Pictures Galore

I think it is safe to say that Masha is no longer afraid of the tub.




Santa is one lucky dude.




Masha making waffles...




Who knew reflux could be this cute?




The purple snow queen... hates snow.




She would much rather stay inside and paint.




And party...




Static fun in Masha’s new tent...




Yeah, baby, now that’s a stocking!




My Christmas doll...




It’s just what I always wanted...




Double trouble in Kimani’s crib




It doesn’t matter how many times I tell her “ma-linky” (which is what those Ukrainian sales ladies said to me everytime I picked up a cute shirt or a pair of skinny jeans.)




My cutie-pie...




Masha feeding her baby doll...




Decorating the Christmas tree...




Forget it sweetie, you will never fit in Autumn’s onesies.




Nothing beats laughter...

Almost "Gotcha"

If you were to do the math, you would realize that our ten day waiting period ended on Saturday, September 18. This means we could have picked the girls up from the orphanage on Monday the 20th, but we didn’t.

Most families are chomping at the bit to take their children out, and we too were looking forward to it. But the doctors, facilitator, and even our translator asked us to please wait for Autumn’s sake. Autumn is only two months out from her major heart reconstruction and although she is doing very well, she has never really been exposed to germs...

When I hold this tiny baby, I can see what my Kimani might have been like if not for the meningitis that robbed her of so much of her vision. Autumn stares right into my eyes with all her fragility and innocence.



There are many times when I second guess and play “what if” about the decisions we made with Kimani when she was in the hospital. In so many ways the situation was similar. It was like she was stuck in prison and we ached to bring her home. Maybe if we had not been so impatient to bring her home, we would not have agreed to a feeding tube... the tube that eventually led to her contracting bacterial meningitis.

Anyway, just so you know, I don’t stop the game there and wallow in sorrow and guilt... I always play it out to the end... when two years ago today she underwent the double heart surgery that saved her life. Without the weeks of being sick, she would not have had those two surgeries in the same day, and who knows what the outcome would have been for her if her aorta had been cut apart two months earlier, and her heart operated on four months later.

I tell you this just so that you can understand why I would let Masha and Autumn spend an extra week in an orphanage, rather than in my arms in the heart of Kyiv. I was afraid that Autumn would get sick, really sick, life-changing sick.

Yesterday was gotcha day. We were so excited. We brought their beautiful dresses with us to the orphanage. Five minutes from Vorzel, our facilitator got a phone call... Autumn is in the hospital. We continued to the orphanage and after many conversations with the staff and the hospital, we found out that she has cold-like symptoms and a fever. She will not be released before Monday.

Part of me thinks that maybe they are just being overly cautious, but the other part thinks they don’t take babies from the orphanage to the hospital for a just a cold. We are trying to get permission to visit her. I feel like if I can see her I will be able to tell how serious it is.

Please pray for Autumn that this is something that she will beat in a couple days.

Smooching with daddy (video)

Just Pictures Today

I know I have been slacking on eye candy, so here you go...



A Masha smile...



A Peach smile (or rather toothless grin)











Loved this hat so much I bought one for each of my girls









Peach and Auntie Belinda





Soon Masha, soon...

Updates and Pics

I thought I should post an update about our actual progress here (or rather lack there of).

As you know our SDA appointment was August 19. For those of you not versed in Ukrainian adoptions, that was the formal “referral” appointment where they “show” us the child they are offering us and we agree to go meet them. They draw up papers and the next day they are available for the facilitator to give to the orphanage where the child resides. This is basically legal permission to go visit the child.

At our SDA appointment we learned that we need two appointments because the girls are not sibs. The second appt has not happened yet, nor is it scheduled as far as I know. Also we learned that Masha’s (Mallory’s) paperwork was not correctly done and her mother would need to get some things redone. We have not heard anything about how that is going.

We were able to meet both of the girls and, aside from the day the inspectors were at the orphanage, we can visit them whenever we want (during visiting hours). We are supposed to have a formal sit down with the doctor in each of our girls’ groupa houses. So far neither date has happened. We have tried twice with each but for various reasons it didn’t work out. We will try again on Wednesday the 1st.

Interpol, Interpol, Interpol, please hurry up. Right now Interpol is the hold up. Part of an international adoption requires being cleared by Interpol (yeah, that cool European version of the FBI that you always see in the movies). We cannot go to court without Interpol clearance. We were told that since ours is not ready, court will be set for September 8 in the hopes that it will be here by then. I am hoping for some miracle where it appears on Monday and they squeeze us in this Wed or Thurs.

Ok, so the judge agreed to waive the ten days. Wooo hooo, right? Well the next agency in line will not agree to honor her decision and will wait the ten days out before they will begin their part. OMG, seriously!?! That puts us at the 18th, which is a Saturday, so really we are looking at Monday the 20th to apply for the tax code. The tax code, yup, whatever it is, it takes about 5 days to get... and you need it in order to get the passports.

Monday the 27th we will be able to go for passports and whatever else is left to wrap up. That takes a couple days... Then beautiful Nadya smiles at us and says that this is of course the worst case scenario she has described to us.

Eye on the prize, eyes on the prizes...







Peach’s foot is the size of a newborn’s





Masha was very happy to see mama



She loved the little mirror compact we brought for her



Wish I felt this way about my reflection!



Let’s play telephone...

Beautiful Girls

For months there was just a picture, or two. A split second frozen digitally... that is all we knew of two little girls who waited across the world for us to come for them. I wondered what would they feel like, what would they smell like, what would their voices sound like, their coos, their cries...

Today I found out.

We went to Peach’s house first. When they brought her into the room and I saw her, the tears came. The nurse gave her to me and it felt just like when they place your newborn in your arms. She is tiny but very solid and strong. She held her head up and looked me in the eye with such focus. She is so amazing. I feel privileged that someone would give her to me to keep.

Within minutes she proved to be a daddy’s girl. It was true love as soon as she discovered her papa’s beard. She kept reaching for it, digging into it. Even when he handed her back to me, she looked for him and reached out toward him.
Then she was whisked away and we were escorted out the door. A very short drive later we arrived at the gate of baby house 5.

After a moment of waiting, a troop of children shepherded by ladies on each side came around the side of the building. The leader, a little guy with blondish hair lit up when he saw us. He ran to me and jumped up into my arms... Awww. I gave him hugs and kisses and then put him back on the step. A second later it was Masha’s turn. She gave me a great big smile and let me lift her up. She was laughing and enjoying the attention... until I tried to give her to daddy. At that point she grabbed on to me and refused to be given away or put down.



She tired of me fairly quickly and indicated that she wanted to get down. When I let her go, she ran over the to swingset for a few minutes of swinging. From there she hopped on a stroller tricycle and rode it down the sidewalk to the gate. At the gate she got off the toy and banged on the gate. She said something to me and then said “Vroom vroom”. I told her that yes, soon I would take her away in the car and bring her home.



The lunch cart came and we were told that Masha would follow it because she likes to be first in line. She went to it, peeked under the blanket at the jugs and pots, and then ran back to me. The groupas told her it was lunchtime and called her in but she climbed into a stroller instead. She started strapping herself in so they told us we could take her for a ride in it around the grounds. Next she let herself into the play area and took out a baby doll stroller which she proceeded to push down the walkway. I put her new doll in it and she promptly tossed her out into the grass, lol.

When it was time to leave, there were no goodbyes. A nanny came and swooped Masha up off the sidewalk and took her inside. She started to scream and cry and I could not look back.

There is so much more to tell but I know that it will take me some time to process it all and do it justice. So for now I will leave you with more Peach pictures...