Not end of our story, but the beginning of another…

 

Two years ago, Larry and I were informed on a Sunday that we needed to be in Ukraine, by that Wednesday, so we that we could have the last appointment day of the National Adoption Center in Kyiv, before they closed their doors to forever.

 

On March 28, 2006, we departed Ohio for Kyiv, Ukraine with less than 48 hours to pack, prepare, and pray.  Here is a link to that day: Surprise- We are on our way

 

This space was for the story of my daughter’s journey home.

 

Our journey to our beautiful daughter began two years ago today.  She has now been home almost two years.  It is time to begin anew. This Space will remain open and will be for adoption- oriented information.  I hope you will find it a great resource.  I hope to provide much more information to the adoption community, specifically on this space.

 

I have a NEW blog for all my family and friends and blogger pals, that want to continue hanging out with my family. Come on over and say hello and let me know what you think!  I would love to hear who has been reading over these last two years!  This is your chance for everyone to say hello!

 

Welcome to the Cabbage Patch Kidz

 

http://thecabbagepatchkids.blogspot.com/

 

Hope to see you there!!!

 

Leanna, Larry, Vitaly, Nikolai and Oksana~

I have fallen a bit behind on the blog.  It has been a busy time.  Saturday we celebrated Larry's birthday. 

 

I also celebrated a 5 pound weight loss  that is for one month but that is cool for me. 5 x 12 is 60.   A little bit extreme for me (not reaching for the 60 goal)  but you gotta like 5 pounds!

 

Sunday we celebrated Easter.  We had a great time with our family, even with the tons of mud.  The week before it rained for about 30 hours straight to offset the 30 hours of snow a week before.  Needless to say, our backyard was turned into a swimming pool!

 

Monday March 25, we celebrated the birth of our beautiful son Nikolai.  I wonder if somewhere in Ukraine a mother grieved having to say good-bye to her fourth bio child.

Does she remember?  Does she care?

 

The only thing that really matters is that he is now my son.  He has celebrated every birthday from 2-7 with us.  I am sad I missed his actual day born into this world and his first birthday, but that was nothing we could control.   Now, I can control it and every birthday will be his day as long as I am here.  So he had some options and picked the Columbus Ohio Science Institute (COSI).  The kids loved it!

 

We have some pictures to celebrate the life of Nikolai and the month of March!

Okay this made me laugh so hard.  I just had to share... 

(the bunny named Herman even has his own my space http://www.myspace.com/53313018)

 

NOW, this is a real EASTER BUNNY !!

He weighs in at 22 pounds and measures a little over 3 feet .. he is a breed

of rabbit called german giant (how appropriate!). This is his owner, Hans Wagner,

struggling to hold him up. from the NY Post article:

We don't feed him an unusual diet said Wagner. He goes through

more than his brothers and sisters, but he eats the same food mix.

His favorite food is actually lettuce. He can never get enough of it.

LOOK AT THOSE FEET!

The temperature is now in the mid fifties and the snow is almost all gone!  Spring must be close behind because as I was returning home, with Nik, we looked over in a field and I saw what I thought was a cat.  It was looking at me and I stopped and told Nik to look.  It was a little red fox!  Pretty cool!

 

I am off work today.  I have to take the day off to review and plan for V's IEP or Individualized Education Plan.  My sister who is an intervention specialist is going to look everything over, before we go to the meeting.  V is not having a good school year.  He needs some major rewrites to his plan.   He doesn't like school.  He doesn't like to do the work.  He doesn' get the concepts.  His regular classroom teacher doesn't care.   It is all a mess.  Hopefully, we can get him what he needs to improve his education.  Otherwise, he will fall further and further behind. 

We are in the midst of a two day blizzard!  It started snowing yesterday around 9:00 am and hasn't stopped yet!  The boys are in sledding heaven.  They went last night and are out again today!  We have close to a foot of snow.  That's a lot for central Ohio.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080309/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather

 

Before it started yesterday I was taking the kids to the sitter's.  V asked me if his school was on a two hour delay.  I told him no, but they would probably have an earlier dismissal because of the snow, that was coming.

 

Nikolai proudly exclaimed, "Oh they are going to have a snowmissal!"    The things kids say

 

And there are pictures of the snow and of Nik losing his first tooth.

 

 

It is so heartbreaking, when a family tries to adopt from Ukraine and goes there with high hopes, and instead comes home childless.

Ukraine is filled with thousands of orphaned children.  This family only wanted a child under eight or even siblings that were somewhat healthy.

They saw three children.  All were too sick.  They are coming home.  Childless with broken dreams of their adoption and another orphan will never have a family.

 

I had a PAP that lived nearby and we became adoption pals.  We went to their home and had dinner.  We talked all about her adoption to be and what high hopes she and her husband had to find their daughter.

They went to Ukraine.  They met a little girl.  They felt she was too sick.  They met another.  Again, she was not their daughter.  They left Ukraine.  They couldn't stand the heartbreak anymore.  They never did adopt their daughter.  I talked to her once after that but that was the last time; she told me she was not going to pursue it anymore.  Her heart was broken her dream was shattered and she was out of all of the money she invested. 

 

When we went to adopt Vitaly, we struggled too.  It was when adoptions were still new.  Noone had many problems, but somehow we had gone to two orphanages and seen lots of children, but none were our son.  Some were very ill and others too old.  I thought we were going to leave childless.  I remember crying like I have never cried in my life.  I remember thinking "why me?"  I remember wondering why we were having problems when hundreds of other families were finding their child.  I remember Larry telling me that if the third orphanage didnt work out, then we were just not meant to be parents to children; and we would come home and raise border collies.  (I don't know why that has always stuck with me but it has, it was such a surreal moment).  We finally were shown Vitaly, after our second appointment.   You can read about Vitaly's story in the link to his webpage. 

 

That is the risk with Ukraine and blind adoptions.  You never know why one family is shown a perfect referral and the next family is leaving heartbroken.

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, so maybe I was a bit harsh yesterday.  My best friend let me know today at work.  She said I sounded like Oksana or a three year old, with all of the mine. 

 

"Mine" used to be O's favorite word, but now they are WHY?  and Whatever!  (highlighted in her two favorite colors)

 

Yesterday, it was raining cats and dogs.  Rain makes me moody.  Larry’s dad is in the hospital.  I guess I had a little pity party.

 

I am better today.

 

I am worried about my FIL.  He is elderly and lives alone.  His health is in question at this time.  He went into the hospital on Monday and they have not pinpointed what happened or is happening.   They are requesting he go into a Nursing Home for further recovery, once he leaves the hospital. 

 

I guess we are at that point in our lives, where we may be dealing with a parent that will need more care.  That puts a whole new twist on our lives if that is the case.  Do we have my FIL live with us?  If so, we would have to buy another home, because we do not have a spare bedroom and the boys are already in the same room.  I truly don’t think I want anyone living with me, but I do not want to send someone to a nursing home right away either. 

 

Let’s just pray that he gets better at this point.

Dear Anonymous Comment posters:

 

This is MY blog.  Mine.  Mine. Mine. 

Did you understand it is Mine?

 

It is NOT only an adoption blog.

It is a blog for my family, and a journal of my daughter’s adoption. 

It is for others to read, if they choose.

Maybe you will get some valuable information out of it.  Maybe you will not. 

But, I will post whatever I want, whenever I want, about whomever I want.

 

If you find my information boring, then move on, but frankly posting a comment about it is rude.

 

As a three time adoptive parent in Ukraine, and involved in Ukrainian adoptions for almost eight years- I do have invaluable information I can provide PAPs.  But, that is not what my life revolves around everyday.  I have a LIFE!!

 

To the other (or maybe same) poster, I have worked very hard to succeed in the work place.  I sure wish I could have been a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM), but some people just don’t have that luxury.  I choose to work to provide my children with the basic things they need in life: A home, food, education, health, love and religion.  I choose to work to be able to adopt three children and maybe, more in the future.  That takes money. 

I am not being selfish in taking a position that requires travel.  I am proud of myself for finally achieving a goal, in my career.  My children have a wonderful dad that is very capable of taking care of them, when mommy is away.  I really dislike that people assume working mothers are doing it for their own sake.  That is such a downright lie.

 

 I would love to never work a stinking moment again in my life.  But, I can’t. 

 

So, I guess I will have to turn off the comments section to those that are too cowardly to sign your names.

 

Getting off my soapbox now…. 

 

Now for a happier and kinder message that I prefer to post. Thank you and a BIG HUG to all of the kind and wonderful blog buddies, that leave encouraging and wonderful comments that brighten my days! 

 

You make it all worthwhile!!!!

 My point total was 21  I didn't count the points at all

I was just petrified of the point total each day, so I ate nothing that was pointy

FYI, I ate bad during the weekend but ate core foods during the week

Total loss... For one week no excercise..2.4 lbs

I LOVE it!

Maybe it does work lets check next week!

Has this ever happened to you..

Someone says hi and knows you, but you cannot remember who they are?  Nothing ..nada..nyet?

 

Well at the store today..

 

I was checking out, turned back, and two carts behind me, my eyes contacted with a lady and I saw a smile.  A slight glance of hi in the smile, and I thought familiar, then started to finish my groceries.

 

Then behind me I heard "Hi Leanna"

 

Must have been her.  I knew it wasnt the old people right next to me.  I began to panic, But who was she?

 

I turned and looked, probably a second tooo long and said "hey how are you!"  Explained a quick background of my day and why suddenly in the store then turned back to the cashier.  As if he was the most interesting man ever.

 

Then I turned back to say "see ya."  But I could tell.  I could tell she knew I forgot who she was.   She had the look.   It is driving me crazy.  I feel bad.  She knows I know that I couldn't place her.  She is either mad or sad or wondering what is her problem.  I just couldnt bare to ask her name.  I knew it meant failure to me and her and what ever bond we may have had.

 

See what 40 brought me a big BRAIN FREEZE!!! 

 

Now, I know her face because my mind is racing until I remember...