Thursday, June 16, 2005

June 16th

(This is the second time I'm starting this post. We lost electricity at the Internet cafe and I had not saved like I usually do. I was engrossed in my writing when it happened. Not quite all the comforts of home. This is not the first time we've lost a connection). Here we go again....

The alarm goes off at 7:45 and breakfast arrives at 8:00am. There is nothing on the schedule this morning and we're tired so we go back to bed. A luxury we are well aware will be gone soon. It is a lazy morning. Beth and Bob knock on the door and ask if we would like to go to the Internet cafe with them. We decline. We slowly get ourselves together and head out the door at 11:00am to go for a walk and get some sun. We stroll around for 1 1/2 hours. Pat has gotten the lay of the land and we go far and wide. I'm hopelessly lost most of the time. I have inherited my father's keen sense of direction. We make it safely back to the hotel. We sit for a few minutes before it is time to go to the baby home. We're going to take the bus one more day. Bob figures he'll be ready for the walk again tomorrow.

This is our first time taking the bus without Olessya or Dana. Everything goes smoothly and we get off at the correct stop. The children are inside today. Pat is on Molly duty. I am determined to see that Aidan eat today (at this point we are still unaware that they had eaten yesterday before we tried to feed them again). Aidan and Nicholas are together in a playpen. We pick them up and hold, kiss and talk to them while we wait for their lunch to arrive. Aidan is very alert today and smiles and talks to me. He is very interested in my necklace. Lunch is served. Today's menu features a rice cereal and warm peach juice. The cereal is hot and the caregiver gestures for me to blow on it. Aidan fusses at the first few bites. I give him some juice and get his interest by making funny noises. He becomes more cooperative and coos during his meal. He finishes all of his cereal and drinks 3 shot glasses of juice. I am pleased. Mission accomplished. I wash his face and attempt the word for towel in Russian. I don't get it quite right but I am understood. The caregiver repeats it correctly for me and says 10 (Aidan's bin number) in English while pointing to bin 9. Somehow it all works out. I change his diaper (this is a first) and dress him in a white terrycloth onsie. He looks so cute. Nicholas is dressed in the same outfit by Beth. The caregivers put a red and white striped baseball cap on each of their heads. They laugh and repeat a phrase in Russian which we guess means "twins, twins". Off to the marble room. We get there and there is no rug on the floor. The caregiver who opened the door for us (the room is locked when not occupied) gestures that we are not to put the children on the floor. They are to stay on the furniture only. Pat and Molly arrive several minutes later. She is gabbing away. Pat fed her and she ate well. Aidan is very active. He crawls around on the couch and stands while holding Pat's hand. Pat sits down on the couch with both kids in his lap. Molly is content to sit and play with toys, talk and look around. She doesn't miss a trick. Aidan climbs all over Pat and chats away. I have some really good video of this. Molly attempts to brain her brother with a plastic doughnut. We give her something softer to play with. Aidan's head is safe for now. Olessya joins us and has Aidan laughing as she tickles his belly. Towards the end of the visit we sit all 3 babies in a stuffed chair for a picture. Molly is in the middle with Aidan and Nicholas on either side. We wave our arms, snap our fingers and make funny sounds in an attempt to get them to smile. They look at us like we're lunatics. We get a few good ones and then rescue Aidan who has fallen behind his sister. Molly is throwing her 'bows. It's 2:30 again. We take the kids back to their rooms and put them in their cribs. Aidan's pacifier is not in his crib so I find his caregiver and gesture to her. I return to his crib with the goods and lay him down on his belly and pat his back. His little butt rises up and soon he is on his feet in his V formation. I pat his back and go. See you tomorrow loved one. We meet Pat out front. He put Molly in her crib and and gotten a look which translated to something like "where do you think you're going?". She loves her daddy. We take the bus back to the hotel.

Pat and I head to the Internet cafe for our afternoon routine. We received an email response from Dr. Goff. She did not have any concerns based on the details we sent. Molly is in the 75th percentile for weight and head measurements and the 25th percentile for height. Aidan is in the 5th percentile for all 3 categories. She describes him as petite but proportional. We'll take the kids to see Dr. Goff as soon as we get back. She will be on vacation for a week in July and gave us the email address of her colleague in case we need to get in touch while she is away. We respond and thank her for her speedy reply. We leave the Internet cafe after a few hours and head to the park for a beer. We find a few cold ones and drink them while sitting on a bench in the sun. The park is busy as usual. We walk back to the hotel to meet the others for dinner.

We eat at a place called the Knights Castle. The inside is elaborate. Wood paneling and wood ceilings. It looks like the inside of a castle. There is one table in the middle of the room that is huge. The chairs are highbacked and made of heavy wood. The end chairs resemble thrones. The table legs are huge lions heads. The waitresses are dressed like ladies in waiting in long velvet gowns. Dinner is delicious. We try another new beer tonight, Karl Balling. Bob is with us and eats a full meal. He is fully recovered. For dessert we have crepes filled with fried bananas and topped with whipped cream. As dessert is served the lights go out and there is a loud bang. Music starts to play and the waitstaff performs a dance. Dinner is over at 10:00pm and we head back to the hotel. Pat "watches" soccer and I write in my journal. Lights out at 11:30.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Slugs! I woke up at 7:30 (Casey did too) and we couldn't go back to sleep.
Casey says that you were very brave to go on the bus by yourselves.
We're glad you could feed Aidan today.
...And let's face it, you really are lunatics.
I wish I could work at the Knight's Castle, except for the whole dancing thing.
Hugs, kisses, and lots of love,
Megan and Casey

Anonymous said...

Oh Alli,your sense of direction comments = priceless We know this and love you for it !!! You're a real gem.
Molly & Aiden are sweet sweet babies and sound just perfect.Do they ever cry ? Doesn't sound like they do.You are all so lucky to have found each other thru this proccess it's meant to be!!!

Anonymous said...

HI GUYS>
IY IS SUCH A JOY TO READ YOUR MESSAGES AND TO "SEE" YOU WITH THE BABIES. WE CRY WITH AND FOR YOU AND SHARE IN THE LOVE YOU FEEL GTOWING FOR YOUR CHILDREN. ALL OF US ARE WAITING FOR OUR TURNS TO MEET AND HUG THEM--AND YOU.
LOVE AS ALWAYS,
MOM
P.S. I CAN NOW PRINT OUT THEBLOGS FOR DAD AND HE IS REALLY ENJOYING THEM
HOWEVER, HE WILL NOT BLOG

Anonymous said...

You guys are making this sound like a great vacation town. I get hungry every time I read the new post. I think you should select the best beer you find and set up the importing. You can re-label it as Aiden Ale

Thinking of you both,

Chip

Anonymous said...

We are enjoying the updates. Happy Father's Day Pat! We are happy grandparents again. Tara & Joedy's baby arrived June 11, 2005 7lbs. 4 1/2 oz. - 20 inches. His name is Cooper Orion. V & N

Anonymous said...

Dear Alli & Pat,
Happy 1st Father's Day, Pat. It must feel wonderful to hold those two angels and know that they are your children. We cannot say how happy and proud we are of you and Alli. It also sounds like you are having fun and enjoying the adventure of it all. I can remember the early days when we met Sophie and Will. It felt unreal and OH SO REAL at the same time. As each day passed, We truly understood that is was our destiny to be their parents. What a blessing from God. Thank you both for allowing us to live these precious moments again through you.

We love the details of your dining experiences and beer research. Let us know the winner at the end of your stay.

Stay well and give Aiden and Molly a kiss from all of us.

We can't wait to see you all back in the States.

Love, Margy, David, Sophie & Will

Anonymous said...

Everything is going well here. Ed has gotten so routined that when he comes home from work the first thing he does is look for "The Donohoe Daily Update." We have been golfing a few times--we think of you both each time. Happy Father's Day Pat--it should be a very memorable one for you. My girls are jealous of the cheap pedicures--you deserve them after all the walking you are doing. Can't wait to hear from you again--stay safe. We are keeping you in our prayers and looking forward to seeing you.
Love,
Ed, Judy & Girls