for the girls, especially Emily Cate. It is a big deal at her orphanage when someone gets adopted and has a mommy and daddy, and she has seen it happen to several of her friends. When her turn came, she was whisked away on a trip unlike anything she had ever experienced, and by the end of the first day she had a new sister as well. Then, after another really long car ride, she has found herself in the middle of a big, busy city. Her only experience thus far has been in a very small town, and restricted for the most part to her orphanage and kindergarten. In this big city, she has gone shopping, spent lots of time on playgrounds, walked a ton, gotten ice cream, eaten at a restaurant for every meal, visited a hospital, ridden in elevators, and experienced a host of other new activities that most people take for granted. She has had to work through a lot of emotions, some high, some low, in this overwhelming environment. I have been amazed at how well she has done with it all. Today was a really great day for her, and at bedtime after a huge day, she was very happy and very affectionate. As she was falling asleep, she was making a lot of eye contact with Carolyn and smiling huge smiles while Carolyn was singing them to sleep, and she kept kissing on my hand or my cheek every few minutes. It was so heartwarming, and she has come such a long way since Sunday night. Coming out of the wonderful foster home environment (and being much younger and having a more laissez faire personality), Madelyn was much better prepared for this transition, so it really hasn't bothered her too much, other than dealing with exhaustion from all of the activities and with the misery of a sinus cold. Our last scheduled event in Sofia is an appointment tomorrow morning to go by the Family National Association office and pick up all of the translated records and histories that have been maintained on the girls during their time in the custody of the Bulgarian social services. We will also say our final goodbyes to Maggie and the rest of the wonderful staff at FNA that have made this process as easy as possible.

Butterflies and Kitty Cats

The Internet at the hotel is back up and running for the moment, so I am actually going to get to post this entry the same day it happened - what a concept! There will also be a lot more photos than usual because we had a lot of Kodak moments this morning that were just too good to pass up. Our day started a little more leisurely than the last several have since we didn't really have any place to be until 10:00. Madelyn has got a little congestion going on, so Carolyn contacted Yordanka to find out how she has treated it in the past and what medicine and dosage works well. Armed with my trusty cell phone Medscape application with the medicine Yordanka recommended pulled up so I could communicate what I wanted, I set out in search of a pharmacy. I asked the desk clerk if he knew of a pharmacy close by, and in typical Bulgarian fashion (they are very indefinite and imprecise in their directions), he told me to head up toward the department store and supermarket up the street, and that he thought there was one around there. So, I spent 30 minutes walking "around there" and the only result of my exploration was a general deduction that nothing opens before 10:00, so even if I had found a pharmacy, it would have done no good. After my morning stroll, we went to breakfast as usual, and with it being a little later than yesterday, the girls were much more talkative, but still very well behaved.

 

Madelyn's foster sister, Natalia, had invited us to the children's center where she works so the girls could explore and have some fun, and so she could see Madelyn one more time before she leaves Bulgaria. We had to go in the morning, because we had our visa interview at the US embassy this afternoon at 1:20. The center opened at 10:00, and we got to spend about an hour and a half there. I wish we could have spent all day. It was great fun, and I would have liked to have given Natalia more time with Madelyn, but we were some distance away from the hotel and had to get back there in time to get a taxi to the embassy because we were told that parking in the area is a problem. The children's center was not at all what I had envisioned. I was expecting something along the lines of a children's museum or educational center like we have in a lot of the major cities in the States. It turned out to be more like a small amusement park with some fair rides, inflatables, trampolines, slides, mazes, and arcade games. It was actually much better for what we needed than a museum would have been. Natalia took the girls around to all of the rides and they both had a blast. Emily Cate exhibited a lot of bravery today and she really surprised me with how much she enjoyed the rides. I slipped out for a few minutes to walk down the street to a Walmart-like store that had a pharmacy and pick up Madelyn's medicine. One of the final things we did before we had to leave was get the girls faces painted. Madelyn went first and got made up as a beautiful butterfly. Emily Cate asked to be made up as a cat, and she got a very elaborate and really cute painting. She was so proud of it. It was tough to say goodbye to to Natalia; she loves Madelyn (her Cici) very much. We really appreciated her gracious gift in hosting us this morning. As a note to others who might be adopting from Bulgaria, the center is called Palavnici -it is well worth a visit - and a google search of the name will find the web site. A search of Palavnici Sofia Bulgaria on my iPhone maps application (the one based on Google maps, not sure how the new iOS 6 app will do) found it easily as well.

 

The final visa interview at the embassy was a breeze. We met Nadya from FNA just outside the embassy and she walked us through it. It was kind of an interesting experience, though. Security is pretty tight and it is obvious that the building is made to withstand a lot. The best thing about the embassy, though, was that they had a water fountain that they must have imported from the US, because the water was ice cold. I like my cold drinks really cold, and that just doesn't fit with the European style. That was my one little piece of home that I enjoyed at the embassy. There wasn't much to the interview process at all. Nadya dealt first with a Bulgarian official in the immigration visas office and, I assume, gave him all of the documentation. A few minutes later, Carolyn and I were called to meet with the vice-consul. It sounds more formal and impressive than it was. We he was in a protected area, so our conversation was through a window and speaker system like talking to a bank teller or something. The entire interview took less than 5 minutes. I had to sign the visa applications, then he explained our reentry process when we get back to Atlanta and how to apply for social security numbers and passports as soon as we get back to close out the documentation process. We actually saw a miracle of efficiency today that really surprised me. The Bulgarian Department of Immigration apparently got the girls' passports ready in record time. They were done this morning, and FNA had picked them up and had gotten the medical exams from the hospital, so the entire documentation package was at the embassy today. We were not expecting the passports and medicals to be ready until tomorrow. I think a lot of credit goes to FNA and all of their hard work in pulling all of this together and apparently their relationships with the various agencies that allowed them to make some special arrangements on our behalf. That means we will actually be able to pick up the visas tomorrow, which is a day earlier than expected. We are going to go back to Family National on Friday morning to pick up all of the translated records for the girls so that we will have complete social and medical histories for them, then we will fly out as scheduled on Saturday. Everything has gone wonderfully smoothly so far, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience, but all of the traveling is very tiring and we are ready to get home.

Our only scheduled event for tomorrow is to pick up the visas and passports at the embassy tomorrow afternoon. I think we are going to do a little shopping as well, which will make Emily Cate very happy, and try to slow things down a bit. So far, the week has been really high stress and a lot of stimulation, especially for two little girls who aren't used to it, and Madelyn needs to rest a bit to help her throw off this congestion before she has to fly this weekend.

Our First Full Day

Well, we officially made it through our first full day with both girls and largely on our own. I will have to say that it is going surprisingly well so far - much better than I expected, and way better than I had feared. There have been a few growing pains and setbacks as we learn to get along together, but nothing that can't be overcome in time. Once again, Maggie provided some wise counsel and wonderful support this morning, and life is getting better all the time. So far, the language barrier has not been as big a problem as I expected. It is harder with Emily Cate than with Madelyn since she is used to communicating verbally, whereas Madelyn still uses a lot of the non-verbal techniques toddlers use to compensate before they learn to talk clearly. We learned a couple of important phrases yesterday (how Madelyn communicates that she needs to make a restroom stop, and how Emily Cate asks to go to the playground). There were a couple of interesting language faux pas today, but we worked through them. Important safety tip, never use the word for yes in any language with a 7 year old without fully understanding what is being asked. We were walking back to the car after lunch and Emily Cate started saying that she wanted something. Based on the context of the moment, I thought I promised her ice cream later in the afternoon, but from her reaction, I may have promised something way bigger. I didn't actually even say yes, I just said later, which often gets her off of a subject, but she got so excited about it that I may have promised her a new BMW on her 16th birthday or something. She also apparently thought later meant in a few minutes, not later in the afternoon. She kept repeating over and over in the car on the way back to the hotel for naps that she wanted whatever it was and it was obvious from her heartbroken tone that, in her mind at least, I had failed to keep a promise. Another interesting moment was this afternoon when we thought it would be a good idea to get them to ask to use the bathroom in English as soon as possible. With our kids, we have always used the word "potty" when they first start training, so that was what we tried to tell them to say. Unfortunately, there is apparently a Bulgarian word for party that sounds very much the same as in English, and so Emily Cate got confused and thought we were going to a party when I thought she was talking about going potty. She happened to repeat her request as we passed through the hotel lobby, and the desk clerk was able to tell us what she was saying. When we figured it out, the desk clerk was then able to explain the confusion to Emily Cate, but that brought more disappointment. Other than those two instances, however, we seem to be communicating pretty well despite using two different languages, and the girls are both being very obedient and cooperative.

Our day started with breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and it was surprisingly quiet and subdued. I think both girls were still half asleep. After breakfast, Maggie met us in the lobby and we went to get the medical examinations necessary for US immigration. The doctor's visit went very well, although it took quite a bit of convincing for Emily Cate to realize that she wasn't going to get an injection of some sort. The visit to the clinic went reasonably quickly. We had to see an ENT, an ophthalmologist, and a pediatrician. We didn't have to wait on the ENT at all, and the exam took all of 3 minutes for both girls. We waited forever (probably 30 minutes, but in a somewhat crowded corridor with no air conditioning and two children, it seemed like forever), then another few minutes on the pediatrician. The pediatrician was superb in the way he handled the girls and in the way he communicated his findings with us. Both girls got a clean bill of health, although Madelyn has a little congestion and there are a couple of minor follow-ups we will need to do with Emily Cate once she gets settled at home. There were no conditions that we didn't already know about, however, and it was overall a god visit. The hospital and the process reminded me very much of getting a military physical at a Naval Hospital.

 

After the hospital visit, we went to the city center to do a little shopping, take Maggie back to her office, and get some lunch. Shopping was a bust. The girls needed to take a restroom break, so we went with Maggie to the Family National Association office and got a chance to meet some of the rest of the staff who have done such a wonderful job throughout this process and who have pulled out all the stops to get us out of here on Saturday. Because of the uncertainty about making it back to Sofia in time for the passports yesterday, FNA was able to work out an arrangement where we can have or visa interview tomorrow without the completed passports and medicals (which can't be completed without the passports either), and then someone from FNA will pick up the passports as soon as they are ready on Wednesday afternoon, get the completed medicals on Thursday morning, and get the whole package to the embassy so we can get the visas back on Friday. Everyone we have dealt with in this process has really done everything they can to make everything work out smoothly, and I can't adequately express our appreciation for there efforts.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at a cafe in the city center, then headed back to the hotel for what was supposed to be afternoon naps. Madelyn fell asleep on the way back, then woke up when I took her out of the car. That was the end of the nap concept. Emily Cate was upset that she had not gotten whatever it was that I had promised her on the way back to the car, so Carolyn spent some time trying to comfort and entertain. I at least got to lie down for a few minutes, but we left about mid afternoon for an "outing" to try to make good on what I thought I promised Emily Cate. We walked up to the gas station where they have a little playground the girls have gotten to like very much. They also have a restaurant with outdoor seating near the playground. We got some "drumstick" type ice cream cones and sat outside to eat them. Then the girls got to spend some time on the playground. For the last few minutes, they started wanting to jump off the slide platform into my arms so I could catch them. I can't believe what a huge step that was for Emily Cate given her extreme caution and lack of desire for close physical contact last winter. She is a totally different child in that respect. This trip, she has wanted to be hugged, held, carried, and generally have as much contact as possible. After the playground, we went to a nearby department store to get Emily Cate some new shoes since the ones we brought for her turned out to be too small. It was probably the first time in that child's life that someone has taken her into a store and bought something special just for her. She was so excited and kept hugging my hand enthusiastically every few minutes as we walked back to the hotel. I tear up every time I think that she and so many other children like her have not had the opportunity to experience something so simple yet so profound. I think that sort of experience, when you are not used to it, provides a special sense of worth and value for the child, but it wasn't until after the fact that I realized how significant it was; beforehand, it was just another task on the list, a trip to pick up a pair of shoes.

After we got back to the hotel, the girls picked up where they left off at the playground and invented a game I'm going to come to regret eventually because it wears me out, but their laughter and squeals of delight make it worth the effort. They hop up on a pair of ottomans and take turns jumping off. I catch them as they jump, let the swing down a little, then use the momentum to swing them way up high. They absolutely love it. I'm tired. It is all they want to do now.

Tonight was a much smoother bedtime. Both girls laid down in bed quietly, I got down between them just to be there, and Carolyn sang them to sleep. All in all, it has been a very good first day. Tomorrow morning we go see Natalia at the children's museum, then off to the embassy for the visa interview. It is shaping up to be a very busy day. The hotel Internet is still down, but the gas station where the playground is has wifi, so I should be able to catch up on the posts.

 

Made It With 30 Minutes To Spare!

Keeping up with this blog is getting quite a bit more challenging! After the long day we had yesterday, there was no way I was going to be able to update the blog, especially since it took a long time before Emily Cate finally wound down enough to get some sleep. (We interrupt this post to bring you news from the war! As I wrote that last sentence, several gunshots went off that sounded like they were just to the west of us. Judging from the sound, it was a BIG gun - sounded like artillery. Not sure what it was, but it stopped after 5 or 6 shots, and no one walking around on the street seemed the slightest bit upset or concerned. No one really even seemed to notice, so I assume it was some sort of show or celebration. So, back to our regularly scheduled post.) I will be writing a double-header tonight unless I drop off to sleep first, but in keeping with the challenging nature of this enterprise, the hotel Internet is down at the moment, so I can't get pictures moved around or get this post uploaded. Maybe tomorrow i can get it posted, but I'm going to write it anyway while it is fresh on my mind, then go back and write for yesterday.

The challenge for the day was getting back to Sofia before the passport office closed to get the applications filed so we could have the passports by Thursday. We also needed to spend some time saying goodbye to Darin and Yordanka. They were giving us a big part of their lives, and that is not a gift you simply grab and run. Emily Cate was up before the alarm this morning (about 6:15 - a habit we will have to fix in the time change when we come home!) and all smiles to start the day. She helped us both get dressed, then helped me pack the suitcases in the car, install Madelyn's car seat, and generally get everything cleaned up and ready to go. She has such a helpful spirit, and is quite protective and motherly toward Madelyn, keeping her out of trouble and comforting her if she gets sad or upset. We had breakfast on the patio at the hotel, a meal we really enjoyed last trip and one I was very much looking forward to this time. We checked out about 8:30 and headed for Darin and Yordanka's home to pick up Madelyn.

We had a great time with Darin and Yordanka this morning. It was great to see Baba Irena, Yordanka's mother, and Maria, our social worker in Shumen again. Maria was gracious enough to bring all of the necessary paperwork to Darin and Yordanka's home this morning to save us the time it would have taken to go by her office first. She was truly a joy to work with throughout this process! As usual, Yordanka and Darin rolled out the red carpet for us this morning with tea, coffee, juice, cookies, and a wonderful homemade tiramisu. Yordanka also showed us the things they had packed as special gifts for Madelyn for her to have when she grows up to remember her time in Shumen. I probably won't remember them all as she went through them with Carolyn, not me, but I know there was a beautiful "life book" Yordanka made with photos and mementos of Bulgaria, Shumen, and her life with them. Baba Irena gave her a beautiful crocheted table topper, and Darin gave her a set of commemorative anniversary coins. She is so fortunate to have a set of lasting memories from that phase of her life, just as we treasure the photos and videos we have of Emily from her time in Lom. We had a wonderful visit, went through the necessary paperwork when Maria showed up, and then said a very warm and tearful goodbye to all. We will miss them greatly, as will Madelyn, and we will do everything we can to make sure they remain a part of her life.

 

The race to Sofia went amazingly well for traveling with two little girls who aren't used to riding in a car for long distances. They both were champs, and once again, Maggie was invaluable. She comforted Madelyn as we left Shumen, spent the whole trip talking with the girls to keep them engaged and calm, and was able to tell us when somebody needed to stop for something. As expected, we visited a lot of restrooms on the way! Emily has traveled more distance in a car I'm sure in the last two days than the entire rest of her life. Her body just isn't used to travel, and when you combine it with the condition of the Bulgarian roads, the curves through the mountainous parts, and the fact that she was stuck in the back seat, it was sometimes more than her little tummy could take, so we had a few delays on that account as well. However, we still were able to leave Shumen at 10:00 and make it to the passport office in Sofia by 3:30 on a route that Google Maps predicted at 5 hours and change without all of the stops for kids. We were able to make really good time, much better than the trip from Lom to Sofia yesterday - that trip just seems to last forever.

 

 

 

The passport effort went very smoothly. Nina from Family National got there ahead of us and took care of all of the application paperwork. While she was finishing up, we went next door and had photos made to be used on the medical reports, then back to the passport office for the passport photos, and finally a quick stop to pick up the processed medical report photos. The entire process took less than 30 minutes. I think it was a good thing, too, because we were all pretty much at the end of our ropes after the stress of the trip and the push to make it back in time. When we finished up there, we said goodbye to Maggie for the day and went to check in at the hotel. When we got to the room, Carolyn took some time out to rest her back, since she didn't get much chance to stop and walk this trip, and the girls ran off some pent up energy in the room and then played computer games and watched nursery rhyme song videos. I sat in front of the air conditioner for a while and just made sure nothing got out of control.

After dinner, Madelyn's foster sister dropped by for a visit. Natalia is Darin and Yordanka's daughter who is an actress and screenwriter here in Sofia. After having heard so much about her from a proud mama, it was great to get a chance to meet her. She brought gifts for the girls, and we had a great visit. We plan on seeing her at least one more time while we are here. She works on Wednesdays at a center for children that I think is very much like some of the science museums and children's museums we have in the States. We are going to take the girls there for a couple of hours before our visa interview that afternoon. After Natalia left, we spent a little time at a playground nearby that Emily had spotted on the way to dinner. It was a great cure for some frazzled emotions for both girls, and they were very disappointed when we left. As you might imagine after such a day, the girls were both very worn out at bedtime, and their emotions were in high gear, so it was a very tearful bedtime for a little bit. I laid down between them and provided some comfort, Carolyn quietly sang some hymns and choruses, and both calmed down and fell asleep pretty quickly. Tomorrow morning we have our medical exam as required for entry into the US, so we are meeting Maggie right after breakfast to get that taken care of. Not sure what we will do after lunch, but it will probably involve shoe shopping for Emily Cate and a playground or two. And hopefully the Internet will be working so I can post this stuff!