Thank you to A Child Waits Foundation for their help with our adoption. I would like to share some excerpts from my experience of my first trip to Bulgaria.
We pulled up to the orphanage and I was full of excitement worrying if the director would like me or if Milen would "attach". I took several deep breaths and we went to the director's office… she wasn't there. We had arrived a little early. She finally arrived and shortly after they brought Milen in and right before he came in the room he gave a squeal, Nina turned to me and said he is an emotional child, I changed the word in my mind to "very excited". When he came into the room he was walking. The director said he started walking a week ago. I was very excited to see his progress. They helped him walk around the table and he noticed a plate of cookies and a glass of juice. I took him in my arms and he was receptive until he wanted to get down and "eat just like a boy. Nina said jokingly food first and then we'll visit.
I
asked him again if I could be his daddy and he said "dah, dah". My heart
swelled.
One thing that made us all laugh, Peter (one of our attorneys) was
taking digital photos and he was pointing it at me to show Milen the screen. I
took the opportunity to make faces and stick my thumbs in my ears and wave my
fingers. Nina (our main attorney) said "he looks like a donkey" Milen
came to my defense and said "Neh! My daddy's not a donkey" Nina said
he was serious…
Milen is a very happy child, full of smiles and very ticklish. The four hours I was able to spend with him went very quickly. I was able to teach him some English. I taught him "gimme five" and I taught him eyes, ears, mouth and nose. I then asked him in English where is my nose, he then poked me in the nose, we all laughed at that too.
It was an experience that I shall never forget. Our Family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts.
Trent, Rebekah, Melissa, Mathew, McKayla, Spencer (Milens American name) and Shannon.