GOTCHA Day is Complete!!

Welcome to Ivanna today was filled with so many thoughts, memories and feelings that are just beyond comparaison to anything else either of us have ever dealt with. 

So our day began around 10:30 when Nadiia had a friend (Gene) drive over in a taxi that had given him instructions on where to drop us off to meet up with Nadiia and Oleg.  So we met them at the metro and then proceeded to Vorzel.  We had to go to the court first to obtain the court documents.  Once signed by the judge they were dated for Monday however they allowed us to get her today which was great.  We then went to the bank to transfer the money in her account back to the orphanage.  This is what all famlies of the special needs children do - just a common courtesy to help the orphanage.  However I would love to actually see it put to some good use like a swing set the children could enjoy at this baby house.  So I can only give that prayer. 

Once that was done it was time to go and get our baby girl and when we were at the bank we were practically close enough to throw a rock at her baby house.  So we got to the baby house a little after 1:00 our time.  Well, at this time the children had already eaten lunch and were down for their nap but I was a tad off in time so I was wondering where Ivanna was - one of the workers motioned to me that she was asleep.  As if I knew exactly I took off to the room where Ivanna sleeps without even thinking - well of course they didn't care.  When I got to her crib one of the workers walked up and touched her on the head - when she opened her eyes and saw me she came straight up out of that crib as quiet as a church mouse like she knew why we were there.  I brought her out to see her daddy.  While Nadiia was talking to the workers and they knew of course why we were there - they told Nadiia that Ivanna had been looking for us all morning.  I knew she would be.  Well, I began taking off her clothes to change her in to her "gotcha day" clothes.  Once I got her dressed she had the biggest smile on her face and went and looked in the mirror she was so excited.  She went to her daddy and there was absolutely no way she walking more than an inch away from him.  There wasn't but one PAKA she was going to say today and that was the one to the orphanage.  Daddy would move and she was moving right with him.  Even when we were signing papers she was right underneath us.  One of the careworkers that I LOVED had come in today just to see her off.  The other lady that I truly adored and so did Ivanna wasn't there today - she thought it was going to be Monday.  So that was really sad.  But I do plan to go back out to the orphanage before we leave.  I'd like to take Ivanna but I really need to give that some thought.

When Ivanna said her PAKA's and blew her kisses of course I was teary eyed.  Then I video'd daddy carrying her over the threshold where she became FREE!!!  She was so excited to get in the vehicle and observed every second.  As we were headed out - we saw the Savage family waiting for their bus on the side of the road - we all crammed in the facilitator vehicle and they got to be part of our experience today.  She oooohhhhed and awwweeeed.  We teased Oleg about her wanting to bite his ear.  It was so fun.  She wanted to sit in her daddy's lap so she could see everything and her little eyes were HUGE.

Once back at the apartment, we got her cleaned up a tad and went off to "lunch" which by this time was close to dinner and we were starving.  We went to TGI Fridays and she was so good.  She ate great of course.  I didn't put any food in front of her because she eats very fast and afraid one of the other children might take it from her so it will take us a while to get her to slow down and enjoy her food and realize that for her it is a never ending supply so we will do little meals several times a day to ensure her that she will always have food when she needs it.  This may take some time.

Then around 5:30 her biological parents arrived at our apartment.  WOW I could see the joy in their eyes.  Excited to see their baby girl outside of the orphanage for the first time in over six years.  We all walked to the Italian Rest. for dinner.  Well of course when her food came she wanted it and everyone else's too.  But I wasn't sure what to do so I took the back seat and let her bio parents have their time. 

Then they started asking about Lyndi and I looked up her number and called her since she was just right up the street with her new son Fedia.  So the two of them walked over to the resteraunt and met us and then we went on a "family" excursion which was WONDERFUL!!!  Yuri takes us to the greatest of places.  It was truly an awesome feeling knowing that we could all be together if even for a short period of time.

Well, once we were done, Ivanna had walked probably more than she had walked in a lifetime.  So Yuri dropped us all off in front of the apartment and it was BATH time!  UMMMM I had seen Ivanna get "bathed" a couple of times at the orphanage and this consisted of her getting in to the bathtub with no water and while the water was on, she splashed water on herself and that was called a bath.  So we put just a little water in the bathtub and made it bubbly and at first she was afraid but she quickly lost that feeling after she found she could play for a bit.  Well, then I bathed her and washed her hair - she was also afraid of the shower sprayer to rinse her hair with.  So we had to work that one in too but she quickly got used to it.  Then she was soooooo happy to be clean.  I even blow dryed her hair and she LOVED that.

WOW oh wow!!!    But....she sure does not want to go to sleep at all I think she is afraid she may "miss" something or that when she wakes up she may have been dreaming.

So to all of our friends and families who read our posts.  Hope you have a great evening and enjoy your families. 

We can not wait to see the boys again so they can meet their new sister.  She is going to love them and they are going to love her.

Tomorrow we will spend more time with her biological parents and maybe even go to the zoo.  I'll put some pictures on the blog soon and some videos.

Love to all,
The Stratton Family