Some of you know a little bit about this, but the time has finally come!
Mrs. Demon and I are leaving for Kiev, Ukraine on Saturday (12/17) to adopt a brand new little Demonite. We will (hopefully) be back in about 4 to 5 weeks with a brand new little daughter. This is something we started about 18 months ago by trying to go to Russia, been through many issues and problems and changes, and changed to Ukraine in May of this year. Our two boys we have now are super excited thinking about a new little one to be running around and bothering them.
If anyone is interested in following along with how it all shakes out, my wife started a blog we hope we will be able to keep up while living over there. Also, Phanatic is on our email list and I've asked him to post some updates on here every now and again. If you want the blog address, send me a PM.
You're doing a great thing. Best of luck!
:) :yay
good luck brother. be safe.
Good luck. Don't commit any crimes while you're there, I think their death penalty involves a large rusty pipe and the removal of pants.
Dude that rules. Good for you for adopting. Unless its some black market shtein, then I would say "fargING KICK ASS!"
Black market babies are teh shtein.
but really, good stuff.
Congrats and Good Luck! Have a safe trip.
:yay
Good luck to you and your new little one. :yay
I adopted a Chinese kid once. Okay, only the liver and a kidney. But it was still a good experience.
Good luck man. Hope all goes well. :yay
I will take the liberty to say: Congratulations!!
I hope you'll enjoy your stay, and all will go well!
Good luck, Demon! :yay Mmmmmmm.... chicken Kiev. :drool
Better you than me.
Congratulations! Can you bring back a Russian stripper to be the nanny? Russian women rule.
Good luck with everything.
Good luck - I can't say enough about the love and commitment you are showing by taking this little girl into your life. Our best to you and yours.
That's amazing, Demon.
Congratulations and best of luck in the process.
Best of luck Demon.
You're a good man demon, best of luck with everything and i can't wait for the updates!
Best of luck and safe travels to you and your family.
Best of luck with everything. Keep me posted. I'll do my best to look after the boys when I can. I'm off for the year after this Monday so I'll have lots of time to get my but kicked on the PS2 by your youngest. That little bastich is a gamer!!
Good Luck Demon :yay
Bring me back a mail order bride catalog if you can
Quote from: QB Eagles on December 14, 2005, 11:36:59 PMI adopted a Chinese kid once. Okay, only the liver and a kidney. But it was still a good experience.
:-D :-D :-D
Demon....may the child gods smile upon thee. O:)
...and we pray! :evil
Kudos and Congrats
Quote from: Tomahawk on December 15, 2005, 03:11:42 PM
Kudos
Everytime someone says 'Kudos'...I think of that Dierdorf guy.
good luck, Demon. :yay
Quote from: hbionic on December 15, 2005, 03:58:59 PM
Quote from: Tomahawk on December 15, 2005, 03:11:42 PM
Kudos
Everytime someone says 'Kudos'...I think of that Dierdorf guy.
WTMF makes you think I care? Quit quoting me, or else!
Or else I send your mom back home.
:boom Fine. icehole.
Thanks all for the thoughts and well-wishes.
Today's the day -- we're on our way in a few hours. I can't wait to go, and I can't wait to get back. Hoping for the 4 week trip instead of the 6 or 7....
Best of luck to ya bro. Have a safe trip and enjoy the holidays overseas. :yay
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 17, 2005, 09:06:17 AM
Thanks all for the thoughts and well-wishes.
Today's the day -- we're on our way in a few hours. I can't wait to go, and I can't wait to get back. Hoping for the 4 week trip instead of the 6 or 7....
Well, either way... getting the goal accomplished is the main thing.
A quick update....
We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport). Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing. An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way. Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule. Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing. Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.
We went to our first appointment on Tuesday to look at available children, and there were only two healthy boys, and a healthy brother-sister combination. Since we only want a daughter, we refused them. Our second appointment was on Wednesday (normally, 2nd appointments take a few days, so we were lucky), and there was a single healthy girl available. We will be traveling by overnight train tonight (hopefully, with all our luggage) to meet 16 month old Svetlana. She is much younger than we were hoping for, but as we are finding out there are no certainties or promises with international adoption.
Wish us luck and that the baby is as healthy as the paperwork says she is. We should know in a day or two if we have found our daughter!
Cool, Demon. Good luck.
Good luck Demon
Good luck man!
Good luck!
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 22, 2005, 04:17:42 AM
A quick update....
We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport). Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing. An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way. Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule. Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing. Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.
beck inn rdussia...baggage loses you!
Serious question:
What made you decide to adopt overseas? Problems with american adoption agencies? Cost? Concern about helping children in dire circumstances?
Once again, best of luck.
Quote from: Wingspan on December 22, 2005, 08:59:16 AM
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 22, 2005, 04:17:42 AM
A quick update....
We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport). Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing. An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way. Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule. Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing. Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.
beck inn rdussia...baggage loses you!
Hilarious!
Quote from: rjs246 on December 22, 2005, 06:24:01 PM
Quote from: Wingspan on December 22, 2005, 08:59:16 AM
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 22, 2005, 04:17:42 AM
A quick update....
We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport). Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing. An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way. Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule. Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing. Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.
beck inn rdussia...baggage loses you!
AAH..the working man paradise :-D
Seriously. I'm not one to go around praising others for anything, but that was funny. The 'beck in russia...' quote, that is.
Quote from: Philly_Crew on December 22, 2005, 10:43:44 AM
Serious question:
What made you decide to adopt overseas? Problems with american adoption agencies? Cost? Concern about helping children in dire circumstances?
Once again, best of luck.
In order, yes, no, and yes.
The biggest issue is the problems with American adoptions where the birth parents never really lose their rights to the child. Granted, it's rare, but if the birth parents want it bad enough, they can force the courts to have the adoptive parents surrender the child to the birth parents, which isn't good for anyone except the parents who gave up the child in the first place. In Russian and Ukrainian adoptions (the only ones I know anything about), the parents sign an order that removes all future rights to the child. No matter what happens in the future, or how bad she wants to reverse her decision, it can't be done. The adoption records are sealed, and cannot be opened once we are legally the parents. The cost is high for international adoption, so that actually favors US adoptions. We also wanted to be able to provide something to a child that otherwise had little chance at a normal life, but that also applies to US adoptions. So, what it all comes down to after the desire to adopt (for us) was not having a chance at becoming a Lifetime movie of the week years from now.
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 25, 2005, 09:07:17 AM
So, what it all comes down to after the desire to adopt (for us) was not having a chance at becoming a Lifetime movie of the week years from now.
That right there is reason enough to adopt overseas.
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 25, 2005, 09:07:17 AM
Quote from: Philly_Crew on December 22, 2005, 10:43:44 AM
Serious question:
What made you decide to adopt overseas? Problems with american adoption agencies? Cost? Concern about helping children in dire circumstances?
Once again, best of luck.
In order, yes, no, and yes.
The biggest issue is the problems with American adoptions where the birth parents never really lose their rights to the child. Granted, it's rare, but if the birth parents want it bad enough, they can force the courts to have the adoptive parents surrender the child to the birth parents, which isn't good for anyone except the parents who gave up the child in the first place. In Russian and Ukrainian adoptions (the only ones I know anything about), the parents sign an order that removes all future rights to the child. No matter what happens in the future, or how bad she wants to reverse her decision, it can't be done. The adoption records are sealed, and cannot be opened once we are legally the parents. The cost is high for international adoption, so that actually favors US adoptions. We also wanted to be able to provide something to a child that otherwise had little chance at a normal life, but that also applies to US adoptions. So, what it all comes down to after the desire to adopt (for us) was not having a chance at becoming a Lifetime movie of the week years from now.
I hope I am not invadiing your privacy too much, but this leaves me with two questions, one of them very peronal. So if you would not like to answer them, that is fine by me.
What will you do when the child finds out it is adopted (assuming there is no obvious difference like a child with a different skin-color as the parents), or will tell the child eventually?
Is there the possibilty for the child to find out about his/her biological parents if he/she finds out he/she is adopted? I myself am not adopted, but a frequent desire I have heared of by people if the find out that one or both of his/her parents is/are not their biol;ogical parents, they would like to know where their roots are, and some of their personality comes from.
Again, if you do not feel like answering, just don't answer. Anyway, I hope all works out.
Quote from: DutchBird on December 26, 2005, 07:12:40 AM
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on December 25, 2005, 09:07:17 AM
Quote from: Philly_Crew on December 22, 2005, 10:43:44 AM
Serious question:
What made you decide to adopt overseas? Problems with american adoption agencies? Cost? Concern about helping children in dire circumstances?
Once again, best of luck.
In order, yes, no, and yes.
The biggest issue is the problems with American adoptions where the birth parents never really lose their rights to the child. Granted, it's rare, but if the birth parents want it bad enough, they can force the courts to have the adoptive parents surrender the child to the birth parents, which isn't good for anyone except the parents who gave up the child in the first place. In Russian and Ukrainian adoptions (the only ones I know anything about), the parents sign an order that removes all future rights to the child. No matter what happens in the future, or how bad she wants to reverse her decision, it can't be done. The adoption records are sealed, and cannot be opened once we are legally the parents. The cost is high for international adoption, so that actually favors US adoptions. We also wanted to be able to provide something to a child that otherwise had little chance at a normal life, but that also applies to US adoptions. So, what it all comes down to after the desire to adopt (for us) was not having a chance at becoming a Lifetime movie of the week years from now.
I hope I am not invadiing your privacy too much, but this leaves me with two questions, one of them very peronal. So if you would not like to answer them, that is fine by me.
What will you do when the child finds out it is adopted (assuming there is no obvious difference like a child with a different skin-color as the parents), or will tell the child eventually?
Is there the possibilty for the child to find out about his/her biological parents if he/she finds out he/she is adopted? I myself am not adopted, but a frequent desire I have heared of by people if the find out that one or both of his/her parents is/are not their biol;ogical parents, they would like to know where their roots are, and some of their personality comes from.
Again, if you do not feel like answering, just don't answer. Anyway, I hope all works out.
I don't mind answering questions at all. If someone stepped over the line, I'd tell them. But honest questions are OK...
We will absolutely tell her that she is adopted. With 2 older brothers (ages 8 and 10), there's no way it could stay a secret even if we wanted to.
We are taking lots of pictures, videos, and collecting momentos of our stay in Ukraine so that we can share all of that with her when she starts getting curious. We are also maintaining a blog so that when she is old enough, she can read all about our journey and learn what the process was like. If she wants to learn about her natural parents when she is old enough, all we will be able to share is what we learned from the adoption records. There is no way to get the name and address of her mother, since the records are sealed. Of course, who knows what the laws will be like in 15 years or so, but that's the way it is now. As far as her heritage and stuff, I plan on coming back to Ukraine with her when she is about 14 or 15 for several weeks, to help her learn as much as she can.
My wife and I plan on being completely honest and open with her about everything we went through, and about her birth mother (luckily, there is nothing to hide about her like is the case with so many Ukrainian orphans). Hopefully, that will be enough to satisfy her.
Back to attention-whoring again.
The first trip didn't go as smoothly as planned. There were government issues (in Ukraine) and procedural issues that stopped adoptions for all the families that were over there. There were 40 American families in mid-adoption (like us), plus about 60 other couples from other countries that all had to go home without a child. We have a child as far as paperwork goes, but we legally don'thave her yet. There were over 100 couples that had to leave Ukraine without having a child selected.
So, the US and other countries put some pressure on the Ukraine government to get things fixed up, and a bill was signed this week in Ukraine to do just that.
My wife and I are leaving on Tuesday (I get to see the Super Bowl at least!) to go back on our second trip, and this time we will absolutely come back with our beautiful, healthy, 18-month old daughter. Should be about a three week trip.
Good luck attention whore.
You should've snatched a kid while you were there to tell them you mean business.
Pics?
QuoteYou should've snatched a kid while you were there to tell them you mean business.
I'm not one to throw around unwarranted compliments, but this was rather funny.
Needle in a haystack!
Good luck, Demon. :yay
Well, we made it home yesterday -- this time with our daughter! It's been a long journey started about 20 months ago, but it all came to a happy conclusion yesterday when we walked out of St. Louis airport with a new daughter and her two new brothers.
Thanks to all who wrote and commented, and thanks for all the well-wishes!
:) :yay
Very nice. Develop an Al Bundy/Kelly Bundy relationship.
CONGRATS!!!!!!!
Congrats Demon! Glad you guys made it home ok. And I suppose congrats are in order for Phanatic too since he's got a new neice. Just don't let her ride home with him after any Eagles games otherwise the poor kid might get frostbite. ;)
Congrats!
Quote
Congrats Demon! Glad you guys made it home ok. And I suppose congrats are in order for Phanatic too since he's got a new neice. Just don't let her ride home with him after any Eagles games otherwise the poor kid might get frostbite. ;)
:-D
She's very much all girl and wants nothing to do with us men. I went to say hi to her and she gave me an up and down look like 'I don't think so!' 18 months old and Demon's already got himself a princess! She is adorable though. Conrgrats man!
Of course mine's 6...
Good stuff, Demon. Happy for ya! :yay
congrats Demon, i'm very happy for you and your family :yay
:yay :yay :yay :yay :yay good stuff Demon.
Congratulations!
Awesome news. Enjoy keeping all the boys away!
Quote from: Susquehanna Birder on February 27, 2006, 08:12:57 PMEnjoy keeping all the boys away!
How do they say it? With a son, you've only got to worry about one dick. With a daughter, you've got to worry about ALL of them.
Quote from: Diomedes on February 27, 2006, 10:59:05 PM
Quote from: Susquehanna Birder on February 27, 2006, 08:12:57 PMEnjoy keeping all the boys away!
How do they say it? With a son, you've only got to worry about one dick. With a Chuggie, you've got to worry about ALL of them.
Words to the wise man.
Somebody start up a collection to buy a shotgun and a shovel.
I think MDS is pretty close with the Al Bundy. I used to love how he'd grab Kelly's visitors and "show them the door."
I'm already working on my 'Door-Slam' technique with male visitors. I should have it 100% down when she turns 15 or so!
So they'll be just close enough for a nosebleed or serious head trauma?
Exactly -- right on the edge, but not quite enough for serious legal trouble....