I’ll start with Brian’s last post from Bulgaria which hasn’t been put up here yet. Then I’ll post an update about how things are going here at home:
On the day we went to the medical appointment Dmitri drove us to the hospital. He saw some highschool kids seating on the side of the road smoking. He said, “In my time they only smoked in secret. Kids today, they only know their rights, not their obligations. I don’t know maybe I sound like an old man.”
We woke up late and went down to breakfast. Dani ate two whole bottles of ground up eggs and yogurt with oatmeal (maple flavored) total, about 14 ounces. Then we wrapped up warm, stuck him in the ergo on my back and headed out. First to the super market for chocolate. We found German chocolate eggs with toys inside for the girls. Then we walked about 5 blocks to the cathedrals and the open market. We bought souveneir stacking dolls and things. The women in the market thought Dani was cold and gave us mittens and booties for him (charging us for the booties). I switched him to the front when he was getting fussing and he liked leaning back and looking at me. He was happier in the front, although he stirred whenever I stopped moving. He eventually went to sleep when I used the cover to hold his head up.
We had lunch at the hotel and he played in the room while I read web comics. He took a late nap about 3. Chevdar came about 4 and gave us the visa and papers. I had called Dmitri and he agreed to pick us up at 4:45am. ug that’s early! Chevdar and I had a brief visit and I gave him the presents for him and Elena. I was sad that we couldn’t talk more but his english is very small and my Bulgarian is non-existent. 🙂
We went down to dinner around 5 and ate with Shelly, Annikah, Meredith, and Mandy and Mark R. They were just back from their first trip visiting their two sons. It was a very enojoyable evening. Jordan was fussy but we just passed him around. We joked about whiskey and tried the hotel desserts. Mine was carrot cake and being used to Rachel’s I was dissappointed. But the tiramisu looked pretty good.
We went back upstairs about 6:30 and skyped. Jordan got a bath and dressed for bed. Then he finally ate his dinner and we put him to bed. In his crib he laughed and played by himself even after we turned out the lights and went to bed.
It was hard to sleep I was so jazzed up about going home. I woke up at midnight and thought it was time to go. Fortunately I looked at the watch and then was able to go back sleep. It was cold when we left at 4:45. I paid the bill, gave Dmitri his gift and we were off, barreling across town to Elena’s to get one last piece of paper. The airport was much busier than I guessed it would be but we got checked in fine, had some breakfast, met up with Shelly and Meredith, who are in the row behind us on the way to Munich. Praise the Lord! Our seats on the Lufthansa flights are all arranged so that we are together. Now just the flight from DC to PDX to get worked out. I am confidant in faith.
This morning I thought about the people we had dinner with last night, Shelly, Meredith Cornish, Mark and Mandy. All such brave people. Unafraid of foreign lands, unafraid of beauracracy. Unafraid of strange food, or languages. Unafraid on long plane flights with children. Unafraid of sleepless nights, of dirty diapers, of throwing up, of getting sick. Unafraid of uncaring orphage directors, unafraid of the neglect and abuse their children have endured. Unafraid of disabilities, attachement issues, of long term care. Perhaps unafraid is the wrong word. I think to be a parent is to live in a constant state of fear and worry. They are courageous. Defiant. None of us enjoy suffering, but love is greater than suffering, love is greater than neglect, abuse, hardships and all the rest. I was proud to have dinner with these people.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written: all day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that niether death nor life nor angels nor demons nor principalities nor powers neither height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Homecoming video2:
In no particular order: Jordan grinds his teeth regularly all day and whenever he wakes up at night. He usually fusses (and doesn’t put his legs around you) when you pick him up. However, he will hug your neck tight his his arm(s) and seems to like little more than snuggling into your shoulder or chest. When he wakes up at night – so far, he sleeps well until about 3am – snuggling him onto our lap in the recliner and rocking puts him back to sleep. We’re all getting up around 7am and we put him down for the night at 7pm with the girls.
Maggie is really making efforts to make friends with Jordan. She talks with him, gives him hugs and kisses, brings him toys and tonight she even settled down to read him a book! She read the book to him just like Anna reads to Maggie. She even covered Jordan up with a blanket first and insisted he keep it on. Jordan is going to have a lot of work to not be bossed around by his little big sister. (or is it big little?)
Today he was more comfortable that I’ve ever seen him. He interacted more, made more eye contact and was generally more confident. Oh, I just love to see him have successes! I want to tell him, it’s ok! You can do it! You are safe here! You are loved here! We want nothing more than your success! But things will go at his pace. I’m so happy that we don’t have any appointments for awhile. It’s good to just be home and be family. Other than normal housework and a little paperwork, our only priorities are rest, play and “be” together.
His pediatrician appointment is the only one scheduled for now – she’ll get me all the referrals we need. Happily, I got him added to our health insurance today! Not always the easiest project. I am curious to see if he has any heart condition. He does often have blue in his lips and hands, so there is some suspicion of a small heart condition, like an unclosed hole in his heart (you can google AVSD or others if you’d like). I am honestly not worried about this at all. Not yet. 🙂 We are safely in God’s hands and there is nothing He has not planned for.
So now – pictures, then more videos! (if the videos ever finish uploading)
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- This isn't a good picture... he's got vaseline all over his face too. But you can see the blue on his lips and his hands are blue too, though it's harder to see. I love his dinosaur pajamas... his Donny-saur jammies!
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- Look at our big boy standing at the window!
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- When he was first home, we was not able to handle the stimulus of looking out the window. Today he crawled over and stared out the window and banged on it until we took him away!
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- Grammy reunited with all her grandchildren! Love this!
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- Jordan's about to get his hand pushed away and told that he is not to turn the pages, because she's reading to him. (or something like that)
Videos:
You can see most of his orphanage behaviors here, I think: grinding teeth, clicking teeth, repetitive motions (mostly banging those keys!), the “orphan rock” which he does on his hands and knees instead of sitting, sucking his fingers way too much. Oh scratch that, you don’t get to hear his wonderful grinding or clicking. Haha. But you ALSO get to see him using his voice again, making eye contact, exploring, observing and just generally becoming willing to interact. And he is just so handsome, how can you not watch him?
Family all together being silly around the Christmas tree
I am sooooo happy to be feeding Jordan with a spoon and not with a bottle! Praising the Lord for his goodness!
Jordan hanging out by the window – so good to see him exploring and not staying exactly where I put him any more.
Amazed at his rapid progress!!