Day 7

This morning we were ready to go to visit Danila (I believe it's a, not o, in Ukrainian-- learned that today), our backpack stuffed with things for him to do, and also a duffle bag stuffed with clothing and toothbrushes to donate to the orphanage.

Tatiana told us that we should expect to meet his grandparents today, so we were ready for that.  Well, as ready as we could be...hoping to live up to all of their expectations and wishes for their grandson's family.
When we got to the orphanage, Tatiana was trying to find out where Danila was...he was outside somewhere AND his biological parents were visiting him.

Whoa.

Apparently this type of situation is very rare, and we didn't really know what to expect.  And, although we understood that we would probably meet with them, it came up rather quickly.  We saw Danila up a hill a bit, with both his parents, petting a donkey :)  (orphanage pet!?)

Tatiana introduced us to Jack and Jill (I'll keep their names private), and Danila gave us high fives and smiles.  We walked to a bench where we sat and Danila began to go through the backpack to get the markers and paper again.  We had a chance to show Jack and Jill the photo album that I had made for them.  It showed photos of us, described the boys, the house, and their school, and some of the things that we like to do.  I also thanked them for trusting us with their Danila.  I used Google Translator to translate it all to Russian (and checked it over with Tatiana to make sure that it translated well!)

They were both really nice people, very attentive to Danila, wiping his nose when he sneezed, talking to him, holding him, getting down on his level to play.  You can tell that they love him and absolutely want the best for him.  They told us that they watched many children with Down syndrome get adopted from the two orphanages that he has been at.  They watched people choose other children time and again over him.  And they wondered why- why would their Danila, who they loved and worked with so much, why would he be constantly overlooked and left behind?  And they say they know now...it was because they were waiting for us...that we are perfect for their child.

Tatiana said it too, that she wasn't just giving us a compliment...that with all the families she has worked with, we are a perfect fit for Danila.

And of course, we believe that Danila is perfect for our family, and it has been written far before we ever knew it, that he was supposed to be with us.  None of us are really perfect, but we are all obedient to His perfect plan.

They asked about medical care in the US, what the government would provide to us in compensation, about Ian, Chase, and Gavin, their ages, about what Chase was like in comparison to Danila.  They wanted to know if we would choose to change his name, where we worked, and probably more than I am remembering now.  All of this wasn't an interrogation, though.  It was conversation, and curiosity, and they were very, very nice.  Jill showed me photos of her family, photos of Danila from their visits, and photos of her grandchild.  She took photos of us and of Danila while he was playing and we were visiting. OH- and most importantly, they wanted to know if we would be willing to continue contact with them, as her daughter speaks English.  We agreed absolutely (I cannot imagine making the sacrifice that they are by giving Danil away for a better life than they can provide and then not having any more contact...not knowing if he was healthy, or happy...how it would make my heart rest easier being able to see that he was well).  They also invited us to visit them in the future if we were to ever come back to U*.  How amazing is that?

While we were talking, Danil found the duffle bag of clothing to be donated and unzipped it.  He quietly went about taking items out one at a time, showing them off, and then trying them on.  He was quite cute- all I could think about was how Chase will empty his dresser drawers out when he is supposed to be taking a nap.  They have the same spirit, those two.

After a while, they invited us to take a ride in the car- Danila likes cars :)  So, after we brought the donations to the main doctor's office, we were going to get in the car with them and  take a ride around the orphanage.  We left Danila outside with Jack and Jill while Tatiana brought us inside to see the doctor (who was really conversational, by the way-- talked about how he has two doctor friends in the US and asked how we liked being in UA), and he thanked us for the donations.  We went back outside to find Danila waiting for us, squatted on the stoop by the door.  He had one tiny tear in the corner of his eye-- they said that he wouldn't go to the car without us.

So we go to the car, all the while Danila making "doo-doo-doo" sounds as he clicks the car remote.  He cannot WAIT to go for a ride.  And we see why soon enough...we get out to the car, and Jill motions for me to sit in the front, and Bryan and Jill sit in the back while Jack and Danila drive :)  Danila holds the steering wheel and honks the horn all the way down the road.  He pushes all the buttons on the radio, and smiles the entire way :)

When we get back, we say goodbye to Jack and Jill, and they drive away.  Danila immediately turns to Valentin's car and tries to get in :)  We convince him to come with us to play on the playground for a bit before lunch time, and he agrees to, giving the BMW a backwards glance.  He wanted to swing, and he climbed right up and waited for a push.  I pushed him gently, and he smiled...then Bryan came over and gave him a Daddy-sized push, and then the huge, open-mouthed shouts of glee came forth!  He loved, LOVED to go high on the swing, and we actually had quite a time convincing  him that he needed to go back inside for lunch. Bryan had to carry him away from the swings, doing that thing where he holds his hands and makes him jump huge jumps back to the nanny who was waiting at the door for him.

We got a "bye-bye" and "paka paka" from him before leaving...and cannot wait until we get to go back and see him tomorrow :)  Note to self- I need to learn how to say "see you tomorrow!!"