One of the most recent citizens of the United States is still a little wobbly on her legs.

A brown-eyed, blond-haired charmer, she's quick to smile and babble her comments.

Addie Dickerhoff has come a long way since her beginnings in a Rostov-On-Don orphanage in Russia and her adoption by Doug and Kelly Dickerhoff of Warsaw.

Born premature, she was abandoned by her mother in the hospital where she was delivered, a common start for unwanted Russian babies.

From there she spent the first nine months of her life in an orphanage, where she was given medical attention, kept clean and fed on a regimented schedule.

Photos from the Dickerhoffs' first visit with her show an expressionless infant, probably not used to being held.

"She was real reclusive and quiet when we first got her," Doug said of his tiny daughter. "She wanted to eat at a certain time, she wanted to nap at a certain time."

All that has changed. She's a different baby now.

She celebrated her first birthday July 20.

Like any 1-year-old, she busies herself reaching for things she's not supposed to have while ignoring a pile of colorful toys on the floor.

Tanner, 7, the Dickerhoffs' biological son, is delighted to play the role of big brother.

His mother said the Washington Elementary first-grader is a big help, keeping an eye on his fast-crawling sister.

He gave her her first bottle on U.S. soil.

"I thought the newness would wear off," Doug said. "He still thinks she's something and he's been wonderful with her."

Tanner draws the line at changing diapers.

Doug and his family own and operate TTP Inc. Kelly is a first- grade teacher at Culver Elementary School.

The Dickerhoffs decided to adopt a foreign baby because of the distance from the parents.

In this country, there were too many widely-publicized stories for the Dickerhoffs' comfort about biological parents winning lawsuits to get their children back.

"We wanted separation from the birth parents," Kelly said. "We didn't want any legal battles."

"Once you decide to adopt you throw your heart and soul into a child," Doug said. "We didn't want any problems."

Not that there weren't any legal hoops to jump through.

Signing on with the Families Russian and Ukrainian Adoption Agency, the Dickerhoffs were screened by a case worker.

They had to provide a dossier of about 20 legal documents describing their lives, financial status and letters of reference, which were sealed by the state of Indiana. Photographs of the house, property and the baby's room were included.

Kelly was kind of disappointed in the interview because she slaved over the housework. She expected and was prepared for a white glove treatment.

"She just sat on the couch and talked with us for two hours," she said, laughing, "never even went into the other rooms!"

Doug said they are grateful for the agency's assistance. The couple were thoroughly prepared for their appearance in court where a judge looked at each and every translated document.

They heard horror stories of people who hadn't been told exactly what they needed and who returned to the United States empty-handed.

Doug said the adoption process went quickly, taking two years to accomplish.

The Dickerhoffs made two trips to Russia, committing themselves to Addie when she was six months old, bringing her home three months later, in April of this year.

Now prospective parents can be approved and have a Russian-Ukrainian child in eight to 12 months, usually making one trip.

"We got stuck in the middle of a law change and everything was put on hold from March 2000 through that summer," Doug said.

They traveled to Russia by themselves, staying with FRUA host-coordinators.

During their first visit to the orphanage, 13 babies were presented in Addie's age group.

"Every one was a keeper," Doug said. "But she was the real cutie pie."

There are 27 orphanages in the Rostov region.

Before bringing Addie home, Doug and Kelly lived in Russia 2-1/2 weeks, spending an hour a day with Addie.

Kelly speculates that Addie had never been outdoors until they took her to Moscow for their return flight.

The three of them weathered the 11-hour trip well, and because of the Child Citizenship Act, Addie became a U.S. citizen when they landed in Chicago.

She weighed 4 pounds, 8 ounces at birth and weighed 10-1/2 pounds when they first met her.

She's put on weight and made other significant gains since she arrived.

An outstanding crawler, Addie stands, but is not quite ready to walk. Doug said she is about two months behind other children her age.

Her mother hopes her daughter's sparkling dark eyes turn brown so they'll match hers. Doug's and Tanner's eyes are blue.

"I wonder if she'll be tall, be pretty," Kelly said, like any mother speculating on the future. "I hope she's artistic. I know I'll just have to see."

Her parents plan to tell their daughter she's adopted as soon as she's old enough to understand.

Right now she knows only one thing for sure - that her mommy and daddy and brother are quite in love with her and, judging from her squeals of delight, the feeling is mutual.

On the Net: Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption - www.frua.org [[In-content Ad]]