Owen is Home!

HOME ... one of my favorite four letter words; along with love, life, and Owen!

On our last day in Kazakhstan we had a few more details to take care, including a trip to the US Embassy to get Owen's visa, where we were reminded again of what a small world it is. Earlier in our trip on our flight from Kokshetau to Almaty we met a very nice gentleman who had a cousin that lived in Ellicott City (the location of Bob's office), and during our interview at the Embassy we found out that the agent was originally from Baltimore! He asked us if Owen was going to be the newest Orioles fan and we replied "of course, but he'll be an even bigger Ravens fan"! We signed a few papers and were given a sealed packet to give to customs upon our arrival in the US. Of special significance to me is the fact that all Owen's visa paperwork (and visa) is dated March 6th.

We then met up with Maureen, Sean and James for a meal at the Stetson Cafe and finally got our cheeseburgers which weren't bad considering that they had cole slaw on them. Back to the apartment to give Owen a bath and pack up; then Kirill picked us up at 12:15 am to head to the airport. It took a while but we made it through security, got checked in, passed through customs, and joined about eight other families in the waiting area. After a short time we were aboard a Lufthansa jet headed for Frankfort, Germany! While we were obviously thrilled to be heading home, there was also a sense of melancholy leaving Kazakhstan - after all this is the country that gave us our son.

After more than 24 hours total travel time, two flights and a five hour layover, we finally arrived at Dulles Airport on the afternoon of March 7th, and as soon as the plane's wheels touched down Owen became a US citizen! Because the flight was a half hour early there were no lines in customs and we breezed right through, collected our luggage and joyfully reunited with Jodi's mom (Nana) and dad (Pop-pop), Uncle Rich, Aunt Cathy and our dear family friend Courtnay. They were wearing "custom made" t-shirts, holding balloons and signs, and smiling from ear to ear. Seeing my parents welcome their newest grandchild was a dream come true.

Finally we loaded into the van and headed for our house. The first thing I did upon arriving was greet my fur babies - they all looked great and I was so happy to see them. Our wonderful neighbors and friends had decorated our house with balloons, signs, flowers, and gifts for Owen and me; and stocked the refrigerator and pantry with yummy food and drinks. We are truly blessed to have such caring people in our lives - thank you so, so much: Mom, Dad, Aunt Cathy, Uncle Rich, Aunt Sue, Sherry, Bruce, Kim, Chris, Casey, Donna, Nelson, Jill, Vicki, Ashley, Alison, Eric, Chuck and anyone else who helped (but did so without my knowledge!); you are all incredibly special to us.

Our first full day at home was filled up by more fun with Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rich; then Nanny, Uncle Todd, Aunt Maria, cousin Hannah, Sherry and Kim came to visit, and again, Owen was welcomed home with lots of love and attention. I loved seeing the joy in Nanny's eyes when she first held Owen. On Friday, Owen, Nana and I had an outing to Target (obviously the first of many) and I got a huge surprise when I opened the front door to see my brother in law Jeff unloading a car ... Kris, Jeff, Samantha and Mackenzie had flown all the way from Wisconsin to visit!! I was so touched that they came to see us and I loved meeting our newest niece and spending time with them all and my parents. Thank you again Bruce for acting as their airport shuttle and helping to create such an incredible memory for me.

Owen is adjusting very well - he's sleeping through the night and seems to be very comfortable in his new home. He likes to pet the cats; he likes his new toys; and he gets a good daily workout in the Jumperoo. The last two days he had been fighting off a cold, (thank you Dr. Mike and Krista for putting up with this nervous new mom and fielding my call on Sat!) but he's improving and is almost back to his usual happy, adorable self.

Thank you all again for your support, friendship and love. Your comments and emails helped us tremendously while in Kazakhstan and will be a treasure we will share with Owen. Bob, Cearra, Owen and I wish you health and happiness.

Ahhh, Almaty!

We’ve made it to Almaty and it’s like coming to the big glittering city after camping in the boonies. It’s wonderful!

On our last Friday in Kokshetau we woke up early to get everyone ready and finish packing. Once we arrived at the airport we met up with the other families, got checked in, and paid $50 in overweight baggage charges. Although I was very happy to be moving on, it wasn’t easy to say farewell to Rada, Oleg and Inna. When we thanked him for all his help, Oleg gave me a hug and said “Now he (Owen) is with his parents and that is what’s important”. Rada cried when she said goodbye; we will certainly always remember these very special people and all they did to unite us with our son.

Three fairly uneventful hours later – Owen was very good and cried just a bit when he was fighting a nap - the Yak 40 touched down in Almaty (and I finally took a breath again). The guys unloaded our many bags from the plane and as a group we met up with our drivers and headed off. First our driver Kirill took us to get Owen’s visa picture taken, then we went to the Sisters office to complete some more paperwork. Next, a trip to the SOS medical clinic for Owen’s required physical. He got blood taken from his finger for an HIV test, and was weighed and measured, poked and prodded. Our boy is now 17.6 lbs and 26 inches long and the doctor said he looked fine. Owen didn’t like the finger prick at all but was a champ the rest of the day.

We made a quick stop to pick up some essential supplies (water, diapers, and Diet Coke) and finally arrived at our apartment for the next several days; a very nice one bedroom near the Ramstore (upscale mall and great grocery store). Yes, Scott and Susan – we are in THE apartment and having fond flashbacks of you guys! The view out our window here is of the Rolex building and a Marriott Residence Hotel; we have a kitchen with new cabinets, a full size frig, and a stove that works on all four burners; nice (fake) wood floors; a clean and stink-free bathroom; a kitchen table with four matching and sturdy chairs; and a bed that is somewhat more comfortable than a cardboard box. Quite a difference from Kokshetau.

Our second night in town the “Hamster Gang” met up at Mad Murphy’s for dinner. This Irish pub is a tradition among visiting American families offering an English menu and good “western style” food. Owen fell asleep in the car on the way there and took a nap before waking up and having some fun with his old buddy James.

The next day we again met up with Maureen, Sean and James, plus Jill, and went to the Green Market to buy a stroller – perhaps the best purchase so far – and then on to the third floor of the Tsum (zoom) store for souvenir shopping. Having worked up quite an appetite we then headed to the American Bar and Grill for lunch where we tried to order cheeseburgers, only to be told they didn’t have them at the moment! But we were all pleased with our second choice and just as importantly Owen enjoyed his teething biscuit and bottle and was, once again, a very good baby.

As you can probably surmise, we are enjoying the freedom of being able to take Owen out in public, and the weather here is warmer too so it’s great to go out and see some sights – like a giant red tulip!Today we will buy Owen’s return airline ticket, and tomorrow we have our “interview” at the US Embassy for the rest of the paperwork he needs to come home. We’ll probably try to get the whole group together for a last dinner to celebrate our successful journey (and my birthday!) then we’ll pack everything up and head to the airport again around 1:30 am Wednesday morning.

So this is our last post from Kazakhstan . It’s been a long trip. Some days (and nights) were incredibly rough, but the amazing moments were worth any tears. It’s been frustrating, tiring, maddening, and confusing, but most of all it’s been a journey we will never forget for the people we’ve met, the things we’ve seen, and most of all for the little boy we are bringing home as our son. Owen is truly a joy –we can’t wait for you all to meet him!

Almost Done in Kokshetau

It’s official … the waiting period is over and our little boy’s birth certificate now shows us as his parents and gives his name as Owen Edward Mechem (in Russian of course)!This incredibly important step happened the way many things here do; we followed Oleg into a government building, sat around for a while, then walked into a small office where we signed several documents as instructed. The woman handed us Owen’s birth certificate and with a big genuine smile wished us “Congratulations, grow strong and be happy”. Then we went to a teller style window in another part of the same building and waited for about twenty minutes for more paperwork; I think it will now all go to Astana (the country’s new capital) to be processed and we’ll get it back along with his Kazakhstan passport once we are in Almaty.

Speaking of which, we are now into our last full day in Kokshetau! We just got haircuts, and will now head back to start packing up. Not looking forward to dragging all the suitcases down the stairs or boarding the Yak again, but we are so looking forward to Almaty and getting closer and closer to coming home. Once in Almaty we’ll meet again with the sisters, go to the US Embassy for Owen’s visa, get his required medical done, and hopefully do some shopping!

It’s actually a little hard to believe that we are finally wrapping things up here. This has been a good trip; we’ve met some incredible people, learned a lot of interesting things about Owen’s birth country, and of course received the greatest gift in Owen, but we can’t wait to be home. I know Bob is most looking forward to seeing Cearra, and also getting back to work, and I am so ready to:

- See friends and family at the airport

- Talk to more friends and family on the phone

- Give my furry babies lots of love

- Take a real shower

- Wear some different clothes

- Enjoy the comfort of our house again

- Finally put Owen to sleep in his crib, in his room, in his home

There are a hundred other things big and small that I will appreciate about being back in the United States. We are very fortunate to live as we do and traveling certainly makes you appreciate our quality of life and freedoms.

Once again, thanks to you all for following along and for all your wonderful comments and emails. And a huge thank you to Alison for making it possible for me to keep you all updated! I don’t know if we will be able to post in Almaty but I promise to try. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel and we hope to see you each of you soon.