2 days after picking up Michaela Maria, the new Simpson family visited the Rila Monastery and took their first family photo.

Nervous and excited about our reunion, we arrived at St. Paraskeva at 9:00 a.m. We couldn't have imagined a nicer welcome for Michaela's class was playing out in front of the orphanage. Olya, one of her favourite caregivers walked with her to the end of the long path that was in front of the building. We stopped and all of a sudden Michaela came running to us with open arms and a big smile! I crouched down and was welcomed with one of the biggest hugs you can imagine! It was truly a special moment and all worries quickly disappeared.

I showed Michaela my locket which had been given to me for Christmas and contained photos of Michaela and I from our first trip in November 2002. I opened it and she gazed intensely at the photos before it was closed. From the day forward, Michaela has touched the locket with an amazing gentleness and often tucks it inside my top and gives it a pat.

After finalizing the adoption paperwork with Dr. Liharska (Director), we had arranged to have a 2nd birthday party for Michaela so she could celebrate her August 8th milestone with all her friends. Cookies, juice, party favours and cake were enjoyed by the 15 children in her class and their many caregivers. Shortly thereafter lunch was about to be served and the room suddenly became a bedlam of activity and feasting!

It was then time to leave...something that we had been looking forward to since March 2002 but dreaded as well for we were taking a little girl from the only home and people she had known and loved. Dr. Liharska had a tradition when a child leaves...they toss a bucket of water down the stairs as a symbol of cleansing the path ahead for the child and wishing them luck. As the caregivers said their quiet good byes, I carried Michaela out. It was a very difficult moment for us as new parents for she was flailing and screaming. By the time we went to lunch and got back to the hotel however, little Michaela was already bonding.

For the next few days, our new family spent a lot of quiet time at the hotel with a couple of outings for paperwork finalization, shopping and a day trip to the Rila Monastery to get Michaela used to car travel. This was in preparation for an extended trip (with the support of the Orphanage Director) to the Black Sea as she had only been in a car a couple of times prior to getting adoption paperwork completed.

Go faster mommy!

Frolicking in the sand at Nessebur on the Black Sea.

Although I was rejected for the first couple of days, Michaela bonded with Mike very quickly. This was very difficult to accept emotionally given your anticipation of your new role as Mommy. Michaela then seemed to have preferences for each of us depending on the activity (i.e. Mike could only sit with her while driving in the car while I was the support at meals).

The following Monday, we departed for a 6 day tour to the Black Sea with a stop in Razgrad so Mike could go to Bucharest, Romania for the immigration paperwork and Visa. We had a wonderful time as a family and it was so exciting to see Michaela discover new things minute by minute. Everything was new to her and she flouished on the trip. She thoroughly enjoyed "swimming" in the pool and the sea plus her fascination and reaction to the sights and people around her was so fun to watch. It was evident however that she missed the children for every time she saw a little one, she would point and want to go over to them! The additional time that we spent in Bulgaria provided a very safe and comfortable environment for all of us to get to know one another better before the journey home. Michaela demonstrated few signs of stress (i.e. ate little) from the separation. She was a very happy little girl who was very social to others but would keep her Mommy and Daddy in sight and connect for that reassuring love frequently. Michaela made us laugh daily with her antics and love!