Note: For some reason that I cannot discover, the blog entries keep running all the paragraphs together. This has to be making all the entries a challenge for you to read, I know it does for me. So I am going to attempt to insert a row of dashes between paragraphs and hope that will separate them and aid towards the ease of reading them. Thanks for sticking with us!
Friday, December 05, 2008: A Day of Breakthroughs
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Praise God- our Friday began like most other days- we woke up!
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After some morning chores and finishing yesterday’s entries, about 11am we went to the restaurant next door that has the WI-FI. As I posted the entries, we had a nice brunch. To give you an idea of the currency exchange, Darrin ate a 3 egg, ham & cheese omelet with a side of potatoes & a bottle of Coke. Barb already had breakfast earlier at home, so she went with a 10oz cup of cappuccino, and a huge block of cheesecake (it was a wedge 4in high x 3in wide and was 6in long)- the total bill in US dollars was $8.85. In the US, Barb would have paid that much for the cappuccino at the McDonald’s drive-up window! It’s kind of hard to believe sometimes.
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The day was another beautiful day! The temperature was about 46ºF, they continue to have unseasonable warm weather. It has been in the mid 40s most of the week. I called home the other day & I heard it was 18ºF in Raymond! I want to tell the locals that we Americans are warming their hearts and their country. I also want to tell them not to listen to Big AL Gore- that most of the Global Warming is the hot air coming out of his mouth. (okay, enough political commentary)
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Ostap came and picked us up at 12:40PM, and we arrived at the orphanage at 1PM. I went to the boy’s second floor residence and visited with a nurse; well actually, we could both say the boy’s name, then she nodded & pointed downstairs, and I went back to the first floor lobby to wait with Barb. A few minutes later the nurse arrived with the boy and the signature log. The log book is a huge ledger that they have you record your name when you “sign the child out” from his floor (kind of like checking out a library book). It is a handwritten ledger that you can’t read, but they point to a tiny box about 3/4"inch long and expect you to sign your name there. So you scribble in the little box, and record your signature that they can’t read anyway! Realizing that they can’t read it, I told Barb that I believe George W. Bush will sign our son out tomorrow. After seeing our son Mon-Wed, and then having to skip Thursday, we were anxious to see how he would react and remember us.
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1st Breakthrough moment came right after that signature. Usually he fuses as the nurse puts his down, or hands him to us. But today I held my hands out and he leaned right over to come to me as the nurse acknowledged- “PAPA”. I thought my heart was melting, and I looked at Barb to confirm what just happened- her jaw was dropping as well. A simple act of acceptance that meant so much to us; either that or he remembers that I bring cookies! (Hopefully it’s both.) So I held him a few minutes and we walked. He is beginning to smile more readily and develop an interaction with us. When we first arrived, he never opened his mouth to verbalize a sound. After spending a week with us, he has realized that he better start talking if he wants to get a word in! (Pun intended) We are now hearing jabbering, grunts, and other unexplainable wonderful noises from his lips.
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2nd Breakthrough moment:
The next heart-stopper occurred just a few minutes later. You may recall Wednesday was a “run, chase, and retrieve” day as he held his own personal “track meet” up and down the hallway. After I had held him a few minutes, he began to wiggle and want down. I placed him on the floor; he looked around, and took several steps towards the hallway but then stopped. I called his name and extended my arms towards him. He hesitated a second, then grinned as he ran back into my arms. I had to take a chair as my vision got blurry. I looked at Barb and told her that if he kept this stuff up, we would take him home! She was having eye trouble too, that same speck of love dust that fell in my eye, must have hit hers as well.
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We played and had a great day. He did run the hall some, but would return on his own. He is beginning to response to our voices, and understands “come here” and simple phrases. He still likes the animal crackers, but today we discovered that he might be part monkey as well. We took a banana with us today. He gulped that banana down pretty quickly. With the crackers, he seems content chewing one bite and taking his time before nibbling off the next bite. With the banana it was just the opposite, as Barb broke off a piece, and handed it to him, he was poking it in his mouth & reaching for the next bite as the same time. That’s the Daugherty boy we expected! (And we got two big burps out of the one banana- just like his MAMA!) So I’m sure fruit will become a staple item in the bag of supplies we carry each day.
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He also saw Barb take a drink and began reaching for her water bottle. So for the first time, Barb got to bond by sharing backwash with her 21 month old! Actually he did really well drinking from the mouth of the bottle, and he was obviously thirsty after the banana and 42 animal crackers. (No- he didn’t really eat 42 crackers! Do you really think we’re irresponsible parents that would spoil our son like that? ….don’t answer that…) Tomorrow we will be taking his Sippy cup as we go.
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Another breakthrough came with the toys. Instead of clutching and carrying his toys around by himself, he finally is becoming interactive with them. The squeaky, rubber cat became the object of “toss & retrieve”. You know what I mean: he would toss it, we would retrieve it, throw it back to him, and the cycle continues until he gets bored with that. But I believe he finally understands that he can put the toys down, or share them, and he will get them back. I’m hoping part of that understanding is a trust that he is developing for us as well.
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Your Prayers Requested: Amidst all the positive things we delighted in, we do have a concern for his health right now. His cold has developed into quite a rattle. They told us that he had bronchitis three times last winter; but that illness is a common one in the orphanage. The children are dressed in layers, even with thermal underwear on indoors all day long, but the conditions aren’t great. Drafty windows, cold floors, and lack of nutrition don’t help. Several times as we played, we would force him to settle in our arms. We would walk him to let him settle down, relax his rattle, and let him begin to breathe easier. After seeing him Saturday, we hope to talk to the medical staff to see what steps they are taking if things aren’t better. Your prayers for his health, and our patience, would be much appreciated.
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Shortly after 2pm, he began to slow down, and started rubbing his eyes. It was clearly looking like a shorter day! We rocked him & walked with him. He is comfortable hugging our necks and resting against our shoulders. But he refused to give up and fall asleep. Other couples were coming and going and there was too much to follow for him to give up and knock out.
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The next “Moment” arrived-
As he continued to play, he was getting a little fussy at one point. So I pointed to Barb and said “MAMA’s got the cookies”, then he realized who she was and responded by walking over to Barb and sitting on her lap! …and boy did she treat him with the cookies then!
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Our Final Moment…
About 2:45pm the nurse came down to take him back upstairs. I was walking, rocking, and talking with him at the time. We’re never ready for visiting hours to end. But we try to remain understanding that the nurses have a lot of children to care for, and they need to get him changed and squeeze in a nap prior to the 4pm meal time. So as I walked towards the nurse, he tighten his arms around my neck, the nurse noticed it as well, and she made some Ukrainian comment (with a smile on her face) about PAPA. So I forced myself to push him off my chest & hand him back to her. …this part certainly isn’t getting any easier folks!
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So after he was gone we had a better chance to visit with the other couple in the play area; an English speaking couple from Montreal, Canada. It was their first day there. They had met their son (21 months old) that morning, and 1-2:45pm was their first time to play with him. The nurses took him back at the same time they got our son. Then we visited for about 45 minutes with them.
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We then went upstairs and sat with the Williamsons until Ostap had finished some more paperwork. Then we all headed out. The Williamsons are staying about a mile from us. We intend to meet Saturday morning for brunch then ride to the orphanage together to see our boys. They have spent two days with an 18 month old.
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The only major downside to this apartment is the internet availability. Most people here probably have it in their homes, so the public internet café is not so available. Ostap is trying to locate a solution to assist me. We stopped at a wireless store on the way home, but for a wireless USB modem, they all require a 12 month contact- and I don’t wish to use the Ukraine network for that long!
So for now, we continue prepping these entries at our apartment, then going to the WI-FI restaurant next door to purchase a meal while we upload the entries of the day. Ostap is planning to take us to the market on Sunday, he believes we can find something cheaper there that will work. “The Market” would remind Americans of a large, outdoor flea market/swap meet. But that is the way a lot of their economy runs here. Individuals selling whatever they can get their hands on to make a little money.
Then again I guess that’s another breakthrough moment. I’m halfway around the globe, in a country were I can’t speak the language, trusting people I didn’t know two weeks ago to take care of my future- and all I can find to complain about is the lack of internet access?
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Well, that’s about all I know to tell you. Friday was a great day, with a perfect child, and with many blessings from God.
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Looking forward to more on Saturday!
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Darrin, Barb, and Perfect
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P.S. I guess the other perfect moment yesterday was learning that the Cardinals had signed Greene as their new shortstop. I told my son, and he seemed pretty excited too. He can’t wait for his first Cardinal game. I probably won’t take him to opening day though. That’s just too much excitement and I don’t want to see him get excited and burp up on someone!
