Ukrainian birth family search complete

We received a letter and pictures today from our searcher Gene Sagin. Before I tell you some of what we found out, let me just put a little plug in for Gene. He did a great job and completed the search in just days!! His price was reasonable (our search in Kharkiv cost $400). If you would like to contact Gene, his email address is kadetsa@rambler.ru You can also contact me if you have questions for me that I don't answer in this blog (my email address is stacianddamon@gmail.com)

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And what you have been waiting for...When Gene called Wesley's birth mother, so was surprised (obviously), but sounded interesting in meeting him. They met and he read the letter I wrote to her and showed her the pictures of us and Wesley. She cried tears of joy and said that she was so happy that her son had found a family because she didn't know if he would live after he was born. Obviously this touched me because I can only imagine how she feels about the whole "situation," for lack of a better word. I can also see that she cried because her eyes are a little red in the pictures Gene sent of her.

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We found out that she gave Wesley the name Kirill, so I am really glad that we kept that as his middle name. I was afraid that a hospital worker had given him that name, but the fact that his birth mother gave him that name will mean something to him. (As a side note, Kirill means "Lord.") She also said that she feels that God directed Wesley to be in our family, and I cannot agree more!!

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I gave her our blog address so she could see pictures of Wesley, even if she couldn't read English. She told Gene that she wanted to send us a letter, and I was looking forward to that. I checked my gmail account this afternoon, and she had already written me an email!! I was so excited!! It was mostly in Russian, so I had to use an online translation website. It was only a few lines, but the gist of it was that she wanted us to let Wesley know that she loved him. That alone is worth the cost of the search!! How amazing to know that his birth mother thinks of him and cares for him!

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Wesley's birth mother also told Gene that she stopped smoking as soon as she found out she was pregnant, and she did not use any drugs or alcohol (I didn't figure that she did, but I wanted to know what she would say). Gene said that he felt she was telling the truth, and I think he's probably done enough searches to know when people might be lying.

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Right now I just feel so blessed! We have a wonderful son from a relatively smooth adoption, a productive birth family search, healthy attachment with him, he is healthy (except for that no esophagus thing), and right now things are going well for us. I am trying to focus on all that we have been given by God because so many times when things are going well, we start to think that we have done something to deserve favor or that we are "owed" something. I can assure you - I have done nothing to earn favor and I do not deserve anything that I have been given (Damon, Wesley, my parents, family, friends, dogs, job, house, clothes, groceries, etc.). I am not trying to sound preach-y, but please take a minute and think about the blessings in your life and give thanks.

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I am posting another video of Wes dancing at his Grandparent's house (per my mother's request). It's a cute video of him, and you can see how much he likes to dance! He also loves to whistle like his Grandpa!! This one's for you, Mom :)