Court Day! I Am Legally Serenas Mommy!!!!

The Prosecutor, the Judge, me, secretary, Erken, Gulnar (MOE)

This morning was scary but exciting. We went to the court house to ask permission to be Serenas mommy. Everyone was very serious and I was affraid there would be a problem. The woman from the Ministry of Education recomended that I be her mother, she supervised a few visits and she also happens to be my neighbor and was in my apartment during the flood. They read everything in Russian and Ainura translated everything for me. Then I had to talk about how I was going to raise Serena. I was pretty nervous and did my best but speaking in this way and trying to remember all the points was difficult but I made it through. The prosecutor asked me if I thought it would be hard to raise a child alone and I told him no that I was very self sufficient and it wouldn't be a problem. He recomended me to be Serenas mother and then the judge said yes. I asked to take pictures and I wanted everyone included, even the prosecutor. I think he was surprised to be in the photo because most people don't ask him to be in it but that is the first photo I posted here.

This is the first photo of me and Serena after I was told I can be her mother. I still have to wait 2 weeks, on July 10 I will officially be Serenas mommy. One more step to go! YEEEAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

When I told her the news she was so excited! Look at that smile! We stayed out of the playroom for part of the day because, well, you know. We kind of wandered around the babyhouse for a while.

Seena likes to fly through the air and touch the ground with her toes and then fly through the air and it's starts all over again! Pretty soon I'll be hearing "Do it again". Today I got to put her in her crib again. I laid her down and she picked up her binky and right into her mouth it went. She laid on her back and just stared at me. She was so still and quiet and SOOOO SWEET! I just rubbed her belly really soft and whispered to her that I loved her and I'll be back tomarrow. We did this for a few minutes and it was another moment that was very touching with me. I left and she turned around to see where I was going and the caregiver did her thing and she was ok.

Ok, now for some bad news. Do you see this long list I am holding, it's like a scroll. These are all the phone calls and times I have been on and off the internet!! Apparently I have been abusing it because I think I'm still home and I check email to often, message boards, blogging is just so time consuming. Well, I'm going to have to back off. I'm going to do the blog and check email once a day and that's it. Do you know what that bill was for the phone for 4 weeks?? It was $530. No one can believe it, not Erken, Ainura, the landlords or my neighbor Gulnar, the one who insisted I wear slippers out in the hallway during the flood so I wouldn't get sick. So you won't be hearing from me much. I'm calling Dad and that's it.

The next post below this one is about my evening here in Kaz.

Serena Sunshine you just keep filling my heart with such love I never knew. You are everything to me my sweet and I'm am so grateful to you for all you have added to my life. I love you Serena with all of my heart and I feel honored to be your mother. I promise to take the best care of you and love you unconditionally, to be there for you always and to make you happy in your life. "I love you a lot a lot a lot." That's what Grandma used to say to me. Big Kisses Sweetness.