"Test Flight"... and the race to Houston!

Cutest flyer EVER!

Last week we were grateful to have a fun experience with our sweet boy to help prepare him for our upcoming journeys.  We took Mikhail on a short plane ride to Houston to "practice" what he will be doing so much of soon and to (hopefully) make this part of the journey something he looked forward to rather than fretted.  Have I mentioned we've learned it will now be THREE trips to bring Ana home instead of the two trips we took for Mikhail's adoption? Yep, lots and lots of frequent flyer miles will be racked up this year by the Fortner fam. :)

Froggy offers consolation during the bumpy parts

So, thanks to Southwest and their super cheap tickets to Houston, Mikhail and I were dropped off at the airport and than Ken immediately left to continue his journey driving while we flew.  Mikhail LOVED the idea of a race with Papa, and I think Ken felt a bit like he was in a "Top Gear" episode, so he was pretty in to it, too.Do I have the two cutest guys ever, or what???  Practically, this saved us money not having to fly back and it was one less ticket to purchase for the trip there.  At the airport, Mikhail was actually comforted by the security measures ("kind helpers" everywhere!), and he was in AWE watching the planes arrive at the gates while we waited for our flight.  It was truly one of those sweet forever memories watching him fly his little toy plane around as he watched the big planes outside land and take off.  Very cool, very little boy. :)  Boarding was a bit crowded and chaotic but some very sweet people basically said "stand here!" and let us cut in line so we were able to get situated before the plane got too crowded and of course find a window seat for our little flyer.  Things were going well... until the plane started to move.  As we began to back out of our gate, Mikhail looked up at me with pale face and big eyes and just kinda' got really still.  Not good!  Very familiar! Thankfully, some stiff pats on the back and firm reminders of Who really flew the airplanes brought him back within just a minute or two, and he was my happy, albeit nervous, little boy once more.  We've come so far!!!!!  Praise God!  The rest of the flight he was amazed by the beautiful clouds we flew through and giggled loud enough for the entire plane to hear.  We couldn't have asked for better weather or a more beautiful display of God's handiwork.  Once we began our decent (a whole 15 minutes later!), he was glued to the window, getting a bird's eye view of the highways and big trucks he loves so much.  He thought he saw Papa driving down there coming to get us. ;)  The landing was a bit rough, and later was described as his "most not favorite part," but all in all, the test flight was a success!  Once the plane came to a full stop, Mikhail shouted to all who were aboard "I did it!  I did it!"  Yes, you did, little man.  He now has a recent, positive experience to refer to when it is time for us to take all those much longer 14 hour+ flights to Russia.  The icing on the cake was the flight attendant who invited us in to see the pilot, a kind, warm man who let Mikhail sit in the seat next to him and push the throttle!  What a great way to end our little adventure!

Ken admits he was a bit jealous of this part ;)

Oh, and the race?  A perfect tie!  I texted Ken when we arrived at the baggage claim area right as he was pulling into the parking garage.  So, next time you need to get from Austin to Houston in a hurry, save yourself a few pennies and drive, knowing for sure you aren't losing any time!

Six Years Ago Today...

Birch tree forests from the train to Kirov

Six years ago today, Ken and I had made the adventure of a lifetime to a country we had never been to, to meet a child we had never seen, who would soon bear the name "Fortner" and become our forever child.  Many adoptive parents celebrate "Gotcha Day," the anniversary of their child's adoption.  Well, we celebrate three special times with our boy: April 4th (the day we first met him), June 9th (the day the courts said he was ours), and June 16th (the day we arrived on American soil and he officially became a US citizen).  Yesterday was our Metcha' Day... well worth a trip down memory lane!

We arrived in the Russian city of Kirov on the morning of April 4th after taking an overnight train ride from Moscow. As soon as we stepped off the train, it was clear we were in a hurry.  Our guides gave us 15 minutes to go to our hotel, set our bags down and change clothes quickly.

I was so nauseous!  About to meet my BABY?!?!?!  How in the world do you prepare yourself to meet your baby?!  No, don''t put mascara on, what are you thinking???  It will be all down your cheeks within 2 minutes!  After an hour long car ride bumpy enough to make my already unhappy tummy much worse, we pulled up to this little yellow building with the iron gate that I will never forget.  This is a mental picture that is forever imprinted on my brain.  All around were dirty drifts of snow from the nearby piles of coal used to warm the place which held roughly 400 babies under the age of 4.  One of those babies I had been staring at longingly in the three little pictures we had received just a few days earlier.  Love at first sight?  You bet!!!

In Russian style, we sat down to tea.  Tea?  I know, need to be a gracious guest, despite the fact that I WANT TO SEE MY BABY!!!  OK, tea was nice, and the beautiful lace tablecloth was so stereotypical Russian that it made me smile and settle in to the culture.  The warm smiles we received were unexpected and different from the people we saw on the streets.  They genuinely seemed glad we were there.  Meeting the Orphanage Director was truly one of the delights of this trip, something that really put my heart at ease a bit.  Dr. Oleg had a smile that transcended his inability to communicate with us through the language barrier.  Can you imagine doing his job?  I've never really thought much about the idea of "angels unaware" until I met him.  Soon, the door opened and heads turned... and there he was, the man of the hour:  my terrified, big eyed Andrushca.

If you've watched our Announcement video (there's a tab at the top of the page), you've seen this seen.  Ken was encouraged to sit down on the ground so he wouldn't appear so big and intimidating to the little guy who had probably met few other men besides Dr. Oleg.  So, Ken was on the floor with the video camera, and Mikhail's eyes were glued to him.  "What is THAT?  A huge guy with a big black box next to his eye?  And both of these weird-o's talk funny and smell funny and why are they crying?  Get me out of here!!!"  All of this came out in big crocodile tears, endless sniffles and a pouty lip that instantly melted my heart.  Eventually, the nanny convinced him to come past the "giant Papa" and, with a little help from a cookie, I touched my boy for the very first time, scooping him up into my lap and trying to keep my heart in my chest.  That first day was rough, to say the least.  For all three of us.  So much emotion swirling around!  It was a bit much for our Andrushca... he decided a nap would be a nice way to escape for a bit.  I don't blame him.

The next day, the 5th, we were allowed to return for another visit with him before we had to leave for America again.  Boy, was there ever a change in the mood!  We played and played and played with our sweet boy!  I kissed his cheeks!  I fed him cereal!  Papa rolled cars with him!  We tickled his belly and he laughed and laughed and laughed!  We saw funny faces he made and watched him yawn and get sleepy before his nap time.  He left the room for lunch and when they brought him back, he smelled like vegetable soup. :)  Like baby and vegetable soup... just wonderful.

As we drove away from Kotelnich Baby Home, Dr. Oleg stood at the door waving and smiling his gentle smile.  I sobbed so hard in the car that our guide suggested we stop and take a few pictures of the beautiful Russian countryside and frozen Vyatka River to try and cheer me up.  Sweet thought, but didn't work.  Preparing yourself to meet your baby is tough.  Preparing yourself to leave your baby is torturous.  All I can say is that God's grace is sufficient, even for this.

And soon?  We will do it all again.  This time, a little girl... who smells like baby and soup?  Sounds great to me.

We love you, sweet Andrushca Mikhail.