Day 2 with Nik

(Ann-Marie writing this time...)  Today was our second day with Nik. We spent the morning with him.  Apparently, there is much less traffic here at 8am than 12 noon when we went to the orphanage yesterday.  So, we were able to get to the orphanage in about 45 minutes instead of 3 hours.  That was nice. 

Nik was happy to see us, and especially seemed comfortable with me. (He likes Brent a lot too, but has been around all women in the orphanage).  He grabbed my hand after met up with him and didn't want to let go!  Towards the end of our visit, he let Brent hold his other hand.  The orphanage had a visitor/volunteer there this morning doing a "show" with bubbles.  The kids seemed to have fun with it. Nik wanted to sit in my lap the whole time.  It was neat for Brent and I to see that the orphanage workers do really seem to care for and love the kids that are there.  When we left, Nik got pretty upset. He cried a lot and didn't want to go with the orphanage worker to eat lunch.  He finally gave us both a big hug. We told him we would see him tomorrow. We still have 2 more visits with him. I'm not sure what we will say when we leave to come home. That is going to be hard.

In our time here, we have discovered that Nik loves cars and airplanes, thinks its very silly if you knock down a tower of bricks, likes to laugh, loves teddy grahams (and seems to like to eat in general), and likes to kill ants and spiders.  I think he will fit in well with our family and can't wait for the kids to meet him! 

I do have to say that this entire process is not for the faint of heart. Its been a long journey to even get to the point of meeting Nik and I  have been more emotional than I expected to be since we have gotten here.  I miss Maddie and Dylan a lot and feel conflicted spending time on the other side of the world with our other child while they are at home.  In addition, it feels someone "unnatural" to interact with Nik at the orphanage.  I feel like we can connect with him very well, but its hard not getting to know him on our "own terms" (ie, in our own house, in our own town, with our entire family present).  Its also very difficult to see him upset as we leave him at the end of the day, especially knowing we have to leave him for an extended period 2 times before we can bring him home for good. Plus, I have jet lag and insomnia, so I'm exhausted, which I'm sure is playing into the emotions of everything. 

God has been so faithful in reassuring me and Brent in many different ways over the last 2 days that Nik is our son.  We are excited to continue connecting with him over the next couple of days.  We appreciate your prayers in all of this... for peace for us, for understanding for him, and for God to prepare us for all that we still have ahead of us. 

I'm attaching below a picture of me and Nik from today.  We aren't going to post his face online until he is officially "ours" but you can see him walking holding my hand.  He very much loves the hat he is wearing, even though its too small for him! :) He doesnt want to take it off! the people in the background are our driver and the orphanage director.