We had a lovely dinner at Tien Luen last night -- Spicy Vegetable Salad, Sichuan Fried Beef, Scallion Pancakes and Peking duck. We figured it might be our last dinner out as a couple for some time. This morning we went to Silk Road to buy two bottles of champagne for the orphanage staff: CD had suggested to Galina that we would like to get cake & champagne to share with the orphanage staff. Next stop, Kaz R Us to buy a couple of outfits for Otis and a stroller. Since CD’s mom and dad are buying a nice stroller we just wanted something lightweight and not too expensive to get through the next two weeks and through three airports on August 6th. We ended up with a lightweight Pierre Cardin (?) model for about $70.00. When Sasha stopped by, he said, “Not bad, what did you pay about $35?” “More than that,” I replied. His response, “Well if you’d gone to the Green Bazaar, it would have been cheaper, but Chinese and unassembled, like the crib last night.” “Exactly,” I said and we all laughed.
Zoya stopped by at 2:00 to go through the gifts for the orphanage staff with CD and help wrap them. Zoya decided that the gift for the Orphanage Director, a leather change purse replica of a Greek diner coffee cup, was not enough; she needed to get chocolates and wine as well. We agreed to get some when we pick up the cakes for the staff party. Galina called at 2:30 to say she was downstairs with Dima, and we headed off to buy cakes at the “nice bakery” which turned out to be a grocery store. We picked out two cakes -- one chocolate and one non-chocolate, my theory of dessert. Then it’s time to pick chocolates and wine for the director, Galina pooh-poohed several of my choices and picked something considerably cheaper and nasty looking and then blew off French and Italian wines to pick a $4 Russian wine in a burlap cover. OK, I figure, she knows what the woman likes, but I’m glad we picked the Prosecco before, there’s some Kazakhstan champagne at $4 a bottle that truly scares me.
Arrive at the babyhouse, CD hands off four diapers for the last time and an outfit for Otis to wear home, including a hat. The cakes and champagne we brought, hoping to toast the caregivers with, we are told to leave one cake and bottle with the caregivers and one cake and bottle with the OD. We’re told they will have it after we leave. Galina brings us in to OD’s office, OD finally gives us Otis’ schedule: basically he’s up at 6:00 a.m., with a two hour nap alternating with a two hour playtime until an 8:00 p.m. feeding and bedtime and a 10:00 p.m. formula wakeup. Ohhhh-kayyy. Our adoption doctor says you should get them off the orphanage schedule as soon as possible -- we can see why.
Otis is brought in by Doctor, not wearing the hat, he’s obviously ripped it off his head like every other one we’ve tried to put on him, Doctor hands Candace the hat. OD explains formula, all water he is given must be boiled first, then tells us not to let Otis near any dogs and cats for a while (Hi Bruno!), plus keep him out of air conditioning. She asks us if we have any criticisms of her orphanage, we say no. CD says one of us should make a speech. I thank OD for doing such a wonderful job of raising Otis; we love him very much. Doctors and caregivers are brought in so CD can give them gifts we have brought. Galina nudges me to give the cash “donation” to the OD, I hand it to her folded in a piece of paper Galina slips me. OD thanks us and tells us our donation is going to be applied toward buying a new washer and dryer, and that we will receive a receipt for the washer and dryer. Three different adoptive couples last week told me their donation was going to purchase a washer and dryer and that they were getting a receipt. I’m shocked, shocked to learn that there is gambling in Casablanca.
OD asks us to send pictures of Otis from America; we agree, of course. We ask if we may take pictures of the rooms Otis slept in and played in, she agrees. We try to take take picture of the three of us with OD and I discover…. I didn’t replace memory card in camera in rush out the door, D’oh! We make our goodbyes and leave. Sorry Karen J. and Elliott, no green outfit for the road.
(CD: DJ says there’s a lot he left out, but so far I’ve found only this gap in the chronology: as we were walking down the orphanage path to the car, I realized that Otis had not been past the orphanage gates in seven or so months. Sure enough, as we walked through the gates… big wide eyes, what’s going on?, squirming. It was that moment we really wish we’d had the camera for.)
Otis starts crying on the ride back in car but he quieted down the last half of ride. We brought him up to apartment where Galina and Zoya translated the formula can for us, and we can tell they think we have no clue, we’d be offended but they’re half right. Before they leave they tell us, “Please, if anything happens call me or call her,” pointing at each other. I go to the grocery to buy more formula, cereal, diapers, carrots, juice etc. I return to the apartment to find Otis freaking out a little. By then, it’s after 4:00, a scheduled nap period, and he is getting sleepy, but this is all too weird for him. We get him to sleep in our arms, try to put him in crib and he starts wailing. After awhile, we think, maybe he’s hungry, so we give him some apple juice, which after we figure out the bottle, he slurps right down. By 5:30, we figure, he’s blown through his scheduled naptime, let’s wait until 6:00, feed him his scheduled cereal and see if we can get him down by 8:00. He gobbles down some “Kasha” (nasty rice cereal) at 6:00, then I play with him while CD somehow manages to whip up a damn tasty pork curry. He’s still freaked, but now and then a smile pokes through. Once or twice he nods off and I try to put him down and he starts wailing.
Finally sit down to dinner with him in my lap and he’s quite fascinated by the sight of me eating. I go out to buy more beers and return at about 8:30 to find him asleep in CD’s arms, she very gently puts him in crib and he doesn’t wake up. That is, until 10:30 when he starts crying again, so we get him up, give him his formula and then he’s groggy but determined not to sleep, one eye cracked just a hair width. Several times, I try to put him down with no luck, finally I say just put him down and let him cry himself to sleep. CD says let me try, by 12:15, he’s been asleep in her arms for ten minutes, she puts him in crib, the caterwauling begins, CD says “OK, let him cry himself to sleep, by 12:45, he does. To be continued….
(CD: All the books say it’s good he’s scared – he’s attached to a caregiver or two, he’s aware of his environment, he’s sensitive to emotional whatever, etc., etc., -- but he’s so scared…..)
This came on Itunes as we were listening to Otis cry himself to sleep, seemed cruelly appropriate.
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
by Bob Dylan
You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last.
But whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast.
Yonder stands your orphan with his gun,
Crying like a fire in the sun.
Look out the saints are comin' through
And it's all over now, Baby Blue.
The highway is for gamblers, better use your sense.
Take what you have gathered from coincidence.
The empty-handed painter from your streets
Is drawing crazy patterns on your sheets.
This sky, too, is folding under you
And it's all over now, Baby Blue.
All your seasick sailors, they are rowing home.
All your reindeer armies, are all going home.
The lover who just walked out your door
Has taken all his blankets from the floor.
The carpet, too, is moving under you
And it's all over now, Baby Blue.
Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you.
Forget the dead you've left, they will not follow you.
The vagabond who's rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore.
Strike another match, go start anew
And it's all over now, Baby Blue.
Copyright © 1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music
