Home Sweet Home!

After almost 2.5 months out I am finally home in Canada!

Feels good to be back but there's lots that needs to be done here. As you may remember, we moved into our new home on Valentine's Day this yr and after staying here for just 2 months in the deep winter, we flew out to meet our son in Kazakhstan. Now that Im back, we need to get all of the outside finished, landscaped etc, finish preparing some guestrooms as from July we will begin having guests and my family will also be coming over in the next few months, starting with my mom who is arriving mid-August to help me with Ayaan, as Dee will resume his work full speed.

For now I need to get used to the neighbor who has put trees in his backyard (we're a waterfront community with a small man made lake), which is totally spoiled half my view-the reason we bought this house. Am so angry about that but with no control, I have no choice but to get used to it. Ah well, will just have to train my mind. There are worse things. For now, I am glad to be home safe and sound, hearing the birds chirp and watching the ripples on the lake here.

Bye bye Delhi!

After a surprise visit starting 12th of June, celebrating Ayaan joining our family, with my wonderful family, spending precious time with my to-die-for 2 yr old niece whose constant chatter would never give me a headache, celebrating my 35th birthday with them (I havent celebrated my birthday with my sister and dad for over a decade!) and meeting few of my closest friends in Delhi-Rishi, Mansi, Pooja...its time to leave Delhi to go back to Ottawa and wait for our baby.

I will forever cherish these 16 days that I spent with Mom, Dad, Hanu, Nyda, Rohan, Dee and my friends.
I am so very lucky to have them in my life-or rather to be in theirs.

Turning 35 and Ayaan's Introduction Video goes live on Facebook!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaCv8YT_u4Q&feature=player_embedded
Introducing our adorable little son, Ayaan!

24 hours to 25th June!

Its a little after midnight here in India, and Kaz as well.
Just 24 hours and we will complete our 15 day appeal period!

Went for the 1st birthday party of a 1 yr old baby girl Rohan's friends here in Delhi have adopted from India itself (domestic adoption). It was a nice celebration with around 100+ people in a restaurant. Yumm food, and the pure happiness on the faces was evident. Wishing little Ose (dewdrop in Hindi) a very Happy, healthy and wonderful life ahead.

Me and my lil niece at Ose's 1st Birthday party in Noida, India

Video ready to go live!

So. Last night I was up till 1:30am here in Delhi, India, working on creating a small video presentation introducing our little darling to the world. Just 3 more days for Ayaan Veer to be ours for life and us to be his! And yes, 3 more days for my birthday too! I wanted to be a mom by 35 and look at the way the universe works-I will be one on that day itself!!! :)

Meanwhile its hot here in Delhi (Indian summers are famous for that), but its great roaming around in the lovely AC Metro, shopping and getting new curtains made for our bedrooms. Ah! The joys of belonging to 2 different countries! India is amazing for shopping, esp stuff like getting custom made things. The curtains that would have cost us over $8000 at least, in Canada, cost me less than $200 appx here. But of course the work you have to put in to go to inner markets, walk amongst 1000s of people, negotiate to save you the extra $s or I should say INR.... totally worth it in the end!

My little sister, Harnoor (Hanu to us), is planning a nice Birthday dinner for me for the 25th which is something Im also very excited about! I havent spent my birthday with her for over a decade at least, now.

Happy First Father's Day to Deepak!

Its 16th June 2013 and Dee's first father's day!

We are in Delhi with the other fathers in our family-Dad and Rohan. If only Ayu was with us it would have been a perfect father's day but at least we are with our family here in Delhi.

Here's to the 1st of many many father's days for Dee! Thinking of you little one and sending you all our love.

Mommy fell ill yesterday. Food poisoning with some infection, so had about 102Deg fever too. Nani and Nanu took good care of mama, and after a night's rest and medicines, khichdi (rice and dal cooked together in a pressure cooker, that we Indians have when ill), lovings from nani and nanu, mommy is much better this morning. Now off to try and make this day a little special for Daddy.

I'll send you all my love everyday in a letter...sealed with a kiss.

11 days for the court decision to come into effect and we are missing Ayaan so much. It is very helpful being here in Delhi with my family. Nyda, my little darling sweet lil 2 yr old niece, makes it bearable by her adorably cute antics. 'Shopping jayenge' and her constant attendance calls for all of us "Masi!", "Masu!".
Missing holding you, lil Ayu, in my arms. Feeding you your daily scrambled egg, vitamins in water which you love, dal chawal or potato with butter. Your sweet smell, your soft cheeks, your head on my chest when you lay it there to take a nap. Your cute face crinkled nose in the sun, your arms held up with a "Ahen!" sound so that we could pick you up... everything. I miss you so very much. 11 more days till the court decision comes into effect and then you are ours for life as we are yours.

Together forever.

Delhi, India! Surprise!

Do Vstrechi Aktobe! Dasvidaniya!

7 weeks since we left home. 7 Weeks that transformed us. 7 weeks that overtook our lives and changed us forever from a guy and a girl, a couple, into a family. A new country we learned so much about and shared with our little world of friends and family dispelling myths about this land about which so little is known outside, a city we accepted as our own now that it is the city that bore us our son, food that his people eat and enjoy became our favourite and our own as we too became 'his people', so many experiences, so many giggles, so many tickles, so many from-the-heart laughs and a few (heart wrenching at times and joyful at other) tears. As we tear ourselves away from Aktobe leaving for Almaty, to embark on the last but most painful part of this process while we wait for Ayaan's paperwork to be completed, we bid adieu to so much with such a heavy heart but we know we will FOREVER be grateful to Kazakhstan, to Aktobe for welcoming us with open arms, for loving us and for giving us the joy and immense honor of one of her most innocent little sons. Thank you Kazakhstan. Rakhmet. Spaciba. And Dasvidaniya. or better still Do Vstrechi. Yes. Till we meet again.

And the Honorable Judge says "Granted!" He's yours, pending the 15 day Appeal period. Yippeee!

Its a date!

So Tania has come through on her word! We have a Court date for Monday late afternoon! 3:30pm!

And the most significant part about this date-the 15 day appeal period..... IT ENDS ON MY 35th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! What an amazing Birthday Gift, Universe! The gift of Officially becoming a Mom! SO STOKED!

Now we prepare our speeches, and continue to try and book our tickets out of here. Our fingers and brains are hurting from all the permutations and combinations of ways and dates to try and get back, and from pressing the refresh button on the Aeroplan website, the Air Astana website. The wonderful Johanne & Jacques have told us not to worry about Nikki and that they will keep him for as long as one of us can get back to Canada. We cannot thank them enough for what they have done for us by keeping Nikki safe and loved all this time that we have had to be here in Kazakhstan. If my parents or sister were in Ottawa I could have just left him with them whenever we needed to but Johanne and Jacques have helped us immensely these past few yrs by taking care of Nikki when we have been out of the country. Vinay also helps when he can, which we are thankful for. :)

Oh yes and a very Happy 38th Birthday to Deepak's brother, Vinay! Hope your party at Social and Zaphhods is a big hit!

'Kara Jorga' and other goings on this week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzDorXpuFvs&feature=share
Learning the steps to this! Its a very popular folk song and dance that every Kazakh probably knows/should know. :) The kids at the BH performed to it on Children's Day as well. And gave a special one just for us today in the Bonding room. SO cute!

Still waiting to hear the exact court date and time.

It has been quite frustrating to be honest. Our Agency coordinator here is said to be great at her job (which is the only saving grace right now). All four of us (K&J as well as Deepak and me) are very frustrated about the lack of personal touch with the in-country co-ord here in Aktobe. There is definitely no attempt at relationship building on any level. She seems to be more of a behind the scene kinda person, supposed to be great at what she does. But dare you ask a question...umm...like its freakin' Wednesday night here and we are supposedly due for court on 'maybe Monday maybe Tuesday. Hopefully. Nothing is for sure'. This information again was not offered but we had to ask repeatedly to get. And we dare not ask for an update it seems - all four of us are pulling out our hair at the way the conversation goes and quotes quoted or how we are spoken to. Grrrr! Of course since I'm usually the one who voices the opinion Im the bad guy given the most attitude.

We are all on tenterhooks here and let's just say quite frustrated. The good thing is we like Aktobe, we like the people here, LOVE the food here, and the saving grace is we get to meet our sons each day.We are also very happy about the wonderful relationships we have built with the staff at the orphanage. That is why we are all more upset about this I think, because that is not how Kazakh people are. They are nice and warm and polite and helpful. Ah well. Ive vented now. But it would definitely be a much nicer experience if the person who is supposed to be your contact in country would make an effort to make you comfortable and be nice to you, keeping you informed. Make an effort not just on the paperwork side of things but on the human aspect as well-after all this is the most human based work one could ever do, isn't it. With a child, families and such delicate relations involved, being one of the toughest journeys in life one would undertake.