Just Checking In... Blogging comes with its own set of challenges. Sometimes you've got a story, but your camera's nowhere in sight with which to document it. Occasionally you've got pictures, but no real story. And, if the regular visitors to this blog don't see some sort of update, they worry that something is wrong, or that I've gotten lazy or complacent.

Nothing incredibly monumental has happened since my last posting. In anticipation of a heavy spring social calendar beginning with an adoption welcoming party for a fellow Yekaterinburger (I'm not sure if this is the right term, but in case you're planning on opening a Russian fast-food restaurant, I've got dibs on the name), Zoe made her first visit to Mom's hair maven, Deedee, and got a complimentary once-over. Tomorrow morning, we get evaluated by the county for speech services.

We're in major spring cleaning mode. And nearly six months after returning home, we're still playing catch-up with any number of tasks on our to-do lists.

On my list: digitize the hardcopy package of photos of Zoe we received from the orphanage, documenting her stay there. Zoe arrived at Yekaterinburg Baby Home #2 in February 2004, after having spent her first 15 months in the hospital. Healthy as a horse, but there isn't always room at the orphanages and there was nowhere else for her to go.

I finally completed the massive scanning chore and there's now one item crossed off my list. And with that, here's the earliest photo we'll likely ever have. From March 2004: 16 months old, and six months before meeting. Zoe's baby picture.  ¶ 10:48 PM