Brooke and Baylee's Adoption - Tamara's Thoughts

This page last modified on Friday, September 07, 2007

November 26, 2001
Monday@8:47 am
Well, we have seen the girls 4 times so far, and each time another layer is uncovered to their character and personality and what they are feeling. Yulia is really beginning to open up more verbally and to be more expressive. She is the one that at this point is making all of what we have gone through worth it, because she is just so obviously grateful to us. Although they are both of course worth it! Marina Baylee doesn't really know what is going on and therefore doesn't have the same feelings as Yulia. She is also very shy of Curtis, and he is longing to hold her. They haven't had much contact with men and all of their care givers have been women. So, tiny Marina doesn't know what to think about this huge 6'4 man holding his arms out to her. She flirts with him....and is curious, but she's still keeping her distance. On the other hand, she adores Ginger and she will sit in my lap and let me hold her. She just has to get used to her new daddy, and then I'm sure she will go running to him!
While we are waiting for her to open up to Curtis, she is keeping us well entertained. She makes us laugh over and over. Just when we think that she has said or done the funniest thing she could do, she does something else. One thing about her that reminds us of Ginger is her low voice. Ginger had a low voice too at that age, and it's so cute to hear her speaking Russian, which seems like baby gibberish to us. Her blondish hair and blue eyes also remind us of Ginger then, although Ginger says Marina's eyes are green. In the pictures they are clearly blue. Perhaps they are greenish blue! Whatever, she is a doll. Dark haired, brown eyed Yulia Brooke is being a little lady. When at first she was mostly quiet with smiles, now there is more laughter and little squeals of delight. That is what happened when we presented a new coat to her. She was overjoyed and did something between a gasp and a squeal! Sounded like she was hyperventilating! Whatever, she was excited. She sat in Curtis' lap for a long time and they looked at a Russian picture book together. She would point to objects and say the Russian word and then Curtis would tell her the word in English. Then she would repeat the word in English. She is trying so hard. She is trying to remember what the orphanage Director told her about watching "the elder sister", (Ginger) and how she holds her head up. She told her that when she leaves to go to her new life, for her not to look down, but to hold her head up. The Director told her "You have been given a chance for happiness that few people will ever have in life." She seems to understand that, and we have this incredible joy over what she is feeling.
Last night, I told her that she was Yulia Brooke. She smiled big and nodded her head yes. We're trying to slowly introduce the new names so they will adjust to them better. Soon we will call her Brooke Yuliya, and then just Brooke. That way Yulia can slowly fade and won't be taken away so abruptly. Many people keep their children's original names, and we seriously considered it. But we feel we have made the right decision, and Yulia is accepting it. We know the culture of the Deep South where they will be living, and we feel the names we have chosen are the right ones for these girls.
I am praying every day that our process can go quickly because I am anxious to get the girls to Kiev, then Poland and then home. Nadia said that so far everything is going well, although having the weekend in the middle of things is an opportunity to trust God. None of the offices are open on the weekend and therefore no paperwork can be done. Still I am praying that things will go on through for us and that the 30 days will be waived.
Ginger has been absolutely wonderful on this trip. It has been so good for us to have her with us. I can't imagine not having her here. We have had so many funny things happen and of course she makes things more fun. Yesterday, in the restaurant at lunch, she got locked in their only bathroom. She couldn't get the latch to move and she really thought she was going to be stuck in the bathroom forever! She even tried to use her foot and that didn't work. The bathroom looked like a dungeon and there were huge stones on the walls and it was very cold in there. What was so funny was the Phantom of the Opera music was playing (in a dramatic part) just when she was pushing on the lock and using her foot and desperately trying to get out and there was just something very funny about the whole thing. She was imagining the owners having to remove the door to get her out. Well, we were relieved when the lock opened and she came out with an expression of terror at first which faded into explosive laughter over the whole thing. Anyway, it has been REALLY good to have her with us, not just for the girls, but for us as well. I'm also sure she will remember this trip forever.....especially having to use a bathroom on our journey from Kiev to Berdyansk that consisted of an outhouse with a hole in the ground, no toilet paper, at night- no lights, and in the freezing cold. Such delightful memories will always warm our hearts.

November 30, 2001
Friday @ 10:15 am
Well, tomorrow is the big day that we get the girls if all goes well. I am enjoying them more and more as each visit passes. I am looking forward to going home with them and getting into a routine at home as a new family. I know our family is looking forward to seeing them and getting to know them. Last night when we visited them, Yulia Brooke was quiet and a little shy, due to Katia being with us....a new face. Marina Baylee is never shy! She continuously makes me smile and laugh. This is joy I would have never known had I not met her.
The only thing we are annoyed with right now is that the girls always have on the same clothes every time we see them and it is obvious they need washing. It is a tremendous frustration for Ginger. We wish we could remove them and throw them in the garbage! I can't wait to dress them in some clean, new clothes tomorrow. We are also looking forward to getting to Warsaw where we've heard things are a lot more like being home. Can't wait!