kz4youandme

Fall 2008

2008-12-05T04:42:00.000-08:00

Halloween lion! Roar.

Quinn the gymnast. He loves to play at the play ground. He is very strong and coorinated.

Summer fun!!

2008-08-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of catching up to do. Summer has been so great, we haven't been inside much to update the blog. Here are several images to give you the flavors of August. Quinn plays in his shanty-town in the front yard.

It has been a summer of discovering all-things boy for Quinn. Cars, trucks, fire engines, tractors, motor cycles and anything large that makes noise is super-fantastic to emulate or even better, to explore. Here are several shots of the Grand Rapids Metro Cruise. "Vroom, vroom!"

"Mom, can I please climb up there?"

Friday night at the Metro Cruise.

Along with his interest in vehicles, Quinn loves shoes! He must have gotten that from Mom! In fact, shoes was one of his first words.

Quinn also likes dress up. Here he is in Mom's shirt. He has a constant smile and a great sense of humor.

Showcasing the seemingly permanent bump on his forehead.

Taking a break from climbing the rocks!

We visited several petting zoos this summe. Animals are a big hit with Quinn. Here we are befriending a championship sheep at the Michigan Fiber Festival.

Summer images

2008-07-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Lake Michigan is an exciting place to hang out!

Enjoying Dad!

Yucking it up at a family party.

Quinn is fully engaged in all things active and has developed a love of running, climbing, and just about anything physical. He has a few bruises to show for it but it doesn't slow him down.

Summer is happenin'!

2008-06-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

Did we mention Quinn loves spring rolls? While his eating habits have broadened in some areas they are pickier in others. He eats very well with a spoon and mashed potatoes or potatoes of any kind are a big draw. Watermelon is his absolute favorite. (The stroller comes in handy as a highchair).

Quinn is off and running! He runs forward and backwards and also in circles. Here he is accompanied by his Grandma and Uncle Adam.

We are loving it!

2008-05-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

So many exciting things have happened this last month. Spring is giving way to summer and Quinn's hair is short to match the season. He is growing like a weed. Last week we sent our cousin, Nicole, off to take the MCAT. We know she did very well.

Quinn tries a tamale for the first time and requests more. So delicious. Thanks, Lupita!

In Dad's new office. Quinn would like one of these stools for home.

Also in Dad's new office. Lots of glass to run into.

More of Dad's new office. Look how clean it is!

A beautiful day to run free!

2008-04-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Michigan has finally warmed up and has been in the mid 70's for 1 week. To celebrate Quinn visited his favorite Kazakh horse and then decided to cut 8 teeth all at once. It has been an interesting few days of fever, low appetite, crankiness and sleeplessness.

Day at Lake Michigan

2008-04-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

A beautiful, sunny day in West Michigan was spent at the beach. Quinn stayed closeby as he was a bit tentative about the sand.

The family catches some rays and fresh air.

Warning! spam and/or viruses commenting on the blog!

2008-04-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else experienced this?
How do you block it from happening?
It should be outlawed!!

Quinn gets excited for spring!

2008-03-31T16:56:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since the last post. Life has been busy just hanging out. After a relentless winter spring finally seems to be coming! We welcomed the rain today and look forward to exploring spring flowers.

We've spent some time walking around Fredrick Meijer Gardens and the outdoor sculpture park. Quinn can roam free and seems to notice all of the trees, bushes and sculpted works.

We love frogs!!

A typical day at home consists of running the halls and getting our dog Mae to play. Quinn's favorite toys include blocks and Duplos.

Lately, Quinn has not had much of an appetite. He's been teething and is on antibiotics again for the 5th time as we anxiously await tubes this week. His ears have been infected since our arrival home. We hope the surgery will clear his little ears.

Weeks past Quinn's birthdate, we were still celebrating with gifts and lunch outings. People watching is intriguing. This must be mixed with a little flirting of course.

The birthday rundown!

2008-02-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

Quinn walks around the house with confidence. He is so happy to be up and mobile. There are more things to see! He breaks into a run and keeps it going all day long. This makes him very hungy and even though he isn't talking yet he has figured out that making chewing motions and sounds with him mouth signals that he wants food. Other times he breaks out into fun giggles.

So much has happened since we last wrote. Quinn ushered in his 1st birthday while bolting from room to room upright. Kerry went back to work part time and Quinn joined a wonderful day care. He already has buddies and seems to enjoy the recreation and social network. The snow has been falling non-stop as we dream of summers at the beach.

Quinn celebrates his 1st birthday at home with Dad's homemade carrot cake. He cautiously studied the cake before eating.

The three muskateers out on the town for a birthday dinner.

Quinn feeds mom some of his cake.

Dad tries to keep Quinn occupied while the cake is ordered.

Quinn is starting to walk

2008-01-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

Our little Quinn is quite a funny kid. He has a great sense of humor and giggles constantly. As you can see, it is time for a much needed haircut. Our first attempt several weeks ago was not successful. Stay tuned for the next round of fun.

Quinn scoots along our wall of windows to observe the snow and woods. He is surprisingly cautious about standing and walking on his own. He is filled with a tremendous sense of accomplishment when he finds he's standing without support or take a few steps alone.

New year, new friends!

2008-01-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

Quinn's social calendar continues to book up with activities and dates. He loves being around children and getting out and about.

Quinn and Spencer finally meet! They are both from the same Astana Babyhouse. Amazing!

Our first family outing to our favorite restaurant, Gaia. Quinn is next to his new buddy, Max. They enjoyed buckwheat pancakes and carrot juice.

We survived the meal at this family-friendly hot spot.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-01-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season winds down we find ourselves getting back to a routine. Quinn has the sniffles but is still as outgoing and chipper as ever.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Quinn's first family party has him in stitches!! Family and friends have been meeting and greeting us all week. Quinn is alert and happy observing all of the new faces and surroundings.

Quinn looks around on Christmas morning. His favorite toy is the Leap Frog Activity Center. He gave us the gift of sleeping through the night for the first time on Christmas.

Quinn experiences a growth spurt!

2007-12-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

Quinn is eating everything in sight and our dog, Mae is not far behind for maximum left-overs. His activity level astounds us and keeping up with him is a challenge. He loves music and has begun to move his body to beats. His daily discoveries and accomplishments are so exciting to watch. We are truly happy to be home.

Home at last!

2007-12-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

It's been a little more than one week since we arrived home. Quinn has adjusted quite well and we are having a blast with him. He loves his new surroundings and each day we are greeted with bigger and bigger smiles. His food intake is enormous and he has a taste for everything, however new textures are a bit more challenging.

Here we are enjoying the fresh, botanic air and Christmas tree display of Fred Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids.

2007-12-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.

We are HOME!! Yeah. We completed our business in Almaty earlier than anticipated and were able to depart on Friday. All is well. We are catching up on sleep and enjoying a nice Michigan blizzard. Quinn is doing very well and is a super sweet incredible boy. He greeted everyone with big smiles and is excited by his new home.

We will post photos and more details soon.

Signing off from Kazakhstan

2007-11-26T04:59:00.000-08:00

This is our last post until we return to Grand Rapids. Tomorrow we fly to Almaty and will no longer have internet access. See you soon!
Quinn shows off a Kazakh carrot he smuggled out of the Babyhouse.

It took awhile but Quinn finally managed to eat the entire thing! (just kidding).

Yesterday we took a quick stroll across the foot bridge with Sara and Adam Tennen whom we will greatly miss. Good luck guys!

Quinn is here!

2007-11-24T05:32:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday night here in Astana. Quinn is sound asleep. We have been together at our apartment for two nights and two days. It is a team effort and dear Quinn is adjusting quite well. He is sleeping as well as he can and eating a lot. He even watched 30 minutes of The Incredibles.

Thank you everyone for your very encouraging and kind words. It has helped us pass the time and nice knowing you are keeping tabs on us.

We will be in Astana until Tuesday, Nov. 27th, then Almaty until Sunday, December 2, arriving in Grand Rapids at 9:15pm Dec. 2nd. All three of us are most anxious to return home.

At 2:00 p.m. November 22nd we descended the Babyhouse stairs one final time and were met with a lovely falling snow and a warm van that delivered us to our riverfront apartment.

Tonight is Quinn's last night at the Babyhouse!

2007-11-21T08:26:00.000-08:00

We were able to put Quinn down for his very last 12:00 nap at the Babyhouse.

Quinn takes a break from drinking his tea.

Quinn loves birdwatching. He was transfixed by 5 pigeons and their eating habits in between bottle feedings.

Quinn was very thirsty today. Does he know this is our last official 10-12 playdate with him at the Babyhouse?

2007-11-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Just a few more days until Quinn comes home to live in our apartment. Quinn was a joyful and active baby today. As you may recall, Quinn sticks his tongue out when he's happily concentrating on a task.

While taking a break from his many crawling adventures today, Quinn stood up on his own. His technique involves getting from kneeling postion to the yoga-like move called "downward dog" , lifting himself from there. By the end of the session he was trying to use each leg individually to hoist himself up.

2007-11-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

This week has flown. We celebrated Dan's birthday quietly at home while we both recovered from our various ills. But we're back on track and have lots of photos to fill in the last several days. Eight familes participated in the 10-12 Saturday visitation! It must be a record. Two of the families are outbound next week and two new families arrived last week. We happen to be one of the outbound families next week!! Quinn is the oldest baby in the photo above, by about one month.
Quinn gets tired as the session comes to a close. His finger slipped in his mouth alerting us to switch from nursery rhymes to lullabies.

Quinn keeps close to Mom and Dad during the Saturday family frenzy. He was quiet and calm and didn't want to stray too far.

A previous day Quinn plays with a electronic drum. He loves music.

Here Quinn shows us he is thirsty for his baby formulated cold- "tea". He loves tea just like a true Kazakh.

Quinn and Dad both have much needed appointments with Svetlana for hair cuts.

11.15.07 Birthday family photo. No, we didn't plan the color coordination. Dan felt as green as his shirt. Kerry was on the verge of a sinus volcano.

We wanted to give you insight into our everyday experiences here. This is the main drag in Astana called Respubliki Street. It's a wide and busy road, lined with newer buildings including several shops, a few restaurants and little markets. It is about 1/2 mile walk from our apartment.

Respubliki looking the other way. The street shots were taken on Sunday, the day everyone shops for the week. The road traffic was lighter than usual. The snow is melting and it is mud season.

We toured the interior of the pyramid Sunday afternoon. Here we are at the top fending off giant attacking doves. Actually, the doves are applied to the glass symbolizing freedom and giving it a cathedral-like feel.

2007-11-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

During the 15 day waiting period we are finding fun things to do with Quinn at the Babyhouse and keeping occupied around town. Today the weather warmed up enough for us to go on a little driving tour. Tomorrow is November 15th and Dan's birthday as well as Quinn's 9th month birthday. Quinn will be measured and weighed. We think he's really grown. For example, he is starting to get a baby belly. He also seems much longer.

Dan helps Quinn walk or Quinn helps Dan kneel? Quinn took a break from teething the last 2 days and has been a chipper little guy. He crawled around the floor a lot and enjoyed watching some younger girls play.

Quinn looking long as his little belly sticks out.

We took advantage of the blue sky day and toured the Astana-Baiterek Tower. "According to a folk legend, Baiterek is a magic tree found by the hero Yer-Tostik after his long wanderings. In the branches of this world's tree of life once in a year the bird Samruk laid its golden egg. The tower represents a stylishly designed tree with a huge egg-dome. The height of the tower is 97 meters (for it was in 1997 when Astana became the capital of the country)." (taken from Astana website)

Kerry sports a new style of KZ headwear.

Kerry looks up at the nest while Santa (aka Father Frost) walks in the background soliciting photo opportunities. From the lookout Dan counted 134 construction cranes!

We poked around the concert hall/convention center designed by Sir Norman Foster. (Tonight Verdi's Opera, Aida is performing to a sold out audience). At night we see the pyramid's LED lights change color from our apartment. Many well known architects have been integral in the planning of the new Astana.

PLEASE NOTE. Email info.

2007-11-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

It has come to our attention that our remote email service using our home email address has not been reliable lately. If you have not heard back from us we probably didn't receive your note. We have learned that some of the emails we sent are also stuck in cyber space. Please resend if you think we may not have received something.

Thanks for your patience!

Attention textile lovers!

2007-11-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

Photos from our Sunday outing. The textile traditions of Central Asia are celebrated at the Folk Museum in Astana.

Inside an authentic yurta.

Traditional clothes, lined with fur of course.

A section of a felt rug.

Study of horse saddle and other special horse riding gear.

A section of embroidery.

A deer with giant antlers on man's fur-lined coat.

Saturday's visit with Quinn

2007-11-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday and we were not able to visit Quinn. We just feel in a funk.

All photos below were taken on Saturday. Our small group is walking from the Babyhouse to the road to catch a cab. It was a rare day that our driver was not available. To Dan's delight we were dropped off in a Russian Lada cab, circa 1985. They are especially built for tundra temps and conditions.

The Babyhouse is near a busy road. We were waiting for a cab while others waited for the bus.

Once in the Babyhouse we scooped up Quinn for some fun and games. Here, Dan and Quinn look like they are up to no good. What kind of crazy stories is Quinn hearing from Papa?

Quinn's towel rack in his group's washroom. It says Temerlan in Cyrillic/Russian.

It takes two of us to change Quinn's clothes. Dan is putting on Quinn's socks over his tights, then his pj's over all of that!! That is the KZ way of prepping for a nap.

Saturday there were 6 families visiting babies. It was a packed house. Quinn did remarkably well despite the chaos.

Saturday morning.....burrr!

2007-11-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

It is colder than yesterday this Saturday morning on the Western end of Siberia. We are waiting for a taxi today as our driver and many other cars are having problems starting in the frigid temps. Quinn crawls toward his gal pal with great enthusiasm. Note the Camomile "tea"' in his bottle. This is a drink mix given to babies for colds. He loves it!

Quinn's favorite caregiver, the one who calls him Temoski. She enjoys watching our novice diaper changing techniques.

A handmade doll display at the entrance to the Babyhouse.

Dan on one of two colorful stairways in the babyhouse. Quinn's sleep group and visitation playroom are upstairs. The stairways and hallways are lined with beautiful carpets.

It may be cold outside but it's warm and cuddly inside with Quinn

2007-11-09T02:33:00.000-08:00

Quinn is on the mend and was active and happy today. Dan and he passed some time playing an intriguing spaceship game starring Captain Quinn and Sputnik Dad. Here are some great closeups of our little Quinn Tamerlane.

What a difference a day makes! Photos taken on two consecutive days. It is freezing here and the furs are coming out of the closets! EVERYONE has a fur. Fur hats, fur scarves, fur coats, leather coats lined with fur. All kinds of fur: mink, fox, shorn sheep (very soft). The furry ladies represent our Team Astana, the adoption experts.

Judge rules in our favor! One step closer.

2007-11-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

We were able to squeak in a visit with Quinn this afternoon during the 2-4:00 slot. (Note his huge teeth in this photo). His caregiver said Quinn cried around 10:00 wondering where why we weren't there.

We are looking forward to Gotcha-Day which will offically be 15 days from tomorrow on November 23rd. The next 15 days is a final appeal period and then we will be given custody of Quinn Tamerlane. We will then spend about one more week in our sweet apartment with Quinn while the US Embassy prepares his documents. Once his documents are ready we will travel by plane to the US Embassy in Almaty, the largest city in KZ. The Embassy visit should take around 3 days. Then we will fly home to GRR!!!

We are outside the courthouse after the positive ruling.

We are in the court room with a representative from the Department of Education who spoke on our behalf.

2007-11-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Kerry and Dan had an awesome visit with Quinn T today. Quinn was a really fun and an active little guy who demonstrated balance and flexibility that simply amazed us and made us giggle! Quinn loves to watch birds. This rainy afternoon we are gearing up for the 9:30 a.m. Wednesday court date with some homemade chili.

2007-11-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon we ventured out to the flying saucer which permanently houses the Astana Circus. For almost 2 hours we were on the edge of our seats as we cheered and gasped at the unreal acrobatic feats. A team of horse riders dressed in Genghis Khan regalia provided the heartstopping grand finale. Dan managed to video tape most of it for Quinn to get a slice of Astana life when he is back in West Michigan.

2007-11-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

Kerry fed Quinn for the first time today. Officially known as Temerlan at the Babyhouse, he is also addressed as: Timo, Tima, Temosha and our favorite: Temoski. The caregivers use these nicknames when they are trying to keep him focused on eating huge amounts of semolina. He almost ate this entire bowl.

After feeding him and cleaning him, including a fresh diaper, Quinn hung out and watched the 4 other families in the playroom, (Saturday is a busy day for visits). Later, we dressed him and took him outside for a stroll.

2007-11-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time outside today.

2007-11-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Quinn and Kerry tumbled in the ultra hot playroom today. Quinn pulled sticker's from Kerry's nose. They also danced to a singing apple and looked at eachother in the mirror. Dan was a little under the weather and stayed home, clear of babies. It did not prevent him from keeping his hair appointment with Svetlana this afternoon. To celebrate his ultra-KZ hairstyle Dan and Kerry took a walk in the gorgeous sunshine.

2007-10-31T02:36:00.000-07:00

A study of teeth.
Quinn now has 4 top and 2 bottom teeth.

He is so strong and active. He is all BOY!!!

To mark Halloween in spooky KZ fashion, the atmosphere has been a soupy fog all day.

Happy Halloween to all of you ghosts and goblins (cheerleaders and prinesses)!

Thank you everyone for your blog notes and the traditional emails too. They have kept us going and are something we look forward to each day.

2007-10-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

Quinn was definitely in "teething overdrive" today!

We are preparing for our big court date on November 7th.

2007-10-29T02:16:00.000-07:00

Monday's visit with Quinn, aka Mr. Smiles!

2007-10-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday and we were able to visit Quinn at the usual 10-12 slot!

Quinn is gearing up for his first Halloween.
His cow-rattle rarely leaves his hand.
When he is happily concentrating on accomplishing something very important he sticks out his tongue.

2007-10-28T04:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday, a day about town included a chilly walk outside and visits to the new MEGA Mall and a traditional meat and veggie market.

2007-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday and we can't visit Quinn because of a National Holiday. : (

Here are some photos from the past 2 weeks in Astana. Our apartment is the metallic goth sort of building built around 2002. The bridge over the river photo was taken from our apartment window. We are directly on the riverwalk with river front views of the Ishrim river. At night we see frequent fireworks in celebration of weddings. etc. The limos were parked at a Mosque, weddings here are a BIG deal. Please note the food images taken from our favorite tiny grocery/deli/bakery (8 x 8), we love the food here.

2007-10-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

Quinn T just hanging out.

2007-10-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Dan and Kerry are very excited about our son-to-be!

Quinn Tamerlane West

All packed!

2007-10-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

We are down to the final days before our departure and are feeling ready. The bags are packed with weight and size restrictions taken into consideration. This was quite a task! We finally purchased a car seat and figured out the diaper size numbering system. Kerry's mom is keeping us fed and under control. Louie the cat is going to hold down the fort by himself!

Astana is in a cold spell with a low in the 30's and high in the 40's. Next week it will be upper 50's!! yeah.

Travel prep and goodbyes

2007-10-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Things are really starting to come together. We are finalizing pet-sitting and house-sitting arrangements this week. Our cat, Louie and dog, Mae will be missed but well cared for. Mae is very anxious to have a brother or sister to love!

Over the weekend we spent time with our new-found friends, the Burg family. They returned from KZ one year ago with Spencer. We can't thank them enough for sharing their wisdom and experiences. Yesterday we said goodbye to family and had one last swim in Lake Michigan. The weather is like July and water temps are around 70 degrees.

Astana the capital of Kazakhstan

2007-10-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

We will be based in the capital city of Astana. We understand it is a new city with lots of construction projects.

One more week and we will be uploading our own photos of Astana!!

Counting down

2007-10-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

Recent baby celebrations have prepared us for

our new addition.

A wonderful pile of goodies is gathering on our pool table. Baby clothes ranging in size 6-18 months in non-gender specific colors have been a challenge to find. As of right now we do not know the gender or size of our baby.

Thank you everyone for your unending support and encouragement.

We depart on October 12, 7pm EST.

Attention kz4youandme fans - GET READY TO MOBILIZE!

2007-09-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

...Not only are we back in the Blog saddle...but we are receiving preliminary news that our Dossier is at the KZ Ministry of Education just waiting for the approval stamp. Once approved we will receive the coveted LOI (letter of invitation). -Which means we travel! - More later.

Love, Dan and Kerry

What's next?

2007-06-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

These photos are of a Kazakh girl wearing a wonderful dandelion crown, the famous Kazakh hunting, pet-eagle and the flag of Kazakhstan (note: The eagle flies under the sun).

The finger printing appointment at the Dept. of Homeland Security/Customs and Immigration Services went well. We arrived at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning to a line up of the GR international melting pot. The machine digitally read our fingers while we watched on-screen for the unique patterning. The purpose of this round of finger printing is for the United States government to approve our adoption from Kazakhstan.

While waiting 1-2 months for this one page letter of approval we still have a few more forms to complete.

In the meantime we are enjoying the warm spring and family traditions of the season.

WHY Kazakhstan?

2007-05-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Many people asked us why we selected the Kazakhstan as the country for our international adoption.

1. The children in baby homes are well taken care of, receive developmental stimulation and excellent medical supervision. Ratio of caregiver to child is 1:4.

2. Infants are available as young as 7 months.

3. Parents spend time bonding and getting to know their child before committing to adoption.

4. Our agency has relationships with 4 superb orphanages throughout KZ. We don't know which one will be assigned to us until we are invited to travel. Each region has been well established and staffed with a facilitator, a translator and a driver.

5. Kazakhstan is a melting pot of flavors and we very much look forward to the travel and experiencing the Kazakh culture!

The first entry

2007-05-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

We are Kerry and Dan, welcome to our Kazakhstan adoption blog!

As of May 30, 2007 we are about 2/3 of the way through the paperwork process. In a few days we have an appointment to get our finger prints taken through the Department of Homeland Security.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words of encouragement and support, it means a lot to us.