Our Third Trip

OUR THIRD TRIP – June/July 2009

DAY ONE – Sunday/Monday, June 28/29
Finally it was time for our last trip to Moscow. We were already so tired of airports and long flights. We flew from Los Angeles to Houston, and from there to Moscow. The second leg of our trip was on Singapore Airlines, which was very luxurious. We used our hotel points to stay at the Courtyard Marriott near Red Square, and this was also a step up from the apartments where we had stayed on the last two trips. Unfortunately, Continental never loaded our luggage on the plane in Los Angeles. We had not taken a small carry-on suitcase, so we had practically nothing with us. We spent our free time Monday night at the underground mall, “Manege”, buying some clothes. Everything was very expensive.

As it was light until 11:00 p.m., we took a few minutes to walk around outside, taking in the elaborate fountains and statuary depicting well-known fairy tales. Since our last trip even more flowers had been planted around the city, and there were huge flowerbeds, bright with color.

DAY TWO – Tuesday, June 30
Pasha, our driver, took us to the orphanage to pick up Ilya. On the way we stopped at a government office for a couple of hours and got Ilya’s Russian passport. At the orphanage, Pasha explained to them about our luggage, and they loaned us some clothes, food, and a baby bottle. One of Ilya’s main caretakers, Olga, gave us more information and instructions on his care, as well as his cross and clothing from his baptism. She and Anna, another main caretaker, had bought a Matryoshka doll for him as a keepsake. On the bottom they had written him a message in Russian, meaning "good luck and God bless". Olga was very sad to see him go.

We left the orphanage for what might have been the second car ride of Ilya’s life (the first would have been the ride from the maternity hospital to the orphanage). He didn’t care for it much, but fortunately he fell asleep eventually.

We spent the rest of the day in the hotel, trying to keep Ilya entertained and tracking down our luggage. Our friend Kathy, in L.A., helped out a lot with the luggage, and we eventually got the good news that it would arrive on Wednesday afternoon.

DAY THREE – Wednesday, July 1
First thing in the morning a Russian doctor came to our hotel room to take a look at Ilya and fill out some paperwork.

Afterwards we went to Red Square to visit St. Basil’s. This was quite an expedition with the stroller, as we had to use stairways and underpasses to cross the major streets. The inside of the church was spectacular, with icons, painted decoration, and lighting dating from throughout the centuries since it was built. A small group of singers performed traditional church music in the main hall, Red Square was full of people and we could hear the sound of the priest chanting and the choir singing, from a Russian Orthodox service in one of the old churches there.

We were worried that Ilya would be upset by all the sights and sounds of the city, but he was fine. He kept looking around, wanting to take it all in, and was eager to touch everything he could get his hands on.

In the afternoon, Art went to the airport to retrieve our luggage. We were very happy to finally get our things!

DAY FOUR – Thursday, July 2
In the morning we walked to Gogolovsky Park. Between the heat, humidity, and lugging the stroller up and down multiple stairways, this was not a very enjoyable outing.

In the afternoon we went to the U.S. Embassy to get Ilya’s visa, and learned that he would have dual Russian / American citizenship for life. We waited in a room full of other American parents with their adoptive children, and chatted with some of them about their experiences. Many of them had spent a lot of time in remote areas of the Russia, and some had experienced long delays in country. We felt lucky that our adoption went so smoothly. It was exciting to see all of the families bringing their children home!

In front of the U.S. embassy people had created a memorial to Michael Jackson, who had died on June 25. There were many flowers, photos, and hand-written signs.

In the evening we met up with Lilia again and took a walk in the Alexander Garden, a public park along the Kremlin wall. The weather was warm and the area was busy with pedestrians. There were many carts selling souvenirs, snacks, and ice cream. We also saw the eternal flame at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”, with its ceremonial guardsmen standing by.

DAY FIVE – Friday, July 3
Since our luggage was delayed, we were not able to bring our thank-you gifts to the orphanage on Tuesday, when we picked up Ilya. Pasha drove us back there to deliver the gifts, and there was a lot of traffic, with everyone on their way to spend time at their dachas (summer homes) for the weekend. It took two hours to get there and three hours to get back. It was hot, the car’s air conditioning didn’t work well, and the sun was shining through the windows. We were all miserable and cranky. Ilya was crying. Art and I felt like crying. At the orphanage, we met with the Director, who obviously cared very much about the children. She wished us well and said that she was happy that Ilya would have a good home with us. We did not bring Ilya back into the orphanage with us, as we were afraid it would upset him. Instead, we took turns playing with him outside.

At the end of the day, Pasha took us to the Ministry of Education to thank them for our wonderful referral of Ilya and offer some gifts of fruit and cakes. They were happy to see us together with Ilya.

In the evening Art walked to the Old Arbat to do some last minute shopping, and I strolled with Ilya near our hotel, through a city park with a long walking path and to a small farmers’ market.

DAY SIX – Saturday, July 4
Finally it was time for the big trip home! When we checked in for our American Airlines flight at the airport, they were passing out pieces “Fourth of July” cake. They had people dressed up as colonials, Uncle Sam, and even cowboys and indians! Ilya was a handful on the plane. He did not sleep much, cried, and was hard to keep entertained. We did a lot of walks up and down the aisles. There were two other American couples with newly adopted children on our flight. When we landed in Chicago, Ilya became an American citizen on the Fourth of July! We made it through Customs and Immigration in record time and flew to Los Angeles, the last leg of our journey. Our friends Jeff and Jeanette met us at the curb and took us to our house. We have never been so happy to arrive home! It didn’t seem real – we were finally home with our new son.

Our Second Trip

OUR SECOND TRIP – June 2009

DAY ONE – Thursday/Friday, June 4/5
With less than a week’s notice, we were off to Moscow again for our court date. We flew from Los Angeles to Atlanta, then on to Moscow. Again, we stayed in a rental apartment, but this time we were disappointed, as it was rundown and a bit dirty.

Only six weeks had passed since our first trip and the landscape had transformed from bleak and snowy to lush and green. A type of poplar tree was blooming and often the air was literally filled with fuzzy, dandelion-like seeds. The days were really long; there was some light in the sky until 11:00 p.m. From our apartment near the Beloruskaya train station we could easily walk down Tverskaya, a major thoroughfare lined with banks, shops, coffeehouses, theaters and restaurants, many of them open late or 24 hours a day. Friday night we enjoyed some of the Asian cuisine that is very popular in Moscow, and shopped at Yeliseyevsky’s, a historic deli. This market has been in business for over a century, and is housed in an 18th century mansion, complete with chandeliers, stained glass, and ornate columns, mouldings and medallions. My Russian improved somewhat between our first and second trips. I can now use some adjectives and the occasional verb, so that was helpful while we were out and about. While shopping, we got caught in an evening rainstorm and took the metro back to the apartment.

DAY TWO – Saturday, June 6, 2009
Galina, our translator for the second trip, and Jenya, one of our drivers, took us to the orphanage to see Ilya. Galina was very helpful with the adoption process and had previously been a language teacher and a professional tour guide, so we learned a lot from her as well. When we saw Ilya, we couldn’t believe how much he had grown in six weeks! On this trip we spent a couple of hours with him each day, between lunchtime and naptime. He was less apprehensive around us than the first time we met him. Since the weather had warmed up, we spent most of the time outside. With us holding his hands he went down the stairs to the entryway at breakneck speed. In the outdoor play area we put him on the swings and some other playground equipment, but he seemed nervous. Then we found out he had never been on a swing before, so we stuck to walking around and looking at some smaller toys.

Afterwards we had lunch with Galina at Taras Bulba, a Ukrainian restaurant set up to look like a village, with waiters in traditional costume. The food was wonderful. I especially liked the flavorful, salty cheese. After lunch we reviewed in detail everything that would happen during our court hearing, and discussed what kind of questions might be asked.

In the evening we walked on Tverskaya again and had dessert and hot chocolate at Shokoladnitsa, a Russian chain similar to our Starbucks. We were surprised when the hot chocolate turned out to be literally “hot chocolate” – a cup full of melted chocolate. If you want American hot chocolate you have to order “cocoa”. (Didn’t stop me from drinking it, though…)

DAY THREE – Sunday, June 7, 2009
Galina and Jenya took us to the orphanage again, and we got there before lunch. The caretakers gave us a big bowl of mashed potatoes and vegetables and a little meat and we had the opportunity to feed Ilya. We weren’t too handy at feeding him. We transferred about a third of the food out of the bowl, most of that into his mouth, but some of it onto his bib, his clothes, and our clothes. At some point the caretaker took him and the food away and brought him back in a few minutes. She had fed him all the rest of the food – those ladies are fast! Then he drank a baby bottle of “compote”, made by boiling dried fruit in water. After lunch we played outdoors and he was more at ease with us than on Saturday.

Afterwards Galina and Jenya dropped us off at Izmailovsky Park, a big outdoor weekend market. It can be seen from a distance, as the grounds are decorated with huge facades of traditional Russian buildings. Part of it is like an American flea market, with booths for clothing, household items, etc. We skipped that part, but walked through the sections where local artists sold their paintings and crafts, as well as an area with many souvenir stands. We ate tasty shish kabobs cooked outdoors on giant iron grills and tried the “kvas”, a traditional drink made from fermented rye. There were so many beautiful things at the market that it was hard to decide what to buy. We came home with unique gifts for our friends and family, as well as some keepsakes for ourselves. I got a colorful, hand-painted wooden egg showing a Russian chicken family: rooster and mother chicken wearing Russian scarves and their chicks in the barnyard. The egg is hollow and inside are smaller eggs, each painted as one of the chicks.

When we got back to the apartment building, a young boy was trapped between floors inside the tiny, ancient elevator, and was crying for help. It was not long before he was rescued, but from that day on we did not take the elevator, and our apartment was on the ninth floor!

DAY FOUR – Monday, June 8, 2009
Galina and Dennis, the other driver, took us to the orphanage and Ilya seemed even more comfortable with us than on the previous days. We played outside and he reached his arms up for us to pick him up. Art “flew” him around and he smiled. At each orphanage visit, when we went back indoors, he was eager to go back to the room where his “group” plays, sleeps, and eats. It was easy to see that he loves his caretakers at the orphanage. While we were playing, the social worker who would represent Ilya’s interests at the court hearing arrived and spoke with us.

In the late afternoon we went on a Moscow River “cruise”, which lasted about 45 minutes and afforded some nice views of the city from the water. We saw the Kremlin, Gorky Park, glass-enclosed pedestrian bridges, and many other sights. On the way back to the apartment we took in the artwork at a few more metro stations.

DAY FIVE – Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tuesday was a trying day filled with both happiness and sadness. On the way to the courthouse in Krasnogorsk (Moscow Region) I got the very sad news that a very dear relative, John Dellisanti, had passed away. Our new son is named after him: Ilya John Lacher. I think that it is no coincidence that we lost him and gained a son on the same day.

Our court hearing lasted about an hour. Present were the judge and two court officials, as well as Art and I and Galina, our translator. Art and I each had the opportunity to tell the court about ourselves and our home and how excited we were to adopt Ilya. We answered some questions, and the social worker spoke as well. The judge had many questions for the social worker, mostly about some paperwork that wasn’t in order. She seemed very disapproving and there was a lot of serious discussion between her and the social worker. I was concerned that this would affect the outcome. However, in the end, the judge left the courtroom and a few minutes later her decision was announced, that we would be allowed to adopt Ilya, effective June 22! We were very happy and relieved.

After leaving the court, we went to a notary and gave Jenya, who represents our adoption agency in Russia, power of attorney to do some of the remaining paperwork. This will save us some time on our next trip.

Then Galina took us on a tour of the massive Church of Christ The Redeemer, which we had seen from the outside on our first trip. It was spectacular inside, with marble floors, many icons, and beautifully painted walls and domes, shining with gold leaf. There was a second, smaller chapel directly beneath the main one. It was also beautifully decorated, and included a small museum showing the reconstruction of the church.

We had planned to visit the orphanage again on Wednesday, and fly home on Thursday, but moved our flight up one day, due to the bad news we had received. As it turned out, I started coming down with the flu, and by Tuesday night I felt horrible, so we couldn’t have visited Ilya on Wednesday anyway.

DAY SIX – Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Our flight left Moscow on time, but could not land in Atlanta due to bad weather. It was rerouted twice, and the airline put us up in a hotel for a few hours Wednesday night. I was sick, miserable, and grouchy, and Art got me through it all with his usual patience and good humor. Finally, we arrived in Los Angeles mid-morning on Thursday, where we splurged on a taxi ride home.

Now we have a short time to finish getting Ilya’s room ready and put together our baby supplies and paperwork for our third and final trip.

Our First Trip

OUR FIRST TRIP – April 2009

DAY ONE – Saturday/Sunday, April 18/19
We flew from L.A. to Chicago, then on to Moscow. The trip went very smoothly, with both flights on time. It was snowing when we arrived! Masha and Dennis, the translator and driver from our agency, met us at the airport and took us to our rental apartment. Masha was so vivacious, personable and also well-organized, that we knew we were in good hands for the remainder of the trip. Travel time: 23 ½ hours door to door.

We rented a tiny one-bedroom apartment on the third floor of an old building (c. 1930), that faced into a side street and courtyard. (We used Peace Travel to get the apartment.) Our apartment was in the “Old Arbat” section of Moscow, which has many restored 19th century houses and churches. Old Arbat (street) is a pedestrian zone lined with shops and restaurants. This was about the time of year that the government turns off the heat, and we were happy to find that this had not happened yet, since the high temperatures were in the 40s.

After unpacking we took a walk down Old Arbat. We continued past the Kremlin, and eventually to Red Square. The Kremlin and museums were all closed, but we took in the architecture and walked around GUM, the famous department store in Red Square. We met Lilia, a former coworker of mine who now lives in Moscow, and had coffee in a big underground shopping mall. Then we returned to our hotel, taking our first ride on the Russian metro. The Moscow subway system is huge, with 165 stations, and the trains run frequently – every minute during rush hour. Built in the 1930s, these are some of the deepest subway tracks in the world; they doubled as bomb shelters.

DAY TWO – Monday, April 20, 2009
Everything went so smoothly on our second day; it couldn’t have been better! In the morning Masha took us to a clinic for our doctors’ exams. In Russia they don’t have GPs; there is a doctor for every specialty. So we had to be seen by seven doctors. The exams were fast, from 2-10 minutes each. Thanks to Masha’s efficency, we only spent a total of four hours at the clinic completing our exams and paperwork.

The next stop was the Ministry of Education, where we met Zhenya, our agency contact, and accepted the referral of our baby boy, Ilya. Unfortunately, it was too late in the day to go to the orphanage and meet him.

Moscow is notorious for its traffic. The roads are so congested that it takes a long time to go even a short distance. And, by American standards, there is a lot of crazy driving! Masha told us that there are 1,000 accidents a day in Moscow, and we could believe it. We were very glad that Dennis was driving and not us. Some of the roads are very wide, with up to ten lanes in one direction. Cars were parked in many areas that were surely not intended for parking.

In the evening we took a long walk in the neighborhood of our apartment, seeing a row of 18th century mansions, as well as the huge Church of Christ the Redeemer, originally built in 1883, torn down by Stalin in 1931, and reconstructed by the government in the 1990s. The Russian class I took was very useful as I could at least read signs and use our street map. We were also happy to be able to greet and thank people in Russian, and ask some simple questions. We had a delicious sit-down dinner at a restaurant designed to look like a Georgian village. The decor made us think of Disneyland.

DAY THREE – Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Masha and Dennis took us to the Baby Home in Fryazino (Фрязино), a town in the Moscow Region about 35K from the city. About 90 children live there, from infants to four years old. Fortunately, the traffic was unusually light and we got there in about an hour. When we arrived, we met with the Baby Home Director, who was nice enough to review with us all the medical and legal information she had about Ilya. Then we got to meet him!

Ilya is very handsome, with big eyes, long eyelashes and a happy smile (except when meeting new people). He has eight teeth! He walks around very well on his own. Unfortunately, he had just come down with a cold and was feeling feverish and congested. We got to play with him for only about an hour.

In the afternoon Masha gave us a tour of the cathedrals and museums in the Kremlin, including the Armoury, which is famous for its exhibits of treasures from the time of the Tzars. They had an amazing collection of 17th and 18th century carriages, as well as clothing, jewelry, weapons, suits of armor, Faberge Eggs, etc.

DAY FOUR – Wednesday, April 21
Masha and Dennis picked us up at 6:30 a.m., in order to get to the orphanage by 8:00 a.m. We could only visit until 9:30, as there was a government inspection that day. Ilya was just as cute on our second visit! He seemed a little more comfortable with us, but he still had a lot of congestion from his cold. We got to feed him his breakfast. It was cream of wheat, which he ate from a spoon, and hot tea, which he drank from a cup. The rest of the time we spent playing. He likes picking up toys and dropping them or handing them to us, and he puts everything in his mouth. He is not interested in stuffed animals, or books, unless chewing is involved. The visit went by fast and we wished we could spend more time with him.

The next stop was the notary office, where we signed a lot of official paperwork, including our intent to adopt Ilya and our request for a court date to finalize the adoption.

Afterwards we drove to an overlook for a good view of the city, and then to get a close-up look at a giant statue of Peter The Great, that is in the Moscow River. Masha told us the rumor that the statue was created as a gift for the United States but that we didn’t accept it due to its size. When we got close, we agreed that the figure looked just like Christopher Columbus.

In the afternoon we napped, in order to prepare for our evening at the ballet! The performance of “Don Quixot” was at the Kremlin State Theater, by a sister troupe to the Bolshoi. It was fabulous, with beautiful sets and costumes and amazing dancers. The ballet dancers were like rock stars to the Russians. There were bows and encores during the acts. When the lead dancers were spotlighted, people would be yelling “Bravo!” and clapping rhythmically (as you would for an encore at a pop concert). At the end of the performance, people rushed from the back to the edge of the stage to get close to the dancers as they bowed.

DAY FIVE – Thursday, April 22
In the morning we went to the notary’s office again, to collect the packet of notarized documents that Masha would deliver in Fryazino. Then we drove to the orphanage, where we had our final visit with Ilya. We had to wait until 2:30 to see him, since we could not interrupt the regular orphanage schedule of naptime and mealtime, but they let us spend an hour and a half with him, in a big playroom. He was much more at ease with us, and his cold had gotten a little better. We had a great time playing with him, and he even smiled a little! Ilya has such a calm and easygoing disposition. And he is very curious, wanting to investigate everything in the room. We took a lot of photos, as we will need to provide ten good photos of us together for our court date. Again, the time went by too fast, and it was sad to leave, knowing it would be two months or longer before we would see him again. It was a consolation to see how much the caretakers at the orphanage loved him. He seemed to be a favorite there.

Before we left, Masha introduced me to one of the women who looks after Ilya’s group, and translated for us. She told me how much they care about him and how they are happy he will have a family, and that we should come back for him soon. I told her we would like to take him home right now and we would come back as soon as possible. We gave her a disposable camera and a photo album of Art and me, our house, the cats, and bird, with everyone’s names written in Russian. She said that she would take pictures of him while we were gone, and show him the album so he would remember us.

On our last evening in Moscow we rode the subway and took in some of the 1930s/40s artwork in the stations, ranging from architectural features, to beautiful paintings, mosaics, and sculptures. The artwork depicted events in Russian history, as well as idealized scenes of life in Communist Russia, especially of workers and peasants involved in traditional activities.

DAY SIX – Friday, April 23
Masha and Dennis picked us up in the morning for a long, traffic-filled ride to the airport, and then we made the long journey home. Our time in Moscow was so filled with excitement and activities that it seemed both very short and very long. It is hard to wait for our court date. But at least now we have met our baby and we know everything is on track for our adoption. One of our projects while we are waiting will be to set up the baby’s room.