Gotcha Day +2

The train is always miserable for me. But sorta like childbirth, after the first time you know what to expect so it's not quite as bad the next few times around (at least not for me). I had forgotten about the motion sickness, but remembered quickly after departure and took some dramamine, which takes a while to kick in. The first class cabins have TV but ours didn't work. I turned on my computer (wall plugs also in 1st class), but my touch pad wouldn't work (works fine today). I did get my computer to play the DVD which was Happy Feet and Dennis likes penguins, so we did that for a while. Then he ate some peanuts and chocolate. When the food cart rolled by he perked up, so I got him chips and his own water bottle. He asked for the ipod ... and stayed up with it until 10pm, when I just had to take it away so he would sleep. He tossed around until about 10:30 and then I heard him snoring ... never heard a more beautiful sound in all my life! (No dear, that does not mean I like YOUR snoring, but I still love you anyway).

D by the tree in the lobby of the hotel -

all suited up (backpack) and ready to take the train

D woke up in a good mood again this morning at about 7am, played peek a boo with one eye at me, and then sat up with a big smile! I had been awake for at least and hour, but had no idea what time it was and I was dreading checking the clock and seeing it was only like 2am! I had woken up many times during the night due to sudden chugging or violent rocking of the train car ... or the slamming of the restroom door (we had the cabin right next to it). When D woke up I checked the clock and it was 7:06am and I breathed a sigh of relief since our train was to reach Kiev about 8am. I got Dennis up and we used the facilities and packed up and it was time to go.

N met us at our train car and we all walked out together and got in the minivan type taxi she had already arranged to meet us. She took the metro home to retreive the forms Brian had to Fed Ex her since we hadn't brought them with us because we didn't originally intend for me to stay in Ukraine during the waiting period. Driver took us to the apartment - the same one we had before, so I am very pleased about that! It's a very nice one and D will LOVE the jacuzzi tub and I know my way around the area, how to get food/money, etc. so we will be perfectly fine here for a while!

Lady @ hotel front desk took our pic before we left

I took a quick shower knowing I'd be going to the embassy in an hour and then D and I went back down to the driver. He met N along the way and we drove to the embassy ... about 10 minutes. N insisted that I do the paperwork in the car because the forms had to be completed before I went into the embassy. She accompanied us to the security check point (by the way US Citizens get to cut in the line) and then she took all my stuff cause I forgot to leave it in the car ... cell phone, ipod, they wouldn't even let me take lipstick/chap stick with me - sheesh! Even the airports allow that! :) Anyway, all I had left was my $$, passports, and forms.

In I went ... it was crowded ... but a man met me at the door and asked "adoptions?" I said yes and he pointed me to another man who escorted me to the correct location. Once inside that room there was one man behind a window and a man standing outside of it talking to him. There was a woman and two adolescent boys sitting next to him. There were to other families in the room also, but plenty of chairs were still available. The man in front of me finished in under 5 minutes and he left with the woman and 2 boys. My turn ...

D in the train car, chilin' with the ipod

The man on the other side of the window (Ukrainian man) asked me for my passport and then asked my husband's name, then he went to get our file. He came back and followed a check list asking for each form one at a time. First the adoption decree and birth certificate. I handed him two copies because that's what I was told to do, but he handed the extras back to me and told me they were extras (N told me to be SURE to get the originals back tomorrow when I pick up the visa). He went through every paper and stamped the date and something else on them. He told me I would sign them tomorrow during my interview appointment.

One of the forms was filled out incorrectly, but he was very nice about it and handed me a blank from to complete and told me how to do it (I had written D's address of the boarding school, but they wanted the address he would be living in the US). He told me my interview appointment was at 10am tomorrow and handed me a slip of paper saying that I could pay on my way out today or the way in tomorrow. He told me to bring the child, our passports, the medical papers and payment receipt when I come tomorrow.

Quick and painless, in and out in less than 30 minutes. Off to the medical facility ...

D on the sofa in the apartment

I thought it was crowded, but N said it was actually not. She said this facility is only for people who are applying for visas to immigrate to another country. D and I waited on a bench in the hallway with other people while N went in and out of different rooms collecting documents. Then we saw the doctor.

Side note: Remember the woman and 2 boys I mentioned from the embassy? You guessed it, they were at the medical facility. They are from Kentucky and one of their boy's names is also Dennis. They met him during hosting when a friend of their hosted but was not ready to adopt him. We didn't get to talk much before they were ready to go see the doc, but it was nice meeting them ... I wonder if our paths will cross again at the embassy tomorrow.

D with the street view of Kiev from the apartment window

Doc was a very nice woman who appeared Asian, but spoke Russian/Ukrainian and English. N told me what was going to happen and said she would wait outside. I had to sign a couple of things and then she asked me if I knew that he has cerebral palsy. Um ... DUH! Anyway, I said yes and she said he can walk, so tell me what else he can do. I said ... feed, wash, dress, etc. She asked if he talks. I said yes, but slowly. She asked how old and I told her 9. She said let me ask him. He thought about it and said devit (which is correct). She smiled and he smiled back - she was a really nice lady and everyone who meets Dennis immediately likes him cause he's just so stinking sweet! :)

Anyway, she told him to take of his shirts and he did (sweatshirt & regular shirt). He laid on the table and did everything she told him to do. He dressed again and I asked about his nose issue (runny nose and bloody scabs). She said, "Maybe you can clean it." I said it's not dirty, it's blood. She was like "OH, I didn't know that" so she took another look. She told me to go to the pharmacy on the way out and ask for an ointment and also nasal spray to clear up his sinus before getting on the airplane.

Then we were done! We waited about 15 minutes for them to create the sealed medical records that I need for the embassy tomorrow. N helped us with the pharmacist because she didn't want to give us anything for D without a prescription! I said the doctor didn't say we needed a prescription, just something over the counter for his runny nose and scabs. She said she wanted to know the name of what the doctor told me to get ... she hadn't told me specifically. N talked her into giving us something; I hope it's the right thing!

Off to the computer store to buy a mouse since my touch pad wasn't working last night. Wouldn't you know it worked when I booted my computer up in the store!! I still bought the mouse in case I have any issues with it in the future.

D and I are now back at the apartment and I started some laundry, chatted with Brian about my day, and contacted our agent to see if I can get airplane tickets for Monday! :) It's oddly not getting dark as early now ... it's getting dark about 5pm instead of 4 these days. Anyway, we're off to see if I can get D some shoes (the boots are heavy and probably a size too big) so that doesn't help with his walking issues. Then we'll get some dinner and then he'll have a bath in the giant tub we have here! :)

Hopefully we can both get to bed earlier tonight! The TV isn't working at the apartment either, so he won't have anything to keep him up late tonight once the ipod runs out of juice!

Oh, and we just got off skype with my folks, which is a treat because I haven't gotten to talk to them much on this trip. In Ukraine we are East Coast time + 7 hours ... my folks live in CA ... so as we are getting ready to eat dinner, they are eating breakfast! :) D said "hi grandma ... hi grandpa" and blew kisses to my mom! He's very interested in learning English and points at everything so that I will tell him the words.

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