My husband and I had been
married without children for 11 years when we started the adoption process in
April 2000. At that time we didn't have all the funds needed to complete an adoption.
However, with the help of A Child Waits Foundation we were able to bring our daughter
and son home in September 2001.
Sara was almost 3 years old and Eric was 18 months old when we arrived at the Pavlodar Baby Home in Kazakhstan. Before we met Sara for the first time, our facilitator told us that she was a very gentle child. We waited anxiously in a tiny room while they went to get her from her play group. A few minutes later, our beautiful, little daughter timidly came into the room all by herself. She knew we were to be her "Mama and Papa" and although shy at first, she seemed happy to be with us. Almost immediately she decided that she loved to be held and carried around by Mama and became fascinated with Papa's beard. We knew she could speak Russian as well as all the other 2 year olds but it was a few days before she whispered her first words to us - "Mama…Papa" as she looked at our pictures in a photo album we brought to our visits with her every day.
Later that day, we waited again alone in another tiny room in a different part of the orphanage to meet Eric. We were told that his nickname was "The Bandit"! We would soon find out just how true that was! In a matter of seconds we heard little feet running as fast as they could go and in an instant there was our adorable, tiny son in the doorway with a huge smile on his face. He knew it was a special day and it was as if we had been his Mama and Papa forever. He giggled and giggled as we took him outside to play. We pushed him around in a stroller and if we stopped for a moment he would rock back and forth to let us know that he wanted to be on the go!
Sara and Eric were small for their ages, weighing only 24 and 19 lbs., but they were relatively healthy. They were well-cared for by a loving staff of "Mama's" that did the best they could with the resources available. The orphanage was an older building but it was always clean. Bright murals were painted on the walls inside and outside. Some days we visited Sara in the music room and she played the drums and piano for us. Eric's caregivers loved to show us how he could play a miniature accordion and dance. Outside there were little swings and slides as well as tricycles.
Our trip consisted of 7 flights from Kentucky to Siberia in Central Asia to Moscow, Russia. We stayed in 3 different cities during our 3-week trip. Of course, we did not have all the comforts of home but we love to travel and enjoyed our trip immensely. The day we picked up Sara and Eric from the orphanage, it was their first time to ride in a car. They were so brave! Only 4 hours later we were on a 3-hour plane flight to Almaty, the former capital city of Kazakhstan.
The only problem on our many flights (besides adjusting to carrying 2 children along with our many suitcases) was that Sara did not want to be buckled in her seat. She let everyone know that she was unhappy about that! During our really long flight home from Frankfurt, Germany to Atlanta, Georgia we were lucky enough to get bulkhead seats with 2 bassinets for the kids. They slept for just a little while all buckled in the bassinets. We were afraid to close our eyes in case they decided to wake up and climb out!
Everyone who assisted us in Kazakhstan and Russia was always friendly and helpful. Our facilitators and guides went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. When our children are older we would love to return to their homeland for a visit.
Our transition to becoming a family of four was relatively easy especially considering that Sara and Eric had never seen each other until the day we left the orphanage with them. They had always been in different groups in separate areas of the baby home. Our daily visits with them for 2 weeks prior to our court date allowed them time to get to know us.
We have been a family for almost 3 years now and it is hard to remember life before we became parents. Sara is now 5-1/2 and Eric is 4 years old. This fall she will be in Kindergarten and he will be in pre-school. They are both incredibly healthy and very active. Our days are now filled with T-ball games, gymnastics, riding bikes, swinging, playing hide-and-seek, and spending time with family and friends. Words cannot express how very blessed we are to be Sara and Eric's parents. We are very thankful to have received help from A Child Waits - it truly made our adoption possible.
Jonna
& Jonathan Neihoff
Hickory, Kentucky