Some Like It Hot

Today is St. Patrick’s Day – but for all the holidays the Kazakhs celebrate, this is not one of them!! Happy St. Patty’s Day to all you Irish folks out there – go out and celebrate your heritage! I will miss having Corned Beef and Cabbage tonight for dinner…

We tried to go buy baby food this morning with Masha before the visit to Maia. It is a store that sells just baby food and it’s called My Baby. The sign says it opens at 10:00 and it was a little after 11:00 but no one was there. We went and ran one other errand and returned, and still at 11:30, still no one there. LOL. We find it funny that a store is closed when they say it will be open. If this ever happens in the U.S. there is a sign saying why and when (exactly) they’ll be back. Here, nothing. No sign, no reason. We just find that amusing but it is no big deal. We’ll try again tomorrow and we can always get baby food at the Iceberg as well if necessary. We decided to do our errand to the Iceberg instead and got what we needed for a few days before Maia arrives. Specially – two jugs of water that we’d just as soon not have to walk home with, IF we can help it. So today we were lucky to have the car and the ability to stop, so we took advantage of that! Then – on to the baby house!

Today was a Maia day! When we got there, it looked like she had a tear or two on her cheek, but she seemed quite happy. So, I asked if she had been crying and indeed she had. They had put her down for a nap (supposed to be from 10-12) but she just was in her crib crying, they said for over an hour. Finally they got her out and she was in the play pen area when we arrived. Apparently, she wasn’t the only cranky baby there today. From what I could tell, Maia was only a little cranky, but did seem a little tired. It took a little more to entertain her today or to distract her, but it wasn’t impossible. For the most part, she remained happy. She liked to be held a lot today, which was nice for Mommy! After we got there though, a few of the children were wailing – a first for me to hear. Usually it is quite quiet in that room!

She ate some of her lunch and then we went and played. It was a good bit cooler in the play room today since it has so many large windows and it is FREEZING here now (more on the weather later.) So, we did our best to keep her off the tile floor for two reasons. It is filthy, for one. Secondly, it was cooler. She stayed warm the whole time though, so that was good. Her cheeks and hands were toasty. She has been wearing the shoes we bought her each day, and today we brought the coat and snow pants to try on. The coat has a zip out fleece vest, so I zipped it out and let her wear that while we were there. It was cool enough in the room and she liked it! When we left today, I had to put her in the play pen area and she cried… I’ve figured out she cries when I don’t pass her off to a caregiver. (And once or twice she cried when I handed her back to them too… but not usually.) I went back across the room and gave her a hug and kiss and she calmed down a bit – it breaks my heart. Today is DEFINITELY one of my ‘hard’ days. I can tell I am ready for this phase to be over and I know it’s coming. I know Thursday will be here before I know it, but man, the next two days are going to be L.O.N.G. I don’t want to leave her anymore. I don’t want to be there anymore. I want her with me – so today is hard. I know, in the same breath though, walking out of the baby house, no matter how great, will also be hard. It’s where I met her, it’s where I’ve played with her for 5 weeks – and as much as I can’t wait for the next step – I’ll be a little sad that that part is over. A little.

As for the weather, did we say it wasn’t cold? Did we say things were melting and we didn’t need our heavy clothes? Did we pack a full suitcase each on Sunday of all the clothes that we haven’t worn since we’ve been here because we thought we’d be cold? On Sunday, did we head out to meet friends for late lunch/early dinner and FREEZE? Were we warned by Masha that it was -15 degrees C in the morning. It had warmed up to -11 degrees C by the time we were walking in it… That’s a toasty 5 degrees F and then there was the wind. We got to the Restaurant OK, but coming home about 6:30 p.m. was brutal. The wind had picked up and by the time we got home (about a 15 minute walk) my legs were numb. In fact, they were stinging they were so cold where my coat ended and my boots had yet to begin. They were pink as if they were sunburned and STUNG – this lasted once we were inside for a good 15 minutes. The amusing part was we had packed all our heaviest sweaters and socks. I had to get some out last night to get the chill ‘off’.

Walking the streets to the restaurant I’m sure I was a sight! I was wearing my hat and scarf (the new ones I bought here!) but it was so cold, I had the hood up on my coat, and had my scarf tied around the hood at my neck to keep it up and add another layer. My contacts still froze in my eyes and my chin/cheeks were cold, but the legs were the worst. Spring??? I think not!! I don't know what the wind chill was, but it was the coldest I have ever been! Ever!

Today, we went to run our errands, etc. and if you can believe it, it was even colder!This may have been due to the wind and the fact it was snowing. So, the wind blew the snow in your face and when you opened the car door, for example, a dusting of snow entered the car no matter how fast you tried to be. Now, this is what I expected the whole time, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised, but let me just say… I do NOT like cold weather and I am READY for spring… No, make that summer!

Speaking of liking it hot – check out the pepper shaker Mom filled yesterday – a little

too much… LOL.

Now, in case anyone is keeping track… Tomorrow makes six weeks since we left home. We should be home in two weeks, give or take a day or two. We get Maia in 61 hours or so. No Poltergeists have messed with any lights recently.

Note** I know some of you - Jen specifically - are having worse weather this winter in MN than we are here in Petro. I'm sorry to complain when I think you're even colder there now than I am here - but I'm going to whine anyway. This is not weather I am made for... in THESE conditions, if I had to leave my house, I would freeze. It's just too cold and windy.