Ukraine Adoption

Ukraine Adoption is told in this touching International Adoption Tale about Vitaly.

Ukraine Adoption: Born from the Heart

Day Nineteen: "ADOPTION DAY"- DECEMBER 6th, 2000.

10:00 a.m.- Ternopil
So, here we are. The day we have waited for the entire trip. It is the court date. We get up and go to buy some gifts for the Judge and her Secretary. We buy some office supplies for the Secretary. We also give her some cosmetics and paper. She is very pleased by the gifts. We decide to buy some beautiful yellow roses for the Judge. We stop to get a bite to eat to ease our stomachs. We have a small pizza and a coke.

Noon- Court
We pick up the Inspector. We go to the courthouse. We are expecting a big cold chamber for our hearing. Instead, the chamber is an office with seven chairs. The Inspector reads a magazine, while the Prosecutor (also a woman) looks very bored. The Judge comes in and the hearing goes something like this. (Stand up one at a time). Leanna or Larry what do you do/where do you live/will you take care of the child/will you want him? All are very basic questions. We ask them to waive the ten days, because he is delayed and we have airline tickets. They tell us to leave the chamber for ten minutes. The Inspector comes out and gives us her congratulations. Masha says it is a good sign. The Judge has us come back in the office. She has waived the ten days- YEAH! We are now his parents. We show her pictures of our home and dogs. She is very nice, but stresses the vital statistics office may not waive the ten day period. She says they are very hard.

4:00p.m. - Orphanage
We are going to pick up Vitaly for his passport picture. He looks so cute in the outfit Maria puts him in. At first he smiles, when he sees Larry (papa), but it doesnt last long and he begins to cry. Since, I am still sick, I will not hold him. Larry carries him to the taxi. WOW- he loves it! He is very attentive and interested in the workd outside. He does not cry at all. Larry holds him close and he looks out the window. What a relief- we thought it might be more traumatic. We go to a photo shop. The photographer is not the best. We remind him it is only for a passport. The photos are very silly. We return Vitaly to the orphanage and go to dinner.