Taking Sophie from the Orphanage

On Wednesday, July 27th we drove to the orphanage one last time. We expected to see Sophie outside playing as usual. Her little groupa was there, but we couldn't find her. We went inside the administrative building to write a letter asking to adopt Sophie. (A little late, huh?) Then we had to sign documents stating that we took her from the orphange. They all congratulated us and sent us to her building.
Our facilitator took our little dress inside to her caretakers. The children were just finishing lunch and they were all stripped down to their underwear. In just a few minutes the door opened and there was our sweet little girl, all dressed up! They allowed us to come through for just a minute so we could video where she had lived for the past two years. Sophie took us back to the sleeping area. It looked just like the little Madeline books. All those little beds in neat little rows. Sophie's caretaker was hugging and kissing on her while she spoke in Ukrainian to her. Then she sat her down and Sophie walked over and patted her bed to show us where she slept. She looked so proud of her bed. Then we went back through where the children were. All of the kids jumped up from their seats and started trying to hug and kiss Sophie goodbye. It was very sad. Our facilitator was rushing us and wouldn't let but one or two give her a kiss. I thought he could have been a little more compassionate at that time, but after I thought about it, I guess it is done in such a hurry to keep the children left behind from getting so upset.

We were rushed out of the building with a smiling baby. Then, as Lee crossed through the gate of the orphanage, her expression changed. She had this look of shock on her face. See, she had lived inside this fenced in area for 2 1/2 years, but had never stepped on the other side. She had not been inside a vehicle since she was nine days old. We crawled in the back of that old van again and took off for Kiev. We had a six hour drive. For the first three hours, she sat completely still. She just looked around at everything. She was amazed at billboards. I bet she thought, "Wow, those are big people!" She really did so well on the drive to Kiev. We did not stop once. She slept after a little while. This was the first time we saw her suck her thumb. (She's been doing that ever since.)

When we arrived in Kiev, we went to stay with a family in their apartment. Their names were Vadim, Galina, and Olga Smirnyy. Olga was about 17 years old. She and her father could speak English very well. These were the nicest people you would ever want to meet! They gave us their master bedroom while they slept on the pullout bed. At first, I did not want to stay with anyone. I just wanted to stay in a hotel with Sophie by ourselves. But, I was so glad that we did! After the first day of trying to get her to sleep, we were so glad for help. I was trying to rock her and sway, just like we did with Jordan and Chase. All that did was stimulate her. She would wake right up. After about 30 minutes of struggling with her, Vadim walked up and said, "Give her to me." He walked in and put her in her crib, patted her on the back and said, "Night, Night." She layed down and went to sleep! Amazing! That is how they are used to being put to sleep. That in itself was worth staying with this family.
Vadim and Galina both cooked amazing meals for us. Three meals a day we had huge meals like fried chicken (not breaded), fried potatos, salads, roasts with potatos,.... We have never eaten so well each and every day. They also cooked separate meals for Sophie and another meal for themselves. Although, I don't think they ate what we did. They give their guests their best. I felt horrible for them because they would close up this small kitchen and cook all of this food. Inside the kitchen it would get to be about 110 degrees. They would come out and have to take a shower. It was so miserably hot. Lee and I were dehydrated so much that we were having leg cramps. Sophie was running a fever. She had white patches on her mouth and a rash on her feet. (Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, we think) She was so pitiful. She wouldn't eat anything they made for her. She was crying constantly. I felt really sorry for this family for having to put up with us. I think they were used to it though. We were the 98th family that they had taken in during an adoption process. They really had a unique insight into adoptions. They said that they were so grateful for the chance that these children were getting. They would have no chance in Ukraine, the way things are now. At age 17, they would be put on the streets to survive however they could. Vadim talked alot about his life in the former U.S.S.R. He talked about socialism and how they were hopeful that things were going to change. He said that this transition was very hard. They had free food and medicine under socialism, but everyone was very poor. Now, they buy these things, but they don't have salaries to do so. He and his wife were highly educated people. They lived so poorly, like 95% of the country. There is not much motive to work hard because everyone lived the same. But he is hopeful for the future of their country. I'm sure that they take families in to suppliment their income, but you could also tell that he loved these children.