Trip 2, Day 14: Gotcha Day!

Announcing...

Andrei Leo-Jack

This morning began with a trip to two legal offices to pick up the certificate of adoption and his birth certificate, and then we were off to the orphanage. Our translator says, "Last time today!" It was an overwhelming thought; I was mixed full of apprehension and excitement. We're fixing to take this little boy from everything he has ever known; I feel so much like a first time parent--both the baby and the parent are on the same learning curve! The director asks for his clothes that we are dressing him in. I know we are already in trouble when she asks for the "long underwear". Nyet. Boys don't wear tights I want to scream, but I just hand her his socks instead. She shrugs and takes our "American wear" to his room. When we finally see him, he looks so handsome. We are brought the photo album we left with him and a new toy that they are sending with us. I knew that it was a gift for us, so I didn't ask about them returning the lion we left. We will get another one as I'm sure it became community property after we left on our first trip. Our translator takes our video camera and films us trying to get this baby in this sweating hot snowsuit. She asks if we have his snow boots with us. I say no. She shakes her head in disapproval at the shoes I put on him. She tells us we're going to have to get his feet covered, so we cram his feet up into the legs of his snowsuit. We put his hat on and then I figure they will want the snowsuit hood on top of that as well, (why not???) but they all shake their heads--not the right thing to do either. (sigh). We head out, and Doug about gets run over by one of the orphanage workers by the door. She starts yelling something in Russian and points to his legs. One of his feet got free and she saw skin! Oh, the travesty! By this time, Doug and I are sweating so much from the challenges we're having just getting him out the the building. I'm trying to stay between Doug and this worker so she can't see his foot keep coming out of his snowsuit. She follows us out the door trying to get a glimps of any skin. We take a quick photo, but it's really not a happy moment then. We're both gritting our teeth and ready to get in the "safety" of our apartment. Once in the car our translator says we will have to get some tights on him when we go to the airport because the little old ladies will not leave us alone if they see any skin exposed on a child.

Andrei does really well with the car ride. No throw up! That's always a positive in my book. He checked out our oven and the chrome table legs on our table. He had his first Gerber meal. We warmed everything up in hot water; he had cauliflower, some kind of pureed meat and carrots, and peaches (which he loved!). I'm sure he doesn't get many fruits there. In fact, they told us that when they do get fruit, they take dried fruit and put it in boiling water to reconsititute it. He drank out of his first sippy cup with a straw! Yeah! He is such a smart boy! I told him his tea drinking days were over. He got his first "bedtime" story read to him by his daddy, and then Doug sang the same song to him he sings to our girls. We put him in his crib, and just decided to see what happens. Within 60 seconds, he was standing up. Doug kept saying, "night night." He just looked at him. I then said to him, "Spa-coin-a noche" (good night in Russian) and he starts crying! The boy understands Russian! Doug lays him back down, he cries for about 15 seconds, and falls asleep sucking his thumb. (Good thing that thumb is coming to Texas with us!) He's napping now--right on the orphanage schedule.

Doug is out trying to find some food for us. He's going to Kentucky Fried Chicken and hopefully they will serve it in some kind of to go box like home so he can bring me something. (I know, I know, I can't believe we haven't venture there before now myself.) If not, he's off in search of some deli we've heard several adoptive parents talk about.

It is a surreal feeling; I told Andrei that God had such a special plan for him. God didn't bring his parents all the way to Russia for him just to sit in flower garden. He will be used mightily in the kingdom of God, and I am so thankful that I get to be along for the ride!