A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 4)

Our trip to Ukraine was a whirlwind and you can tell by the limited posts during our time there!

Though we didn't know it when we committed to adopt her, Alina's region is traditionally a very "fast" region.  We met her on a Monday and had court that same Friday.  We were at the orphanage for such a short time, and with two visits daily plus spotty internet connections, it was hard to post much on our blog.  

So here's a re-cap (with additional details, pics and video) of the bulk of our visits with Alina (be forewarned...it is the motherload post on our adoption, with more information, pictures and video than any other post on either of our blogs!):

Day 2 

We arrived to find Alina in the same green dress from the day before, but with new tights :).  

(As an aside, Alina was always clean when we visited her, but she did wear that dress a majority of the time we were there.  It was their "good dress" for the groupa, and the zipper was broken and the inside layer was all torn up.  Someone had sewn two new--different--buttons to hold the dress closed at the top in the back.  That dress means the world to us. It is covered in memories of meeting our daughter and carries within it the significance of her life before that day.  So, we bought two new "dressy" dresses of the same size and asked if we could trade them for the green dress.  Her nannies let us take it home with us. It is the only thing we have from her childhood.)

Alina was happy to see us that second day.  She was still very reserved--and seemed unsure of what was going on and who we were--but was somewhat interested in us anyway and very interested in what we'd brought along (toys and yogurt).   

We were not as ambivalent about her :).  She blew us away.

In love, in awe

Alina, hairdresser

(She was very gentle & sweet, though my hair

did not look particularly great when she was done.)

A sweet moment sitting with Alina 

while she ate her yogurt...

until she turned and stuck the spoon in my mouth

without warning :).  I got over it :)!

Alina with empty yogurt container

Listen to Chris talking about her...

so much love already.

In all the excitement of packing up to go and see Alina after lunch that day, I left the memory card for my camera sitting in our laptop.  Chris took pictures and video with his Blackberry that afternoon, and that is what you see below:

The Music Room,
the setting for the video below:

Playing in the Music Room - afternoon of Day 2

(Please excuse me hiking up my jeans...

I haven't figured out how to edit my videos!)

Light fixtures in Music Room

(We thought they were pretty!)

Day 3

Adoption blog posts with additional details:  morning visit, afternoon visit

Alina came out wearing...the same green dress :) on day 3.  Our morning visit was very relaxed.  We played, and then one of the nannies brought Alina's lunch out to the little table in the locker/hallway area.  We were thrilled to get to see her eat.

People have asked what she was eating in this series of pictures and video. Though it looks like cherry cobbler, it was actually chicken with apples and shredded, pickled beets. She also had a slice of whole grain bread, chicken broth and warm apple juice. All food was served warm at the orphanage, and the children eat with full-sized utensils. Alina's beverages were in an open metal cup (just a few ounces of liquid that she was expected to drink in a few gulps). 

Here is video of one of Alina's nannies helping her to eat. This particular woman really enjoyed Alina and was very talkative with us. She knew just a small amount of English, but she really wanted to communicate with us. She gave us some very important information about Alina: "Alina clever. Alina messy." She couldn't have been more on target.

We laugh now, knowing her. We are sure some of her nannies miss her, but they are probably laughing, too ;).

We went outside during the afternoon visit that day, and had a special treat when some of the other kids from the groupa came into the locker room with us to get ready to go outside. The little girl in the gold coat in the video below is the one I referred to here:  

The little girl who has the pair of shoes we brought is the most adorable little creature. I would scoop her up in a minute. She really likes Alina. She pats her cheeks and kisses her forehead as she says, "Lina!!" with a big smile. She looks out for Alina, too. When another child grabbed a book from Alina, she came over, took it and handed it back to Alina. She said, "no, Alina's" to the other child. It was so incredibly sweet. Chris and I were teary watching the interaction.

I have sent her picture to several people and have tried to find out her name, or anything about her...but have had no luck :(.  Tell me she is not the cutest.thing.ever.  (And don't worry, no children were harmed in the filming of this clip--even though I could not get a very tiny hat over one little girls large hair accessories!)...

Alina's groupa getting ready to go outside.

The little girl in the gold coat is the one

who took care of Alina.  

Alina's friend

Day 4 

We spent our morning visit outside on the playground.  We took Alina into one of the large metal play structures (a truck) and cuddled her in while we talked quietly.  She seemed sleepy and particularly content being close to us.  She had settled in substantially by this point in our visits...which is perfect, because we found out that afternoon that we'd be in court to make her officially ours the following day.

Our blue-eyed girl...

sleepy after snuggling with Daddy outside.

This picture is for Jodi and Faith ;).

Check out Alina's hat and tights under

the pants.  It was about 60 degrees that afternoon!

That afternoon we arrived to discover that we were loading up in a cab and going to get Alina's passport picture taken :).  She was quiet and held on to that large Evian bottle the whole time we were out.  We are not sure if she had been in a car before.  She was comforted by us, and was on her best behavior.  I am sure her little mind was racing.  She had no idea what to do in front of the camera, and the man taking the picture didn't try at all to get her to smile.  Her passport picture is hilarious.  It looks like something from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.  The little sweater they'd dressed her in that day made her eyes look bluer than blue.  She was soft and squishy and sweet-smelling.  And look at how cute she was...

Other images from our time at Solnishko:

Next up:  COURT

Loving Alina, Forever Ours

One year ago today, Chris and I stood in a tiny courtroom in Ukraine as we petitioned to adopt a little girl abandoned at birth because she has Down syndrome. 

We knew in our hearts she was meant to be ours, and crossed the ocean for her. 

Today we celebrate Alina Caroline, our little cherry blossom, who officially joined our family on April 16, 2010.

**I have two more posts planned for today, one with pictures and video from Days 2, 3 and 4 at the orphanage, and another with more details from court and day 5 in region.  Check back later for those if you are interested :)...

A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 3)

First Evening Visiting Hours (Getting to Know Alina)

After spending the better part of the day running all over town, we were able to go back to the orphanage and spend a full two hours (4-6 p.m.) getting to know Alina.

We walked in the main doors to her building, through the music room and up the stairs to her groupa's quarters.  The building was very quiet, and we didn't see anyone on our way upstairs. Alina's room was next to an office of some sort, which looked like it was rarely used, and there were no other rooms in her wing. (Before we traveled, we imagined we'd see lots of other children at the orphanage.  We wondered if we would recognize other kids listed on Reece's Rainbow.  As we made our way up to Alina's room that first day, we began to realize that it was highly unlikely we'd just stumble on other children, unless they were outdoors when we were.)

We carefully retraced our steps from our earlier (and very hurried) visit, rang the buzzer for Alina's room and the door quickly opened.  We presented a small piece of paper, a handwritten "pass" from the director--our permission to visit Alina's room--to the woman who answered the door.  She wasn't standing in front of the door when it opened, but rather beside it on the inside of the room, so it appeared as though the door had opened by itself.  She was standing quietly in the front of the hallway between the groupa's lockers and the main room in Alina's living quarters.  She took the piece of paper, nodded her head and briskly headed back into the room to get Alina.  She shut the door behind her.

Chris and I were left standing alone in the small entry way, wondering what the program would be, and anxiously waiting to see our little girl.  I don't know if it was out of reverence or fear ;), but we were silent, expressing our curiosity and excitement through expressions and gestures only.  

After a few minutes, the door opened.  We could hear a lot of hustle and bustle in the room.  Some of the children and nannies were talking and laughing.  It also sounded like there was some scolding going on.  There was a lot of activity in the room, but when the door was closed, you could not hear most of it.  (That might explain why the orphanage always seemed so quiet.  You would never guess that a few hundred children are living in the orphanage complex at any one time.  All of the groupas are separated from one another, behind closed doors.)

When Alina appeared at the door, she was by herself.  One of the nannies was a few feet behind her, telling her to go out and see mama and papa.  We don't know if she understood exactly what was going on, but she was definitely following orders.  She started out the doorway, then began to turn back.  She was whimpering.  The nanny pushed her along with a sweeping motion to the backside and some verbal encouragement or further directions (we are not sure which). 

Alina gave in to the requests and came out to see us.  We were very quiet with her, and let her have her space.  She was alternating between smiling and whimpering.  She was so sweet.  We could tell she was confused.  But in typical Alina fashion, she chose to make the best of the situation.  

She explored every nook and cranny of the locker room area.  We watched and laughed and smiled.  Chris patted the little bench next to him (we all sat on toddler-sized chairs and benches--the only furniture that was in the area we used for our visits) and Alina came over and sat down.  I pulled out the bag I'd filled with little toys for her, and she was immediately interested.  

The first thing we showed her was "her" book--a little photo album with plastic pages, filled with pictures of our family and our house.  She LOVED it.  She grabbed it and turned the pages.  She studied it.  She was completely taken with the picture of Bridget.  She kept opening to that page and pointing to it.  We were in awe, and realized right then that our new little girl was very different from the lost child we had seen in her profile picture.

She did not want to put the photo book down, but wanted to see all of the other toys we brought.  So she grabbed whatever she could at once.  She knew what to do with the books, the finger puppets, the play dishes, the purse, the bracelet, the ball, the phone.  She was very excited, and she kept trying to take the items back to the door to show her groupa.  The door to her room was open, so she would stand in the doorway waving the item and trying to get someone to look out.  Read more here.  Here are a few pictures and some video of Alina in action that first night:

A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 2)

**Okay, so Blogger chose to eat two posts I drafted, but hadn't yet posted about our time in Ukraine and meeting Alina.  So sorry for the delay on my "Look Back"!  For anyone who is watching closely, I owe you a post on our stay in Kiev before leaving for Alina's region.  I'm not sure when I will squeeze that in, but I'll try to do that, as well as to fill in more details of our time at the orphanage.  But first, there's an important milestone to discuss ;)...

One year ago today, we met our newest daughter.  

We arrived in her hometown just after 6 a.m. on April 12, 2010 after taking the overnight train from Kiev.

We hit the ground running, literally chasing our facilitator, Marina (who was wearing metallic gold tennis shoes--which you can see in the above picture if you look closely--and which should have clued me in to the fact that we'd be moving at a ridiculously fast pace whenever we were with her).

We sped to our hotel, dropped off our bags, slammed down a quick breakfast and had a few minutes to freshen up before leaving again for a marathon day of paper-chasing and signature-gathering, which included trips to and from the orphanage, hotel, and various government buildings.  

Our first (brief) stop was at the social worker's office to get permission to visit Alina. I remember Marina asking, Do you think this will be a "yes"?  Do you think you will want to adopt this little girl?  We both shook our heads (yes) and smiled. 

We then went straight to the orphanage, stopped in the front office to let them know we had arrived and for Marina to get the official paperwork necessary for us to visit Alina's room. 

Entrance to Alina's Building

Entry Hall/Lockers for Alina's Groupa

I wrote about our meeting (find the rest of the post here):  

Before we knew it, we were climbing the staircase to her groupa's room. We {Chris and I} were both a little dazed and confused at that point. We had been planning the meeting for months, and it seems like we have waited so long to finally travel. But as soon as we boarded the plane out of the States, everything began moving in fast forward.

As we rang the bell outside the door to Alina's room, our translator realized which room she was in--she said, "This is very good news. The children in this groupa are all typically developing!" We were surprised by this and elated. It means that someone sees her abilities and her potential. It also means that her delays are not as significant as they could be, given her diagnosis. 

We were greeted by an older woman--speaking Russian, of course, so I have no idea what she actually said, but our translator told us we should wait in the small room just inside the door where the children have their little lockers.

I had just looked at Chris and squeezed his hand, "This is it. We are going to meet our little girl" and then we heard her coming--clip, clip, clip. A moment later, we saw our little blondie heading toward us. One of the caregivers was standing in the doorway behind her, encouraging her to move along--she said, "Alina, mama...papa" and sent her on her way. Alina was all dressed up, with a bow in her hair. I put my hand to my mouth. "It's her. Oh my...here she is...Priv-yet, Alina (Hello, Alina)!!"

She came down the small hallway by herself, whimpering a little as she made her way to us. She seemed apprehensive, but she was really, really cute. We looked at each other with tears in our eyes. It was a moment neither of us will ever forget.

We saw some very neat things in Kiev, but the real show was here, in the middle of Ukraine, when a little girl with Down syndrome walked down a dark hallway and right into our life.

You can hear me whispering "Ya t'voya mama"...I am your mama...which Alina ignores while listening instead to Marina's phone ringing ;).

"Rod Stewart Pineapple/Orphanage Haircut",
Big Bow and the Blackberry

After less than fifteen minutes, we were asked whether we would like to accept Alina's referral or not (to which we answered, YES, of course we want her!), and were off once again...this time to file our paperwork to request a court date.  

We spent the rest of the day driving around town, gathering more signatures and paperwork, and finished right before evening visiting hours.  We were able to spend two hours getting to know Alina that night (which I will write more about in my next post).  

We came home, both elated and exhausted--but wanting very much to share our exciting day with family and friends--to find that we had no internet access.  Chris was able to get his Blackberry to work, and quickly typed this:  

From dad....

Today was simply an amazing gift of a day! I've seen all 5 of my children born and today I just saw my 6th. It may have been a bit different, but it felt the same. This time my little girl came running around the corner and just stole my heart in the same way each of my children did the day they were delivered into this world. I'll leave the exciting details to Lisa, but I have learned many years ago to 100% trust my wife's instincts. With our little Alina, Lisa is still batting 1000! Alina is happy, healthy, loving, funny, playful, and already an important part of the Peele family. Lisa was 100% correct that day she told me "that terrible picture just doesn't show who that little girl is or who she could become".

I was eventually able to post late that night. Below is just a little part. 
Click here to read the original post...

Please be patient with us...we are trying to get information and pictures out little by little :).We already have over 100 pictures of Alina! We saw her briefly this morning (green dress) before we completed A LOT of paperwork. We were able to go back and spend two hours with her this evening.

I have details to share tomorrow, but what I can say briefly is that we met a little girl today who melted our hearts. We met a little girl who is full of potential. She is busy, and sharp, and curious and adorable.  

This is the first picture of us with her, taken by our facilitator, Marina:

First Meeting

Chris took this picture shortly thereafter:

Alina trying to hide look under the curtain, me trying to interest her in a toy :)

Still trying to talk to Alina.  Meanwhile, she's trying to escape with Daddy's Blackberry :)

Daddy trying to get his phone back!

I did get to grab her for a quick hug...and look...she's smiling!

She came out with green ointment on her forehead. 

(It is what they use on cuts and scrapes)

Check back for Part II of Meeting Alina...

7 Day Blitz Winners

552 contributors.

1960 raffle tickets.

$19,809.01 raised.

thank you.

thank you.

thank you.

and now.
for our prize winners.

:::

Canon EOS Rebel XS Digital SLR camera

or

$500 gift certificate to B&H Photo

 and

a lifetime membership to ClickinMoms.

Sheri Holthe

:::

Cirque

by Lisa Tarkett Reed

Nancy Stinnett

:::

Custom blog makeover (by Bethany)

Rebekah Pett

:::

UltraHD Flip video camera

Amy Conner

:::

Organic Bloom Frame

by Lindsey Smith Photography

Maria Yakkey

:::

Schmetterlingszauber

autographed by Conny Wenk

Leslie Echols

:::

(3) handmade hats

#1 Carla Skelton

#2 Glenda Howze

#3 Marlene Prange

:::

$50 gift certificate to Uppercase Living 

Jason Sheehy

:::

Hand crafted jewelry (various)

Anna Albano

Shylo Ulcak

Robert Micek

Rachel Thornberry

Carla Skelton

Kara Dickman

David Graves

Kimberly Giesting

Allen Parrish

Leah Neff

Shane Culver

Holly Caufield

Stephanie Dalby

Robert McPherson

:::

Signing Time full collection

autographed and donated by Rachel Coleman

Jocelyn Gilbert

:::

winners... congratulations!

and once again.

thank you!

thank you!

thank you!

Blitz for Kirill & Archie--Two Days Left

Because of all of you, the Davis Family ChipIn for Kirill has reached its goal. Tesney Davis has asked us to use the remainder of the fundraiser to spread Kirill’s legacy and help another child with Down syndrome become an orphan no more...specifically, Archie.  So we've opened up a ChipIn for Archie and his family. It almost over, and there's still about $5,000 left to raise.  If Kirill's story moves you, please give to help Archie come home, and help us spread the love even further.

See the original post on Bethany's blog for details :). Prizes are the same, rules are the same. This is one continuous fundraiser and it ends tomorrow.  THANK YOU!!

Serious Love.

Serious, serious love going on out there for Kirill and family. Over 400 contributors have taken part in the giving--and thousands more have shared Kirill's story. Hearts moved because of one little boy and his faithful, sweet family. 

There are still 4 days left in the 7 Day Blitz for Kirill. More amazing prizes have been added to the effort, and word continues to spread like wildfire. Let's keep this thing rolling!

Because of all of you, the ChipIn has reached its goal. Tesney Davis has asked us to help continue Kirill’s legacy and help another child with Down syndrome become an orphan no more.

Wait until you hear the story about the child/family she's asking us to help.

Please head over to Bethany's blog and read this post: Coming Full Circle. {Tissue warning}...Watching this story unfold will take your breath away. What's going on here is inspiring, beautiful, amazing beyond words.

With that said, we are moving into the 4 day blitz for Archie :). Prizes are the same, rules are the same. This is one continuous fundraiser.

A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 1)

On this day last year, Chris and I were in transit between the United States and Ukraine, as we set out on our Adventure of a Lifetime. 

Chris, the more adventurous one of the two of us, was loving life.  I was already exhausted, and after days of intense travel preparations plus an awful flight from Chicago to Munich, spent 4 hours sleeping on an airport bench while clutching my purse.

MacGuyver Chris spent our layover in Germany trying to figure out how to get our phones or an internet connection to work so we could let our facilitators know that we missed one of our connecting flights and would be arriving in Kiev later than we'd planned.

Independence Square, Downtown Kiev

We made it into Kiev very late at night on April 7th, 2010 after leaving the States in the afternoon of April 5th.  

Nevertheless, we made it, and I plan on sharing some of the details of our time there.

I know that many people enjoy following adoptions, so here are a few families who will be making the same trip we did, and meeting their children soon: 

Local friends--The Archers (Shelly was Sara's third grade teacher)--leave this weekend to go get their daughter (Sarah, known on RR as "Jessie"). Please follow their journey here.

Blogging friends--The Whites--are returning to Ukraine after adopting three children last year, and have their SDA appointment the same day as the Archers to begin their process of adopting two more little ones (Johanna Cait & Cole, known on RR as "Leesia" and "Nick"). Follow their journey here.

Blogging friends--The Cox family--adopting Kareen--already have one biological daughter with Down syndrome (Bree) and are heading overseas soon for Kareen. They are just waiting for their travel date.