Our family is complete... Dan, Nicholas and I arrived safely last night around 8:30 and were excitedly greeted at the airport by big sister Kaylee and Uncle Steven! Wow ... what a journey! Here is our story of the last week.

Dan and I flew out last Sunday (August 20th) around 3:00 in the afternoon. Traveling through Toronto and then Frankfurt, we arrived in Sophia, Bulgaria the next day around 2:00 pm Bulgaria time. (Bulgaria is 7 hours ahead of Ottawa time). Our wonderful travelling companion/translator, Teodora, from our last trip (when we went to meet Nicholas) was at the airport to meet us. We took a taxi to the same hotel in Sophia that we stayed at in April . Actually, we even had the same room!

Tuesday morning, bright and early, we left for Sliven (where Nicholas was born and where he currently was living) to pick Nicholas up from the orphanage. Obviously, we were very excited and sleep had not come easily the night before! Would he remember us? How much would he cry? Would he eat? Would he sleep?....

We had the same driver as last time and yes, he still drove very fast! At one point the odometer read 160km and with no seat belts in the back seat, I just held my breath more than once! We arrived at the orphanage just after the children had finished lunch. We were greeted by two of the doctors and the psychologist that we had met on our first trip. They assured us that Nicholas was doing well and that he was waiting for us. They had been showing him the pictures of us/our home that we had left for him and they had also played him the tape that we had sent of us talking/singing to him often. They said that he loved the tape and he especially loved looking at the pictures of Kaylee.

There were a few papers to sign and then they brought our little son to us. He smiled quietly but would not come to us right away. He looked like he had lost a little weight. They told us that there had been a virus going through the orphanage and he had, of course, caught it. We had the video camera with us but I am not really sure if we took any footage... there was so much excitement around seeing him again! What an adorable little boy!! We had brought a cake and some candy for the other children but the staff at the orphanage seem to prefer that his departure be rather quick. We guessed that the other children were getting ready for their naps. They gave us his clothes (most of which we had brought on the first trip), his favourite toys (again that we had brought), the photo album and tape that we had given him but most excitedly... they gave us 14 pictures taken of him in his first 3 years and the 2 disposable cameras we had left for them to take pictures between our two trips. We were also given his immunization record and personal diary. We will have this diary translated in the coming weeks... I am sure that we will treasure it in the years to come!!

After they threw water on the floor (a custom to wish good luck and wash the path for the future) we were off. Yes, he was crying but I held him as tight as I could and tried to comfort him. We had learned a few simple Bulgarian phrases including "it's ok" and "don't cry" and of course, Teodora was with us so she could speak to him. I also sang some of the same songs that were on the tape. Luckily, he LOVES going in the car ("kola" in Bulgarian"). This was quite a switch from our first trip when he cried and cried when we took him in the car to get his passport photo taken. I guess he developed his love for the car when he was taken to Sophia in late June to be examined by a physician fro immigration purposes.

Anyway, he started to warm up to us on the drive back. We got lots of smiles and he seemed to relax somewhat. The tears and screams started again when we arrived at the hotel... a new place for him ...he wouldn't eat for us ...I went to bed hoping that the next day he would eat and assured myself that he had breakfast and lunch that day so he would be fine. He actually slept quite well that night. Dan and I had taken him for a long walk ...just the beginning of many walks we would take our week in Sophia. We soon learned that like the car, Nicholas LOVES being pushed in the stroller. I should mention that the hotel where we stayed is located near the mountains ... very scenic but tough on the legs when you have a little boy who constantly wants to go for walks!!

He did eat the next morning! The hotel was a family hotel run by a very nice couple and their niece. They were very helpful in making Nicholas feel comfortable. His breakfast consisted of bread soaked in warm milk .. and he ate lots!! (Yeah ... doesn't sound very exciting and Kaylee is really unimpressed but he was eating!)

Nicholas became more and more comfortable with us as the week progressed. We had brought some toys that he really seemed to enjoy and we tried to pull out a new one when he was really upset. We took him to the zoo and to downtown Sophia. Of course, every time we went some place different he would get upset. Thank God for the stroller!! We also took him for a walk in the mountains which he seemed to enjoy. As the week progressed, he seemed to eat a little better but his diet is very limited and he certainly makes it known if he doesn't want something. He seems to like bread soaked in warm milk and soup with chicken, potatoes, carrots and noodles. We did get him to eat some scrambled eggs one morning and a little jam. He also likes ice tea and wafer type cookies.

By Friday, we were feeling pretty good about our interactions. He would come to us easily and we were getting lots of smiles and laughter. He does not really speak so we relied on our limited Bulgarian, pointing and of course, the help of Teodora and the family at the hotel. Actually, Friday night we had lots of fun with him ...he was laughing and laughing! Unfortunately, for some reason, Saturday was an off day. He woke up restless and stayed that way most of the day. We did lots of pushing of the stroller (good for loosing weight) ...Dan lost 4 lbs and I lost 2!!). Luckily, Sunday he was happy again ...a good sign as we had a big day ahead of us on Monday!

Our flight back was at 6:00 am Bulgarian time so we got up at 3:30 to get ready to go to the airport (that would have been 8:30 Sunday night in Ottawa). He was pretty content at the airport as long as we would push him in the stroller or feed him wafers or ice tea. Getting on the plane was much easier than we expected and the flight from Sophia to Frankfurt was good ...we were encouraged! He was amazingly calm on the take-offs and landings.

We sat on the plane for an hour in Frankfurt waiting for passengers to arrive from a connecting flight from Rome so this after 6 hours in the Frankfurt airport was not fun!! We had about an hour and a half of crying between Frankfurt and Toronto and then he went to sleep. He also slept from Toronto to Ottawa. Thank goodness! We arrived in Ottawa about 24 hours after we had left and he had not slept very much of that time ...what a little trooper!!

Kaylee and my brother were at the airport to meet us. It was so nice to see Kaylee ...she looked taller than when we had left. She pushed her brother around the Ottawa airport while we waited for our luggage. He was good in the car ride home from the airport ...didn't even object to the car seat (they don't use car seats in Bulgaria).

We came home to find "welcome home" gifts for Kaylee and Nicholas from my brothers and their families. They also stocked our fridge for us (including some ice tea for our little boy). Wow ...thanks ...we really appreciate all that you did for us!!

Nicholas slept pretty well last night. I slept on an air mattress beside his bed and Kaylee slept with Daddy. He cried out a couple of times but went back to sleep without us having to get up. I just told him it was ok. Tonight Kaylee says she wants to sleep on the air mattress beside his bed.

He had 2 cups of warm milk with bread for breakfast this morning and a bowl of soup for lunch. And of course ...he had ice tea to drink. He was a little cranky when he woke up but was happy after we fed him. He took me by the hand around 11:00 and led me to his chair at the kitchen table ...obviously he was hungry. Kaylee and I took him for a walk after he ate and then he had a short nap.

Right now, Daddy, Kaylee and Nicholas are playing downstairs and I am having a bit of time to myself. All in all, I would have to say that things are going probably better than we expected. We are so thankful that God has brought this wonderful little boy into our lives. He really is precious!!

We would like to thank all of you for all your support. Special thanks to our parents and siblings ...you have given us so much love and encouragement as we waited for Nicholas to finally come home. Elena, you have helped to make this miracle happen and have lived through our frustration as our journey ws not easy (not even getting the visa could be without hassle!). We can't thank you enough! To Teodora and the other staff of the Family Association in Bulgaria, thanks so very much for all that you did for us. And to our friends ...thanks for being there for us and waiting with us.

We look forward to introducing Nicholas to all of you!

With all love,

xoxoxoxo
Karen, Dan, Kaylee & Nicholas