Well except of the little mishap of me forgetting my wallet at Jody and Carla's (yes REALLY!!! Carla had to go back for it!) we've made it to the first airport safely. Just a few minutes until we board. Oh and Sara was "randomly selected" for extra security screening. lol
Yeah....I really did forget my wallet. A huge thank you to my sister in law for driving the 15 mins back to her house to get it for me!
Airplane Selfie!
What a Trip! We made it to B*lgaria Finally! Having supper with the translator in a bit. Soooooo tired right now.
The flights were mostly uneventful except for a rough landing in Frankfurt. The flight attendant in the back said, "Well THAT can't be normal!" after we had landed. I gave her a hard time about that being the last thing you want to hear from a flight attendant! lol
I've been awake for over 30 hours now so even though it's only 7:30 here I'm going to hit the hay. About 14 hours until I meet Silas! Pray that his heart is ready for this.
Please pray that I have calm nerves tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit sick tonight and I couldn't eat much supper but that's probably because I'm so tired.
Also pray that my body realizes that it's not on a plane anymore. My bed seems to be moving around lol
And thank you for your prayers as I traveled. I hardly had a moment of motion sickness. And that's coming from someone who gets sick on a swing at the Park!
We had a very rough landing in Frankfort. I overheard the flight attendants talking about how terrible a land it was lol . Then the two hour flight to Sofia was very turbulent most of the way. The pilot kept going up and down (maybe to find calm air?) And that was really hard on Sara's ears. They finally popped after supper she said. The good news is no more airplanes until Saturday! Just taxis and walking until then.
Sara is in the tub. She slept a little bit everywhere so hopefully she'll be good as new tomorrow.
Please pray that I have calm nerves tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit sick tonight and I couldn't eat much supper but that's probably because I'm so tired.
Also pray that my body realizes that it's not on a plane anymore. My bed seems to be moving around lol
And thank you for your prayers as I traveled. I hardly had a moment of motion sickness. And that's coming from someone who gets sick on a swing at the Park!
We had a very rough landing in Frankfort. I overheard the flight attendants talking about how terrible a land it was lol . Then the two hour flight to Sofia was very turbulent most of the way. The pilot kept going up and down (maybe to find calm air?) And that was really hard on Sara's ears. They finally popped after supper she said. The good news is no more airplanes until Saturday! Just taxis and walking until then.
Sara is in the tub. She slept a little bit everywhere so hopefully she'll be good as new tomorrow.
I think I slept not too badly that night with the help of a sleeping pill.
Well visit number one is done. I held him and played with him for about 90 mins I think then it was time for him to go for lunch and nap.
He's a sweet little cuddle bug and I got him to laugh a couple times when I tickled him. His legs are Soooooo skinny and he has scratches on his ears because they are itchy and he won't leave them alone. He also has a big scab on his nose between his eyes that he apparently gave himself.
He made eye contact very briefly twice and that was it. They say he's like that with everyone. He made some noises and said Mama once. Not that he knew what he was saying but he made the sounds for it on his own.
There is no room for us to visit so we're doing it at the top of the stairs in a little hallway type place. Not ideal but we'll make do. Off for the second visit now!
He's a sweet little cuddle bug and I got him to laugh a couple times when I tickled him. His legs are Soooooo skinny and he has scratches on his ears because they are itchy and he won't leave them alone. He also has a big scab on his nose between his eyes that he apparently gave himself.
He made eye contact very briefly twice and that was it. They say he's like that with everyone. He made some noises and said Mama once. Not that he knew what he was saying but he made the sounds for it on his own.
There is no room for us to visit so we're doing it at the top of the stairs in a little hallway type place. Not ideal but we'll make do. Off for the second visit now!
Meeting Silas was pretty much as I expected it would be. I was a little surprised at how much he scratched his ears and he did have some anxiety over all the attention. I was very happy with how cuddly he is. He loves to be held!
Having the visits where we did was disappointing because I couldn't put him on the floor to crawl around. Normally there would be a special room for us but because the building they were in before is under renovation they're temporarily in a smaller building until that is finished. At least we had a couch to sit on!
Visit number two is in the books ! This time I got to feed him! He ate a huge bowl of peach puree and he ate like a champ. They say he doesn't drink well from a cup but I'm encouraged to see that he has very little tongue thrust. Everyone in the orphanage has been interested in my work and adults with down syndrome and surprised at what kind of life they live and how well they can do. The director was very impressed that I have this kind of experience.
We won't be able to post pictures or video. We had a very long wait in the notary office this afternoon waiting for the notary to come watch me sign a paper saying I wouldn't publish or sell any pictures or video of Silas. lol But if you see me in real life I can show you.Sara Wood has been a champ through all the boring waiting and I'm so glad she's with me!
One thing B*lgaria lacks is fresh air! At least in Plovdiv. Every room we've been to was hot and the smell of cigarettes is everywhere and if not that then perfume ! I can't wait to breathe in some fresh Canadian air!
Our translator is having trouble getting a taxi to pick us up after visits because the orphanage is in a bad area so we have to walk to a better street and catch one there. lol How does that make you feel dad? Haha don't worry, we'll be fine!
We won't be able to post pictures or video. We had a very long wait in the notary office this afternoon waiting for the notary to come watch me sign a paper saying I wouldn't publish or sell any pictures or video of Silas. lol But if you see me in real life I can show you.Sara Wood has been a champ through all the boring waiting and I'm so glad she's with me!
One thing B*lgaria lacks is fresh air! At least in Plovdiv. Every room we've been to was hot and the smell of cigarettes is everywhere and if not that then perfume ! I can't wait to breathe in some fresh Canadian air!
Our translator is having trouble getting a taxi to pick us up after visits because the orphanage is in a bad area so we have to walk to a better street and catch one there. lol How does that make you feel dad? Haha don't worry, we'll be fine!
Ugh, the lack of fresh air drove me crazy the first few days. It either got better or I got used to it. It didn't help that our hotel room smelled of smoke. Thankfully on the next trip we'll be staying in a hotel with non-smoking rooms!
Visit number three was with a tired little guy this morning. By the end of the visit he was sound asleep in my arms. I may have shed a tear or two at that point. He's so sweet. I might get to feed him again this afternoon.
Awww, I got a little weepy when he fell asleep in my arms. I didn't expect him to be that relaxed and it was such an amazing sweet moment that I'll always cherish.
Visit number four was harder. Silas is overwhelmed with the attention so I kept this visit quieter. It's hard interacting with him while the translator and the orphanage psychologist watch your every move. I am tired and he is tired. He ended up scratching off one of his scabs and bleeding. So they put a bandaid on it. I'm feeling pretty homesick tonight too. Hopefully a full nights sleep will fix that. The air was a bit fresher today so that was nice. Still nothing like that good old Manitoba air though!
Tuesday evening was so hard. I was so homesick and tired. I didn't tell Sara because I knew I'd break down in tears if I talked about it. I had a long soak in the tub and a talk with God then tried to sleep and felt much better in the morning.
I'm feeling a little more human today. I might be over the jet lag finally. At lunch today I had some chicken and it was Soooooo good! I wish I was a foodie like Sara Wood.
The morning's visit went very well and Silas fell asleep in my arms again. So sweet. We can't let him down on the floor where we are because of germs so I put toys on one end of the couch and he showed us how he could army crawl towards them! He's pretty quick when he's motivated. lol I'm sure he could sit independently if he had more practice. His little chicken legs can hardly hold his weight but I did manage to get him to take a couple steps in the shoes that are three sizes too big.
We measured him and his feet are only 4" long and so tiny. His chest was 19.5" and he weighed 8.12 kgs and was 31.5" tall when they last took his measurements. His head was 17.5" I think. He is 2.5 yrs old.
When we arrived there was a B*lgarian couple visiting with a little boy with dwarfism whom they're adopting so it's nice to see that. Near the end of our visit some foster parents came to pick up a little girl that they will foster. Our translator said they were talking about me and if I was from abroad and if I was adopting that boy with down syndrome. Also they were talking about how foster parents don't want kids with down syndrome but they were happy that he was being adopted. Of course by then there were about 10 people in this small area watching me. lol It's weird being the one to stick out in the room.
After that we went out for lunch to the same place we ate at yesterday and there was the same girl there today who was also there yesterday eating lunch alone. She's about 10 and speaks English and today she asked us where we're from. I wish I'd talked to her more she seemed like a bright kid.
Then we went out and bought some snacks for the room and bought bus tickets for Friday. Now we're back in the room and Sara is sleeping. Poor girl is sick. I don't know if she'll come to the next visit. I feel a tickle in my throat too. So please pray that we get better !
The morning's visit went very well and Silas fell asleep in my arms again. So sweet. We can't let him down on the floor where we are because of germs so I put toys on one end of the couch and he showed us how he could army crawl towards them! He's pretty quick when he's motivated. lol I'm sure he could sit independently if he had more practice. His little chicken legs can hardly hold his weight but I did manage to get him to take a couple steps in the shoes that are three sizes too big.
We measured him and his feet are only 4" long and so tiny. His chest was 19.5" and he weighed 8.12 kgs and was 31.5" tall when they last took his measurements. His head was 17.5" I think. He is 2.5 yrs old.
When we arrived there was a B*lgarian couple visiting with a little boy with dwarfism whom they're adopting so it's nice to see that. Near the end of our visit some foster parents came to pick up a little girl that they will foster. Our translator said they were talking about me and if I was from abroad and if I was adopting that boy with down syndrome. Also they were talking about how foster parents don't want kids with down syndrome but they were happy that he was being adopted. Of course by then there were about 10 people in this small area watching me. lol It's weird being the one to stick out in the room.
After that we went out for lunch to the same place we ate at yesterday and there was the same girl there today who was also there yesterday eating lunch alone. She's about 10 and speaks English and today she asked us where we're from. I wish I'd talked to her more she seemed like a bright kid.
Then we went out and bought some snacks for the room and bought bus tickets for Friday. Now we're back in the room and Sara is sleeping. Poor girl is sick. I don't know if she'll come to the next visit. I feel a tickle in my throat too. So please pray that we get better !
Sara actually started feeling sick on the plane there. I really believe that it was only because of your prayers that I didn't get sick and she didn't get any sicker than she did.
It's Wednesday night here.......I think? I went on the second visit today without Sara because she's getting sicker. We picked up some Bulgarian drugs for her so hopefully they help. I can feel my immune system working on something right now too.
The visit went pretty well. It seems like afternoon visits are harder on him though. I feed him again and this time he threw up a little about 10 minutes after. I'm almost convinced that he has some reflux going on because he does this funny swallowing thing for awhile after he eats. He was supposed to drink some juice from a bottle but he didn't do very well at that. So drinking will be a challenge it seems.
Tomorrow we have to take him in the taxi to get a Visa picture taken so it will be fun to see how that goes. Unfortunately Sara won't be able to come because there won't be room in the taxi. I'm disappointed that she'll miss out on that. She also missed out on the yarn store this afternoon. She said she didn't care but how could you not be sad about missing out on a B*lgarian yarn shop? lol
The visit went pretty well. It seems like afternoon visits are harder on him though. I feed him again and this time he threw up a little about 10 minutes after. I'm almost convinced that he has some reflux going on because he does this funny swallowing thing for awhile after he eats. He was supposed to drink some juice from a bottle but he didn't do very well at that. So drinking will be a challenge it seems.
Tomorrow we have to take him in the taxi to get a Visa picture taken so it will be fun to see how that goes. Unfortunately Sara won't be able to come because there won't be room in the taxi. I'm disappointed that she'll miss out on that. She also missed out on the yarn store this afternoon. She said she didn't care but how could you not be sad about missing out on a B*lgarian yarn shop? lol
I can see a swallow study in our future. I wasn't liking the sounds he made after he ate. There's something going on there.
Silas and I went with the translator and an orphanage worker to the photography store for his visa picture. It took four adults to get the job done but we did it! While the we were waiting for the photographer Silas entertained us with some "singing" and saying "mom mom mom mom" and "mama". The poor little Punkin was worn out and fell asleep in my arms on the way back to the orphanage on the bumpy taxi ride. It's hard to believe that I only have two more visits with him. Tomorrow is going to be so hard.
After lunch we'll go back to the notary and I get to sign more documents! I really should have kept track of all the times I've signed my name since January for this adoption process. lol
After lunch we'll go back to the notary and I get to sign more documents! I really should have kept track of all the times I've signed my name since January for this adoption process. lol
It was so fun taking Silas in the taxi for the visa picture. No car seat, no seat belts, just trusting God! And for a third time he fell asleep in my arms.
One last night in Plovdiv, one night in Sofia, one night over the ocean and then we're back in Canada. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Silas and I don't want to think about that. Sara is still sick and for the first time this trip she went to bed before me. Good night!
I really wasn't looking forward to this last visit but I knew it was coming and I'd have to say goodbye. Interestingly Silas would not fall asleep for me this time. He was so tired though but he fought it and stayed awake. Either he didn't want to wake up with me gone like the other three days or he was being a typical two year old! I gave him lots of kisses and snuggles and handed him back over to the lady from the orphanage and said goodbye.
We spent one more night in B*lgaria then caught a really early flight home. We were met by almost the whole family at the airport which was a surprise! Canada welcomed us back with -40C temps and I could have done without that! I finally got home on Sunday night and I've been fighting jet lag ever since. Around about 7pm I get this feeling like I've been drugged and must sleep but it's not restful sleep. And then of course I'm awake at 4 am. blah I did some exercise today in hopes that it would help me sleep harder/longer tonight. I sure hope it works.
So here are some thoughts on this trip:
1.) The nausea and nerves I was fighting for the two weeks before the trip were totally gone once I drove away from my house. I also didn't get air sick on any of the flights and didn't catch any bugs the whole time. Only God can explain that.
2.) I go back and forth between excitement and stress most days. "Oh my goodness, I'm going to be a Mom! I need to buy clothes and shoes and we'll go on trips together and have so much fun!" and then there's moments where its, "Oh my goodness, I'm going to be a Mom! I'm going to be responsible for this child who has Down syndrome and that's not scary, but he also has a heart defect which isn't fully repaired and will probably need further surgery and he's on three different meds and how am I going to do this??"
I really have no idea what life will look like when he's home. The thought of trying to keep him calm and entertained on the long flights home is a bit daunting. I'll have him for a week in the hotel first though so hopefully he gets a bit more used to being out of the orphanage by the time we get on a plane. Poor boy is going to have his life turned upside down. We'll just have to take it one moment at a time.
3.) I know that Silas is just as safe in his orphanage than he would be with me because God is watching over him and He is in control. He also has the power to heal Silas' heart and stop his ears from itching too.
4.) Having my sister Sara with me was so nice. I'm glad she was able to come along and keep me company. She also took all the pictures and video I have of Silas and those have been watched/looked at every day since I left him. It would have been a very lonely trip without her. She's also coming with me on the next trip!
5.) Trip #2 is when I get to bring him home and that will happen in 4-6 mths. There will be a court date set and a lawyer will represent me and convince a judge that it's in Silas' best interest to come home with me. Once that happens then there's some other stuff that happens and then I can go get him.
So that about sums it up! I'm going to be kept busy with Christmas and work and my courses so hopefully these next few months will fly by and I'll have my little guy home!
Also a huge thank you for everyone that prayed for us while we were traveling/in country. It means so much that so many of you love Silas even though you haven't met him yet. Makes me all teary thinking of it really....or maybe that's just the jet lag. ;) No really, thank you for praying! Please continue to pray that Silas would stay healthy and safe and that God would prepare him for the change that is going to happen in his life.
