Our court proceeding went very well today. Both the judge and the prosecutor were firm, but fair in their questions. Paul addressed the court when we were asked why we wanted to adopt Sasha and Misha, why Russia, what about the financial crisis and what would we do if we changed our minds. Paul spoke and answered questions for about an hour. He did very well and spoke from his heart. When my turn for questions came they were more about taking care of the children and our family. Our translator was amazing and was able to listen in Russian and translate in English at the same time. We started at 10:15 and were finished with the q&a by noon. The judge then left the court room to go to her chambers to determine her decision on our case. At 12:30 she returned and read a report that summarized the proceedings and at 12:48 our case was approved and we became parents to Sasha and Misha!
After court we celebrated by going to lunch at a very nice restaurant called The Pheasant. Then we visited our boys for about two hours. We started teaching the boys their first names, since Sasha and Misha are their nicknames. It was so cute, because when we asked who is Michael, little Misha would say "I am Michael" very emphatically. And Sasha would say "I am Alex" when we asked who that was. This will help us once the boys go to pre-school and summer camp, but they will always be Sasha and Misha at home and in our hearts.
Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. Glad to hear your court appearance was short and sweet. I didn't have the female judge, I had the male one and also the male prosecutor; mine lasted much longer and I was grilled for several hours. It's so nice to have that behind you and concentrate on being Michael and Alex's parents. Enjoy your time with your boys and as a family of four!
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