Women's Day Celebration

Tomorrow is a national holiday in Russia, Women's Day.  While we don't completely understand the meaning behind this holiday, it seems to be no more than a day to celebrate the important women in your life.  The people of St. Petersburg were in full celebration tonight, with nights out on the town, complete with dinner and flowers...and lots of them.

As we looked around the restaurant tonight, there were predominatly women present, and very few men.  In fact, I think I was the only male in the place most of the evening.  All the ladies had fresh flowers on their tables, presumable given by the other women present.  They ranged from small bouquets to tall vases with the longest stem roses one has ever seen. 

In lieu of flowers, we celebrated in our own way by splitting some of the best Gelato outside of Italy at our new favorite dining spot in St. Pete, Caffe Italia.

We had good reason to celebrate.  Today marks the end of our first trip of three in this adoption journey.  Much like our inital meeting with Max, it is sad to say good bye (or, do svidaniya) to Macy, but it is easy to find comfort in the fact that she is so happy and well adjusted to her current surroundings.

Every day so far, Macy has come to see us with some sort of hat on her head.  She enters the room, removes it, and goes about her play.  Like clockwork, as it gets close to the time her caretaker is to come sweep her away, she grabs her hat, attempts to put it on, and waves "paka, paka."  Without a doubt, she had fun with us, but it was time for her to get back to her routine, one that we anticipate she will stuggle loosing once we get custody.  So, for now, we know that she is happy, and certainly well cared for by the wonderful women at the orphanage.

We anticipate being back in 2 to 3 months for our court date, and are already speculating on how much Macy will change by the time we see her.  We couldn't have picked a better day to say, "see you later" than on a day to celebrate an important female in your life, as she is now the most important little lady in ours.

A Thaw over St. Petersburg

Today was a day of warming up.  When we woke up, the sun was shining bright.  Something we haven't seen in quite awhile.  The temperature was well above freezing, and the mounds of snow and ice-covered sidewalks were beginning to melt.  All signs pointed to today being a great day.

When we arrived at the orphange, we were once again greeted with a happy little girl, dressed up in her finest clothes.  The minute her caretaker put her down, she runs to Shelly with a huge smile, arms stretched wide. 

Keeping consistent with the weather, she was beginning to warm up to me as well.  She now seems comfortable leaving the familiar confines of Shelly's arms to venture across the room to see me.  I'm able to pick her up, toss her into the air a couple of times, and set her down, before she's ready to go back to where she seems most secure.  Progress, anyway you look at it.

We are starting to see more and more of her personality come out with each visit.  Like her brother, she gets irritated when she doesn't get her way.  They both have a way of working us.

As for Max, we were able to Skype with him last night.  It seems like forever since we have seen him, and can't wait to get home to deliver on that hug we promised. 

Most people we have dealt with here in Russia are aware that we have Macy's brother, and ask to see picture of him.  They all agree just how much they resemble each other.  We can hardly wait for the day that get to meet.  Let's just hope that Max warms up to her as quickly as she warmed up to us.

Day 2 of visits

We made it "official" today, as we signed paperwork indicating our intent to adopt.  It was a pretty seamless process, with just three documents to sign.  While at the notary office, we met two other American families who are adopting as well.  One of which was adopting a girl from the same orphanage as Max.  Our conversation brought back so many memories from just two short years ago.  I know I've said this a hundred times, but it seems like yesterday we were here meeting Max for the first time.  However, looking at how far he has come in his developement, it seems like light years ago.  I have to believe that a couple of years down the road we will be saying the same thing about Macy.

Our visits with Macy were both very good, as she continues to so signs of affection to each of us.  Without a doubt, she is a "Mama's girl," but we will see how long that will last.  By the end of the day today, she was walking across the room to interact with me on her own.  This was a big step forward for her, as she has had little male influence in her life.  She loves to give high fives and imitate any hand movements that you do.  I'm counting on a hug by the week's end, but not holding my breath.

No matter what, it is great to see her little face light up everytime she sees Shelly.  Someday, she will figure out how to use that to her advantage with Dad.

So, a couple visits tomorrow (Friday), and one more on Saturday and then it is time to come home and get busy on the completion of our paperwork to get back here for court.  It won't be long until we officially make it official!

Deja vu

sToday was a day of, "been there, done that."  Not in a negative way, just a seemed to be a flashback to our first trip in 2009. 

We started the day at the Family Services offices, meeting in the same building, in the same office, with the same lady we met when we were presented with Max's paperwork.  We were read her background information, which included a complete medical background, and a description of her demeanor.  She was described as "emotional and active," much like her brother.  The lady from Family Services began to laugh.  Since our Russian is well below par, we were confused as to her reaction.  Katia, our translator, informed us that she was laughing because she looked up Max's picture in her system, and she was amazed how much she resembled Max.  The Family Services worker then turned her computer monitor towards us, and we were able to see for ourselves for the first time.  She wasn't kidding!

Again, this overwhelming feeling of deja vu swept over us.  There was no denying that this was Max's sister.  It was like we were looking at Max in a dress (with blue eyes).  The hairline was the same, the smile was the same...we couldn't help but laugh.

After a few more formalities at the Family Services office, we were off to the orphange to meet her.

This orphanage is in a different part of the city than Max's, but in similar surroundings.  The orphanage sits in the middle of many high-rise apartment buildings and is surrounded by a gate.  The condition of the orphange is much the same as the last, clean and well kept.  We donned our blue plastic shoe covers (as before) and headed inside.  Even the smell of the day's lunch brought back so many memories. 

We met with the director of the orphanage who provided a very detailed medical history, which concluded with a healthy report.  Before we knew it, in walked this beautiful little girl wearing a dress and a white hat, which I would loosly describe as a beret with a bow.  We were expecting some tears, or crying, but she seemed very much at home with us in the room.  We played with blocks, and some stuffed toys for an hour and a half and never saw a tear.  Finally a stark difference from our first meeting with Max, as he cried most of our visit.

Our visit concluded and we were off to lunch and run some errands, we were back for the afternoon visit.  Much like the morning, we played and laughed and never saw a tear.  She seems quite comfortable with us, but more so with Shelly.

We had to make one important decision today, and that was a name for this little girl.  This has been a subject of debate in the Gottschalk household for some time.  Now, our backs were against the wall.  The preverbial fork in the road.  So, with much debate, we both agreed on a name.  Macy Rose Gottschalk.  Macy, because Shelly likes it (and me too), and Rose, in honor of her Grandmother, Rosalie Eileen. 

So, with day 1 in the books, we are back to our hotel room to try and figure out where to have dinner.  Just like before.

Picking up where we left off...

In many respects, it seems like yesterday that we were in St. Petersburg.  The all too familiar sights and sounds of this busy city have barely left our memories.  The sound of the studded tires on the pavement, the mass amount of traffic, the inability to read a sign, or understand a conversation...nothing has changed.
 
However, some things are different this trip.  For starters, the weather is much colder.  There is snow on the ground, and lots of it.  As a matter of fact, this season has broken a 100 year record for the amount of snowfall.  Also, we are staying in a different hotel in a differnet part of town.  As a result, we have no idea where to find some of our favorite places to eat.  Our first order of business is to locate a grocery store, and navigate the isles in search of items to stock the hotel room.  Fortunatley for us, there is one right across the street.

As for our hotel, it is much like the Andersen Hotel from our last trip; clean, modest accomodations.  For those of you who have been on a cruise before, envision the quarters from your stateroom.  That is our room for the week.  Not a lot of room to run around.

The running around that we will do will start tomorrow morning.  We will be wisked-off to the governmental equivelent to our social services to be presented with an official referral on Max's sister, however, we are not supposed to know that she is in fact related.  Crazy, I know, but welcome to adoptions in Russia.

Once we have been presented her background information, which will include any medical history, etc, we will then head off to the orphange to meet her for the first time.  I don't think we really know what to expect.  I keep envisioning a younger, female version of Max walking through the door tomorrow.  One thing will be certain, she will be tired of see the flash of a camera after our visit! 

So, until then, we will dine on the Pringles we picked-up in Amsterdam, and hope to get some sleep tonight.  Our biological clocks keep telling us that it not time to sleep, since it is the middle of the day.  Our travel alarm clock tells us otherwise.