TUESDAY MAY 16th: JOSEPH COMES HOME!!!

Today was certainly a big day for everyone from the baby house to our house. Laura and I got up a bit early and really felt nervous as reality was hitting us. No more handing Joseph back after an hour especially if he was being fussy! He was all ours…forever! This morning Igor would come a bit early so we could stop at a bakery to get a cake to bring with us (the first photo) to the baby house. It has become a custom with parents from our agency to bring a cake and some tokens for all of the caregivers, doctors and director of the baby house. This was one of those things you first hear about and think of as an obligation, but then when you are here and see what they do and have done for your child and it is something you really want to do.

Igor arrived and, as he said yesterday, he met us at our door to help with all of our bags of gifts for the staff. Laura of course, as you saw in an earlier post, had all the gifts in bags etc. We also obtained the names of all of the caregivers and I wrote them on the bags in Russian (Aleea wrote them on a piece of paper Monday night!). We got them in the car along with Joseph’s things for the trip back to the apartment. This would be our last visit to the baby house! Igor brought us to a bakery and came in to help us order and pick up the cake. We grabbed Olga on the way as usual…yes this was our last ride together. This ride was one we have taken some 50 times by now and for some strange reason we were getting sad and felt it all had just started. We went to the music room and set everything up as you can see in the photo. Olga went as usual to get Joseph and he came in all smiles for us. Olga then asked us if we were ready for the caregivers to come in and we said yes and they piled into the room.

Some of them were on duty and some came in to work to say good-bye to Maxim. Although it is something they do often, thank goodness, you can tell they do bond with these kids. It was interesting to note that Tanya is the primary care giver for Joseph and this is not a job position – dictated by work responsibilities. This is the title someone gets when they bond with one of the kids – kind of their teachers pet. Tanya made a speech to us and to Maxim wishing him a happy life, a life of health and strength and that he will be a good citizen of the USA. Of course all of this made Laura and I get teary eyed. We looked back at these people who have taken care of Joseph all these many months and helped him become the fun little kid he is today. We are truly grateful to them. This photo shows the caregivers and us just before they left the room. We then asked Tanya if she would write something to Joseph in his book so he would have it later to read. The next photo is of her doing this. Olga was kind to translate in there as well so we can read it to him. As you know Joseph has a masseuse and she had shown us her techniques and we thought she really deserved something. I think she was surprised but said some nice words of good luck to him. The other person we wanted to signify was the woman who tirelessly cleans around the baby house. With bucket and rags we would see her up and down the stairs, in the back, across the yard etc. One day I asked Olga to tell her we thought she did a great job and we appreciated her but she did not seem to have a big reaction. Today we wanted to include her in our appreciation and when she came by she seemed happy that we acknowledged her efforts.

The next group to come in was the doctors but it turned out that one was not in and the other left early. Apparently there was some confusion with them about when we were coming to get Joseph so we left her presents for the Director. Olga then said we could go to the Directors Office to sign papers. We went back to the office in which we first met Joseph so long ago but all a blur now. We signed the registry book and presented her with a gift as well as gifts for the other kids in the baby house and took this photo (sorry it is blurry). She thanked us and mentioned how grateful she was for mentioning the baby house in my speech in court. She also said that it would be quieter in the afternoons, now that Maxim was going home. It turns out that the music room and her office share a wall! We did not know this until now so hopefully she is a Danny Zane and Neil Diamond fan. She said it in a way that we felt she would actually miss it all. We then thanked her for Maxim and for all the other kids at the baby house. For kids that do not have a home yet, this is the next best place for sure – no doubt. We said our good-byes and made our way down the stairs, past the train mural and out into the courtyard one last time. We actually were a bit sad and said we would miss this place as it was where we became a family. I have to say that my cousin Ann predicted this when we started the LASTS and she was right.

Igor as usual was waiting for us but now with an extra passenger for the back seat! Here is a photo of Joseph and I just before handing him in to Laura for the ride back to the apartment. We all then piled in and off we went for our final ride home from the baby house. I looked forward at Igor and Olga and reflected on how far we have come together. These people will be part of Josephs and our family story the rest of our lives. They will live on in blogs and memories and probably for at least a generation or two. How many families speak of them each day or year? I do not think they realize the importance of their jobs. Just to be consistent Olga turned to us and asked if we wanted to go anywhere and we just said back to the apartment. Joseph did pretty well on the way back, curious, nervous, and a bit stunned. When we pulled up in front of the apartment we unloaded and said our goodbyes. We can still call both Igor and Olga but not sure if we will have the time to do much before we leave – maybe the big park but who knows. For sure we will see them on Friday when we leave.

Entering the apartment it was about 11am so we set up our blanket and toys just like at the baby house and began to play. I think Laura gave him a tour first but then we were on the floor with music playing as usual. We let Joseph have a seat on the couch as you can see here. He seemed to like it and so I knew future battles would be fought for the chaise lounge chair at home in Chicago! Laura and I stopped while we were playing to reflect on what we were doing. It felt like we had been on a 4 year marathon and the end was just about here – we were playing with our son in our (temporary) house. It was really amazing! Well it was not too long before it was nap time and then meal time with some diapers in between it all. Everything went very smoothly and he went down to sleep at 8pm although his standard bedtime was reported to be 10pm. We had moved the crib into our room so he could hear us breathe and us him. The only things we were missing were a Labrador, a Spinone and a cat and we would be home.

Da Zaftra