Goodbye Kiev....

It’s amazing how time flies.  A mere month ago, we were childless and on a grand adventure to seek out a little faceless person, who God ordained before the beginning of time, to be in our family….now here we are the parents of the most beautiful boy ever!  In some ways it all seems so new but in some ways it feels like Nykolas has been in our lives and hearts forever.  Our wee flat has been cozy and has cradled us (sometimes a bit too closely!)…but we will always treasure Kiev as our first home as a family.  We have had many warm sunny days but as I write these parting thoughts I am drinking coffee as the snow swirls outside….winters parting hoorah before spring truly settles in.  We are looking forward to being able to let little bare feet run in warm green grass.

 

We feel quite broken into parenthood already….sleepless, coughing, feverish nights….a tantrum in the mall (ah yes, the sin nature reigns)….wrestling with all the gear (snuggli, stroller, diapers, wipes, Cheerios, sippy cup, baby food, baby spoons, toys, etc…)…many a stinky diaper….whining for who knows what (if he could only explain what he wants…)….Baby Einstein DVD over and over and over…wet kisses and a smile that could warm the sun.  There is nothing sweeter in the world than a wobbly, walking toddler headed your way with hands raised wanting your cuddles!!!!  I know we have so much to look forward to…our “grand adventure” has just begun!

 

We depart early Tuesday morning and arrive in Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.  Family here we come!

 

PS~ There is a nasty rumor spreading that I have taken in a wee stray kitten….the truth is it followed Chad into the apartment and all I have done is nurture!  Nykolas thinks it is so cool and gets really upset when the kitten is locked in the bathroom (he sits outside the door and ‘meows’ while the kitten ‘meows’ from the other side).  (For the sake of my mother and mother-in-law ~ Nykolas has not been allowed to touch or play with it ~ rest well Mamsie and Gran we are watching out for your grandson!)

Daddy's home!!!

Daddy's home!!!
Originally uploaded by Silverbrae.

Mamsie's coming and going....

Mom ("Mamsie" to all the cousins) came to visit us when Chad was in Manila for 10 days. I had a few days by myself and I was really thankful to see her face. Nykolas had a fever from teething and/or a virus and the company was a balm for both of us. This little flat seems REALLY small with a cranky baby! I told her when she arrived that she must love me A LOT to travel this far for a visit.

(Mom, your time here will forever be such an amazing gift on this journey of ours...treasured deep in my heart. Thank you for loving a daughter that can stretch your comfort zone to the max!)

Nykolas took to mom very quickly, of course! Mamsie's favorite saying is "I have a great idea", which usually includes climbing in baskets or making tunnels out of suitcases and towels, not to mention she came laden with toys that make noise and clothes, that actually fit, from cousin Ethan! We had a fairly restful few days, some sleepless nights with a coughing boy but overall lots of naps. When we did get out, Nykolas and I wanted long walks so I hope we didn't wear her out! She kept up well! We even went to the zoo with Mandy and her kids...Nykolas growled at the bears and tigers but I think he most enjoyed watching the twins running ahead of us, wishing for the day he could keep up with them!!!

Chad came home on the 19th and Mom left on the 21st. We miss Mamsie but are really glad Daddy is home. (Chad gets more belly laughs out of his boy than his mommy can!) Nykolas is learning by the bucket loads daily. It's amazing to watch him absorb so much!

We leave Kiev on Tuesday the 26th. Only a few more days in Nykolas' birth country.

Creative Play with Mamsie....

Creative Play
Originally uploaded by Silverbrae.

A family at last....

Family at Last
Originally uploaded by Silverbrae.

New Pics of Nykolas!!

Adjusting....

Nykolas has been a dream. Everything he is experiencing is new....cars, elevators, baths, teethbrushing, Cheerios, people, beds, clothes, etc...and he is "rolling with the punches". He is taking two two-hour naps a day AND sleeping through the night! He is learning to kiss, say "dada" and "mama" as well as growling when he sees a bear in his book. He loves baths, wrestling and head butting with his daddy...Chad, of course, sees a potential linebacker in the making.

We've had a sweet babushka coming over to put a warm poultice on his chest and back as he still has the croup...it slowly seems to be clearing up.

We went on our first family outing last evening, dinner at our friends home. It was wonderful!! Mandy and Chad have two-year old twins, Tristin and Abby, and a 9 month old, Britain. I think Nykolas is still somewhat unsure that we are his forever...I could see him evaluating Mandy and the kids....AND all their toys...thinking that this situation had potential but at 8:45 we whisked him back home again.

Today Yuri had us over to his country home. It was such a lovely day! Chad and the guys enjoyed the sauna while Nykolas and I played in the loft. As Nykolas and I took a nap it was so sweet to hear roosters and dogs outside the window. We grilled out and enjoyed a meal with two languages sweetening the fellowship. Nykolas loved walking around exploring a new place and especially the huge doberman named Fred! He shows no fear!

Chad leaves tomorrow for Manila and my mom comes for a visit on Thursday! Nykolas' Mamsie is on her way!

New Pics of Nykolas!!

He is ours!!!

Today, April 5th, 2005 at 10:00am - Romanenko Mykola Oleksandrovich from Kirovograd, Ukraine became Nykolas Moore Hammond!!! We are so thrilled! It still feels a bit unreal as we don't get custody of Nykolas until tomorrow. He has been ill with the flu or croup or something over the weekend so we haven't been able to see him. We will pick him up tomorrow early afternoon and head back to our wee apartment in Kiev.

Our court experience went very well. I was a bit nervous for a while....I am glad it was first thing in the morning so we were not anxious all day....here were our requests that were all granted within an hour.....

1. We, John Chadwick Hammond, Jr. and Heather Leigh Hammond, citizens of the United States of America request to be the adoptive parents of the Ukrainian citizen Romanenko Mykola Oleksandrovich.
2. We request to change the name of Romanenko Mykola Oleksandrovich to Nykolas Moore Hammond and to remove his birth father's name.
3. We request that the date of birth - December 22, 2003 and the place of birth - Novoarkhangelsk, Novoarkhangelsk District, Kirovograd Region, Ukraine remain the same.
4. We also request to be written as the parents of Romanenko Mykola Oleksandrovich, in the book of birth registration.
5. We request that the court grant immediate execution of these requests.

Almost There.....

The paperwork has returned from Kiev and all that remains is our court date on Tuesday. Nykolas will be legally ours on April 5th! Everything has been so smooth....God is surely in control!

We have taken this weekend to travel to the Crimea. The Black Sea is gorgeous! But of course, we've traveled south in search of warmth and a cold, windy snap has hit the area! In spite of the biting wind we've visited some of the most beatiful coastal towns I've ever seen. There are ruins by the Sea of a First Century Greek City. Excavations revealed the first underground Christian Church in the region! Amazing to think we've been where Andrew the Apostle tread spreading the Good News of his Messiah!

Yuri, our adoption facilitator and new friend, is also the Director of Hope House Ministries. Hope House provides homes for Christian Ukrainian families with the agreement that they will adopt three or more orphans. We have been with several Hope House families. It is awesome how the family of God transcends cultures! Last evening we were in the home of Luba and Vitaly who have one biological child and have adopted three children in the last year. Their adoption of twin girls, Dasha and Ola, was completed this week. As the girls were in Nykolas' orphange we were there to take pictures and celebrate with them. In their home you would never guess that the two girls had not been in a loving family forever. A shared meal, sweet fellowship, tickles, giggles and smiles were the perfect ending to our day.

I've not been very patient with my hotmail account as everything here is dial-up but your posts to this blog have thrilled my heart in unexplainable ways.

Some Pictures of Hope House Families