Rumour has it that we might be adopting again...

Maybe ..

Life is full of surprises.. I already had three...

What are your thoughts? 

Tonight at dinner I decided to say what my children's names would have been if we went with Americanized names.

 

When we first began our adoption in Russia we reearched lots of names for our "only child"

I like non-traditional names and even have a Russian name myself.

 

We decided  to look into actual Russian names.  We decided that if the Russian name fell into a list of names we liked we would not change it.

Our reserve name was Nikolai Allen (Larry's middle name and his mom's maiden name)

 

When we met Vitaly we loved his name.  So we kept it and he became Vitaly Allen.

 

When we went to adopt N, we were again going to decide by the name whether we would change or not.

 

His given name was Konstatine or known as Kostya.  Not an easy name to say, so we decided our first name Nikolai and his given middle name were perfect so he became Nikolai Alexander.

 

Our chosen girl's name was actually to name her after our wonderful facilitator Masha.  We really wanted to dedicate our namesake to her as she is our "gaurdian angel" in our adoptions.  After a long process, we decided to keep her given name for a few factors....

 

First Vitaly's bio mom was named Oksana and she was from Odessa

Oksana was from Odessa so it almost seemed a full circle

Oksana means Xenia as well and we grew up with a Xenia zip code.

Elizabeth has many histories in my family and my grandma's name, so she became Oksana Elizabeth.

 

Tonight we were talking and I said if I had given each one a traditional american name what would it have been?

 

Allen Robert for Vitaly ( my dad's middle name)

Harry Alexander (this is actually what we called Nik at the beginning because he had lots of "hair" and it began to stick)

Elizabeth Susan (and called her Ellie)  (Susan was my mom's name)

 

Anyway it was fun to rehash what if's.

 

If we adopt another girl Larry already has the name picked out....

 

What are your reasons for your names?

 

Leanna

http://thecabbagepatchkids.blogspot.com/

 

 

I am thrilled that some of my blogging friends have summer travel appointments to Ukraine.

 

I traveled in June 2002, here were my observations back THEN:

 

It could be cool some evenings and very warm the next,  bring a jacket or sweater

Shorts were not worn by locals but if that is what you are comfortable in bring them.  You are going to stand out anyway.

Women cannot wear shorts in church so bring a skirt

There is very little air conditioning in regions.  Places you might find it... McDonalds or the superduper grocery market!

We spent many days cooling down in McDonald land

If you stay in an apartment you might need to purchase a fan.  Leave it behind for the owner or next guest

Bring shorts (stressing this for those that get hot).  It doesn't matter in the long run and you will feel much better when it is hot!

Bring summer shoes if that is sandals that walk for miles great!  If it is tennis shoes then that is alright too. 

 Many tennis shoes were for sale and worn in UA in the summer.

Dont bring white clothing.  It will turn a dingy brown from the water.

Plan for some evenings out at the cafes and people watching.

The orphanages will dress the children in fifty layers whether summer or winter, they will expect you to take your baby

out with the same amount of clothes.  We just smiled and jestered and were able to sneak away with shorts and a shirt and no COAT!

Last have fun and enjoy your UA days! 

 

 

 

 

I was sad to read two more families have had their Ukraine adoptions destroyed by the SDA.

 

One family was a fellow Ohio family and I was very excited we would meet after their adoption, but sadly

the SDA destroyed another dream and another child will remain without a family.  http://zimnesfamily.blogspot.com/

 

A second family had waited for their next appointment in the states and now they too have no more hope, as the SDA has

decided against giving them a second appointment.   http://reedukrainejourney.blogspot.com

 

I have seen UA adoptions for over eight years.  This is troubling to me.  Yes the old NAC mentioned no young kids, but just sending

a family home with no child, that makes no sense to a country with thousands of children.

 

Sad day for each family and sadder for a child waiting and wondering if a family will ever come.

Searching

 

I have begun the task of searching for a Birth Parent for two of my childen

I know two out of three of my children's bio moms I may locate but,

unfortunately one will probably never be found

I know one has four siblings

I know one has a twelve year old brother

I know one was the supposed first born

I know one only has a possible name and nothing more

I know two have a paper written by their bio mom with information about who they were and reasons they gave them up

I know one may be a true orphan, left without anything, no information about why, who, what or how,  she just left after giving birth

I don't know what I will find?

But I am beginning, only because I know I would want to know  and so will my children this journey is for them...

 

So would you search? 

 

It was a sunny day in Ukraine and we waited patiently with our facilitator as the Judge decided we were now the parents

of a little girl in Odessa Orphanage Number 3.

 

We had gone to Ukraine to adopt a "special Needs" child with a physical handicap.

 

We knew there were many wonderful children that were mentally fine and only having a physical abnormality.

We were shown many children but the NAC really wanted us to meet a beautiful little girl with blonde hair and blue blue eyes, with a small cleft lip and palate.

 

I was so scared on the 12 hour train ride to Odessa.  How would I react to seeing the little girl?

What if the little girl was worse then we knew?  What if we could not adopt her?

When Oksana came into the Directors office my back was too her.

I heard my husband say "Hi Oksana" and I almost fainted. I said to
myself react the way you are supposed to and it will work out.
Then I slowly turned and there was the most beautiful "SN" child I
had ever seen. Sure she had a small cleft lip but that did not
deter me from the big blue eyes, shy glance and small fingers that
grasped her caregivers hand in sheer fright of these strangers.

I thanked God for giving me the strength to see the heart of the
child and the shell that just needed a little mending. At that
moment I knew that perhaps my soul needed a little mending as well.
It was a wake me up that said perhaps I needed to quit judging a
child by its outer shell and see the Angel within. Too many times
we go into the adoption with the notion of what society thinks is
the perfect child when perhaps the perfect child is like us all with
small imperfections needing a few bandages.

After court we headed to the hospital where they had just finished repairing her lip, the day before.

 In a filthy hospital crib laid a scared little girl all bandaged around
her mouth.   She had no pain meds, but did not cry.

I looked down and she looked at me as if too say WHY? I
grabbed her hand and she stared at me with those eyes and in that
instance I knew.. This is what it is all about. The eyes and soul
of a child needing love and reassurance that tomorrow will be a
better day.  I said to her you do not understand yet, but today you have a mommy and daddy and two brothers
and two dogs. Today you have a family. Today you became my
daughter. I think she understood because her scared little eyes
never left mine and her fingers never loosened.

And at that moment, I finally understood what it meant to have a
daughter.  Two years later, I cannot imagine a day without her.

 

Happy Gotcha Day Princess Oksana!  We have been truly blessed by you.

Leanna
http://thecabbagepatchkids.blogspot.com/