I HAVE NINA!

4/15/2009
We have had another exciting day… as you all can imagine! Thank the Lord, first of all, because the clothes I brought for Nina fit perfectly. And, layering is always good here.

While I was changing Nina’s clothes, I was carefully watched by all of the staff. So, I began to sweat, terribly. Thankfully, I had already discovered the joy of layering myself! I assumed they were observing how I interacted with her while changing her clothes. I believe, upon reflection, they were actually scrutinizing the clothes I put on her. The black and white leopard print outfit was acceptable! We all said our goodbyes, which made me so very sad. I began to cry, but tried hard to avoid letting Nina see me. Her friends, her community, her caregivers for the few years of her little life, all said goodbye with kisses and hugs. It was touching, and I began to regret our purpose. Then I remembered the kids in the cribs crying incessantly, and no one going to attend to them. I also remember how tired the caregivers often seemed around the children. I was reminded that Nina’s present caregivers do not have any long term place in Nina’s life. She would eventually go to the Invalid House, amongst new caregivers and children with physical and mental challenges. I quickly dried my tears, signed the remaining paperwork at the orphanage and left with both Nina’s for the local passport office.

She was photographed and amazingly precious and patient. (The orphanage did include a pair of shoes for Nina, which I did not discover until later… how generous of them. They knew that the shoes were an issue. How very thoughtful of them all!)

Next stop, LUNCH! We ate the best food at one of the best restaurants I’ve enjoyed yet… all I kept thinking was why haven’t we been here before now!??! It also had the most wonderful bathrooms—I so appreciate our bathrooms back home. Anyway, we had eggs over easy on two slices of toast with sausage and slices of delicious tomatoes. Nina tasted French fries and ketchup (with mayonnaise?) for the first time. She preferred my tasty meal instead. (I don’t blame her!) She also tries to drink my coffee all the time… and I keep saying that it’s coffee. She still wants it. I have not allowed it as of yet and will try to avoid that. I don’t really think she had coffee in the orphanage but who knows. She also REALLY likes meat. She gobbles down every bite of mine and hers. Apparently, they did not receive meat often, only in soups, borsch, etc.

As we climbed into the car, she climbed right into my lap. I opened a note from a friend, and she had typed out the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. It was so appropriate and timely. I sang the song to her softly as she slowly but surely fell asleep. The lack of shocks coupled with the crater-like holes in the road led to a rapid awakening after roughly 30 minutes.

Arriving at the passport office in Dnipro (the capital of the region in which Krivoy Rog sits,) we quickly ran up four flights of stairs (Nina in tow.) We were called into this lady’s office almost immediately, and all five of us squeezed into her office. We signed papers then left the office to find a bathroom. In the hallway, the lady came over and gestured to Nina and me (while Big Nina) was down the hall. I found out later that the lady said she felt sorry for Little Nina. This statement solidified some thoughts I had begun having… I was very aware of the stares and rudeness with which people gawked and frowned upon little Nina. One elderly lady stopped right in front of us, turned around and looked at Nina’s legs. She then mumbled something with a frown on her face and whisked her body around and back out onto the streets. I questioned Big Nina about all of this, and she said, “There is no place in this country for people like Nina, people who are different. Kids who have physical or mental challenges just stay home with their parents. People are rude and mean to people who are different.”

Big Nina, on the other hand, has been a real trooper, such a help to me. It’s amazing what she has been willing to do. We went to the train station after the passport office, bought tickets and went to eat. Big Nina offered to take Little Nina to the potty, because I told her that Little Nina could not relax with me. They too were unsuccessful. (I will also tell you that they were Turkish potties… straddle and squat!) Nina can not bend her knees, which is required with these potties. We had to accommodate her in another manner by holding her stiff body over the hole. It sounds terribly uncomfortable for all involved… and it was. Not to upstage the potties, but the restaurant did have a kid’s area painted with brilliant colors and cartoons on a flat screen hung on the wall!

Big Nina also told me that during this process I have been very naïve… she told me that she has used lots of “oil” to make this adoption happen. We both understood that she was talking about money, applied where needed.

Another event was the train station… Big Nina went inside to buy the tickets. She told Little Nina and me to stay in the car, roll up the windows and lock the doors. She said there were a lot of gypsies and she (Big Nina) “would not be there to protect me.” So we stayed put and got really hot together. Little Nina snacked on yet another banana.

We got on the train for our six hour ride! Of course, when we got onto the train, Little Nina had to “pupka”—on a moving train! Well, we survived that trip and about ten others. Nina did fall and smash her head on the trash can during one visit. It was terrible. We put some ice on it, and I swear I got some strange looks over the new, purple bump on her head. Oh, well. That’s not the only time I got funny looks. People craned their necks from their seats to watch Nina walk down the isle, which we did many times. However, I never got used to the stares.

We made it Kiev and to our apartment by 11:00 pm. We were all tired. I asked Big Nina if all adoptions feel this rushed and chaotic. She said yes. These poor little ones have no idea what is happening. Everyone left Little Nina and me in the apartment, and we went about getting pjs on and getting ready for bed. She is amazingly resilient and content. I am not sure if she yet realizes that this is not the final destination. She went to sleep about 12:30am. I am learning so much about her, but she still has so much for me to learn. It was a long day.