The Boccini Family

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October 20, 2008

Meeting at the Ministry of Education

I was hoping to go to the Ministry of Education this morning, so that I could meet my child today, but my appointment was pushed back to 5:30 p.m.  So, I spent the day at the hotel.  After having breakfast and hanging out in my room for a bit, I went to the gym and walked on the treadmill for an hour.  It was great to listen to the selected tunes from the boom box (some American, some not), and get some much needed cardio. It’s funny that I had to come all the way to Kaz to get in some weekday exercise!

After a quiet afternoon in my room – I didn’t want to venture out without some sense of direction – I met my translator, Aliya, in the lobby of the hotel.  The Ministry of Education was only a short drive away, and we got there without incident. Once inside, Aliya told me the questions I should expect.  None of them were too challenging, so I felt confident that I would do OK.  I met with three individuals, one man and two women. After the first woman gave a brief account of my background in Russian, the gentleman began asking questions, such as what do I know about Kazakhstan, who my guardians are, if I have attempted to adopt before, etc.  They also wanted to make sure that I understood the process both here in Kaz and after I am home with the baby. You see, Kaz adoptive parents must submit to the Kaz government a report on their child each year for eighteen years.  To be honest, this requirement doesn’t bother me at all.  It will allow me to keep a journal of my daughter’s life, something I will give to her when she is older and can appreciate the tales of her youth.

Initially, I was told that I would not be seeing the baby until tomorrow afternoon.  However, I received a call from Aliya a short time ago saying that I will be picked up at 7:30 a.m.  This is great because I will get an early start to the day and meet my child at long last!  I can’t wait.  I’m sitting here beaming just thinking about the first time I’m going to see my girl….and it’s just hours away!

Of course, once I get my child’s medical information, I will forward this on to my international pediatric specialist to make sure that all is well.  I won’t have a formal report from the baby house director, but I will be able to take notes and forward them on to the doctor. I will also take pictures of the child, and try to gauge her behavior, but I’m not sure how much time I will have. Everyone has told me that this process can be quite rushed, and yet it’s the most significant moment!

I promise to update you once I have any news to share.  In the meantime, I ask that you pray especially hard that all goes well in the morning, and I am united with a healthy little girl.  This would truly be a dream come true.

Jeannette