Dec 24th, 25th, & 26th- WOW WHAT A CHRISTMAS!
---
When you last visited the Daugherty family saga, you read of Darrin & Barb’s preparations to bring Donny home on Christmas Eve. Since the last post it has been three days and you haven’t heard much from us. Suffice to say, the first sentence explains the second one. It has been an incredible, busy, and blest time that we have spent the last three days. So if you can stay awake to read this entire post, pour a Coke, grab your Kleenex, hit the Laz-y-Boy, and enjoy the ride.
---
Wed., Dec. 24th
Today was the incredible day we had been waiting for. It was a long, drawn-out day but in the end it was all worth it. Nothing went as I imagined and very little happened as we thought it would last night. But it worked, God took care of us.
---
Ostap planned to pick us up at 10am. Instead, he went to the notary and did some paperwork ahead of time. We waited at home, and paced, and waited at home, played some Yahtzee, and waited at home-it seemed like the morning lasted forever! A taxi driver picked us up at 12:15pm then we went to Ostap’s home to pick him up. Tuesday evening Ostap had bought fruit for the kids at the orphanage in Donny’s group and candy, coffee & tea for his caretakers. So we loaded those things in the taxi at Ostap’s house. Then we were off to the notary office to sign papers at 12:35pm. I was getting pretty nervous. We had planned on being at the orphanage at 1pm. Ostap called Veta and told her we would be late. We finally signed papers and left the notary office at 1:15pm. Galya and the Adams’ had met us at the notary office; they grabbed our notarized paper and headed to the passport office to file that paperwork so Donny could leave the country with us.
---
We had to stop along the way to the orphanage to pick up the Inspector from her office. (Part of her job is to observe signing of adoption paperwork and reaction of child to parents.) We finally arrived at the orphanage at 1:45pm. We carried gifts and Donny’s 1st outfit directly to the second floor. We then continued to the 4th floor and had a short “Hello” with the Assistant Director. Next we headed to the conference to meet up with Veta. Ostap had papers to fill out, and Veta had a few papers for him to fill out as well. The amazing part to me, in this whole paperwork trail, was that Barb & I had to sign two papers and the orphanage gave us the little boy that we had waited so long for. I guess I expected a mountain of paperwork and formalities to change hands when we were dealing with such a precious little life. It has taken us longer to purchase a new vehicle at West Main Motors than it did to receive our son. (No offense to Joe & Travis)
---
In the middle of paperwork signing, one of the nurses brought Donny in to us. I don’t know if we were prepared for that moment in time. It was un-ceremonial to them, but seeing our son in the 1st outfit we had purchased for him, and dressed to go home with us, just about melted both of us down to pieces. Barb began to weep, and I was able to hold mine in-for the moment.
---
After those signatures, we went back to the Assistant Directors office and she passed a bundle of paperwork to Ostap. These items included his health record, immunization record, birth certificate copies, legal petitions, and several other forms we couldn’t read either. She confirmed that Ostap had Donny’s daily schedule and we were aware of his daily routine. We confirmed that we did. She told us about his medication- he is still taking cough syrup for his rattle and congestion. She asked if we had any more questions, I just thanked her for the care they had given Donny and told her how grateful we were. She smiled and nodded, as she realized my eyes were tearing up. It was an awesome thought to realize we were about to walk out the door with our son.
---
We did depart one last time through that cold steel door at 3:40pm Dec. 24th. We stopped at the pharmacy to get Donny’s cough syrup, then to the internet store to get our modem account paid up. On the way home, Donny was so tired; it was passed his nap time. He and I were both very comfortable as he fell asleep in papa’s arms.
---
Once to the apartment, Ostap came in and translated Donny’s daily schedule for us. As he departed to go meet Galya, our apartment door closed and it hit me that the three Daughertys were home to begin their life. So the night progressed beautifully. I had preplanned and prepped a meal to save time tonight. Donny could have cared less; I was pretty concerned because he wouldn’t eat much of the chicken or mashed potatoes. However, we discovered that he really enjoys corn. Chewing one kernel at a time, and savoring the flavor of a new vegetable he had yet to enjoy in the institution. After more great play, we grabbed the video camera to get some footage. He had an amazing discovery in our full-length hallway mirror. It was quite a riot when he discovered another little boy mimicking his every movement. When he touched his ear, the other boy did too. When he touched the mirror he met the other boy’s hand. As he danced and flung his arms in the air, the other boy joined in that same celebration. The most hilarious moment occurred as he pulled his shirt up and realized that the other boy had a belly-button in the same location he did. Then he proceeded to rub his belly against the other boy’s as they laughed together!
---
---
8:00 pm was his routine bedtime, and we felt it necessary to try and maintain the same routine the first night. This bedtime adventure didn’t go near as easily as the bath did. We had prepared a little pallet of sofa cushions, sheets, blanket, and pillow at the foot of our bed. As I carried him into the bedroom, I turned off the bedroom light and let him adjust to the light spilling in from the hallway. He soon guessed what was going to happen next and began to cry terribly. So I sat on the edge of the bed and rocked him and tried to comfort him until about 8:10pm. As I laid him on the pallet, it was obvious that he was unsure of his new surroundings. His crying lasted another 5-7 minutes but then ceased. Unfortunately, at about 8:25pm he rocked himself off the pallet and the immediate thump of him hitting the floor was followed by a horrific scream. Barb picked him up to comfort and sooth him and we decided that he needed a little more room than we had allowed for on the preplanned pallet. We decided to lay him on our king-size bed for the time being and let him get back to sleep. The bed fit him much better and he dozed off easier this time. About 10pm we modified his original pallet by adding more cushions along side. I carried him back to the pallet. He remained asleep, and more importantly, remained there all night.
---
Meanwhile, Barb & I packed the apartment from 9-11pm Christmas Eve. Christmas Day we are scheduled for a 10:15am flight to take us back to
---
---
Christmas Day-Thursday, December 25th
Wow! What a Christmas! My alarm was set for 6am. I was awakened at 5:55am by a little voice singing and cooing from a pallet at the foot of my bed. At first I thought I was dreaming, and then I realized that God had delivered a Perfect Christmas Angel to Barb & I. I turned on my flashlight and sat up in bed to check on him. Surprise- I saw two little eyes looking back at me. I quickly shut off the flashlight and laid back down hoping he would get more sleep. Too late- he had seen me! About 30 seconds later, I heard a couple more noises (probably Ukrainian words I didn’t recognize), a wiggle- followed by the new words I have learned to revere “Papa, Papa”. So I arose and picked him up and we rocked on the edge of the bed for a few minutes as he rubbed his eyes. I was still a little groggy, but he was awake and ready to go. After a few minutes of racing through the house, we tried to get organized, but we needed to bridle his enthusiasm. Our plans called for us to leave for the airport at 8am.
---
At the breakfast table, Donny ate 2 pieces of bread, drank his milk, but wouldn’t touch the oatmeal. We went to plan B and sliced some grapes in half and he loved those. After that we did manage to get all three of us dressed, the house organized, and everything packed. As it was Christmas morning, Barb had wrapped a few toys in some newspapers off the floor in the lobby. Knowing time was short, and he was not going to grasp the concept of his Savior’s birth in the 20 minutes that remained, we opted to let him open one new toy that he could carry onto the plane. We had wrapped an 8” stuffed Dalmatian puppy that resembled the dog he knew as “woof-woof” in the orphanage playroom. So with some coaxing from mama, papa ran the camcorder as he peeled away the newspaper. He was excited to find his “woof-woof” in the classified section!
---
Ostap came in the taxi a little after 8am. All the cars in the
---
Donny became a traveler today. Yesterday he had left the only home he had ever known. Today he flew out of the only city he has ever seen. The flight was 65 minutes and he did great! We had 3 seats with him in the middle one. He read his books, ate cookies, drank from his sippy cup, and rearranged the in-flight magazines from the back of all three seats. He never fussed once! About the time the plane started down, he started to settle in for a nap. He never got to sleep until we got into the moving taxi. He slept on Barb’s lap the entire 55 minute drive. About 2pm we arrived in the
---
After supper, Mama cleaned the kitchen and Papa played with his Perfect Christmas present. About 7:20pm, he was off to the bath and he was thrilled. At 7:45 pm out of the bath and into the p.j.s. We began to play some more, but by 8:15pm it was obvious he was exhausted.
---
Tonight he had watched us make his pallet and had probably caught on to the idea. I held him a few minutes, his head hit my shoulder, and his thumb hit his mouth. We walked into the bedroom darkness and I kept talking to him. I laid him down and covered him up and he began his rocking motion from side-to-side. I stood by a minute and then went to the hallway. He cried for about 30 seconds then fell to sleep quickly.
---
About 10pm here- 2pm in
---
It has been an awesome Christmas! As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we also glory in the gift he has given us through our son, little Donald William.
---
Friday, December 26, 2008
We began this day with a busy AM schedule. Our goal is to leave the apartment at 8am for the U.S. Medical Clinic. A medical exam by these doctors, and paperwork completed by them, is necessary to secure the travel visa that we will need from the U.S. Embassy to bring Donny to
---
During the night Barb went to the other bedroom to cough and hack through her sinus experience. I got up at 6am and after visiting with her it was obvious she was out this morning. So I dressed and readied myself then went to the kitchen to prep Donny’s breakfast. We caught on yesterday to the fact that he favors soft foods. This morning’s menu consisted of scrambled eggs and rice mixed with diced fresh bananas (his favorite fruit). I then awoke Donny at 6:50am and he awoke quickly and was ready to play in about 5 minutes. He was disturbed because he couldn’t find Mama. So on the way to the kitchen, we went to the second bedroom to check on her. It was evident this was going to be a father/son morning.
---
So he loved breakfast. The soft scrambled eggs and bananas in the rice were a terrific hit that we will probably repeat tomorrow. I was so relieved that he was a big eater this morning. Then I changed the wet diaper and got him dressed to head to the medical clinic for his travel exam. Papa was gleaming that our morning seemed to be a great success as we waited for the taxi to arrive. Just before Galya called at 8am, I walked by Donny and noticed a horrific fragrance. I asked him if he had found a dead bloated skunk in the room or if that was a belated Christmas package he had for me. I almost woke Barb because I knew I had to hurry, but decided to go it alone. As I laid him down and readied supplies, Galya called and they were pulling up outside. I told her my scenario and promised I’d hurry. She laughed.
It was terrible- I pulled it together after a couple of dry heaves and got him changed and redressed. Then we sat on the edge of the bed and made a verbal agreement that if he wanted me to pay for college, these moments needed to occur on his mother’s watch from now on. I think he understood. I’m sure we will find out soon enough.
---
We exited at 8:05 am for a 1hour drive to the clinic. The traffic was a nightmare and we didn’t arrive until 9:45 am. Things really went smoothly at the clinic. By 10:15 am we were called into the doctor’s office. While Donny was very anxious, and shed a few crocodile tears, I was very pleased to learn that all of his immunizations were current and that there would be no need to see a needle today. We were out of the office by 10:45am, our reports were typed and we were done by 11:30 am. A clean bill of health was an answer to prayer. While at the clinic my facilitator and I were able to ask the doctor about a sinus medication equal to the Sudafed Barb uses in
---
Fresh fruit had been a staple in his diet at the orphanage. So for a quick lunch we began by dicing a ¼ of a fresh pear, peanut butter on bread and a few leftover scrambled eggs. He ate almost all of this plus another ¼ of the pear. Great!!
---
He played great, but by 2:30pm it was clear he didn’t nap enough. I left for the grocery store to locate more food for the pantry and more Kleenex for Barb’s nose. While I was gone, Barb laid Donny down at 2:45pm. When I returned, I browned some hamburger, boiled a roast, and prepped some other items in advance to our next few meals. By now Barb’s drugs had kicked in and she lay down.
---
By 5:30pm I had finished supper and was able to monitor Donny in the playroom. So I went into his bedroom and awoke him from his long slumber. His noise level soon awoke Barb too. By 6:30pm we were all ready for dinner. While organizing the kitchen this afternoon, I discovered a low, flat bowl that I thought would work great for Donny to eat from (things seem to slide off his plate before). He ate macaroni with hamburger and sauce like he had never seen it before- I’m sure he hadn’t. We also had peas and carrots, and then the jell-o appeared last. He ate plenty and he loved peas just like his Papa (Mama always says they’re too mushy). This was a real answer to prayer because we were concerned that we weren’t finding enough foods that he would eat. If he was going to be a picky eater, we hated to see him on Gerber meat sticks as he graduated high school.
---
After more play, it was bath time at 7:30pm. He is now professional water splashier and as soon as Barb started filling the tub he got excited with anticipation. I believe soon he will learn to take his own clothes off just so he can get in the water faster. We dipped the little prune out of the remaining water around 8pm. We were a little concerned to see a slight rash developing on Donny’s back tonight. We are praying that it is just a reaction to a new shirt. With the long, late nap he had, we intended to let him stay up later. But by 8:30pm he was rubbing his eyes and beginning to take up sleepwalking. Barb laid him down and he went to sleep pretty easily. Last night he got a great night sleep- tonight we are aiming for all three of us to get a good rest.
---
So one last hurdle now remains in this adoption journey. Monday morning we will be at the U.S. Embassy to complete and submit paperwork for Donny’s travel visa to the
---
Saturday & Sunday will be a great chance to continue our bonding time with Donny. We also plan to do a little sight seeing with our tour guide, the Ukrainian Queen, Galya. It’s hard to believe that next Tuesday will be our fifth week here on this adoption Odyssey. It seems like we have been away from family and friends forever. Yet, at the same time, we are amazed how God has worked through situations, opened doors, and really blessed us with great facilitators to make this process happen as fast as possible. Most incredible of all, is the little man sound asleep in the other room at this hour. We can’t wait to introduce him to you, continue to raise him in our Christian home, and someday let him pick the perfect nursing home for us.
---
Your prayers have been a big part of our success as well and we are so appreciative of the modern technology that we have been able to take advantage of. This internet highway that Al Gore invented has been terrific to remain in contact with you. Your e-mails are the highlight of many of our days.
---
We will try to keep you informed over the next few days, but we don’t expect any breaking news until our embassy trip on Monday. So for now, we wish you a great weekend and pray that your family is as happy as ours.
---
Ending the year in
Darrin, Sinus Woman, and
