Day 7

I love the number 7.

I was born on July 7th.

I got married on July 7th, 2007. 

My husband's birthday is August 7th.

But I am not liking the 7th day of our journey.

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This morning we woke up early to finish repacking our bags, and to have breakfast.  We also needed to pack the car, and check out of the hotel because we were leaving straight from the orphanage to Sillstra (very northern Bulgaria).  Our daughter is about 30-40 minutes from here, but this is the closest hotel. But I digress.

On Tuesday the director told us we could arrive at 9am (instead of 10am) to see Geo (and if you read yesterday's blog, you know we didn't get any extra time with him).  This  morning we made it to the orphanage about 8:25 am.  The director was there, and went and personally got Geo for us.  We got 3 full hours with him this morning (normally our visits are 90 minutes each).

He ran to me this morning! That is his director in the background. :)

When she brought him in the room he ran to me and gave me a hug. I put him in my lap and just held him for a minute.  Then he wanted Papa, so I put him down and he gave Bobby and hug.  When Bobby put him down he went straight to the legos and we started our normal routine with them.  Today he was restless though.  I do not know if they told him today was our last day, or if they warned him we were leaving.  I have no idea what goes on in his little head. But today after every time he refilled the bag instead of dumping them out again he would get up put them away and come back and sit in front of us.  Sometimes we would tickle him, sometimes he would just smile at us.  Then he would get back up grab the legos and dump them out again.  He did this over and over again. It was like he couldn't decide how he wanted to interact with us today.  He also kept looking me in the eye and holding my eye contact.  I would just smile at him and look him right back.  I really felt like we were connecting today, and he seemed to really need it.  He would look at me and smile, and I swear I could feel his gaze piercing my soul.  He has the softest brown eyes, and they hold so much wonder.  I am going to miss his eyes.

We bought his sunglasses so he could be like Papa. :)

Yesterday we got him this plastic thing that scrunches up very small and then you pull on it and it expands to the size of a beach ball.  It was brightly colored and we knew he would love it.  It was the best 4 leva we have spent in Bulgaria.  He would throw it up in the air and it would expand and he would laugh, and then it would shrink back up before it hit the ground.

We also bought another slinky for 1 leva.  The slinky didn't last 30 seconds with Geo before it broke :( He still enjoyed playing with the blue one he has been playing with all week (although it has seen better days).

I was walking up his legs and then tickling him :)

We also played with the globe and slammed it around the room.  He loves the sound it makes and likes when we hit it over and over again to keep it in the air or hit it off of the wall.

He started staring out the window again, so I took him over to the window sill and let him look out.  We talked about what we saw outside the window, and he was just smiling at me.  I was rubbing his back and he relaxed against me.  I told Bobby to pack up the bag so we could take him outside.

Bobby put the backpack on and he grabbed my hand and we opened the door.  We were walking to the outside and at the last door he looked so sad and he started to walk to the right.  I stopped walking so it tugged on him and said "ne Geo, this way" and pointed to the left.  It was like a huge burden was lifted and he was so excited that we were going outside and not back to his group.  He grabbed Bobby's hand and pulled us down the stairs again and he was just giggling.  I didn't realize his group was right there.  I wish I would have known that, and I would of had Eva explain that we were going outside to play and that he wasn't going back just yet.

When we got outside there were lots of other kids.  They all smile and wave at us, and I smile back.  A few brave kiddos will come up and give you hugs, and I always hug them back and tell them how beautiful or sweet they are.  There are so many children here that need families it just breaks my heart.

We decided to go to the park on the left and when we turned a Nanny came up and was talking so fast to Eva -- I think she was having trouble following what she was saying.  Then she translated for us and told us that this Nanny has been working with Geo for over one year now and she has taught him how to communicate with his hands, and he now makes noise and before he didn't.  She said before he would just stand in the corner, and didn't interact.  She said she works with him every day and he is so smart and just needs love.  She said she loved Geo and was very happy to meet his Mama and Papa.  Then she was talking to Geo and he smiled at her and dropped our hands.  She was talking to him and Eva was translating for us.  She asked him, "how much do you eat?" and he opened his arms really wide.  Then she said, "why do you eat so much?" and he put his hands as high as he could and she said, "that's right so you can be big and strong!" then he smiled and she gave him a very loving hug.  Then she said something about him being 6, and he made a gesture and she said, "yes, you will be 7 very, very soon!"  He smiled and then he ran off to play with his other friends (his whole group was on the playground).  The Nanny told us she was very happy for him and for us.  She also told us that he looks a lot like me, which made me smile :)

When he saw us walk in and put our bags in the corner of the playground he about lost it.  He came running back and doing his happy noise and clap.  I think he thought we were going to leave him again.  We played with the globe beach ball and would telll him to "give it to Papa" and he would run the 10 feet between us and give it to Bobby.  Then we would tell him to "give it to Mama" and he would run it back to me.  Every time he let me hug him and give him a kiss.

There were 3 other nannies out there too that all worked with Geo.  We gave the nannies our family book and they were so happy to see the pictures of us.  They kept saying that Bobby was a very beautiful boy. :) haha!

We also interacted with several of the other kids in the group.  We were giving hugs, and tickling.  They just yearned for the hugs.  A little boy came up and said Mama? I just smiled and hugged him.  He was so precious.  Geo was okay with us interacting with the other kids for a few minutes, and then he wanted our attention back so he wanted one of us to hold him.  As long as one of us was holding him, the other one of us could hold another child.  But he wanted to go back and forth between us.

There was this little girl named Rosa that was absolutely precious.  She was so sweet, and I really, really wished we could bring her home too.  She looked to be about 3 or 4.  She just had a smile that lit up her entire face, and the cutest pigtails!

The group went back inside and Geo started to follow and looked very sad.  Then we called him and put our arms out and he came back and gave us a big hug! Then Eva told him that he didn't have to go inside that he could stay outside with us for a little bit longer (in Bulgarian of course) and he smiled and relaxed again.  As his group went inside though he watched them and looked a little lost.  I think leaving this family to come home with us in the fall is going to be hard on him.

After they went inside he was very mellow and just wanted to swing.  So we sat on the swing and let him eat the rest of the bag of crackers.  He was content just swinging and looking at us.  It was very peaceful.

Today he didn't act out, or get crazy, or crash.  He was calm, and just fit with us.  It's really hard to explain. Bobby commented on it, at the same time I was thinking about it.

The 3 hours went by very quickly, and it was finally 11:30 and time to take him back inside.  When Bobby put the toys away and put the backpack on he ran to the otherside of the yard and brought us a toy we had never seen before.  It was like he was trying to get us to stay just a little bit longer.  If I was in control, I totally would have!

Instead I picked him up and held him and told him I loved him, and I will think about him every day, and that I will be back to get him very soon! I kissed him and he snuggled against my cheek.  He doesn't kiss, and doesn't pucker his lips -- I don't think he knows how?  But the snuggle and the hug he gave me made me feel like he understood.  I just stood there holding him for a few moments, soaking it in.  He just fits against my body.

He also gave Bobby some love, and then we put him down and he walked us back inside.  When we got inside he dropped our hands and started walking towards his group.  His Nanny came out and told him to tell Mama and Papa good-bye.  So he came back and gave us each two hugs and he snuggled with me once more.  I told him again that I love him, and I will be back very, very soon.  Then he walked back into his group to eat his lunch.  Right when he went inside he turned around and waived and I almost lost it.

We also gave his nannies our family book of pictures.  They told us they would show him the pictures so that he will get to see us.  We also left a blue stuffed dog with him, that I hope they let him keep.  He carried it by its little ear up to his group.

After this we walked back to the director's office to say thank-you and good-bye and she told us to go back into the visiting room and she would send the doctor back in to talk to us.  The doctor just told us that she wanted to know if we had any questions and how we felt the visit went.  We told her he was perfect and it just felt natural to have him with us.  She told us that everyone that has seen us said that we look very comfortable with him, and that he looks very, very happy to be with us.  This made me very happy.

We also learned that he is in one of the best orphanages in Bulgaria.  They are known for all of the programs  that they offer to special needs.  I asked her if there was anything that they needed here, and she said they need a wheel chair ramp.  Right now, the kids in wheel chairs cannot go outside, because of all of the stairs. So their next dream is to get a ramp for them.  She also wants some new wheel chairs that are easier for the children to maneuver around in.  I am going to talk with our attorney to see how much they need for the wheel chair ramp -- maybe we can make a difference.  The love and care that the nannies, the director, the doctor, and everyone we met at the orphanage was amazing.  They really do care for these children and they try to help them as much as possible.  They have a speech therapist now on staff -- and they are very happy!

We were also told that he would stay in his current group until we return (which makes me very very happy).  They told us when we come back to pick him up we can go on a tour of the facility, and that they wish they would have taken us on one this time.  I would love to see where he lives!

After this we met Marty at the car and we drove to Sillstra.  I am very, very sad to know that I will not see Geo for several months, but I am eager to meet my daughter tomorrow.

We did stop for lunch on the way, and it was very good.  The road was very windy, and there were lots of hills the whole way here but the scenery was beautiful.

We are leaving in a few minutes to meet Eva and Marty for dinner.  Then I think it will be an early night.

Love,

Lura



His View --

Today was our last day with Geo, and it brings us a day away from seeing Gia. Talk about bittersweet.

We only had one visit this morning, but it was extra long to make up for it. His excitement is stepped up everyday and he was very happy to see us. After some much appreciated hugs, he went straight for the Legos.

We noticed that the visit was a bit different today than the others. He was very affectionate and didn't seem to have any overwhelming issues. It was almost as if he knew that he needed to soak up every minute. Instead of sitting with Legos for several minutes, he kept putting them away, grabbing another toy, and then pulling them back out again. By now he had figured out all the toys in our arsenal and he made sure to hit each one at least once.

The visit started in the playroom, and halfway through our time he started gazing out the window for a while, then back at us. Lura brought him over and stood him up on the window sill so he could see out. He was giddy and enjoyed his Mama holding on to him. We figured this was the perfect time to head out to the playground and run around for a bit.

We packed up to go outside and it didn't really phase him too much, but he was very slow to lead us through the building. When we got to the back he started moving towards his group room instead of the backdoor. Once we motioned to the door, he got excited again and grabbed our hands to quickly move down the stairs outside.

His whole group was outside today which was a first for us. Geo was a bit confused at first, not sure whether to go to the nannies and sit with the other kids, or lead us through our usual playtime routine. Once we set all our bags down in the grass he knew the answer. He was still confused at times, but kept coming back to us over and over.

We could tell that the nannies really love him. One of them has a whole routine where she asks him questions and he responds with certain motions with his arms. He seems to be a big favorite within his group, and they all enjoyed looking through our family photo book.

A few of the kids walked right up to us for hugs and tickles when we put the bags down. They were all absolutely adorable. We couldn't say no and picked up any of them that wanted hugs. Geo got understandably jealous and we took turns holding him and then the other children. He held on super tight to let us know that he wanted us to give him more love then we gave the others.

A couple minutes after we arrived, it was time for his group to go back inside and prepare for lunch. This confused Geo again, and he slowly tagged behind his group and looked back at us with his sad eyes. We got his attention and I put out my arms for the "big hug". The giant grin came back and he ran full speed up to me.

The last half hour was a bit different than usual. He seemed content just being with us and sitting on the swing, and didn't really need to play with all of the toys. We sat on the swing for quite some time, pausing for crackers, hugs, and to flip through the family book again. He ate a whole bag of crackers by the time we were done today. He is a cracker machine.

Before we knew it, our last visit with Geo was over. We brought him inside so he could get ready for lunch and he gave a few more hugs before the nanny led him back to his group. We also sent him back with a new stuffed animal that matches the one we will be giving to Gia. The nanny promised that someone would show him the family picture book everyday until we come to pick him up.

After we said goodbye, the doctor sat us down and we had a short chat about his progress and to ask any additional questions. Then we were off to Silstra to see our daughter for the first time. It was a great day, but we are going to miss him terribly.

~Bobby