 | Jeff says:
I. On mosquitoes
In the 1980s, there was a political
humorist and entertainer on PBS named Mark Russell. I'm not sure what
ever happened to him, but I remember at the time enjoying his work
very much. I'm sure that says something about me, that a 10-year-old
was allowed to stay up late on nights when Mark Russell was on. But I
mention this for a reason, really! I recall him mentioning once that
it seemed like every picture of Mikhail Gorbachev showed the birthmark
on his head in a different shape. He postulated that it was always
the shape of whatever country the Soviet Union was about to invade.
This morning, I found that one of the mosquito bites Dina has
received had formed a hive that was roughly the same shape as
Kazakhstan. Except that the Shetland Islands were just to its
northeast. I'm not exactly sure how to interpret that. I should have
gotten a photo to prove it.
I wonder what shape it will be
tomorrow.
I believe our battle with the mosquitoes may be
nearing an end. Our arsenal has grown a bit. I have screened the two
open windows (using raw screen and copious amounts of duct tape, the
poor man's favorite tool!). On our first night here, I covered myself
with a sheet over my head as well as the rest of me, and they went
after Dina. Last night, feeling guilty, I submitted myself as
a--pardon me--blood offering to the scourge in the hopes that I would
distract them from Dina. This turned out to be a somewhat futile
notion, since we each had a few new itches to show off as war wounds
in the morning.
By the end of the day, with our
translator's help, we actually purchased a tube of Off creme. Q.E.D.,
we hope.
But you probably don't want to hear about
mosquitoes.
II. On Alex
There is another
buzz in the air. When we arrived at the baby house this morning, I
think Alexander actually smiled when he saw Dina. He gave me a
cursory "oh it's you again" look, and must have apparently realized
the strategy that was about to take place. They passed him to us to
put a diaper on him and change him into one of the outfits we brought
(the one from Auntie Joanna). Hours later, we would ask our travel
partners if they heard the fuss he made. They responded, "Yeah. We
thought you were pulling off his arms."
But, like the
little boy who hits his head up against the wall because he knows it
sure will feel good when he stops, Alex' demeanor seemed to soften
when he realized that these same heinous tyrants who were making his
life so miserable could *stop* making his life so miserable. He
softened immediately in his mama's arms, and we took him to our
meeting with the director of the Baby House.
She was a kind
woman who asked us how old we were, whether we had children, and
whether we'd been married before. She reassured me that the babies
here are not used to men, but that Sasha especially was not
comfortable around new people. Kudos to our coordinator Susan Cotten
for sending me an email last night that reminded me that he was
securely attached to his loving providers, which is a sure sign of his
maturity, for an eight-month old!
We left the director's
office and took him outside. (Hours later we would be told that the
director saw us outside and commented that we should have covered him
up more. This was a predictable response. We could have put him in
longjohns, a wool tuxedo, a yak-fur coat, and a layer of duct tape,
then encased everything but his nose and mouth in two inches of
concrete, and we still would have been told we did not cover him
effectively for his 30-minute summer-day outing. No matter. Herr
Direktor, She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, shall be appeased in the future.)
We're not sure how much he's been outside. He seemed curious
about everything--the sky, clouds, ground, flowers, buildings. We
took care of his little leaky nose on a regular basis. We think he
has a cold, so please do be in prayer for his health. Dina was
reluctant to pass him to me, but I used some logical explanation for
why she should. He didn't fuss at all. Within a few minutes he was
smiling! This little guy is so loved. And photogenic, too! I think
he gets that from my side.
In any case, I declare victory.
My son likes me! He is clearly a man of taste and elegance.
III. The local cuisine...
The four of us decided
to walk from our apartment to lunch. We'd heard there was a nice
restaurant down the way called the Kamelot. Sure enough, the medieval
decor and architecture gave it away. Were it not for the silverware
already arranged on the table, I would have worried that the bar wench
was going to slap a piece of meat on our table and encourage us to
tear it apart and/or throw it at each other with our bare hands, that
a jester would emerge from behind the curtain, and that the minstrels
would shortly be playing a renaissance version of inna-gadda-da-vida.
I was a bit off. I ordered the "Dream of a Gourmet" (really, that was
the name of the entreé, in English, on the menu). The waitress
asked me what I wanted as a "garnish." Actually, I wasn't listening,
or at least didn't realize she was talking to me. I was reading her
name tag and said, "Dinara! Gold coin!" Dina thought this was
somewhat amusing. After Dinara reposited the question, I pondered for
a moment what a "garnish" was. I was tempted to say "parsley,
please," until someone pointed out that she was speaking of side
dishes. Is "garnish" a European euphemism for "side dish," or was
this an R.S.L. problem on my part?
They put some music on
in the background. It wasn't Sir Robin's minstrels. It was a mix of
Richard Clayderman, easy-listening reggae-peppered instrumental covers
of 70s and 80s American hits (e.g., Lionel Richie's "Hello"), that
famous disco number "A Fifth of Beethoven" (I am not kidding here), and so on. How...medieval. The food was fantastic, at least!
We headed back for our afternoon visit with our babies. We decided rather than to risk the wrath of the Director (who I should remind you really *is* a wonderfully kind-hearted, gentle, kind, and nice lady), we'd just lay out a blankie and play with him inside. Alex had a fantastic time munching on his puppy, Winston. Winston's a teether with these wonderful plastic paws. Alex seemed to have more fun with his face, tho, and we taught our boy how to save someone's life by administering emergency CPR. (See the last of today's photos to discover what I mean.)
Alex didn't seem to be too interested in the music I brought along today. I tried the Beatles, some Genesis-spinoff Mike and the Mechanics, Savage Garden, and a bit of Classical. Dina called it quits when "Night on Bald Mountain" began playing, but it's all irrelevant, I suppose. He just wasn't interested.
I suspect that Uncle Gavin will suggest that we try Linkin Park tomorrow.
No, I won't.
IV. On school
Some of you are aware that I'm finishing up my Master's degree while I'm here. I'm happy to report that I'm about 750 pages from completing my reading and moving on to the paper.
There are some interesting developments there, however. It would appear that my professor is stuck in Finland because his work visa was denied by the office of Homeland Security. Oh, I will feel SO much safer upon our return to the states to know that Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Ridge are keeping those violent Finnish theologians away from us. I mean, just think of the horrible syncretistic ecumenism they're poisoning our children with!
Ugh. Whatever.
In any case, Dr. Karkkainen encouraged me to doublecheck with the registrar's office to make sure that I actually have until September 17 to submit all my coursework.
I emailed them, but they haven't responded. And now he has me a bit paranoid. If someone could give a call down to the Fuller Registrar's office and check for me, I'd appreciate it muchly!
Poor Registrar. If this works right, they're now going to be bombarded with fifty or sixty calls from my friends before they close on Friday, asking when the last day to submit coursework for the Summer Quarter is.
Thank you. :)
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 | Dina says:
Today was one of the best days of my life. We arrived at the baby house this morning and were asked if we wanted to dress Alex today. We were so excited! They brought him out, naked from the waist down, and he seemed happy when the caretaker handed him to me. We walked into the changing room and as soon as I laid him down on the table, he started SCREAMING! I hate to see him cry. I dressed him as quickly as I could, and even remembered to point his “peepee” down! Jeff helped me dress him, and he looked so cute in his little horsie outfit from Auntie Joanna. Once he was dressed, he calmed down very quickly. We then were told we could play with him outside if we wanted to. The baby house is very warm, so we were very happy to go outside and get some fresh air. He was just a totally different baby today. He was so calm and happy. He barely cried at all. He still seemed a bit suspicious of Jeff, but it was a huge improvement over yesterday!
On our way outside, we were invited into the director’s office. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Dr. Irina. She is every bit as sweet and kind as we’d been told. She wanted to make sure our trip went well and that we were comfortable. She explained to Jeff how it is very common for babies to be scared of men since most babies have never seen a man before. She said that the baby would most likely prefer me and that it would be several days before he felt comfortable and secure with him. We figured as much, but we were in for a pleasant surprise a few minutes later.
Once we were outside for about five minutes, an amazing thing happened. I was holding Alex, and Jeff leaned in and kissed his cheek. Alex SMILED! So Jeff leaned in for another kiss, and he smiled again! SUCCESS!! At this point, Jeff reached out his arms and I handed the baby to him. Not a peep out of the boy. This was truly wonderful to us, as we’d been warned that it would take a while. I’m not surprised, though. Jeff is just such a sweet and kind man, babies always tend to love him. So we played outside for about 45 minutes and then were told that the visit was over. We took him upstairs and gave him back to his caregiver. It is so heart warming to watch how these women care for these babies. You can truly see how much they love them. It makes me feel so good to know that this is the type of care that my baby received in his first few months of his life.
We had a few hours break for lunch, so we went exploring a bit. John and Sue said they wanted to try out Camelot, a restaurant a couple blocks away from our apartment. We got there a bit before they opened, so we walked down the street a bit to do some check out some of the shops. We found a little market and decided to buy a few things. We needed some water and orange juice. The first night we got here, our facilitator had stocked our refrigerator with some juice and cheese and had some bread and a chocolate bar waiting for us. The orange juice was really great and I knew what the container looked like, but couldn’t figure out what it was called. At the market, everything is behind a counter and you have to tell the person working there what you want. So we said “Juicy” which is the brand of juice. But there were about 10 different kinds of juice up there. The shopkeeper couldn’t understand us, so I finally picked up an orange and pointed to it. She got the idea! It’s amazing how we find ways to communicate!
We walked back to the restaurant, and I did a double take. Costa Fakaros’ twin lives in Uralsk, Kazakhstan! It was so funny to see someone who looked so much like someone we know from home! He apparently was the owner of the restaurant and escorted us in. The menu was in English, but all of the dishes had very interesting names, all of which had nothing to do with what they were. Our apartment has a journal in it made by families who stayed here before us. Someone had mentioned the funny names and said what each of the dishes were. But I couldn’t remember which was which. I remembered that one was meatballs, so I asked the waitress for meatballs. When our meals came out, it was a beautiful presentation. Two meatballs with mashed potatoes and a ketchup-like sauce all over it. They garnished it with peas and olives and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. The food was tasty, but a bit spicy. I don’t think they grind their beef here as fine as we do, so it was more like eating steak. This wasn’t my favorite meal, and I ended up eating only the mashed potatoes and half of a meatball. I’m “pretty sure” it was beef, but since the texture and taste was a little different, I started thinking it may be… something else.
After lunch, we went for our second visit with Alex. He came right to us and it was so wonderful to hold him again. He really loves to be held and kissed. He’s just so sweet and beautiful. He truly is one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen. His eyes are so deep and beautiful. He really looks deep into your soul and you can tell he’s really taking you in and studying you. And his eyelashes are amazing. When his eyes are open, his lashes are so long, the curl up and touch his eyebrows! Aunty Julie is going to go crazy over that. This visit, we were in the music room, so we laid down a blanket and sat down on the floor with him. I’d hold him above my head and kiss his tummy. He loves that, and it makes him smile so big! Then I started kissing his cheeks and holding him above my head and asking him “who’s the cutest baby in the world?” To that, he started smiling and LAUGHING! Oh my gosh, I’ve never heard such a beautiful sound. He was squealing with laughter! I am so ridiculously in love with this little person. It sure didn’t take long, did it!? We spent that visit, passing him back and forth and playing with him. Jeff brought his laptop and played some music during the visit. It was such a perfect day. I can’t wait until he’s ours for good. I can’t wait to bring him home and have all of you meet him. You are all going to be as much in love as we are!
On our way back to the apartment, we stopped to get a few things. We needed diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, and most important- MOSQUITO REPELLANT! I am so happy that we found it here! I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t have any here, or it would be really strong. At this point, though, I was willing to use anything. We were pleasantly surprised to see three big letters on the bottle- OFF. I was overjoyed! Since they don’t have a word for repellant, the words on the bottle translated to “cream against mosquitoes”. I don’t care what they call it, as long as it works, I’m happy. We came home and slathered it on, and so far, I haven’t heard any mosquitoes buzzing around me. This is very good news to me, as these bites that I have are almost too much to bear. Like I said before, though, when I’m holding Alex, nothing else matters.
We came home and were both tired. We fell asleep around 5:30 and were woken up a few hours later by our travel partners. They were going to get something for dinner. I was still dozing on the couch, but I remember Jeff telling them that we’ll just stay in for the night. I wonder if he remembers getting up! Jeff’s mom called at one point, and I talked to her, but don’t remember anything I said to her (sorry, Nina, it was a habit I picked up when I was an RA- the ability to have a full conversation with someone when totally asleep) then my mom called around 10:00. Now, it’s about 11:30, and I’ll do some quick catch-up on email then get some sleep. Last night, the itching from my bites were so bad, that I opened up the Children’s Benadryl I brought for Alex. I was so happy to see they had the adult dosage on the bottle! It definitely helped me sleep. I’ll take some before bed to help me sleep tonight.
Tomorrow, we have more visits with Alex. I think we’ll have a pretty nice routine while were here. Thank you all so much for your wonderful messages. When we set up the website, we had no idea what a response we’d generate. It has made this experience even more wonderful. Reading your comments really makes us feel like we are with all of you, even though you aren’t here. Thank you so much, it really helps us, as we are so far away from all of you who we love so much.
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Comments for August 13
Comment from
Nouna Maria | What a beautiful baby!!! Can't wait to see more pictures, but mostly, we can't wait to hug and kiss him and love him!
Take care of eachother over there. Looking forward to more updates.
Love,
Maria
ps Cheese Nibble, try a little vinegar on your mosquito bites...I could be wrong, but I think it's an old Greek remedy. | Comment from
kassis family and handood | Hey, we are all gathered here around the computer. Hanood is spending the night here due to the tornado watch. We are so excited for you guys and wanted to write you this brief message to congratulate u. Now we r going to see the pictures. C ya. | Comment from
hazar and nick | Hey,we just saw the pictures what a cute baby. Dina and Jeff look great holding him. I could tell that the next day he looked more comfortable with his new parents. We wish u guys the best of luck. Can't wait to c all three of u in Florida. Lots of love and kisses. Bi
| Comment from
Laura & Paul in CA | Dina & Jeff,
Alex is a beautiful baby, and it is wonderful seeing him smile and warm up to both of you today. Thank you so much for sharing your website with the loop. It gives us "waiters" hope that our turn to experience such joy will come. We will continue to follow your journey and keep you in our prayers. Take care...
| Comment from
American Medical Association | Dear Dr. Woods:
It has come to our attention that you recommended a non-sanctioned homeopathic remedy for an individual who is not even a patient under your care.
Although this action represents a severe violation of our ethical standards, we want to thank you for your excellent compassion. We'll give it a try!
(Although, I haven't seen vinegar here. Can we substitute with vodka?)
Love,
Dina and Jeff
P.S. We told Alex about you and John and Anisa this morning. I told him, "A GIRL, dude! She's a GIRL!" (and I meant her, not you) but he just kept playing with the collar of my shirt. He didn't seem to get the point. I'll keep trying. :) | Comment from
Lori (luluraine on LJ) | I just wanted to let you know how truly happy I am for you both! It's so beautiful to watch you two over there getting to know your son! Thank you for the access to be a part of it! God bless you! | Comment from
Pete and Nadine Gumas | Dina and Jeff,
Alex is beautiful and he seems very happy to have found his mom and dad. You are truly blessed.
I don't know if you are aware that Pete and I were in the process of adopting children when I became pregnant with the triplets. Not wishing anything on you guys like that, it's just that I remember how happy we were at the prospect of adopting a child (let alone ending up with 3 at one time). Enjoy every moment!
Just FYI, I checked on a map to see where Uralsk is and not far over the border into Russia is where half of my family is from. My paternal grandmother was born in Perm, which is close to Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. I've been to Moscow and to St. Petersburg, but not that area as of yet.
When I read about your experience with the director thinking that Alex wasn't bundled up enough, I wanted to share an experience we had in Ukraine. When visiting some small churches, it would be very crowded (body to body) and quite stuffy. I would usually stand near a door so that I could get fresh air. The older ladies would say, "draft, draft" in Russian and want to close the door. Like you said Jeff, it was a summer day and pretty warm. It sounds like you will know what's right to do with your son especially when you get him home and he is yours. Have a great time! It's interesting to read your journals and see your pictures.
Nadine and Pete | Comment from
jeney | Man, that one picture of Jeff looking at Alex..let the tears begin!
It's so great that you have this time with Alex before you bring him home. This way seems so much easier for him, even if it is frustrating to the rest of us who just want to MEET HIM!
I love you guys! | Comment from
Jess in MD | I was so happy to see pictures of a SMILING Alex! He's such a beautiful little boy. :) And--like the e-mail said--it really was a good sign that he didn't warm up to you immediately. It showed that he was attached to his caregivers, which is absolutely a good sign!
I showed Hannah the pictures today. She got very excited and yelled, "Baby! Baby!" I showed her one of Alex and Jeff, and explained, "There's the baby and his daddy," and she agreed, "Daddy!" Presumably, that was an endorsement of parenthood. Yeah. That's it. ;)
Hopefully, the trip will zip by and you'll have him home forever. Also, if you get a chance to try Georgian food, please do so! Khachapuri (cheese bread) is really really yummy, as is the rest of the Georgian cuisine I've sampled. | Comment from
Auntie Julie | THOSE EYELASHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Comment from
Nana Nina | I'm so sorry you are bitten. I remember being tortured as a child by New Jersey mosquitoes ~ the second largest in the world. (I'm told the biggest are in Tahiti.) What a shame: I have all this Avon bug repellent here, and I could have given it to you ...
How wonderful that you had a great experience today with little Alexander. I'm so happy. Now, I want a great experience ~ and consquently, I think I may be developing a sort of "jealousy" bug! Bring him home ~ NOW!
He's just adorable ~ and that's an almost a smile in the photo with you. And that wonderful picture of his beautiful smile ~ how did you ever coax that out of him?
Sorry I woke you two up. You did sound sort of out of it, but it never occurred to me that you were sleeping at dinnertime. Take advantage of that opportunity ~ it's the last time ...
If you'll tell me what Fuller office and what class, I'd be glad to call.
| Comment from
Uncle Dan | Whew! I may not be smart, but I am persistent, figured out my problem (Don't ask -humiliating!), and accessed the photos! At the moment, my heart is so swollen that I can't breathe deeply. How happy you two dudes must be ... and how lucky Alex is ... and how wonderful seeing all of you together. God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.
Even the pictures of Alex crying were adorable. All he needs is to be jiggled on the knee of his Uncle Dan!
Love you guys,
Unka D | Comment from
Julianna | I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! I want wo hold that baby! C'mon Sept. 9! (You won't mind me waiting on your doorstep when you get home, right?) :) | Comment from
Shari Schierloh | Hi Jeff and Dina! Welcome to parenthood! I have been reading the website every day and feel as if I am right there with you! The journal entries will be an incredible gift to share with your son one day about this amazing experience that you are having. Enjoy your time over there and we will pray for safe travel back for all of you.
Take care,
Shari | Comment from
Corey Halls | Finally pictures! I've looked at them twice today. Nothing like an obsessive waiting mommy! I think it happened perfectly: Alex freaking out the first day so you know he is bonded to his caregivers and melting into you and smiling the next day. What more could you want?
Corey :) :) | Comment from
Parker & Sue Willey | Your mom just now sent out your website to the church family. We are so excited for you, and I think Alex looks a bit like you, Jeff. When do you get to bring him home?
I got a kick out of reading your comments about putting up the gates. Is Alex crawling?
God bless the three of you and we will be anxious to meet your son. | Comment from
Aunt Janet (Holton) | Jeff and Dina,
Do you realize this is the first I have seen pictures of Dina? And both of you with this wonderful child of yours--more than wonderful.
Thank you so much for sharing your lives with us all.
God bless you richly as you continue this parenting journey in Him,
Aunt Janet | Comment from
jeney | OH! I've been meaning to ask..is he crawling??? | Comment from
Melanie | Jeney asked what I came in here to ask!!!! She does this ALL the time. CH! | Comment from
Jennifer Bosso | LOOK at those eyes. He seems to be studying you as you are him...I think my favorite is the laugh with Jeff-look at that face! (Not you Jeff -Alex!) I am thrilled for you both. I think I have become addicted to this site-my own personal reality moment! | Comment from
Uncle Gavin | Hey D&J,
CONGRATULATIONS (yeah, I'm a little slow on that first post thing). I'm truly excited for you both! I'm enjoying following along on the website. I could email you some Linkin Park tracks, since you obviously forgot them ;) And before you ask, sure, I'll take him to his first metal concert. Both Julie and I are really happy for you.
-Gavin
| Comment from
Deltamiss | Wonderful news! I check this site three or four times a day just to be sure I don't miss a detail.
If Alex is warming to you this quickly, the rest of the stay will be smooth sailing.
Those eylashes! I know people who pay good money for eyelashes like that.
Y'all are such a beautiful trio!!! | Comment from
Cynthia | Kak Dela!
Dina, I was so thrilled to learn I could follow your "life and times" for the big moment; modern life...of course I was hoping for more baby boy photos, but sounds like only a matter of time---George and I are on the island of Cephalonia at the moment, but you there and me here have something very much in common: mosquitoes. I have 2 different creams to apply, and will soon be looking for something nuclear as they don't help at all...George? they don't want him...they like the "tender" meat...
Listen, we are so very happy for you---this is truly a win/win encounter of the highest order; enjoy every moment! Will look forward to meeting him back on the old sod---best and best, Cynthia and George | Comment from
Kathleen Reid | Congratulations, guys! Sorry to be so slow in posting- I just got back from Philadelphia. Usually, Andrew wouldn't beat me to the punch! He is really precious, and quite the "ham." He'll fit in just fine with our brood! I really love the photo of him with the little stuffed dog. We're so happy for you, and can't wait to meet the little guy ourselves!
Has Gavin set him up with a baby-sized MAC yet? It's only a matter of time...
Kathleen | Comment from
joyce and david | Enjoying reading all about this HAPPY TIME, pictures are wonderful. Alex has grown a lot and seems so happy. Can't wait to meet him.
I think that he looks like Grandpa Fawaz!!!!
Love to all,
Joyce and DavidXXX | Comment from
patti | fisher screams bloody murder when i change his diaper, too. silly babies.
he really is gorgeous. you're so right about his eyes! you sure picked a good one! ;) |
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