Amazing to look at the bottom of the blog page today and see that we are just a handful of visits shy of 10,000. Yes, somehow this blog has been called up on 10,000 separate occasions. I am not sure I could ever have imagined such a thing.

Thank you for caring enough to continue to come back day after day. It means a lot to us, and at some point in the future I imagine that it will also mean a lot to Aitugan.

So we are really in the homestretch now. By this time next week Little Miss Aitugan will be here in the apartment with us as we celebrate our first night together as a family.

It seems a long time in the making, but the end is palpable, and the reward a little overwhelming. She is such a delightful child - full of vigor, emotion, wonder, and determination.

We feel incredibly fortunate, and are a surely in debt to something far greater than ourselves. Hopefully raising her as best we can will be an acceptable form of repayment.

As you can see in the photo below, the Kazak people take dressing children seriously. Because taking Aitugan for her passport photos this morning would mean exposing her to the harsh 20 degree day not only for the 15 feet between the Baby House doors and the awaiting minivan, but also between the minivan and the photo place, and then reversed on the return, they took no chances.

Her layers began as a pair of footed pants and t-shirt upon which a long sleeved onesie was secured. On top of that came a second pair of pants, socks, and a flannel top. So that took care of the core, now for the rest.

Next she was fitted with a hat that tied under her chin, followed by a larger knit hat, and full snow suit with booties and gloves. Seemingly worried she might still find a way to move, the outfit was topped off with the hood from the suit and secured with a scarf around her neck and face.

Once all was in place we left the 75 degree Baby House and briskly walked to the 80 degree van. It appears an absurd levels of overkill, perpetuated by a collective mindset of preparing for the worst that seems a legacy of Soviet rule.

Needless to say our little bundle could have traveled unbroken anywhere UPS could have sent her.

Once in the van, the hats came off and the suit peeled back and her face took on a look of amazement. Transfixed by the motion beyond the windows, her gaze moved from object to object, sometimes tracking a single object as it sped by, and at other times seeming to prefer the blur of color and light that danced before her as she kept her eyes still.

The actual taking of the photos found her a bit out of her element. Though not convinced she completely understood, the goal was to have her look straight at the stranger with the point and shoot camera, being sure to keep both ears in view.

As many know, capturing momentary glimpses with a digital point and shoot is made all the more difficult because of the pesky response lag between the button and the shutter. Why camera companies have not made resolving this more of a priority than dazzling customers with increased megapixels remains a mystery.

Anyway, after numerous attempts, success - achieved more through ever diminishing expectations - was had, and the mission completed. After bundling her back up in the appropriate order, so as not to get scolded upon arrival at the Baby House, we returned Aitugan to her room and went to lunch to pass a few hours until our regularly scheduled afternoon visit.

Brought about perhaps by the current run of Chicken Pox, the Baby House seemed in full clean-up mode this afternoon when we arrived for our visit. The playroom was completely gone over to the point where we watched as they washed the walls floor to ceiling with bleach water and removed all but a handful of toys.

In Aitugan's group room, one of her care givers was wet scrubbing the entire carpet, while another was washing the floors. It was a thorough effort indeed.

As three families had their court session this morning - thereby missing their morning visit - the playroom in the afternoon was full of life again. We are happy to report that all three families had successful court outcomes and now are on a similar trajectory towards their respective finish lines. We wish them all well.



So while I recognize that this photo does nothing to depict her infinite charm and good looks, it does perhaps demonstrate her sense of humor.



After all the inane bundling of the morning, we felt we would reward her good behavior with a little pant-free time for leg, foot and toe exploration.



Happy 8 month Birthday Aitugan! Your family and supporting community love you very much.

Take Care.