Two weeks to the day.

Today marks two weeks that I've been home with my baby daughter. Somehow, Vladivostok seems years away. While she was napping today, I was reading through the journal I was writing almost constantly while I was there. I thought I'd share one entry, verbatim, just for grins:

Monday, April 11
7:00pm

I'm down in the weird restaurant. I'm going to learn to detest this place, I can already tell. I've ordered a Greek Salad and an "American Hamburger with Chicken" for myself. Oh God. I'm taking a Chef's Salad to mom in the room. Tonight's muzak selection is famous movie themes/show tune played on the pan flute. At least that's what it sounds like (right now, it's "Midnight" from Cats...endless remix version, apparently). It's almost as nauseating as he food and the atmosphere. Around me, I have three tables filled with low-talking Russian men. Romantic? No. Creepy as hell? Why, yes!
Today I walked down to the baby store with Bob and Lynn to show them where it was. They still didn't have any "Bona" formula for Geej. She's got at least three days worth of formula left, so as long as they get some by Wednesday, I'll be happy. On the way back from the store, I stopped and bought two large jugs of water. The same jugs/amounts I bought on Sunday that cost 62 rbl. cost 54 rbl. today. Go figure. And now they have BOTH entrances to the hotel completely dug up and impassable (is that a word?). The one I had to go through to get to/from the market requires that you go down this very steep, muddy hill. So goes it in a society that doesn't litigate like mad.
The theme from Love Story is now playing on the harpsichord, by the way. And I just got my "Greek" salad. Are there normally apples in a Greek salad?
Anyway, back to today: When I got back from my little jaunt to the market, we decided to put The Geej in a Snugglie and take her for a stroll around the lobby, etc. just for a change of scenery. I was a little warm (b/c the hotel is just too damn hot) and winded (carrying big-ass 5 gallon containers of water up a very steep, muddy hill), and started to feel a little lightheaded. We had just gotten downstairs, and I had to hand Geej off to Mom and go back upstairs. I was feeling too weak and weird to hold her. Very scary. I think it was the combination of shitty diet (practically no veggies and very little protein) and the fact that I've been having a heavy period for 8 days now. I've been taking a daily multivitamin, but I just feel like something's not quite right.
My "American Chicken Burger" has arrived, and I gotta say, I'm not hating it. I probably will be in a few hours, though. [I was. --Karla May] What IS grossing me out is the very rare looking bacon (I think) that they've served on the side, swimming in grease. Ugh.
The Geej has had a very good day. Aside from the bathtime meltdown, she has fussed very little and been sweet/playful/funny very much. She really is a lovely child. And she's taking her formula with vitamins in it very well, which makes me happy.
Today I was in the bathroom, and I heard Mom playing with her, being so cute. It suddenly hit me how incredibly lucky Mom/Geej and I are to have this intense bonding experience together. They are clearly falling in love, and it reminds me again how blessed I am.
If only Daddy, Roy and Grandma could hold this darling child. I have no doubts that they see her from heaven, but I'm sure their arms long to hold her and get her sugar.
I just realized that the empty shelves above the bar in this restaurant have recently been filled with half-full bottles of random liquor--Campari (which I guess is big here b/c it's on every menu and in the mini bar), Jack Daniels, Vermouth. It's a paltry, pitiful offering, but at least the shelves aren't empty any more.

Recent things I've learned.

I'm back from 3 1/2 weeks in Vladivostok, Russia. I've got my BEAUTIFUL enchanting, amazing daughter, The Geej with me. Finally. I'm in full-on single mother mode now. It's a whole new world, folks. If nothing else, I've learned SO much in the past month. Let me now share some tidbits:

1. "Fashion" in Russia = 1989 Bon Jovi concert in Trenton, New Jersey.
2. More rare than an albino tiger? A Russian who smiles for the hell of it.
3. Pickles apparently CAN be served with spaghetti.
4. Apparently if there was a murder committed on a matress, it's okay to keep using it in a hotel.
5. Cat toys make great baby toys and vice versa.
6. There is no limit to the grossness and variety of baby poo.
7. Getting a 9-mo. old to laugh at you is a soul-stirring experience.
8. "Salad" in Russia means any available vegetables sliced up and topped with about a cup-and-a-half of mayonnaise.
9. Babies like cats. Cats don't like babies.
10. Being a mom is a wonderful, frustrating, magical, exhausting, rewarding, mysterious, scary adventure.

I'll write as I have time. There is much to tell. However, since I am barely finding time to take a shower, it's probably going to be sporadic.

Coming at you, through the fog.

That's what I feel like--surrounded by fog. The jet lag really hit today. I am struggling to stay awake until at least 10:30pm in hopes that I'll sleep like a rock (which I did NOT last night). There's so much to write. I have so much to put down about my time in Vladivostok, about meeting my baby girl, about giving her her name, about the people, the snow, and about the totally fucked up phenomenon that is Russian television. Oh, there is much to tell my friends. And as I have no plans for Christmas--zero, zilch, nada--I am hoping to emerge from my haze and spend a lot of time in the coming days writing. So check back soon, and you'll learn a lot about why you might want to mark Vladivostok in December off your list of potential vacation spots.