What a wonderful day...a day of answered prayer. Our little guy has gone from an orphanage, where he had very little interaction, to a family who longs to interact and bond with him. This... combined with multiple appointments in crowded areas has caused Will to be overwhelmed at times. This is difficult for adults to grasp...much more challenging for a child to understand.
We have tried to reassure Abby over the past few days that Will would begin to respond to her as he settled in more. As I mentioned in the post yesterday, today was our first free day of the trip...and today was a wonderful day for bonding...and bond they did! He loves his sister and she couldn't be more pleased. I think I wore a smile most of the day...seeing my kids enjoy one another has been amazing. To think that less than a week ago they were complete strangers...and now they are Jie Jie and Di Di (big sister and little brother). The only thing that could have made today better would have been Mr. Kai! We miss you big brother!
Will has had an amazing day. After eating breakfast and verifying some paperwork, we decided to be brave and take a cab to Shamian Island. This area is familiar to adoptive parents. We ate at Lucy's Dinner. Many adoptive American families eat here as the food is a reminder of home...Abby and I had a grilled cheese sandwich, french fries, onion rings, and a baked potato...I know that sounds awful...but we are so hungry for familiar food. Jay stuck to his guns and had Chicken and Pan-Fried Noodles! As we were walking around the area, we saw a young couple. They were walking hand in hand. They kept looking at Will...whispering to one another...looking at Will...they even turned back to get one last look after passing us. It made Jay and I stop and wonder about Will's birth parents... will they be looking into the eyes of each baby boy his age with foreign parents...wondering...is he our son? Since we have been here, we have learned a great deal more about the significance and seriousness of the one child law. We will never know the circumstances surrounding Will's abandonment...but we are blessed to call him son...brother...family. He is William "Will" Addison Hellums...our chosen one!
OH MY GOODNESS, I love the toothy grin! You can tell he is just happy and content. So glad to hear he is bonding with Abby, makes a sissy's heart happy no doubt. Thankful you are getting out and about and enjoying your time there. So much to experience...take it all in. Kiss those kiddos for us! Love you guys and still praying the rest of the trip goes smoothly and the little mister continues to flourish!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Rachel, TC, Ali, and Clark
Hey sis, we hope y'all enjoyed the pics we sent of Kai, and us w/ Mom & Dad. We figured you would be happy to see the little guy (and the rest of the fam, of course). We got back late last night, but Kym said she wanted to download, fix, & e-mail you the pics no matter what time it was (she's a sweetie). We both love y'all very much!
ReplyDeleteTIM & KYM
I know where this is..The White Swan..I recognize "the red couch" Love the pics. Will looks soooo happy, as do all of you.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to keep connected and for you to share your experiences with us! Love ya'll!
ReplyDeleteMiche
Hi, hope all is well there. From the photos it looks as though you are a happy bunch. Abby and Will are bonding----so good. This makes us so happy. Poor baby just didn’t know what to make of all those kisses and hugs. Seems as though Will looks larger than a few days ago. He will be a big boy before we turn around----trying to keep up with his big brother. They will be so cute together. Nina and John brought Kai over for a visit today, we were so glad to see him. He has been very content at his Nan Nan’s and Nandy’s house. That makes me happy. This was a shot in the arm for J.W. to see Kai. Yesterday was a really bad day for J.W. but today has been a bit better. Of course, it cheers us up to talk to you and enjoy the photos and blog. I talk to my sister about every day. I think she is doing normally. The nights are not good. She can’t sleep well. It will be two weeks tomorrow since Richard passed away. Have a happy day tomorrow. Will will appreciate all of the photos when he is a little older. Miss you all. Lots of love, Poppy and Nona
ReplyDelete