Day 13: We Were Invited to See His Living Area!

Maria's View- kind of lengthy due to all of the new info we got today!

So we had an interesting start to our morning visit.  Today, the nanny came to the door very quickly, which is unusual and had "Finn" in her arms.  (this is our favorite nanny)  She made a motion with her hands that we needed to make a phone call and I recognized the Russian word for "girl"... so we took it that we needed to call our facilitator and let her translate for the nanny.  We assumed that he must be sick because they quarantine them when they run fever.  While Chris was getting our fac. on the phone, another nanny took him and started walking back to the living area.  Well, "Finn" didn't like that at all!  He started making unhappy sounds... not crying... but definitely expressing that he wasn't happy with the situation.  From the end of the hallway, the nanny turned and motioned that he was crying for us with her hands and was very pleased with that.  So she brought him back to us and by this time Chris was on the phone getting the translation.  The nanny told us, through translation, that "Finn" will be changing groupas on May 1st and that they would like to show us the place that he has lived for the past 2 years.  We are so thankful for this!  We got a lot of insight into what he does but we are very sad that he is having to change his whole world right before we are taking him out of there.  He has lived in this room for 2 years!  I have no idea what a new surrounding and new faces will do to him...although, that's exactly what is going to happen to him once we take him out of there for good.  So I suppose this will be a trial run. 

We were led down the hall to the food and play area.  2 little square tables were by the window and a huge play pen was in the middle of the room filled with 8 of the 10 kids in his groupa.  They were all trying to get our attention and I believe they were surprised to see us in their area!  The nanny took us to the next room where their cribs are.  She showed us his crib and there was a neatly typed name tag on his crib with his name and birthday on it.  She stood him up in his crib so that we could take a picture and then she took us back to the eating area.  She sat him in his little chair and showed us how he eats.  She went and got a glass bowl and large spoon and motioned that she has to feed him.  She then handed him the spoon and he went through the motions like he knew what to do with the spoon but maybe he has never been given the opportunity to feed himself.  Understandable when there are 9 other mouths to feed!  Then she picked up a glass coffee style mug and motioned that he drinks out of one of those sometimes but then picked up a bottle and said that's how he mostly takes his drinks.  So we need to buy him some bottles until we can transition him into sippy cups!

We then pulled out our adoption phrases book so she could read some food and drink items on this list.  She said that he drinks milk, juice, and water...but I image they mostly drink juice.  And that he can eat eggs, soups and borscht.  She then turned to me and motioned what I believe to be that he can eat whatever we eat.  So I am assuming that he can chew.  Many children from orphanages can't chew yet because they are only given soups and broths so we may not know that he can do this until it happens.

As we were trying to get all of this information from them, a tiny little girl who wasn't contained inside of the huge play pen was tugging at my pants legs.  I knelt down and she leaned into me with a hug.  I gave her a huge one and took her sweet little hands in mine.  It appears that this little girl has a condition known as Ectrodactyly, possibly.  Just my observation, though.  She has a claw-like hand that resembles lobster claw.  She is just as active as an average toddler and was so lovable!  She really needs a momma's love.

After that, the nanny put him on the changing table, pulled up the bag of diapers, and made a disgusted type facial expression and then beat her fists into the air... I believe that she was trying to say that he doesn't like to be changed.  That makes perfect sense because sometimes, just before the nanny brings him out to us, we can hear him fussing a bit.  Probably because he's being changed. :-)

On our way out, the other nanny made a motion for us to go to the little side room and she drew on a piece of paper a balloon on a string... She then waived an imaginary balloon into the air as if she was telling us that he has fun with these.  So, I then opened up my bag and pulled out a balloon that I had been blowing up for him, and she exclaimed, "DA!" 

On our way out, this nanny stopped us again and said, "papa" and motioned that he has been saying this after we leave.  How precious!!   Then we were able to go outside and play with him.  He was one happy little boy!  We played in the play shed like we always do and then moved on to the swing.  We didn't have to share anything today because I guess they don't take children outside as much on Sunday's.  So we put him in the usual swing and started swinging him back and forth.  Before we knew it, he started nodding off to sleep!!  He gradually slid sideways until he was totally passed out so we just let him sleep!  This will probably backfire on us for the evening visit! haha.  This is the first time that we have ever seen him sleep, though, and we just couldn't resist.  What a cutie.  While he was sleeping, I noticed a bite mark on his hand and it was definitely his little teeth that did the biting.  He has a very crooked front tooth and I could clearly make it out on his hand.  Poor little guy probably got frustrated and took it out on himself...or maybe he was sucking on his hand as a way to self soothe and ended up biting it....who knows.  After about 20 mins, he woke up, sat straight up, looked around, looked satisfied that he was still in the swing and then went back to sleep!

It was a great morning at the orphanage and we really enjoyed the tour of his groupa.  I am just concerned that this is going to be a hard transition for him and I know that he's going to be a little off by his new arrangements.  Please pray for him!!

After our visit, we went to the mall for our usual lunch outing.  We eat out 1 time per day for less than $10.  Food is very inexpensive here and sometimes we can eat for as little as $6 total!  In the mornings, we have been eating grits or oatmeal that I brought from home, and for dinner, we have some kind of pasta meal or soup that we brought from home.  Once we finished our $10 lunch (which was 2 sub sandwiches, 2 drinks, 2 cold salads, and 2 baked potatoes) we had to find me some short sleeved shirts because it is getting hot here, fast!  I bought 2 shirts for $5 each so I'll be set now!  The clerk who helped me was very kind and through hand motions she understood that I didn't know the sizing and she picked up the size that I needed and showed me the numbers. 

Our evening visit went great as well!  We google translated "can he chew food?" the nanny responded, "da". (yes).  "Can you show us where his new groupa will be?"  and she walked us downstairs and opened up the room.  It seems to be a newer looking area, maybe it has been renovated.  The nanny inside seemed to be pretty pleasant and after the door was closed,  our nanny  gave us a thumbs up so we took that as meaning that he will be in good hands.  I surely hope so!

But anyway, we are about to whip up a batch of fettuccine alfredo with sauteed bell peppers for dinner.  I really hope it's good!  I'm starving!!

Until tomorrow, Paka Paka!!!


Chris's View:

First, here's how we have been seeing our girls on an almost nightly basis... we miss them!

Hmmmm... what to talk about today?  How about mid-riffs.  I have no pictures, but trust me... YOU DO NOT want to see this!  LOL!

Maria is a member of a Facebook group about families adopting from where we are.  One of the ladies in the group was reading a book about the place and it said, "It's not a sin to be poor in this country, but it is a sin to look poor."  So we have been noticing that these folks are in pretty high fashion.  It is not uncommon, even in the poor looking apartments that we are in, to see people coming and going in Armani, Hugo Boss, etc.  They really are wearing some high dollar clothes.  So much so, that we feel they might be looking at us with a judgemental eye when we are coming and going in Levi's and Nikes!  We pretty much wear the same 4-5 outfits and rotate them out each day.  Today was a bit weird though.

It seemed like everyone and their grandmother... yes, grandmother!... was wearing mid-riff shirts.  It really reminded me of the movie Hackers, when Matthew Lillard's character, Cereal Killer, sees a girl and says "Spandex, it's a privilege, not a right!"  There were every shape & size in mid-riff shirts at the mall today.  Look, I get it, you should be proud of the skin you are in, but that skin doesn't necessarily have to be shown off to everyone in the mall on a Sunday!

The worst was on our way out.  There was a lady, I promise she was no less than 50, and her shirt was probably 14" above her belly button (I am exaggerating this measurement just a little).  It wasn't as if she had been working out either.  Coupled with her pants being just a tad too tight and we had a "muffin top" situation!  I know, I am one to talk, but I am not showing off all of my glory in public either.  I keep it covered unless it just cannot be helped.  But hey, at least her shirt was Dolce & Gabbana!

See ya'll tomorrow!