9/10/06 - We've met her!

Note - we typed what follows on Sunday, but couldn't get it uploaded onto the hotel computer and then to this blog until today:

There is no other way to describe this experience than surreal. In the last 3 days we flew 1/3 the way around the world. We've logged about 8 hours sleep total. We've spent an afternoon in the beautiful European city of Frankfurt where we took a day hotel room to primarily store our luggage because we couldn't sleep. We've flown into the eerie, foggy night of the former Soviet Union, wondering what lay ahead of us as we huddled together on the empty plane, prayed and gazed out at the little lights that dotted the towns far below. We've looked at each other and said, how did we get here, what are we doing, what if, what if, what if? We anticipated having a day and a half to recover from our trip before "show time" Monday morning. Our host had other plans and surprises in store and shared them with us as we left the airport in the pre- morning dawn.

Within three hours of arriving, we are escorted along country roads to an orphanage. We expect to meet with the orphanage doctor first. When we arrive, we walk through concrete covered hallways that are eerily devoid of sound and enter a reception area. Without warning, our host disappears for a moment and returns with a precious baby girl with delicate porcelain features and blue eyes. We are so tired, we can barely register what is happening; it is difficult to recall even now. We fumble and somehow manage to do what comes naturally when presented with such a gift. Michael holds her first; she does not object. She is sleepy at first and lays her head on his shoulder. Not realizing she is just awake from a nap, I wonder if this is the same active child we saw in the video. We are motioned to go to the doctor's office to hear about her medical information. The child goes with us and our host holds her while we sit in front of his desk. We try to display respect and seriously consider the information the doctor provides, but are distracted by the less than serious reactions of the baby, who is responding to the attention of our host. She is now standing and becoming more engaged by the moment.

After the discussion with the doctor, we spend an hour with this little girl. She is nearly 10 months old. She sits up, she crawls, she pulls up and cruises. She loves a butterfly toy that another family brought for the babies and looks for it when it disappears from sight. We feed her in a high chair and I say, with all honesty and no exaggeration, that she eats more at one sitting than either of our children. She consumes an ample bowl (about 1 cup) of cabbage, meat and potatoes mashed together, all while looking for one of us to pop up over the tray of her high chair. She drinks broth from a cup. She is very alert and responsive to sound or activity. She is really into the butterfly - did I say that already - but will not hesitate to respond to us when she is reminded we are there. Understandably she is not used to so much attention. We initiate some games and she catches on to the fact that she will be kissed on the side of the head if she pursues us with her walker. She is animated but quiet, but finally we get her to make some sound as she face plants into Michael's open palms. We are pretty taken with her; she is quite a peach. Our independent doctor arrives on Monday and will give her a thorough physical evaluation and we will tell us we need to know, although I think we already know...
Our hotel is comfortable. We go to a business center to access a computer and the internet on a card purchased from the front desk. We've met two other couples here for the same purpose. It's very enjoyable to spend time with them and hear about their young son, who is in the same baby home. We eat dinner with one couple at another's hotel's restaurant on Saturday night. The food is phenomenal and reasonable. Mike has beef stroganoff with potatoes. I have green salad with goat cheese croutons and baked potatoes stuffed with cheese and vegetables. Even with bottled soda, the bill is less than $25 U.S. Our hotel has a breakfast buffet that is traditionally Russian; cabbage, salad-like items, some pancakes wrapped around jam or curds and yogurt. I wish we brought more food with us like some peanut butter and our cereal but are managing to snack on some things mid-day.

Our main challenge is sleep. We went to bed last night at 10 and woke up before 3. It's 6 now as I'm writing and we will see the baby again at 3. I guess we will continue to nap here and there. I'm going to sign off now and will share more in a day or two.