It's a boy!!

Introducing our son Maximilian Michael Louis!!

He is 18 months old and his given name is Michael (which is pronounced like Mick-isle which is the Russian pronunciation) Fyedorovich (which is a form of Theodore) and then his last name. His nickname in the orphanage is Misha which is the traditional Russian nickname for Michael. He was born in Aqtobe, Kazakhstan but is of Russian descent. He is small for his age, but the doctor at the orphanage has assured us that he is very healthy. Here are some more fun pictures and we'll describe the meeting below.











On Wednesday, we were taken to meet an official from the Ministry of Education (who run the orphanages) for a brief meeting. We were asked our names and our occupations and then we left with her to go to the baby home. At the baby home, we met even more briefly with the Orphanage Director who asked where we were from and then requested our passports. We then were asked to step out into the hallway while they had a short discussion. When the door opened he said "Good Luck!" in Russian and we left for the other baby home for the younger children.





At this orphanage, we met with the head doctor, a very nice woman, who told us that there were not many children available and all that they had were boys. Our only request was for a child as healthy and as young as possible. We sat there for an eternity of 10 minutes waiting for him to be presented to us. A caregiver entered and handed Misha over to us. We played with him for a few minutes and he wasn't too interested in the toys we brought. However, he did interact with us and had good eye-contact. Eventually, we even got him to laugh and smile. While this was going on, the doctor was giving us what little history they have of him and his current medical status. She offered to show us two other boys, but that they were not as healthy as Misha. We declined to meet with them and asked to begin the bonding period with Misha. The doctor was pleased with our decision.





In Kazakhstan, adoptive parents travel without knowing anything about the children available. They choose a child when they arrive. Since we had such an immediate reaction to Misha, we did not want to put ourselves in a position to say no to any child. Once a child is chosen, the bonding period begins and lasts for 15 days. Sadly, we will only be able to visit once per day instead of the previous policy of twice-a-day visits. Apparently, they are concerned about spreading diseases with so many people coming and going. So we will be seeing Misha once a day from 4-6pm.





Today, our visit #1 started a little late at around 4:20. We played with him in the bonding room until about 5:40 when the nurse returned with his dinner, porridge and tea. She asked if we would like to feed him. Of course, we would. However, he did not need our help at all. At 18 months old, this kid is already feeding himself with spoon and drinking from a teacup. I tell ya, this kid's a genius!

We would like to thank everyone that has checked out this blog and especially those that left comments (keep 'em coming!). All of the prayers and support have helped more than you will ever know. We may even have some video in a little while. Stay tuned!