Days 4-5

Yesterday we went to the transition home twice; two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.  Zane was very cheery yesterday.  He loved playing with a ball we brought that lights up, and we taught him how to throw and catch.  Clearly, he had never been taught to throw, as he wanted to hand the ball to us each time.  But we kept modeling throws, and he finally had the courage to let go and let us catch it in the air.  He cracked up!  He thought it was hilarious.  He had a great time playing catch most of the day.  We also introduced him to bubbles.  He's a little unsure about them, but when I waved my arms to try to pop them, he did the same thing.  He's constantly learning, and it's awesome to watch.  He still enjoys the Tow Mater book we brought him.  He mostly loves pushing the buttons and hearing the sounds.  He could careless about what the book says.  Right before we left yesterday, we had a doctor's appointment with Zane at the transition home.  The doctor went over his history.  He is a very healthy boy, and we are so thankful.  Unfortunately, the appointment fell during nap time, and when he was awakened by the doctor, he cried so terribly hard I almost started crying.  He couldn't even breathe.  It was painful to watch.  Shortly after the appointment, we had to leave, so it was a difficult goodbye.  We received a video from an America World employee with an interview of Zane's birthmother.  That evening, we watched it with heavy hearts.  We plan to show it to Zane when he is older, and we will let him decide if he wants to share his story or not at that time.

Today we went to the transition home in the morning, and we went to see Zane's orphanage, Abenezer and KVI in the afternoon.  Our time with Zane was a little different today.  His nanny was there (she's been off the last two days), and he was fussy when she gave him to me.  He is clearly attached to her, which is good because it shows he is getting the attention and care he needs.  He is obviously a favorite to all of the nannies. They all say his name and kiss him when they walk by, but his assigned nanny is particularly attached.  She is being so good about trying to hand him over to us, let us feed him, and trying to stay out of sight when we are there for his sake.  It's such a difficult transition.  My heart breaks for her and for him.  In the long run, it is better for him to be with us, as she is giving care to about 15 toddlers, but it still feels weird taking him from her sometimes.

When I was able to calm him down, all he wanted to do today was walk.  We walked up and down the court yard of the transition home countless times, watched the older boys play soccer, tried the stairs a few times, and watched kids play on the playground.  He loves to observe others.  His walking is coming along.  You can tell he wants to be playing with the older kids and running around.  After tons of walking, we played a little on the porch and then he completely passed out in my arms.  It was a great feeling to have him comfortable enough to sleep with me holding him.  I hope each day, he learns to trust us more.

This afternoon, when we saw Zane's orphanage, I was so blessed.  The owner, Elizabeth, runs a fantastic facility there.  We got to see Zane's picture on the wall, the bed he slept in, and the nanny who cared for him. We also went into the school and gave out some toys (chinese yo-yos, frisbees, suckers, cars, and other little trinkets).  They were so excited and so gracious.  The kids were all very young - under 9.  There was another American family there from California.  They were adopting a little girl from the orphanage.  This orphanage held the most beautiful ceremony for her.  They did a traditional coffee ceremony for the adults, had the agency's representative speak about the child and how much she is loved by the nannies, read aloud a letter for the child to read when she is older from the orphanage and how much she meant to them, and prayed in Amharic and English for the girl and her new family.  It was beautiful.  Afterward, everyone celebrated with bottled soda (adults only), juice (kids), some kind of traditional cake (like a pancake but more sugar), cookies, and an Ethiopian "chex mix" of sorts.  It was so incredible to watch, and we were so happy that child would have all of it on video when she is older.  I was so thankful that Zane was in the care of these amazing people for a short time.  They all remembered him and told us how special he was.