The Last Step for the First Trip

Our third and last visit (for the 1st trip) with our baby boy was so sweet. We got to take him outside this time and while there were a few tears in the beginning, he went to me without much fussing. We walked around for a minute and then hung out in a little covered area they had with small picnic table and chairs, toys, a swing, tricycles, etc. We really have been impressed with the facility and the caregivers there.

He let Barry hold him and Barry got him to smile for the first time!! Well, the first time we have seen. It was the sweetest thing ever!! He did a little talking for us...he was either saying "ba" "da" and "la" or "give" and "take" in Russian...Lena, our coordinator told us he was saying give and take but I'm not so sure...who knows. It was good to hear his little voice regardless of the meaning of the sounds that were coming out! He also busted out into song at one point. We thought he was crying/screaming again, but he was just singing. It was hilarious.

Unfortunately, our visit was cut short though because we received a call from the translator (we were at the orphanage with our facilitator) that the notary office was closing early that day and we had to leave immediately in order to get there in time. We had to grab all of our toys and rush our baby boy back inside to hand him off to his caregivers. We were so rushed that we didn't get to say goodbye, Barry didn't get to kiss him goodbye...I know he's little and it's not like he would have understood us if we had said our goodbyes but...ugh...I just hate how we had to leave him. We had planned on leaving all of the toys we had brought with the orphanage, and that didn't happen because we weren't thinking clearly...it just was an icky way to leave. We did leave with him a lovie, a soft picture book of Barry and I, a disposable camera for them to take pics of him, and a hallmark "All the Ways I Love You" recordable book. Hopefully he is able to keep those things in his crib.

Of course there were tears involved...on all parties actually. I have a pit in my stomach that just won't go away now and need him to be in my arms again. We will have more paperwork to complete once we get back home and some of it is dependent on other people. I am going to be a crazy person if other people are slacking and not getting the job done as quickly as I would like it to happen. Beware if you stand between me and my child... :)

God's hand was once again, all over this visit. Like I said, we got the call from our translator to hurry back to town, left immediately and got to the notary office 10 minutes before it closed!! It was so so close. Our facilitator may or may not have broken a few traffics laws to get us there...but regardless...we got there. :) We signed a book saying that we visited our baby and signed a form saying we intended to proceed with the adoption process with him. That was the last step needed for the first trip!

Leaving Volgograd...headed to Moscow. :(