We can't wait to meet our baby....

One day, I shall turn all of this into a book, beginning of when Aaron & I met and going forward.  There are not many couples who can say they met on e-harmony, have traveled extensively and that are now adopting a beautiful baby girl from literally the other side of the world!  This blog has been very therapeutic for me.  I know it has for many other families who have and are adopting as well.  I hope we can keep it up once our little girl is home so that other families have the kind of encouragement I have.  

Aaron spoke to Oksana, our Russian coordinator/translator and she seems very nice!  We are thoroughly impressed with the service and the hospitality extended to us through Beacon House and Building Blocks.  I've said it before on this, but we would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone wishing to adopt internationally.  They are SO very personable and always available to talk when you need them!!!!

We are SOOOO excited because we get to see our little one EVERY day this week!  I'm so excited and I know Aaron is equally so, but he wants to sleep now for a while and I think that is a good idea since this is the first time we have seen a bed in over 31 hours.  However, Aeroflot, the Russian airline beats ANY American domestic airline, hands down!!!  On our flight from New York's JFK Airport, we had individual TV's on the back of each of our seats and no, that was NOT first class.  I watched Shrek Forever After and Aaron watched Airbender.  

When we arrived in Moscow, we had a minor scare.  Somehow, Aaron had accidentally put his passport in my purse/diaper bag and he was freaking out.  Of course, I knew we WOULD find it, but we were so scared we would have to be delayed and visit the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to take care of the passport issue.  Thank GOD it was found and we made that last flight on time.  The flight from Moscow to Vladivostok was long, but I think we both slept a good six hours of the time.  They showed an old movie on some screens scattered throughout called, As Good As It Gets.  Yes, that is the one with Jack Nicholson & Helen Hunt from a long time ago, but it was all in Russian.  We were sooo tired that we just conked out and slept for about 7 of the 8 hours on that flight.  For a 15-hour time change, I don't feel THAT bad....just a little tired!

Well, there's a Russian beach about a five minute walk from here and we're thinking of going out later and visiting that.  We will post as many pictures as our internet bandwidth allowance will let us this week.

We haven't even completed our FIRST adoption and are already talking about trying to come back and adopt another child from Vladivostok so that our Katie Allison will have a brother or sister in common.  That, of course, will have to be in a few years when we have saved up more money to adopt another child.  That would, in my mind, make for the perfect "All-American," melting pot of a family....with two Russian/Asian/Caucasian Children, a completely white and freckled faced red-headed mother and a half-Asian Father/Husband.

Five years ago, if someone told me I, April Gwin, from a small town in Alabama would be married to a half Asian sweetie (see for yourself, below); became a world traveler by attending his cousin's wedding in Hong Kong; then taking a cruise and seeing Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Phuket, Thailand; and Singapore AND finally that we both would be happily married and adopting a baby girl from Russia, I would have told them they were, "off their rocker."  Growing up, I never knew if I wanted to be a mother, honestly because I was raised by my grandmother, but she and my mom and grandfather did a phenomenal job.  Aaron, though, always knew he wanted a child or children.  He said it would be perfect to have two children.  I think so too, now that I am married to the love of my life.   

For those of you reading this that are not from the South, that means, "crazy."  Just a little Southern expression for you!  More to come this week, including video diaries that we started with our camcorder on our Iphone.  We might have to upload those after we return to the U.S. due to bandwidth limitations.  But they are cool!!!  It was Aaron's idea to document every little bit of this that we could.  Someday, we will show Katie how much she was wanted.  My mom has made and is still working on an awesome "life book," for her.  And, if we get the chance, we might someday bring her back to see what Russia is like since this is where she was born and has spent two years of her life.  

I hope we can shower her with more love than any baby girl could ever imagine and I definitely know I will cry having to leave her behind to come back to the U.S. to do paperwork.  I'll submit all of that as soon as possible and hopefully we will be back here in no time!  Our agency has said we should have her home by Christmas.  If that happens, what an amazing gift that would be.  I sit here today, a different woman, because of all of this with more FAITH in Christ than one can even imagine.  Who would have thought that God would turn mine and Aaron's infertility woes into such a wonderful thing....giving a child a home that would not otherwise be given a Christian family where she can receive love and know Him as her awesome Lord and Savior.  Honestly, last year when they told us there was no hope or very little hope, I felt like someone had died....and now I feel alive again, thanks to the miracle of adoption!

Aaron & I, 2009 Professional Photo

Aaron, 2009...Isn't he a sweetie?  I think so!!!