pics at the park and in yard

Everyone watch out, here comes Nick!

I grinned from ear to ear when sliding.

Papa was ready and waiting for my ballistic slides!

Me and mama watched dad mow.....
the sound was a little scary

I liked to watch but kept my distance from the loud mower (at the bottom of the yard).

Amigo wanted to join us for the photo op!

If only this was a real vacuum...... Ata Bob was thrilled to present Nick with his first Vacuum...Ata Bob and Ata Bill are known for their gifted vacuum abilities and don't you dare walk on their handy work!

This looked funnier in person since Papa and Ata Bob are 6'3 and 6'4. Little tyke tables can take the heat!

Pat's parents left today and it will be a little sad without all of our support personnel but we are thankful that we have lots of friends waiting in the wings to help us continue to get adjusted to our new family. Nick is amazing us with how fast he is picking up the language. Everyday brings new words and better pronunciation. Today, he tackled the word motorcycle and we knew what he was trying to say. He continues to get more adjusted to Amigo and will pet him quickly on the back when he walks by. Thankfully, Amigo's age gives him a very calm appearance which helps Nick be more at ease, I think.

We still have occasional battles when we don't understand what he wants or when he simply doesn't want to hear NO but nothing compared to our Kaz adventure and most likely very similar to any other 3 year old. He changes what he will eat about every other day so that continues to be a challenge especially for a dietitian mom who wants all the food groups.....not going to happen yet....some days it is all meat, some days all carbs....no veggies yet but does like bananas and has eaten an apple on occasion.

This next week will be interesting as I will be working from about 7 til 3 and Pat will go in to work for an evening shift. Very thankful that his faculty job allows some flexibility and that he only has one more class to teach before the semester is over.

Hope everyone has a good last week of April.... Karen, Pat, and Nick

Grandparents are so COOL!

My new stool from Alex, Will, and Ellie! I love bananas.

3 generations of Kitzmans!

Ata Bob walking Nick to the park.....How sweet it is!

I am not too sure about these bouncy things but I guess I will try them all.

The Packers beat the Cowboys.....first hat means first loyalty?

I am quite handsome with my new hat.

Nick prepared a feast for his Moose guests.....he quietly did this while we were all talking ...it was adorable!

I had a great time with my Grandparents. They are so cool and they do whatever I ask and smile alot!

Showing Grandma Ruth my great knowledge about colors.

Grandpa Bob is continuing where Grandpa Bill left off......

Grandpa (Ata) Bill had to leave today but we had a great time!

One last book with Grandma (Apa) Martha before she goes......

As you can see, Nick continues to blossom in his new home. We have gone many places and he has adjusted great. We have been thrilled at his comfort level with the grandparents and he is even warming up to our dog Amigo......this may not be such a good thing for Amigo....watch that tail!

He continues to sleep well and we did not see even one day of jet lag problems....praise the Lord!

We are continuing to get adjust to life as a family and daily find things that we have to make runs to Target and Wal-mart to buy......going from Baby mode to 3 year old mode left us a little unprepared in some areas but we are catching up. We figure clothes and food are really the only important things.....and maybe the potty seat for kids. :)

We are looking forward to the weekend with Pat's folks and then will attempt the both parents working without childcare for a week and a half schedule adjustment but we will make it work.....Pat just may have some late hours next week.

Have a good weekend everyone and enjoy the pics....we sure enjoy sharing them with you!

K-Pat and Nick

still more pics.

Here I am with my new haircut.....it makes me look sweeter although I am trying to sneak out the door at this point!

a good side view of the new look......I didn't let them get too close to my ears because I need them to hear all the new noises and new language!

Still going smoothly.......

I thought if I went out as secret agent Nick Nurik that mom wouldn't make me get a haircut....

Not so lucky, I guess.....it wasn't too bad although I had to sit in my fourth airplane in the last week.

At least this airplane had better movies and lollipops.

My favorite thing about America is all of the people that will sit and read to you.....Ata(grandpa) Bill is telling me about apples and cars!

We are doing great! Nick has adapted so well that we are wondering who this little boy is...... we have heard about the honeymoon period and then the battles but maybe we experienced all of that in Kaz. He has been sleeping great......taking Naps and going to bed without much struggle at all. He is eating lots of meat but not much else.....except fries and bananas. He enjoys putting on his new clothes everyday (some 3's but mostly 24 month/2T). He has new tennis shoes that he can run and jump in and we have stored the winter boots and tights (yeah!!!) Hopefully, these will be scrapbook items and forgotten wardrobe by next winter.

My mom and dad have been here an extra week to help and he is calling them Ata and Apa which is very cute. We have taken him out to Target, Wal-Mart, and the Mall and he has done well. We also took him to our work place today and everyone thought he was too cute! His new haircut makes him especially handsome!

I think that I am feeling back to normal although I seem to have less jet lag coming back mostly just because it feels so good to be home. We will try and keep some pictures coming during this first month as our families that are far get quicker access to our little Kaz cutie!

I found out that I will be working all next week so that I can resign from my job without penalty so figuring out a schedule will be challenging next week but I am so thankful for my job and their support that we will do anything to accommodate them. I would love to have more time to decide what I would do with my work situation but our delay in Kaz has put us in a position to just have to hold off until the end of the summer.

Just wanted to send some pics and tell everyone that all is still going well and we are having a great time with our little man. Love to all, K-Pat and Nick

God Answers the prayers of His people!

Our new wildcat lounging with cheerios and wearing his moose slippers.

Nick with cousin Zach ......flat Stanley has come full circle and is back in the hands of his creator and heading back to Texas.

Everyone outside for a cousin picture! Nick loved playing with his cousins and we are convinced that they helped his transition home.

Zach and Lyndsay loved reading to Nick and he thought it was so great to have all of the attention!

Nick's new bubble machine from his Cousins. So cool!

Our first breakfast at HOME....McDonald's pancakes and SPAM... how American ...convenience and processed food at its best.....God bless America!

My new moose pajamas....I can say moose and put my hands up on my head like antlers....of course, I would not do it for the pic.

Nick watching the last airplane that would take him to his new home.....I don't think he understood the significance of that plane to all of us.

Nick on his last flight to his house. He fell asleep before the plane took off and slept the whole way home.

This was taken by another adoptive family at the airport in Almaty as we began the journey. I was looking especially lovely considering we had not had hot water for 4 days.

Well, as my sweet husband said, we are HOME. The flights were hard but amazingly uneventful. We had one big meltdown in the Amsterdam airport but no problems at all on the planes. Nick is truly a traveller at heart. He did so well on the planes. We had a wonderful adoptive couple who helped us get on the first flight (there story was more stressful than ours....they were going to have to return to Kaz for the third time to get there little one) We had a nice father next to us on the long flight and he had to have been kicked and pushed by Nick's feet a million times while Nick slept but he always grinned and said he had been there and done that so no worries. Nick was always ready to get on the next plane. He would always ask me after every flight, Papa? and I would say, no, two more planes and then one more plane and then finally....let's go see Papa (at which time, he decided that he didn't want to leave the jetway....I guess he didn't believe me!) He finally gave in and walked with me to his new life and Papa's arms.


Our transition home has been unbelievably smooth. God has been so good to us in the last few days. He has not had many fits and I truly believe that my niece and nephew made him so happy that he forgot to have stress with another change. I know he senses our relief also. He has slept well with naps and bedtimes. The first night we were putting him to bed together and he would roll from side to side and hug Pat and then hug me. It was very touching and gave us that feeling that we had been needing for the last few weeks that it would all indeed be OK.

I can't express how good it felt to walk in our home. It still feels weird but sooooo good! I have to complain a minute and say that I only lost 15 pounds to Pat's 30 (men make me sick) but I feel really good and look forward to continuing our walks although I am glad we don't have the Almaty hills to deal with now. I have to laugh at my "woman" mindset because after all had gone to bed, my only concern was to try on clothes to see if my former tight spring clothes now fit.....they did and it feels great....sometimes toning up can be just as valuable as weight loss. I am positive that Pat was looking at me like I was crazy but I just had to see.....girls, you know how it is......

The last week without Pat was probably the hardest week of my life. I have never had so many moments of crying in my life.....I am not usually a boo-hoo-er but you would never had known that from last week. Every battle and every little change left me in tears. I felt so down but in those times, I would get these quick little assurances from God that I was not alone. He continually brought to mind conversations with friends, past truths learned, and even lyrics from 1970's youth choir songs that would get me through another hour. He would not let me wallow in my self pity for long. Nick was especially sweet when he saw me crying .....he would come over and pat my head and hug me....even after we had been battling for hours. All I can say is never stop renewing your mind with scripture because when you least expect it GOD will use it to carry you through your circumstances.

Thanks again for the multitude of prayers going on during that time. It surely saved my sanity and made me so thankful for the relationships that we have been given. Like I said before, we will try and keep everyone up to date for the first year in monthly blogs with pics and up-dates.

Thank you again to everyone and we are especially thankful to the Lord for sustaining us and giving us a wonderful homecoming and a wonderful son. God bless you all! Karen, Pat, and Nick

Airport Reunion

Nick is surveying his new family.


Karen Hugging her mom. Her dad Bill is the distinguished gentleman to the left in the checkered shirt.




Unknown to Karen at the very last minute her sister Kelly, brother-in-law BJ, Niece Lindsey, and Nephew Zach drove from Dallas just to see her come off of the plane...

This first meeting with Karen and Nick since I left them a week ago. Nick wanted me to pick him up, which warmed my heart like you would not believe.

Karen and Nick are home !!!!!!

At 10:40 pm last night(Friday) Karen and Nick stepped off of the plane and the first part of our adventure officially ended. Both Karen and Nick slept pretty well last night (nick is still asleep) considering the time changes. Thanks to everyone for their prayers for is sounds like the flights went well and sleeping did occur...Karen will blog later to fill you in. Consider this just the official notification that my precious cargo (wife and child) have made it safely home.

Pat

Karen and Nicholas are Coming Home in 2 Days

I just talked with Karen and she let me know that Nick's Doctor appointment went very well and that the visit with the American Embassy went well. So everything is complete and they can come home...and not a moment too soon. Karen has been without hot water for the last three days so she is very ready to leave Kaz. I would like to thank everyone for their support over the past few months and please pray for a safe, calm, and speedy journey home for Karen and Nick.

I like Ice Cream...Just like Mamma's grandpa (or so I am told)

The husband has landed

Well it is going on 27 hrs of being awake and I am gratefully back home. The Flights were a bit nerve racking. When I left Almaty I was told that I was going to be on standby on the connecting flight in Amsterdam and since they were overbooked most likely I would not make that flight (not to mention there was only 20 min between getting off my flight from Almaty to when I needed to be checked in). But God does have a way to work things out and as I checked with the desk I was told that I would be at the top of the waiting list and low and behold a seat became available. The only down side is I came off of a 6.5 hour flight right into an 8 hour flight. I did get caught up on my movies.

I must admit that within 30 min of leaving Almaty I was feeling very bad about leaving Karen and Nick but I know Karen is strong and can handle Nick. Plus by being rested and getting some of my work out of the way when she and the little man come home Karen can rest and I will take care of everything else.

Did I mention that it is so wonderful to be back in the USA and to see family (Karen's folks are in town).

I hope to check in with her tonight (provided I can stay awake) and will fill people in tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for their support and prayers. K-Pat and Nick

P.S. I lost 30 lbs on the Kaz diet plan. Needless to say the pants are a bit baggy.

Our last Flat Stanley picture in The Green room....boy, has he had an adventure!




Nick in his winter hat on a spring day at Mad Murphy's.






The restaurant....we sat in the on the patio just behihd the hanging sign.








Our first restaurant visit....outside and easy.











I guess this is my last blog for a bit unless I meet up with someone who can watch Nick while I type. Pat leaves in the morning to get a jump start on our lives back home. We aren't sure how he is getting to the airport yet but we have our family friends here that will call a taxi for us if needed. We hope to hear from our coordinator's helpers soon.





We visited the green bizarre today with Kirsten and Brad (the family that we spent easter with and who gave me the valuable contact solution at the beginning). We hate some native noodles from an ethnic group that is not Kazak or Russian.... I still can't pronounce it so I won't try to spell it either. The were good....what I was able to eat with the wild child.....again, why we haven't done the restaurant thing here.....he really has no concept of what to do in this situation....luckily, we have a few good restaurants in the states that have outdoor eating until he gets used to the environment. We picked up some really good raisins at the market and a fresh apple turnover. We probably should have gotten some more fruits but they are much pricier than the veggies..... We saw grapes that were almost $10.00 for a bunch.





It is very hot here....80 something and we were nearing naptime when we headed back to the apartment so of course a meltdown was eminent. He scratched and hit and got a good hold on Pat's hair and pulled the biggest chunk of hair out that I have ever seen short of Chemo patients. Of course, my first thought was malnutrition (although Nick has one heck of a grip) and then I was trying to figure out if it was Kwasiorkor or Marasmus.....one is protein malnutrition and the other is protein-calorie malnutrition....I think Pat probably has the latter but I still can't tell you after 15 years of being a dietitian which one is which. But, anyway, I was chuckling at myself because those words even popped in my head. I am sure any dietitian reading this is laughing too. Luckily, Nick fell asleep pretty quickly after we got him calmed down and I escaped to the net for the last time.





I am hoping to get to one more store before we leave here that has Kazak craft type stuff. I want a little kazak hat and vest for Nick and some Nesting dolls so hopefully I will find those in the next few days.





I want to thank everyone for reading our blog and keeping us going with your comments. Pat will keep everyone up-dated on the blog with regards to what is going on here and I hope to at least keep up the blog monthly for long distance friends and the adoption community at least for the first year so check up with us still and we will try to keep you informed of the continued kitzkaz(usa)venture.





Adoption is definitely an adventure any way you pursue it but I would still endorse it even after all of our struggles because when your child looks at you with a smile and a kiss and you know that he or she will now have a forever family, it makes it all worth it even in the bad times. God talks so much about taking care of the orphans in the bible and I do think it is a special pursuit that you feel God's pleasure more than anything I have ever done besides marry Pat. As miserable as I am right now, I know that God is going before us in every step and that He has ordained these steps for us to learn more of His Character and Love. This opportunity has once again showed us what an incredible support system we have. Our family has been incredible with the calls and emails and our friends have gone above and beyond to show us their support. (which is why we are struggling so much here) .....





We especially want to say with incredibly grateful hearts that we could not have done this without the great support from our employer and co-workers. Many of you took on extra stuff just so we could be here and we will never forget your efforts. 9 weeks and counting is an extraordinarily long time to be away and we thank God for the people we work with and for.





We also want to thank( does this sound like the Oscars, or what?) our house sitter Lauren (along with Carrie and Laurie) for keeping everything going on the homefront. I was assured countless times that our Dog and house were in tip top shape and this made us feel so relaxed and comfortable so that we didn't have to worry about that during our adventure.

Our adoption agency, Adoption Ark has been wonderful throughout the whole process and many of our delays and changes were just part of adoption in a foreign country. We always received encouraging emails and call from our coordinator and we thank them for guiding us thru the process .....even in the hard times.





We look forward to introducing Nick to all of you because we feel so blessed to have such great friends and family. God has purposed for him to come meet all of you and for that he is truly a lucky little one. When I see the picture of all the little combs and toothbrushes that I sent yesterday, I think of all the little ones that God still has a great purpose for in this life. Adoption is a great calling and I encourage everyone to consider it....all of those little combs belonged to a little head that God knows the number of hairs on and these little ones need parents........it is a hard journey but a rewarding one. We don't know what the future holds but as the song says, we know who holds the future in His hands. Thanks again for going on this journey with us and we will continue the journey with God leading us and our family and friends by our side.





We love you guys and can't wait to get home to you all. Much love from Pat, Karen, and Nick

More little dwarf sinks and tub. We think they just stood them in tub and washed them down because he did not seem to know about the whole playing and sitting in the water thing. Now he does.....of course our new apartment only has a shower so he sits in a little green plastic wash basin but dad and I enjoy the shower!


This was there little cubbies with their towels. It was like being in the house of the seven dwarfs...everything was on their level.




This was in the orphanage. Nick always points to the white comb area so I would assume his comb was somewhere around there. I love all the little tooth brushes lined up.








Nick loves this camel statue thing. Unfortunately, he wouldn't turn around for the pic!


Not much new to write today. Pat is definitely leaving out Sunday morning but still no word on anything here. We haven't seen the doctor or progressed on any paperwork that we know of...but then we can't get any communication going since our coordinator is out of country. He is in Tennessee (escorting a child) .....wish he could have escorted us home.

We ventured out to the restaurant everyone had told us about on blogs. Mad Murphy's Irish Pub. Pat is famous for finding an Irish Pub anywhere in the world and now even in Kaz, he found one. The food was OK but better than anything we had had in a long time especially the fries and pancake (Nicks meal). The hamburgers had a weird taste to me but then I am picky about meat anyway as everyone knows. We met two more Americans along the way....it is easy to hear the English language when you haven't heard it for a while. They told us where the mysterious (to us) cafe Delia was and that Americans meet on Sundays there so I will try to go with Nick and get some conversation time.

We wanted to go to the Lebanese restaurant but it was a white napkin type and we are wearing less than white napkin clothes and have a 3 year old so I guess it is grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly till we get home.....oh, yummy! Nick is not eating as well and won't try anything new so I am anxious to get home before he starts to lose weight. We found these chicken dumpling things that he will eat but he isn't even eating potatoes much anymore so we are running out of options.

He has been falling asleep a bit better the last few naps and bedtime but then I worry that he has a head injury from all his falls and maybe he is lethargic....so then I don't sleep... I guess this is the life of a mom, huh! ;) We still have random battles over the most obscure things but I think over all that we are improving on the hitting and biting front.....now, if we could just keep him from destroying and throwing things.

It is getting rather hot here and we did not bring clothes for this weather. Pat of course has short sleeves as he wears them year round but I am wearing the same two UK t-shirts over and over. I think Pat is going to leave me some of his T-shirts so I can have some alternates. Poor Nick has mostly winter stuff too. It was so cold still when we left there that I was hoping he would be fine but it is about 15 degrees warmer here and will be above 70 today. I refuse to pay their high prices around here for him some clothes ($90 for a summer hat)...he is still wearing the winter shirts (long sleeve polos) but no coat although we are breaking the Kazak rule and letting him go without a hat and I am trying to get him not to wear his tights under his pants but I guess old habits are hard to break even with 3 year olds....we don't really try to fit in anymore....they stare anyway so we just wear what we want. Where is a good Wal-Mart when you need it?!

We want to wish Pat's sister Tracey a big happy birthday tomorrow......I am pretty sure she is my age so it is a big one this year but I will protect her privacy in such a pubic venue! ha!
My parent's are coming to visit us when we get home and then Pat's parents are coming shortly after....we are very excited to see them and thank them for having very expensive phone bills for our sake. They have kept us going by phone more times than they know....it is kind of sad to be our age and sitting on the couch waiting on your parents to call and being so excited when they do!

Well, hope you enjoy the belated orphanage pics. We have a few more to share next time and then maybe some photos of the Irish Pub. Nick's first restaurant would be an Irish Pub....Pat's Mom's side of the family will be so proud! He did great though and we had nice seating outside...there was even a playground but he was content to sit and watch the world go by......

Have a great Friday everyone......Love, K-Pat and Nick

The adventure continues and continues and continues, ad nauseum.

Nick looking at his favorite book that Pat and I know backwards and forwards now....can't wait to get home to a new supply!


Nick finding an easter egg!




Nick wanted to participate in the egg race.....pretty good huh!



I finally figured out that the computer that I sat at didn't allow blogger so I should be able to get on regularly! ha! Luckily, Pat was using a different computer and was always able to get on.....

Thanks Kristina for the Word.....although, I almost did the ugly Opray cry while reading it in the internet cafe but was able to compose myself quickly. Isn't there a verse somewhere about a good Word being good for the soul....well, it definitely helped.

We haven't heard much additional news today. I will check emails from our travel agent to see what he is going to do about our flights. I would like to wait and change them at the last minute but I don't know if they allow it. Since we don't know about our doctor visit yet, as much as I know God can do a miracle, I am not sure it is His will this time. Our Coordinator is also out of town so it is harder to communicate with his other workers.

As hard as it is for Pat to leave us, it will be such a relief for me that someone is headed home. It at least means that we will escape this place someday. It makes me happy to know Pat can go home and get a headstart on Nick-proofing the house. We have to remove anything that he can hurl, pull down or thrash so that when he continues to adjust, he will have a safe environment.

He has hit his poor little head so many times that I think I will ask for a skull xray to make sure he doesn't have any cracks. I know he has to have headaches all of the time but these kids don't show pain so it is hard to tell if his fits are related to pain or anger or both.....

He continues to crack us up with all of his new words and sounds. He does make a wildcat sound and unfortunately we have a little crocodile so we have taught him the Florida sign for the sound...I know, I know...so bad. We have a badger picture and we keep trying to get him to say go Wisconsin or beat Michigan but no luck yet. He is trying to say I love you which sounds like I laa waa....but he does it with such emphasis, you know what he is saying...heartwarming for sure!

I hope my nanny skills kick in for the flight home or actually I just hope other people are patient! We miss our Zhez people. Very honest and helpful even if they don't smile. We are experiencing big city rudeness and when we are a little sad anyway, it is enough to put you to tears in the grocery line...almost. They have an issue with correct change at the store closest to us and we can't figure it out.....they huff and puff and roll their eyes....it's enough to make me want to cuss and you know that is extreme. They also like to get a little extra money at the internet cafe by rounding up. We never had that problem in Zhez. And, mostly we miss Masha. She was so helpful and funny. We pretty much are on our own here as we have not been able to connect with the people we thought we would. Hopefully, we can finally get a hold of some for the weekend. We would like to see a few more things so we can buy some souvenirs but have no way of knowing where these places are. Oleg will be back Tuesday but I hope we can get some stuff done before then.

I hope the BUNCO girls have a great time Friday. I miss you guys tons and have appreciated all of your comments and support. It is so meaningful especially right now. I will probably not blog once Pat leaves but will have him catch everyone up from the homefront on the site. We will have more pics of Almaty soon. We would love to take some of their big government buildings but you are not allowed. We tried a mountain shot yesterday so we will see how that one looks soon.

Everyone have a great rest of the week and we will keep you updated as much as soon as we know something. Love to all of you! K-Pat and Nick