Day 5
We arrived by train this morning at 7:30. After a crazy afternoon yesterday. We had to find a notary (they're on every corner, but getting one that wants to work on your papers... not an easy thing in Ukraine) and then go to the State Dept and pick up our papers allowing us to travel to the orphanage and see our little one.
Got on the train last night at 7:30 pm (Jenny you will laugh to know that the escalator was broken!) hauled our bags up, up, up stairs to take them down, down, down again and RUN to catch the train. After a little finageling (sp?), Svetlana (our translator) got us a car/cabin together. Let me just say, 1st class train travel is not quite 'business class' on Delta. Pretty bad to say the least, not to mention the potty. But we had fun - ate our pizza and played gin rummy until 10 and then looked at pictures on the computer of the kids until 11. Slept (if you call it that) until 6 and then arrived in Donetsk and were picked up by a 'twinkie' (thats for you Bo!), small yellow Fiat. Imagine 3 American suitcases, 2 packed backpacks and 4 large adults.....The driver that was going to pick us up had car trouble (leaking something all over the parking lot). Not to worry, I guess he fixed his car (smaller than the Fiat but with a Jammin' stereo) and picked us up at the Dept. of Social Services and has been driving us since. First we went to the Orphanage where we talked to a worker about the child, she read his entire folder to us and then we got to go to a large room and see our little Charles (Vladislav Arkhepov). He was very shy and clung to his care giver at first. They think that he was afraid of Jay because he had never seen a man before. He has been in the State's care since he was born. And because I was wearing black and not white, like he is used to. Well, I don't think that was the case because when we went outside and they left us alone, he followed us around and let me carry him around the small area looking at a woodpecker and a cat. We got to stay about 1 hour and then went to another Notary (2.5 hour ordeal, go figure) and then back to the orphanage. When he came out this time he was really happy to see us and even said 'mama' and 'papa' probably at the urging of the caregiver but it still felt wonderful. By the way, Charles (name picked by my husband since I named all the girls :)) will be 3 on February 13th. He feels about 25-27 pounds and is a little shorter than Olivia Mae. He doesn't speak much, probably delayed about 1 year with speech but seems up to speed with motor skills (maybe a little behind US standards). While we were there he did say 'car' since we took some NASCAR gummies. He would not eat in front of us even though I know he was dying to eat them. We now are at the internet cafe and waiting to get into our appartment. We have not had a shower or stopped since this morning so we are both exhausted and mentally fried.
We think that tomorrow our paperwork will begin to be processed for the court date. The good thing is that Svetlana misses her granddaughter a lot, so she is going to push whatever she can so the timeline is shortened. She wants to get back as much as we do.
We will get some pictures and some other things coordinated tonight for posting tomorrow. Best wishes to everyone back home and thank you for your comments, but most importantly for your prayers.
God bless you all,
Jay and Kelley
Got on the train last night at 7:30 pm (Jenny you will laugh to know that the escalator was broken!) hauled our bags up, up, up stairs to take them down, down, down again and RUN to catch the train. After a little finageling (sp?), Svetlana (our translator) got us a car/cabin together. Let me just say, 1st class train travel is not quite 'business class' on Delta. Pretty bad to say the least, not to mention the potty. But we had fun - ate our pizza and played gin rummy until 10 and then looked at pictures on the computer of the kids until 11. Slept (if you call it that) until 6 and then arrived in Donetsk and were picked up by a 'twinkie' (thats for you Bo!), small yellow Fiat. Imagine 3 American suitcases, 2 packed backpacks and 4 large adults.....The driver that was going to pick us up had car trouble (leaking something all over the parking lot). Not to worry, I guess he fixed his car (smaller than the Fiat but with a Jammin' stereo) and picked us up at the Dept. of Social Services and has been driving us since. First we went to the Orphanage where we talked to a worker about the child, she read his entire folder to us and then we got to go to a large room and see our little Charles (Vladislav Arkhepov). He was very shy and clung to his care giver at first. They think that he was afraid of Jay because he had never seen a man before. He has been in the State's care since he was born. And because I was wearing black and not white, like he is used to. Well, I don't think that was the case because when we went outside and they left us alone, he followed us around and let me carry him around the small area looking at a woodpecker and a cat. We got to stay about 1 hour and then went to another Notary (2.5 hour ordeal, go figure) and then back to the orphanage. When he came out this time he was really happy to see us and even said 'mama' and 'papa' probably at the urging of the caregiver but it still felt wonderful. By the way, Charles (name picked by my husband since I named all the girls :)) will be 3 on February 13th. He feels about 25-27 pounds and is a little shorter than Olivia Mae. He doesn't speak much, probably delayed about 1 year with speech but seems up to speed with motor skills (maybe a little behind US standards). While we were there he did say 'car' since we took some NASCAR gummies. He would not eat in front of us even though I know he was dying to eat them. We now are at the internet cafe and waiting to get into our appartment. We have not had a shower or stopped since this morning so we are both exhausted and mentally fried.
We think that tomorrow our paperwork will begin to be processed for the court date. The good thing is that Svetlana misses her granddaughter a lot, so she is going to push whatever she can so the timeline is shortened. She wants to get back as much as we do.
We will get some pictures and some other things coordinated tonight for posting tomorrow. Best wishes to everyone back home and thank you for your comments, but most importantly for your prayers.
God bless you all,
Jay and Kelley
posted by Kelley @ 9:01 AM
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