Spending Time With Alex (Read the post below first.)

Day 2: Alex had school from 8-9 so we only got to see him for a few minutes that morning. He just lit up when he saw us and started saying, "Mama Alex" to his friends to make sure they knew who we were! We followed him into his little classroom and he was so cute and so smiley. Then we left to go down to the main house where we went over our paperwork with Stephanie another missionary from the US. After we did that we had about an hour until we needed to go the US Embassy to file our I600 so we went up to the baby nursery to hold a baby. I have never seen so many babies at once. I think they have 85 right now including one who had been brought in that day brand new. All around you hear crying and smell poop. Most of the kids have parasites so they have really smelly poop and they poop a lot. I can't imagine how many diapers they go through.

Scott and I walked in the room and instantly babies are crawling at you, trying to climb up you if they can, pulling on our shoes, and holding up their arms and crying. We would hold two at a time. Finally we decided to each take one up to the balcony to play. It was fun but so overwhelming. The needs were so great. Thankfully volunteers come to GLA just to hold and play with babies, so several were there doing just that.

Then we went to the US Embassy, we were there a couple of hours and got all of our paperwork filed. Catherine and Kevin went with us and once again it was so nice to have them for moral support. We also met another couple when we were there who we stayed with us at the guest house who are also adopting. We instantly bonded with them also. Both couples we met have other children also so we felt like our situations were very similar. We shared together, cried together, comforted each other, and promised to pray for each other. It was really neat to meet these people. Another person we met was a mom who was actually bringing her little guy home to the Netherlands so that was fascinating to get to know her and to see how her little boy was reacting to leaving the orphanage.

After we got back from the US Embassy we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon with Alex and also with Melinda and Jeff - the parents from Canada adopting Wilde. It was so fun to get to know Alex better. We gave him some gifts and he absolutely loved one of them, a little yellow car that you shake and then it goes. He did it over and over and over. We also gave him an Elmo phone which he loved and a Diego toy that didn't make any noise so he wasn't quite as into that! We also brought M&M's and it was so sweet....he would take them and throw them over the balcony for his friends to eat too. We were amazed at how selfless these kids were. They have so little but were so willing to share.

This picture makes me sad. As the day was coming to an end we walked down to the gate and Alex became more and more somber. He just clung to Scott's hand. We had to leave to eat but then we did get to come back that night so that was great. When we got back all the kids were in a group and all of a sudden he comes running up to me laughing and holding out his arms. So priceless. I tell you I have cried more this week than I can remember ever crying this consistently. This is such an emotional journey. When it was time to go to bed that night as I handed Alex to his nanny his little lip went up and he started crying. It was awful. I was not prepared for him to realize or to care, I didn't think it would mean so much to him but he really does seem to know who we are.

GLA does a really good job of preparing these kids for their parents. They talk about us all the time and tell the kids over and over that they will not live at the orphanage forever but with their families. In fact some of the kids play, "the white parents are coming" and they pretend to be the parents and the kids run up to them and then "go home" with them. I love that.

The next morning it was time to go. They got him up early so we could have an hour with him. It was a precious and very hard time. He really hung onto me and I couldn't not cry. Molly translated for us as we told him how much we loved him and that we would be coming back for him and other things we wanted him to know. I pray he remembers those words and that God comforts him as he waits. I was so encouraged by Molly and Joyce. They promised to love on him and take care of him. They said they were going to make that day his special day and watch movies with him in the special room and let him eat all the snacks he wanted. We are so grateful to have them there loving on him and caring so much.

Here he is with Wilde. We really hit it off with his parents so we plan on getting the boys together once they are home. I am so excited for that! There is so much more I am forgetting but this is already so long so I will caption a few more photos and then be done as my arm is going numb!!

I love how cuddly he is.

I think Scott looks so happy here!!

This is where he sleeps, the bottom bed with 3 of his friends. A nanny sleeps in the room with him. I am thinking that we will have to cosleep with him when he comes home or he is going to be scared since he has never slept alone. The girls have all agreed to trade off sleeping with him too! But then Avery said, "I will sleep with him but I get my own bed and he can have a mattress next to me."

He has some amazing nannies who take care of him and love him too. They are Haitian women so we weren't able to communicate much but I could tell they were compassionate and loving.

This is his preschool room. He will start learning English when he is 4. Of course he will be home before that right?!!! Please pray he comes home soon. Everyone wants to know when he will be home and frankly we just don't know. We are in parquet and then have to go through courts so it will still be awhile. I am praying for a miracle though!! I have such a peace that he is in such a good place though. It doesn't replace a family but it sure is a loving and good and safe place to be for now.

And one more thing.....seriously.....we got the cutest one ever didn't we?!!! Could he be any cuter?!