After sending out my emergency plea for help to my online friends and to my up-line Friend, Dima called me! So everything is taken care of with the driver (I could just envision myself stumbling out to his car at 4:30 am just to tell him neither he nor I needed to be up yet)
So many cool things happened today--I just know God heard the prayers of everyone. I am humbled and so majorly excited.
The first stop was at the American embassy to drop off paperwork. It's interesting because Dima walked me as far as the security shack and reached inside the door to place the paperwork on the desk but that was as far as he could go. Dima's very nice and pretty wife was with us (because Dima had to leave around noon to go to Odessa and she was going to help with paperwork if it became necessary) so I just left Caleb in the car. I made the beeper go off again--this time because I had a bunch of change in my pockets. At least this time I knew where I was going so it wasn't so frightening. I was seated in a chair in the waiting area of Room 14 at the end of the hall at 8:25 and at 8:30 was waited on. I was the only one sitting beside that particular window though the other window had some business. I handed the nice young man a bunch of paperwork, he looked through the stack, had me sign 2 or 3 more places, noticed that Kevin and I had already signed a couple spots, had a brief questionnaire about the adoption process, sent me down the hall to pay for the visa, accepted the receipt when I returned a few minutes later. I told him I had heard that sometimes they can issue the visa the same day and that my flight is tomorrow morning. He said that is not the normal procedure but they sometimes do it in case of emergency and they would do their best. That is all I can ask for.
I headed back up the hill to the waiting car and we scurried off to the building where the medical exams are conducted. There's a long hall with low seats on one side and door after door on the other side with various doctor's names written on each one. The area was crowded. Dima hurried to get a place in line. After several minutes it finally occurred to me that I was hearing English. Come to find out, quite a few people in there were Americans who were in the same adoption boat. Finally, it was our turn to enter one of the rooms. And when it's your turn, you'd best be trotting fast into that room. I think all we did in that office was height and weight. I sure hope they wrote these vital measurements down somewhere. For some reason, when I'm nerved up my mind really does not compute well. Then back to the seats. After some while it was our turn to pounce into another room. This lady doctor performed the actual physical exam, told me how children with Down Syndrome are very, very, very, very limited mentally but are very nice, that Down Syndrome is a family disease, etc., etc. I know she just felt like she was doing her duty and she wasn't being purposefully mean--I just think she was relying on outdated information. I tried to memorize her name so I could send her a picture when Caleb graduates from high school or something. (But in my emotional state I wasn't able to retain it) Dima had warned me earlier that if the dr. requested blood work that would delay things several hours so we both did kind of a quiet thumbs-up when she said she didn't feel it necessary to repeat HIV, syph, etc since they'd already tested negative nor do a chest xray since he had no history of TB nor have a psych eval because the diagnosis of Down syndrome was already known. She seemed to feel better when I told her I already had a son with autism that was talking, reading, etc. Back to the magic seats to wait for a sealed packet of information. I wished the doc could have seen Caleb even out there playing with the finger puppets, mimicking the game I was playing, laughing and being silly, etc. because in front of the dr. he was absolutely dead silent.
Had lunch at our apartment and was then picked up by our main driver (his name is something like Svla, by the way) for our embassy appointment. This time both Caleb and I entered the sacred precincts. I took my notorious 50 pound notebook being absolutely positve that I had finally come to the spot in our adoption journey when someone would give a rip what was in it. I was mistaken--they didn't ask for tax forms, or pay stubs or deed to the house or any proof of residency or divorce decrees or birth certificates--not even for my original I171H. Nada. Unbelievable. I just handed them the sealed envelope I'd received after the medical exam. I visited quite a bit with a very nice couple from Minnesota with their adopted daughter while we both waited for visas. They even have another waiting area there at embassy with lots of toys and books and a table/chair set, etc. I was so excited when they were called to the window and given their daughter's visa that I almost cried. And ours couldn't have been more than 10 minutes behind. SO at about 4 pm our adoption process was complete. What an absolute WOW!
As we were driving across town I was actually feeling quite nostalgic--seeing buildings I now recognized, several of which I could call by name, for the last time.
As soon as I got in the apt I emailed Kevin that we were good to go so he could get our airline tickets finalized and then headed out on a little excursion to exchange grievna into dollars. Got back in and Kevin had already made the new arrangements (adding Caleb to my flight was actually more expensive than booking us both on a new flight) and I am all but sure it's the same flight my new friends are on. I know it's the same airline, and that the first 2 stops are the same!
Lin, if you are reading this, I tried and tried to call you tonight. I feel so, so, so bad that you lugged that stroller half way across the planet for nothing. There must definitely be somebody who needs it worse than I. I hope you had a good flight, that you are getting a well-earned rest right now, and that you have a smooth, successful adoption process. May God reward your beyond-the-call-of-duty efforts on my behalf and give you the desires of your heart.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Praise the Lord, again
Just a quick post to say, YES, we got the visa and we're flying out tomorrow at 11:55! Talk about exciting!
I need to reach Dima with the change in flight time but he's not home and I keep getting a recording when dialing the mobile number. Otherwise my poor driver will be here at 4:30 am! HELP!
I need to reach Dima with the change in flight time but he's not home and I keep getting a recording when dialing the mobile number. Otherwise my poor driver will be here at 4:30 am! HELP!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Almost Done--And a Sunday Sermon!
Pictures: beautiful church not too far from our apartment; our trusty elevator to our 9th floor apt; our clothes dryer
Well as usual it is nearly 1 am here and I am on the computer. I guess my night-owl habits didn't change just cuz I came to Ukraine :) I've been falling asleep around 8 or 8:30 when I'm getting Caleb to sleep and then waking up around 10 or 11 or midnight to come work on the computer for a few hours.
We are to meet our driver at 8 am sharp for our last day of paperwork (!!!!) so I need to be up at 6 and back to the embassy we will go. And I'm taking my 50-pound notebook along because I really do think someone there is supposed to want to look at old tax returns or something. It is exciting to finally be at this place in the adoption process.
Today the weather here was absolutely gorgeous--so springlike and sunny that it just pulled me outside. It was great to just wear a T-shirt, pants and coat without twenty-five other layers underneath. First, Caleb and I went over to the market and got water, Cola Light and napkins and brought them back to the apartment. Then we headed the other direction in search of a pharmacy that sells babyfood. No fast-walking today just a nice Sunday stroll and no attempt to hide my being an American--I was chatting to Caleb most of the way. I had to just giggle when we passed what must have been a pet store and he saw this big picture of about 5 or 6 kittens-- he was going on and on and on, jabbering excitedly to them and moving his hands. We visited 3 pharmacies and found no baby food but thankfully did come up with more diapers and wet wipes. Finally, back to the market for bananas and oranges and yogurt. The lady at this particular fruit stand is just so sweet so I go to her every time. She knows Caleb loves bananas. She really likes him and gave him a tangerine. I don't know if people realize how wonderful their kindness feels to a person who is so far from home. She and another lady were talking and talking to me and I picked up the part about me being American but that was the only part I really understood. But tone of voice and smiles are a universal language.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved listening to foreign languages. For awhile I actually considered being a missionary with Wycliff and doing Bible translation. At home, when there's a sign written in Spanish I truly enjoy trying to figure out what it says. I remember one day at WinCo a guy behind me made some kind of slur about all the non-English-speaking people there and I said very honestly, 'I love it!' When I see someone obviously from another nation I just have this desire to make them feel welcome in my country. My year in Jamaica gave me a bit of an understanding of how it feels to be a different color than everybody else. And my time (I almost said 'year'!) here has given me added empathy for a person who cannot read or write or speak or understand the language. There is a feeling of being cut off, left out, kind of non-existant in a way. Simply going to the grocery store becomes a task that actually requires courage--not just time, money and gas (I'm talking about people in the States because I obviously don't need gas to walk across the street here) So since this is still Sunday for you guys who are reading this, my sermon for today is to be nice to 'aliens' -- another group that God wants us to look out for as He does the orphans.
We are to meet our driver at 8 am sharp for our last day of paperwork (!!!!) so I need to be up at 6 and back to the embassy we will go. And I'm taking my 50-pound notebook along because I really do think someone there is supposed to want to look at old tax returns or something. It is exciting to finally be at this place in the adoption process.
Today the weather here was absolutely gorgeous--so springlike and sunny that it just pulled me outside. It was great to just wear a T-shirt, pants and coat without twenty-five other layers underneath. First, Caleb and I went over to the market and got water, Cola Light and napkins and brought them back to the apartment. Then we headed the other direction in search of a pharmacy that sells babyfood. No fast-walking today just a nice Sunday stroll and no attempt to hide my being an American--I was chatting to Caleb most of the way. I had to just giggle when we passed what must have been a pet store and he saw this big picture of about 5 or 6 kittens-- he was going on and on and on, jabbering excitedly to them and moving his hands. We visited 3 pharmacies and found no baby food but thankfully did come up with more diapers and wet wipes. Finally, back to the market for bananas and oranges and yogurt. The lady at this particular fruit stand is just so sweet so I go to her every time. She knows Caleb loves bananas. She really likes him and gave him a tangerine. I don't know if people realize how wonderful their kindness feels to a person who is so far from home. She and another lady were talking and talking to me and I picked up the part about me being American but that was the only part I really understood. But tone of voice and smiles are a universal language.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved listening to foreign languages. For awhile I actually considered being a missionary with Wycliff and doing Bible translation. At home, when there's a sign written in Spanish I truly enjoy trying to figure out what it says. I remember one day at WinCo a guy behind me made some kind of slur about all the non-English-speaking people there and I said very honestly, 'I love it!' When I see someone obviously from another nation I just have this desire to make them feel welcome in my country. My year in Jamaica gave me a bit of an understanding of how it feels to be a different color than everybody else. And my time (I almost said 'year'!) here has given me added empathy for a person who cannot read or write or speak or understand the language. There is a feeling of being cut off, left out, kind of non-existant in a way. Simply going to the grocery store becomes a task that actually requires courage--not just time, money and gas (I'm talking about people in the States because I obviously don't need gas to walk across the street here) So since this is still Sunday for you guys who are reading this, my sermon for today is to be nice to 'aliens' -- another group that God wants us to look out for as He does the orphans.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Fun and Interesting Things About Caleb
Pictures: Caleb being silly for the camera
Thanks again guys for the encouragement and for not telling me I'm acting like a baby. At least if someone who hasn't adopted yet reads this and then experiences it themselves later, they'll know they are normal. We did get Caleb's passport on Friday and his tiny little face is so cute. Dima called the embassy and was told there is still a chance we can actually get the visa the same day (Monday) so not to let go of my ticket for Tuesday yet. The scary thing is I can't get my airline agent to email me back to see if she got Caleb added for the same flight. Just please keep praying.
No matter what happens I'll get to talk to Lin on Monday night and figure out a way to see her so that is something to look forward to. And I'll be home in less than a week whichever way it works out. And God is still here in Ukraine, too.
Now to Caleb: He likes to help me around the apartment here. When I make the bed, he has to get his little hands in there and pull on the comforter and pat it. When I move the coffee table so I can vacuum the black and white zebra-striped rug (!!!), he helps carry it. He loves to get hold of the dish cloth and wash table, chair, even floor if I'm not paying attention. He gets a folded up piece of paper and sweeps crumbs with it. And he loves to pick up 'guck' which can be anything from a booger to a piece of lint to a crumb of bread. A couple of times he has thrown his guck in the bowl I'm eating out of!
We added a new food to the short list of things he eats: oranges! I was so surprised. He can't handle all the fibery stuff but really enjoyed the juicy part of the fruit. So maybe that will be something I can take on the plane, too. I always offer him whatever is on my plate and he always says 'neh' so I couldn't believe it when I got a 'da' instead. Yeah, a source of vitamin C!
He does not cry when he falls, or whacks his head--not even when he has fallen out of bed. Once when he knocked his face on the coffee table I thought he was going to cry but it was more like a sharp intake of breath but no cry. He did make a noise when he got his fingers pinched in the drawer tonight and he has a sound that lets me know he's stuck somewhere but not really crying. The only time he has cried was when I washed his hair and he also fusses when I wash his back and bottom (he still insists on standing in the tub so to get to his back and bottom I have to move him away from the edge a little bit so he probably feels less secure) Well, a time or so he has got a real sad look on his face out of the blue and had tears coming out of his eyes but that wasn't due to a fall--I'm guessing he's remembering Vorzel.
He wakes up so sweetly in the mornings. We haven't had any early morning schedule so we just sleep until we wake up. He's been awake first most mornings and is just sitting in the bed making cute little baby noises or this morning was laying there kicking me with his feet (OK, so the kicking wasn't particularly sweet but he wasn't squalling or screaming.) One morning he was looking into my face. Monday we have to leave at 8 am so that might be a different story.
He usually sucks his thumb when he's falling asleep or if he's trying to get back to sleep in the night. I think it's adorable. I never see him suck his thumb otherwise. (Now pick his nose is another story . . .)
He sits in a regular chair while I feed him and doesn't climb out and run all over the place. I found out tonight that he takes real liquidy things better with a bigger spoon than with the baby spoon.
He feels likes he's somewhere between 18 months and 2 yrs. When I play with him and talk to him and look at him and watch him playing on his own, I think of him as being around 2. He loves to open and shut drawers, open and shut cupboard doors, say 'no.' I am actually starting to remember signs and songs and fingerplays, some of which I haven't thought of in years. We've done 'Wheels on the Bus,' '5 Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree,' '5 Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed,' 'Where is Thumbkin,' '3 Little Kittens,' 'Eensy, Weensy Spider' and of course 'This Little Piggy went to Market.' (Sorry, I cannot make the quotation marks work on this computer.)
I wish I knew Ukrainian/Russian kiddo rhymes/songs because there are times I know Caleb is saying them just by the way he'll be dancing his toy around and the sing-song of his voice and even the rhyme of some of the phrases. So cute but I can't reinforce because I don't know the words.
In case anyone is into diapers, he is peeing AND pooping.
OK, you get the point--he's a keeper.
No matter what happens I'll get to talk to Lin on Monday night and figure out a way to see her so that is something to look forward to. And I'll be home in less than a week whichever way it works out. And God is still here in Ukraine, too.
Now to Caleb: He likes to help me around the apartment here. When I make the bed, he has to get his little hands in there and pull on the comforter and pat it. When I move the coffee table so I can vacuum the black and white zebra-striped rug (!!!), he helps carry it. He loves to get hold of the dish cloth and wash table, chair, even floor if I'm not paying attention. He gets a folded up piece of paper and sweeps crumbs with it. And he loves to pick up 'guck' which can be anything from a booger to a piece of lint to a crumb of bread. A couple of times he has thrown his guck in the bowl I'm eating out of!
We added a new food to the short list of things he eats: oranges! I was so surprised. He can't handle all the fibery stuff but really enjoyed the juicy part of the fruit. So maybe that will be something I can take on the plane, too. I always offer him whatever is on my plate and he always says 'neh' so I couldn't believe it when I got a 'da' instead. Yeah, a source of vitamin C!
He does not cry when he falls, or whacks his head--not even when he has fallen out of bed. Once when he knocked his face on the coffee table I thought he was going to cry but it was more like a sharp intake of breath but no cry. He did make a noise when he got his fingers pinched in the drawer tonight and he has a sound that lets me know he's stuck somewhere but not really crying. The only time he has cried was when I washed his hair and he also fusses when I wash his back and bottom (he still insists on standing in the tub so to get to his back and bottom I have to move him away from the edge a little bit so he probably feels less secure) Well, a time or so he has got a real sad look on his face out of the blue and had tears coming out of his eyes but that wasn't due to a fall--I'm guessing he's remembering Vorzel.
He wakes up so sweetly in the mornings. We haven't had any early morning schedule so we just sleep until we wake up. He's been awake first most mornings and is just sitting in the bed making cute little baby noises or this morning was laying there kicking me with his feet (OK, so the kicking wasn't particularly sweet but he wasn't squalling or screaming.) One morning he was looking into my face. Monday we have to leave at 8 am so that might be a different story.
He usually sucks his thumb when he's falling asleep or if he's trying to get back to sleep in the night. I think it's adorable. I never see him suck his thumb otherwise. (Now pick his nose is another story . . .)
He sits in a regular chair while I feed him and doesn't climb out and run all over the place. I found out tonight that he takes real liquidy things better with a bigger spoon than with the baby spoon.
He feels likes he's somewhere between 18 months and 2 yrs. When I play with him and talk to him and look at him and watch him playing on his own, I think of him as being around 2. He loves to open and shut drawers, open and shut cupboard doors, say 'no.' I am actually starting to remember signs and songs and fingerplays, some of which I haven't thought of in years. We've done 'Wheels on the Bus,' '5 Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree,' '5 Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed,' 'Where is Thumbkin,' '3 Little Kittens,' 'Eensy, Weensy Spider' and of course 'This Little Piggy went to Market.' (Sorry, I cannot make the quotation marks work on this computer.)
I wish I knew Ukrainian/Russian kiddo rhymes/songs because there are times I know Caleb is saying them just by the way he'll be dancing his toy around and the sing-song of his voice and even the rhyme of some of the phrases. So cute but I can't reinforce because I don't know the words.
In case anyone is into diapers, he is peeing AND pooping.
OK, you get the point--he's a keeper.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Life in Limbo
I had so hoped to tell everyone that we were able to pick up the passport today. Dima called the passport folks but no, it did not happen. Is it possible to get the passport and go to the embassy on the same day--ie, tomorrow? Dima says I will not know until Monday (25th) whether I can fly on the 26th :(((( I am bummed. I really don't know why 26th vs. 28th makes such a huge difference to me emotionally. And not knowing drives me crazy.
Little cutie-bug is sleeping across the middle of the bed again--I'll have to see which side I can squeeze in on tonight :) He is so precious.
Little cutie-bug is sleeping across the middle of the bed again--I'll have to see which side I can squeeze in on tonight :) He is so precious.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Just to say thanks
I sure appreciate all the comments and encouragement. It makes me feel much better to know other kids has survived on bananas and yogurt and cereal. At least they are all things with good nutritive content. My potato 'soup' did not go over too well though he did put it in his mouth. Guess I just didn't shove it back far enough into his throat :( That sounds like a horrible way to eat. Thanks, Amy, for the heads-up about giardia. And thanks for the info about paperwork, Kris. Honestly, I was so excited about the problem today working out that I didn't listen particularly well to the rest of what Dima said. :( He was telling me what things were supposed to be done what days but I need to double-check with him. Maybe it was the extra day with the visa that was making him think that Tuesday would not work. Our flight leaves around 7 am. so that makes sense. And I don't think there are flights on Wednesdays. Well, then I can be OK with Thursday--since it is technically Thursday now (00:52) that's just a week away. I will still be home in time for my niece's wedding on Friday which is icing on the cake.
Gotta go back to bed. I fell asleep putting Caleb down and had to get back up to brush teeth, put food back in fridge, turn off lights and read everyone's messages.
Gotta go back to bed. I fell asleep putting Caleb down and had to get back up to brush teeth, put food back in fridge, turn off lights and read everyone's messages.
God is Listening
I just got a phone call from Dima with good news. The other office that had to get involved because of Caleb's long name--I believe Dima referred to it as the tax office--turned out not to be a problem after all!! All I can say is Praise the Lord! I could really sense that people were praying. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Things happen when people pray. So if everything goes exactly right we could finish on Monday. I think Dima is a bit skeptical of it all working that smoothly. I've been praying that God will either make the system work quickly or give me the strength to hold on a couple days longer. But I know if He could make today's news turn out well--He certainly COULD bring it all together if that would suit his plan.
On the eating, drinking subject, thanks to all for your encouragement. I think I figured out part of the problem. Because Caleb is eating finger food like Fruit Loops so well I wrongly assumed he could also eat things like small cubes of cheese or bologna or small bites of soft things like potatoes. But the consistency he has handled well so far is baby cereal (thanks, Carol, for the recipe--it worked) and the thin kind of yogurt that a person could actually drink. For lunch I heated up some chicken and vegetable baby food and thinned it down and mashed it up as well as I could with a fork. He gave it a gallant effort but just couldn't get the little flecks of chicken off his tongue and couldn't seem to wash them down with tea either. So I need to find a younger level of baby food. And just now he took a few sips of tea out of his sippy cup without drowning himself so things are looking up. I'm planning to make real thin mashed potatoes for supper with butter and milk.
As far as the potty subject goes, I'd be happier if his diapers were a lot wetter--the one this morning had some good weight to it. The next one was fairly wet. When we got home from the orphanage on Monday he had 2 really squishy, goopy, poopy diapers. But none yesterday. I just hope all the bananas he's eating aren't plugging him up. He has smelled really REALLY stinky a couple times-once yesterday and once today but it must have been just gas. At the orphanage, I wonder if they usually go poo-poo on the potty?
And today we were looking at a book and I made the signs for bird and cat and he copied me. I'm sure he didn't know exactly what they meant but I thought it was cool.
I took him with me to the market for the first time. A couple people remarked how cute he is. Of course, I can't understand their words but I can understand the tone. I didn't see baby food or this soup powder that Dima was telling me about so we just got the stand-bys.
The sun was shining like crazy into our apartment today--I'm sure the people at the orphanage would have a heart attack that Caleb was running around only in his tights and a long-sleeve T-shirt. But going to the market I should have made all Ukranians proud by adding his heavy fleece-lined pants, sweater and coat. (I must admit, however, I did forego the gloves.) I did basically the same for myself and about sweated to death in the market.
Well, I'm just 'blathering' now so I'll close.
On the eating, drinking subject, thanks to all for your encouragement. I think I figured out part of the problem. Because Caleb is eating finger food like Fruit Loops so well I wrongly assumed he could also eat things like small cubes of cheese or bologna or small bites of soft things like potatoes. But the consistency he has handled well so far is baby cereal (thanks, Carol, for the recipe--it worked) and the thin kind of yogurt that a person could actually drink. For lunch I heated up some chicken and vegetable baby food and thinned it down and mashed it up as well as I could with a fork. He gave it a gallant effort but just couldn't get the little flecks of chicken off his tongue and couldn't seem to wash them down with tea either. So I need to find a younger level of baby food. And just now he took a few sips of tea out of his sippy cup without drowning himself so things are looking up. I'm planning to make real thin mashed potatoes for supper with butter and milk.
As far as the potty subject goes, I'd be happier if his diapers were a lot wetter--the one this morning had some good weight to it. The next one was fairly wet. When we got home from the orphanage on Monday he had 2 really squishy, goopy, poopy diapers. But none yesterday. I just hope all the bananas he's eating aren't plugging him up. He has smelled really REALLY stinky a couple times-once yesterday and once today but it must have been just gas. At the orphanage, I wonder if they usually go poo-poo on the potty?
And today we were looking at a book and I made the signs for bird and cat and he copied me. I'm sure he didn't know exactly what they meant but I thought it was cool.
I took him with me to the market for the first time. A couple people remarked how cute he is. Of course, I can't understand their words but I can understand the tone. I didn't see baby food or this soup powder that Dima was telling me about so we just got the stand-bys.
The sun was shining like crazy into our apartment today--I'm sure the people at the orphanage would have a heart attack that Caleb was running around only in his tights and a long-sleeve T-shirt. But going to the market I should have made all Ukranians proud by adding his heavy fleece-lined pants, sweater and coat. (I must admit, however, I did forego the gloves.) I did basically the same for myself and about sweated to death in the market.
Well, I'm just 'blathering' now so I'll close.
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