Donations delivered to baby house!

Marina delivered our donations yesterday and sent me this letter this morning:

Dear Amy!
Yesterday in the orphanage everything was remarkable!  I brought your donation and things which were brought by [other adoptive mama].  I made small posters about you.  I placed your photo with the signature about your family.  And nearby I wrote, "For the Warm Shelter! With love from friends!" (you will see on my photos).  As a result on your donation we bought only medicines- we decided that this is most important.  Many children in the orphanage have neurologic and other serious diseases.  Drugs for these diseases are very expensive- almost each packing costs from 1 to 2 thousand rubles, and it is necessary for children constantly.  I and my husband had to go round many drugstores to find it because of the high prices many drugstores don't keep such drugs in a large number.  In some it was can buy only some remained ampoules to collect at last the whole packing.  But I did it with pleasure, and when I said that it is the help from an American family for the orphanage, workers of drugstores became even more benevolent.

In the orphanage just in a corridor workers started to ask us what we bear, and I explained to all that it is the help for them. Sergey, the head, was glad and confused at the same time.  He asked on you, and was touched by that people whom he never met are ready to help, having learned about the need.  He conveys to you huge thanks!  Sergey as the doctor, especially suffers from shortage of drugs.  It is heavy for it when he knows that the child needs treatment, knows the drug which can help and has none.

So, your help is very necessary and timely.  I am grateful to you that I could take part in such good business. The administration of Pskov also transfers you gratitude words!

Elena, the director of your orphanage, already took a part of money too (By the way, you managed to send photos to her?).  While she didn't tell me, on what it will spend.

Now on turn of purchase for the biological family.  But representative of guardianship is in holiday still.  And I don't decide to go to this family alone.  There the difficult situation, people hesitate of they act, the poverty. If I come one, it will be probable unpleasantly for them and can confuse them.  Therefore I wait and I will tell you at once.

And here are the photos of Marina with Sergey- the poster that Marina made of our family, and the donations of medicine:

Marina sent a similar letter to the other adoptive families who donated gift cards for the parents traveling to purchase items and hand deliver them to Marina for the baby house.  Those photos are below:

I am putting together a Giveaway to raise more money for this baby house, as their need will continue and these supplies will only last so long.  If you have any items you'd like to donate- hand crafted items, new electronics, gift cards in any amount- it would be greatly appreciated.  Please leave a comment or e-mail me ASAP- I won't publish your comment but will make a personal note. Thank you!

And I got my own little present from the family currently in region- I asked the mama to speak with the director and ask if she had any photos of Lina from when she lived at the baby house.  She is going to mail me the photo of Lina by herself, but the director had just shown her the other photo, so she snapped a pic of both to show me.

SO CUTE!!! I have asked said adoptive mama to try to find out about when these photos were taken so I can figure out about how old she is in them.  Some of my readers who follow other families who have adopted from this region may recognize the little blondie sitting next to Lina also. ;)

2 months home!

Last Thursday marked 2 months home for Lina!! Woooohoooooo!!  She continues to thrive and bring smiles to our faces daily!  We were extremely busy last week with our Down syndrome camp- you can read all about it HERE and HERE- make sure you read both parts- LOTS of pictures!!  Lina did extremely well, especially with all the animals they had on different days!  It was funny though- as camp progressed, she grew a little more clingy to me each day. By the last day she didn't want me out of sight at all!  She had fun, got to know her buddy, though did begin pressing more and more buttons as the week went on.  She tried to bolt several times, refused to put her shoes back on after the bounce house- little things that mama had to put her foot down on.  We have found that Lina needs firm and consistent discipline.  No, she doesn't need time outs very often, but there need to be clear boundaries, and if she needs correcting it must be done immediately and with a firm voice and stance.  If you are too "nice" about it and are too much of a push over she will walk all over you.  I truly believe she craves the firm boundaries and feels more safe when rules are enforced, and I'm wondering if that is why she became more and more clingy to me as the week went on.  Her buddy was super sweet though, had the patience of a saint, and didn't mind chasing after Lina countless times! :)

Another little update- my friend adopting from Pskov is at Lina's former baby house right now and hand delivered my letter and photos!! She reported back that the director was "so happy" and received my e-mail- hoping she will reply back! :)  Also, tomorrow Marina will be bringing the items purchased from our donation to the baby house in need.  She will bring along photos of our family so they can see who the donations are from. :)  Marina also received a heavy box full of donations from the mama visiting Lina's former baby house- a group of families who also adopted from Pskov sent Walmart gift cards to this mama to purchase items the orphanage needs and handed them off to Marina to be delivered.  She agreed to do this again on her next trip(s) over, but instead will bring cash with her to purchase items in country since it was pricey to bring an extra box on the plane.  I will keep you all posted if you care to donate- and I plan on coordinating a giveaway to raise money also.  If you have any items or gift cards you'd like to donate to the giveaway please let me know! :)

Medical updates- Lina had her appointment with the pediatric opthalmologist and received the all clear.  Doctor said she is far sighted but does not require glasses at this time. He had me worried since he put the little metal frames on her and was putting different lenses in for her to look through- I thought for sure she was getting glasses!  We also heard back from the endocrinologist and Lina does need to begin thyroid medication.  She goes back in a few months for more bloodwork and a follow up appointment to see how she's responding to the medication.

Lina also had her first dentist visit last week (told you we were busy ;) ) and Dr. Kevin was most impressed! She has little to no tartar buildup and no signs of decay!  He didn't do anything more than look in her mouth at this first visit since it was all new to her etc, but she will go back in a few months to attempt her first cleaning. :)

That's about all for now- catch ya on the flip side!

Phone dump :)

Finally got around to uploading pics off my phone so figured I'd share them all with you! :) First a little update about our awesome opportunity- regarding the baby house in need:  I am teaming up with a mom who personally adopted her sweet little cherub from this particular baby house.  She was quite saddened when she learned they lost their funding and are in danger of closing.  We have both been in contact with sweet Marina in Pskov and have received some info with a contact!  Praying this all comes together- if it does, we will be holding a few fundraisers to donate more money for much needed supplies.  Keep your eyes open for more info in the future!

Another little update regarding Lina's baby house- I wrote previously about how I was trying to contact the director there to let her know Lina has a family and hoping to connect some of the dots from Lina's past and how we have no clue where Lina was her first year of life since her parents signed her over at birth, yet she wasn't admitted to the baby house until she was over a year old.  I found out another mommy who is headed over to Pskov within the next couple weeks to meet her little one for the first time (SO exciting!!)- is adopting from this very baby house!! As soon as I finish this blog post I am going to type out a letter to the director of the baby house and mail it to this awesome mama along with some photos of us and Lina to give the director.  I'm praying the director will e-mail me back and provide any info she may have.  Keep your fingers crossed!!

And now, on to the phone dump!!

I could fill my phone each time Lina plays dress up with the laundry basket.  This girl will put on as many clothes as she possibly can no matter who's they are- yes Evan's clothes included.... heck she has even tried to put on her babydoll's clothes! LOL

Dancing with Dollie to Leap Frog Fridge Phonics :)

Yep, more clothes...

Outside fun with the sibs

Trying to get three swinging kids in the same pic is near impossible!!

Trying to catch Lina's smile on cam is also quite a task- she flashes a big smile, but by the time the camera flashes it's long gone! 

Enjoying some leisurely reading in the car after getting 4 shots at the doctor's office :(  Thankfully she got over it pretty quickly! <3

Paka for now!

Hopeful for an exciting opportunity!

I was so excited upon receiving a message from our sweet facilitator in Pskov!  A little background: I believe I mentioned previously that Lina had a very large bank account in Russia.  It is customary to donate a large portion back to the orphanage, and we were happy to do so.  We would have liked to spend the money ourselves to offer tangible gifts to them, but unfortunately we didn't have the time, and what the director had first requested was only in a catalog and not available locally.  Our facilitator assured us that the director would provide receipts which would be forwarded on to us so we could see how the money was spent.  And now on to her message!

Dear Amy,


I should ask you concerning your donations for the Pskov orphans.  Now money is on the account of the Pskov administration and it is necessary to make a final decision for use.  
a) [The director at Lina's institution] offered five things that it is necessary to make in the orphanage
1. repair of bathrooms (replacement of a wall and floor tile, replacement of sinks, installation of shelves for toilet accessories)
2. repair of ladder flights (painting of a ceiling and walls, facing of steps, installation of ramps)
3. replacement of windows
4. acquisition of new furniture (bedside tables, beds)
5. acquisition of the developing equipment- tactile panels (we had discussed donations with the director when we were there on our court trip and she mentioned these large texture boards she would like installed on the walls of Lina's groupa for the children to explore)
(It is supposed that it should be something one of five)
Probably you want to choose from this something or let solve themself- write to me about it.


b) The administration asks some sum for newborns orphans til three years old.  In that small orphanage there are not many simple but necessary things- diapers, no small bottles for feeding, and dummies [pacifiers].  It prospered earlier as it had a good sponsor from Germany.  But now the help of the sponsor unexpectedly stopped and the shelter is in disastrous situation.  The orphanage is very good for kids but now there is even threat of closing it in the absence of means.  Therefore if you will be agree, that the part of your donation went there all will be very grateful to you.


c) And also the administration has a simple offer which they counted humane.  This offer that a part of your donation to use for the help to Polina's biological family.  This family lives in poverty now.  Everything that they have very old and shabby. They eat for certain very badly too.  If you want to help them we could buy here that you want.  It can be simple a set of products which can long be stored (grain, a stewed meat) or there can be any important thing such as a sofa with chairs or the refrigerator or something similar.  I think, any similar help will be for them very necessary and a big surprise!  If you want it write it as we should make.


You made a big donation and it should suffice to help all these inquiries.  In any case we will make everything in accuracy as you want.  I wait for the letter with your recommendations.


Besides business discussions, I with pleasure want to add Lina simply remarkable girl.  For so short time she blossomed as a flower with the advent of the sun.  This sun for her is the love from your family.  Lina is the beauty.  I carry with myself her photo and I show to all my friends like if I bragged of my own child.  Thank you.  


With Love!


Marina


WOW!!  Ok, so I couldn't get through that last paragraph without tearing up.  Marina is so so SO sweet- she  cares so much for these children and works diligently to help families bring them home.  She has even commented that the judge who once did not believe children with special needs belonged in families- now excitedly asks to see photos of these children who are now home whenever she sees Marina at the court house! Amazing! :) 


So what a blessed opportunity we have to help Lina's biological family!!  At first I was a little heartbroken that we could not supply her former institution with everything on the list, and how would we choose just one?  I relayed to Marina that we would leave it to the director to choose what she felt was top priority.  Marina assured me that it was only expected to provide one item on the list, and those were just the possibilities.  I also passed on the director's list to Georgia with ROOF, so hopefully they can provide some help there too.  And of course we are happy to help the baby house in desperate need of funds.  I am going to also inquire to see if there is any way we could provide more aid to them- I would hate to see them close. :(


Regarding Lina's biological family, I replied that I thought it would be wonderful to provide them with a refrigerator, especially with the coming summer months.  Food could keep longer without spoiling and I'm sure it would be of great use to them.  Marina replied back with another wonderful idea- filling the refrigerator with foods they possibly haven't had in a long time, ordinary foods we take for granted.  She mentioned calling the representative of guardianship to consult (I am not familiar with this position but am guessing they are affiliated with the Ministry of Education and Science which is the government agency that handles adoptions) and wasn't sure whether she should have this representative contact the family to ask their need, or if we should just surprise them with the goodies.  My vote is to surprise!  Regardless, whatever is given to them is going to be a big surprise as they don't get any aid like this.  I just wish I could see their faces when it arrives. :)

Marina mentioned she could bring photos of Lina for her biological family and share about our family and how Lina is doing.  I do have Marina on Facebook, so she knows all the scoop and sees all the pictures. :)  I would love for Lina's biological family to have the peace of mind knowing that Lina is in a loving and caring home, is happy and thriving.  Marina also said they could ask to take a photo of the biological family to give to us, but wasn't sure if the family would agree, especially given their living conditions.  I'm praying they will agree so Lina can have this important piece of her heritage.  I would love to see their faces... see if Lina bears any resemblance to her birth mother or siblings (her biological father sadly passed away last year).

So please send up a prayer or two that all of this works out and we can get help where it is greatly needed!  I will keep you posted on the progress. :)