Very Very Slow...

Her adoption day was the best day of my life and one of the most stressful we experienced so far!!  More to that another day!  So here goes the explanation of that day on June 10th!  (And I do not know why there is white highlighting of some of the text...sorry)

The alarm went off so early, or it felt like it!!  We got ready, but did not dress up as much as we thought we would.  I am glad..details later!  At 7:45am we got into the car to drive to Kristina’s home town.  Kinda weird!  It was a nice size town..I thought it was going to be like a little village.  But it was full of shopping opportunities that would elude me!  How sad!!  Just kidding!  The walk up to the social center building was nerve racking…the walk inside scary!  Now the walk up the stairs…well distracted us! (There were MANY)  It was nice to see the people that we saw the same day of meeting Kristina!  That helped me a lot! The chairs were arranged like a U shaped table and our chairs were right in the middle.  It really made me feel like I was on trial!!  I just wanted to run!!  Emotions were so high at least for me.  I was tired, so tired, hungry (didn't eat anything for breakfast…thought I would throw up), missing Kristina..and anxious of what the outcome was going to be.  My head was so full of all of that...In Serbia you do not have to go to court, it is just an adoption ceremony.  They read your adoption decree and you sign papers.  Sometimes you are presented with gifts, sometimes not.  And you do not have to wait to get your child...the next day is when we picked up our children.  The whole day was taken up with adoption to do lists!
Okay, the proceedings started.  I so wished we could have understood them personally and not have to listen to it translated for us.  The pages being read to us was like an eternity!!  Get it done with a hurry!  The feelings of wanting to throw up came several times to me!!  Then it happened!! (not throwing up...but the end of the ceremony)    The END…but, what happened next was about the WORST thing I could have imagined!!  They started pouring some liquid…didn’t see the bottle, so I didn’t know what I was toasting with…  Then I thought for a split second that I should pretend to drink it..split second number two, I drank it.  And I gulped it.  Death by drinking fire was sure to be written on my tombstone!!  The burning, the pain that ran from my throat all the way into my stomach, acid that made a wide path..get my explanation?  I looked at hubby and asked him if he was burning.  He said a little.  It was about 9:40am, for goodness sake!!  Handshakes and gifts later we were on our way to get her birth certificate!  But, first I needed to use that little girl’s room...  Or, the toilet I was told!  I walked in after our translator..and to my HORROR, it was one of THOSE!! (Yes, a floor toilet)  I turned around and walked right back out!  Hubby went in…he laughed when he came back out and looked at me!  I said I would try to wait.  Yeah, right!


We got to the place that had her birth certificate.  It was a hospital, I thought my chances would be great for a regular good ole’ restroom. My chances were not very good..it had a toilet, but one you stood over and with no toilet paper, which I had remembered to put in my purse..oh, forgot to tell you the door didn’t lock!!  And it also had one of THOSE as well!!  I hoped I no longer needed to use any little girl’s room until I got to Belgrade. I think, my family knows  about me and bathrooms!!  Let’s just say, camping in the woods is not my idea of fun!!

Back to the birth certificate..it was a big book, and there were records back to the 1800’s.  My goodness!!  It was then our turn to watch our lives really change forever!!  We were now the parent’s of Kristina!!  I felt funny just with a stroke of a pen two people were erased forever!  And then, we became parent’s after waiting for 17 years and 1 month!  Wow!!
 
Getting her passport was the next thing on our list!!  So fast, to be done in one day,  We stood in line for what seemed like an eternity!!  Then it was our turn,  The old lady in a pink top and black pants behind the …said NO!!  What?  What was happening?  Are you kidding me?  Hubby and I looked around in a state of confusion to what was happening… The driver acted as our translator as our translator/lawyer argued with the woman, and argued with the woman.  She went down the hall after the woman closed the door on us.  I was in a state of panic!!  The next thing I know is that the women from the social center came and started talking very LOUD!!  And one of them getting so exasperated that she turned red and started to sweat!  After all the exchange of words had happened, we were escorted to the chief of police's office.  I began to pray with tears of course, as we all know that is what I do best!!  J  Even the women from the social center smiled, I think they understood!!  All the talking and gesturing…then I had to show pictures to the chief that there was indeed a child that was wanting her passport.  The adoption decree was not good enough for THAT woman in the pink top and black pants!!  After a long time, they, the chief and his boss agreed that she could get a passport without her being there.  Oh my, I should have been on my knees!!  Oh, how thankful we were to God’s grace!!
 
We stopped at this restaurant for lupper..which is lunch/supper together in our family!! We had traditional Serbian cuisine, and it was wonderful!!  Especially the tomato and cucumber salad…as that is what I always eat in the summer!!  YUM!!  And I got to use a regular toilet...but had to pay!


Home (going back to our apartment) was the last thing on our agenda!!  And it started to rain and the downpour was like by the bucketfuls being dumped on us!  Thunder and lightening rounded out the display!!  I was dead tired!!  Emotional because we were so close by the orphanage..we could see it, but not touch it.  So that meant no daughter!  I was weepy!!  I fell asleep on the couch and went to be early!! Hubby stayed up and watched tv, or the computer screen…don’t know and really didn’t care!  J I needed sleep!
That was the drama for this day!!

Gotcha day...(day we took Kristina out of the orphanage forever!)

The doctor’s appointment was at 9:30am, so we got to pick Kristina up early.  She was fine..and very glad to see us!  We loaded up her toys that we left with her..and then ALL of the medicine that she comes with!  Oy,  Big load that is!!!  Whoa!!

After we got her loaded in the taxi, with all of her things..we headed over to see the doc.  I was worried because she is sick.  They are giving her Amoxicillin...   But, I was concerned that because she sounded so bad..that the doctor would say something.  But got an okay!  Then the ride to our lawyer/translator to finish all of the documents..so glad to be done and then on with the visa appt.

We had the chance to go and have lunch and we tried to lay Kristina down for a little nap, she fought us..of course since she hadn’t see us in two days!  UGH!!  So we got up and decided to walk to the US Embassy.  We thought she might fall asleep in the horrible stroller we bought!!  She did not, but we got the exercise.  It only took us about 25 mins.  The apt was for 2pm, and we got there at 1:30pm.  Waiting was a little nerve racking…then we were allowed in.  Our turn came, but not until 2:40pm.  Door 8 was where we were told to go.  The man inside was not happy to see Kristina.  He said that the child is not present during the first visit.  Okay, news to me.  We brought all the paperwork and then he told us that there is a problem with the paperwork.  And there was only two things that were an issue and he had to consult with his colleague. We waited for 1.5 hours.  Kristina had only one flare up of being crabby and one poopy diaper.  We sang, read books, talked and we were quite calm.  Then his colleague came and started talking to us about those 2 issues.  We tried to understand about the issues, and tried to explain and clarify things.  She said she agreed with us, but had to check with Washington.  As in, Washington D.C.  My heart sank and I was scared.  I felt like a criminal..and I was an American citizen!  And later hubby said the same thing to me!  She said they would call us and let us know what Washington said.  Well, I asked her what if they said “no”?  And she said well then one of you would have to stay here for 2 years.  She then said, we have to wait and she would send the email right away.

Are you still with me?  Hubby and I were so upset…many emotions.  Anger, that we had a problem. Horror about the fact we could be separated.  Disbelief that we had issues with the visa.  Sadness, about the whole thing,  then having to wait until the next day to find out. 

Defeat seemed to loom at every step we took!  Having faith was what we needed most..and it was hard to bring it to the surface!  Fear really shook us.  Minutes and minutes went by before we shook everything off!  We walked home and relieved some emotion.  I made something to eat, don’t even remember what I fixed.  Oh, yeah, something that Kristina wouldn’t eat.  She played for awhile, then had her beloved bath and went off to bed.  Not happy at all!!!  Hubby and I were still struggling not to let Satan get in our way.  He was pushing us with all of his strength!  And we were pushing back.  Praying was being done and the struggles were tough.  It was like, leave us alone..and God would you bring us this far to not let it happen now?  Maybe, I am meant to stay here to be a light shining for Jesus.  I was afraid, and really don’t want to be without my husband!!  Especially, because we are new parents of a beautiful, lively, little girl with the biggest brown eyes you ever did see!!  

We went to bed praying and praying thru the night!!  Our God reigns!!  Things will be the way they should be and the way God wants them to be, no matter what!!

I added gotcha day on as well...adoption is not for the weary or faint at heart!!!  We clung to God and knowing that we trusted him completely for the outcome.  No matter what!!  I asked God if I could please become a mother...but I didn't put a time limit on it, like I wanted to be a mother for fifty years...  So if I was only a mother for a short time, then I was thankful for him answering my prayer in the first place.  Understand?  More to come later....  A long fight!