In 2 weeks Sophie Will Be Home!

I'm so excited that in just less than a week Scott and I will be flying to Russia and in two weeks from today, Sophie will finally be home! This has been a long time coming and it can't get here fast enough. I can't wait for all of our family and friends to meet her! I know I am a little biased, but she is so stinkin' adorable! I'm afraid she might get away with a lot because of that little dimple and the way her eyes smile!

We are getting the last few things organized around the house this weekend. All of her clothes are washed and put away, just waiting to be packed. Baby gates are getting put back up at the top of the stairs and the bottom of the stairs. I need to purchase diapers, wipes and the other basic essentials that you need for an 18 month old girl! I almost forgot what they need. It's been a few years and a lot of things have changed! I'm blown away at Bye Bye Baby. That place is on steroids! I can't believe some strollers are $500! Crazy!

So our itinerary for the next few weeks is a little crazy. We leave Austin on Friday, the
14th and arrive in Moscow on Saturday morning. We have a 12 hour layover in Moscow so we will get some sleep at a nearby hotel before our dreaded over-night flight to Kras that evening! Why does that flight have to be so terrible? I guess I should be happy it's our last trip there! We arrive in Kras early Sunday morning and have the rest of the day to sleep. The next morning, on Monday, we go to the orphanage and pick her up! I'm so nervous about how that is going to play out! I'm sure having not seen us for a week might cause a few tears. That is my only concern about not staying for the 10 day waiting period to bond with her. I keep telling myself that most countries don't have that waiting period and they pick up their children at the orphanage and are somewhat "strangers" to their child too. Please pray that she will remember us and her departure will be painless for her. It has been her home for half of her life. She will be missing it, I'm sure.

We will be staying in the apartment in Kras through the 19th to wait for her passport to be ready and for all the remaining documents to get signed and ready for us to take with us to Moscow for our Embassy appointment. We leave Kras early that evening and arrive in Moscow I think that same night because of the time difference between the two. We will be staying at the Marriot Tverskaya, which we were told is family friendly, has an "adoption rate" and is only a few short blocks from The Red Square and the Kremlin. A doctor will come to the hotel to look her over and sign some papers that she needs to take to Embassy which is on the 20th. We hopefully pic up her visa on the 21st. Then we will take the lllloooonnnggg flight from Moscow to D.C. Oh, I'm so worried about that flight! Not just for ourselves, but for the people around us! Pray she sleeps most of the trip and doesn't get to ansy!! If I hate that flight, I can't imagine what a 1 1/2 year old will feel. Pray, pray, pray!!!

Once she enters the US in D.C. she automatically becomes a US citizen! Woohoo! When I saw the "Welcome to U.S.A" sign in D.C. my heart leaped! I can't imagine what my reaction will be when we cross that line with our baby girl! So excited for that moment!! She has no idea what is in store for her in America!!! I am so excited we get to give her this opportunity!

On Saturday evening, 9:30, we will land in Austin, TX as the proudest parents in the world! We have been on such a long, hard journey and I can't believe it's finally coming to a close. Actually, it's just the beginning!!!

We more than welcome those of you who want to meet her at the airport that evening! I know it is a late flight and if you aren't able to make it, we completely understand. It was either take that flight, or spend the night in D.C. and fly home the next day. We are so ready to get home! I, in no way, want to spend another night away from home if i don't have to! We are flying United so if you wanted to check with the airlines to make sure our flight will not be delayed, we are coming from Washington D.C.

I'm so happy I have been able to share our journey and document it, so I can one day show this to her! We have been so blessed with family and great friends, encouragement, and tears! God has been good to us!!!

Here is our itinerary:


10/14 Leave US for Russia
10/15 Arrive in Moscow and take overnight flight to Krasnoyarsk
10/16 Arrive in Krasnoyarsk and rest
10/17 “Gotcha” Day!
10/19 Leave Krasnoyarsk AFTER 6PM (they don’t expect to have the passport until about 4PM that day)
10/20 Embassy Appt
10/21 Pick up docs from Embassy
10/22 Leave Moscow for US