Waiting Period—Day 4

Robin here. Well, four days down and eleven to go! I wish the world would turn a little faster right about now, but I know October 11th will be here before we know it and that Kristina will soon be spending her first night with us here at the apartment.

Today’s visit truly emphasizes the importance of the fourteen day bonding period as it relates to older children. It was at the end of last week when Kristina began to relax about physical affection. And today, nineteen days since she first met us, she is kissing us -- not once -- but two and three times in a row; her hugs are tight and she is not stiffening up any longer when we pull her close.

The adoption process in Kazakhstan may be lengthy and it certainly does require a good deal of commitment from the parents. The kids left behind make sacrifices and employers are called upon for understanding and support. Still, we feel it is the best means of helping to secure a bond with a child over the age of three. I know other countries’ systems work and that many, many parents successfully connect with their children, but we absolutely believe in the two week process and feel confident that -- just as Julia did in 2004 -- our Kristina will leave the orphanage with a higher sense of trust with us and love for us than she might have otherwise felt without the benefit of time.

As usual, Kristina was a lot of fun today. One of the funniest things about her is how she keeps raising her voice until she is practically shouting at us when trying to teach us the Russian word for something. If we don’t repeat it exactly right the first time, then she’ll say it again, a little louder. If we haven’t perfected it by the third or fourth try, she will lean forward and yell it at us, as if this somehow will help improve our chances of getting it. She really is a hoot!

This weekend will be a long one for us. We will not see Kristina until Monday, as we are no longer visiting on Saturdays. Our new schedule is Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I think we will be taking Kristina for her passport picture on Monday and then we’ll shop for some clothes for her and take her to lunch. If she is anything like her sister Julia, Kristina will really like the shopping and lunch part of the day!