March 29, 2009

We woke up early, and a bit out of sorts. Last night was daylight savings here. So we’ve been here for almost a week, and have to adjust to another time change! We laughed. So now we’re 7 hours ahead of our friends and family on the east coast.

We played with Maxim outside earlier today. He had on shoes that fit him much better and, although he still stumbled a lot, he was much more stable today. This morning we fed him half a banana and he chomped it down like nobody’s business. It was cute. He lets us feed and hold him, but you can still see this “I’m happy on the outside, but not really sure on the inside” look and feel to him. I guess that’s just a little of me and my uneasiness with him. I’ll get to that later.

Dave and I went back to our flat and Igor was up. I asked him to take me to the grocery store to explain what a few things are. We bought some borcht mix (just add water…that’s the stuff I like!), mashed potatoes, jelly, butter, milk, & cereal. He even found us a place that has the internet! Woohooo! We are again connected with the outside world! He’s been picking on us for being so internet dependent. When I got back and told Dave we found a great internet place, he was excited. We went and I updated the blog, checked email, and let Dave have the computer to pay bills and check email.

We went straight from there to the orphanage, where we picked up our son and played with him some more. We were in a metal enclosure and he fell and cut his lip…not busted, but bleeding a bit. He started to cry, so I picked him up, got a tissue and compressed his lip. Don’t worry, I didn’t freak out (neither did he). He’s a boy, and with all the injuries my two brothers have had, I’m used to it. He settled down pretty quick and was back to playing in no time. He’s so funny! He loves to walk toward something and then all of a sudden do a 180. I’m not sure why. He seemed to have a better idea of where he wanted to go today, although I got the sense that he still feels it’s overwhelming a bit. He loves to pick up rocks and sticks…but only certain ones. Haven’t figured that out yet either. But I’m glad to see him being a boy and experimenting with textures.

Tonight has been low key. We came back and told Igor what we’d like to name our son. We’ve decided on Eli Maxim Moser. Eli is a Hebrew name that means God is great. And we really feel like God has been good to us in bringing him in to our lives. We thought about giving him my dad’s middle name, but decided to keep some of his Ukrainian heritage. The name Maxim means greatness and is a very popular name in Eastern Europe. And, of course, we Mosers (and Stobie’s) are just flat out great :)

I can’t really explain what I feel right now. It’s kind of a going through the motions. I’m not a mom just yet…he doesn’t live with me or even understand me. And he isn’t like the boys back home around the same age. But it dawned on me that he’s in a different culture and my experiences with American boys don’t necessarily translate to how I’m relating to Maxim. I know that part of my problem is my fear of commitment. This is yet another area where my husband and I compliment each other. I poured out my concerns and fears to him last night, telling him he’d have to be the strong one because I’m so terrified of this decision! But he said to me “Natalie, I believe this child is a gift from God to us, and I believe without a shadow of a doubt that he’s our son.” Wow. I trust my husband’s judgment completely so when he said that, it sealed the deal for me.

I guess I just wish we could communicate with him. He’s such a jovial child, constantly laughing. He loves to see us (again, probably because we feed him and take him out to play).

A few tidbits. The orphanage workers teach the children to call every female momma and every male papa. So when you walk in a room full of kids, that’s all you hear in cute little Ukrainian voices “Momma, Papa, Pree-vit” I really thought this would be hard for me, but it hasn’t been. I think it’s because these kids are in such a wonderful orphanage, or maybe I’m emotionally detached right now. Rosalie where are you when I need you?!?! (That’s my awesome counselor.)

Our stomachs are doing pretty good. We’ve been pretty bad about heeding the warnings about the water. I forget to use bottled water a lot. So far it hasn’t come back to bite me. And laundry has been a nightmare. I hand wash everything, then put it on the enclosed patio to dry…it’s been 2 days and Dave’s white cotton shirts STILL aren’t dry.

Dave and I have had beef cravings today. Mmmmm a juicy hamburger sounds so good! Ground beef. Drool. I may even venture out to buy a chicken and boil it (no oven) and use the stock for some chicken soup with veggies (mmmm, veggies). I’m still enjoying my time here, though. And I enjoy trying new things, so I’m hoping Igor will introduce us to more foods.

Igor is a riot! He and Dave share a love for Formula 1 racing, and there was a race in Australia today that wasn’t broadcast…they were both SO disappointed! He’s so full of information, it’s amazing. I love to hear stories of when he was a kid during Soviet control.

I haven’t been been in my Bible in a while, and that could very well be why my stomach is all tied up in knots with anxiousness. I miss my Bible Study Fellowship gals, and the structured, daily time in the word it encourages. I wish there was something here, but, Nyet, there isn’t.

Prayer Requests
1. Safety
2. Continued Health
3. My love for Maxim to grow
4. Continued smooth flowing process
5. My time in the Word