Some pick-up trip photos from Dondi's good camera

Dondi and I finally got coordinated enough for me to get her a flash drive, her to get the photos onto it, pass it off to a friend who was going to see me, and for that friend to get it to me, and then another day for me to get time to look at them! So this post will be packed with photos from our mid-October trip to bring Krassi home to make up for some of mine that don't have any. ;)

Waiting to be picked up to get our Krassi

Owen at a gas station in the mountains during one of the many smoke breaks that we took on our trip. (Not for us - for our driver and translator!)

Love the look on Krassi's therapist's face. (She's just to the left of him in this photo.) The delight that Krassi expresses anytime someone (PT here, doctors, etc) are handling his legs is a huge testimony to the care and kindness that this young woman showed our son during the year that she was working with him.

And another face that is precious to us. This is Krassi with his baba. When we visited in March, she was not willing to have her photo taken, in large part because of the bad press that the orphanage as a whole was getting. We are so grateful that she changed her mind on this visit. I expect these photos will be very special to Krassi as he gets older. No bad press on this woman! Again, the way that Krassi responds to his real grandma (Matt's mom) makes me grateful every night when I see them together for the attention that this woman gave to our son. She is the one who began to teach him what it means to learn to love and trust, and I'm certain that what she did for him on those two mornings a week for the three years she was his "baba" have made our job of getting into this little boy's heart that much easier.

This is the photo that made me cry. Her look is so tender. I love how she's cradling him like a little baby. And I see now something that I didn't know then - see Krassi's right index finger pressed up on her chin? That's how he connects with people/things that he wants to really know well - the finger presses down, then into his mouth, then back again. (I also get a kick out of the shadow of my pregnant belly on the left!)

In mommy's arms. You're mine, little boy.

Down the stairs and out the door. No more of that place for you, my son!

Already giving us some smiles on the first night. I was so glad to have Owen along - his laugh was a big part of loosening Krassi up and getting him to smile and laugh, too!

Especially because Krassi's mom was crying so often. ;) With smiles. But still. Owen didn't do any crying. ;)

Second day - first time going out for a walk.

Love this photo of the lion bridge. We walked this way so many times that this is very much what I picture when I remember being there.

Beautiful plaza with a neat fountain.Only walked through here once because although you can go right in on the one side, to get out the other side, you have to go up ~6 stairs and there were no "ramps."

These are just beautiful, too. I think every batch of travel photos of families I know of who have been in Sofia has one of these in it. But they really are pretty, no matter what time of year you're there.

Ahhh. That's more like it. A stair with a "Ramp"!!! (Another reason we were glad for Owen. After all, if Dondi had to help brace the bottom end, who would have taken the picture??)

This is another photo that brought tears to my eyes tonight. This was from the day we tried going down under the street at a different crossing where the "ramp" was not as nice, and it just was not going well. This man came up, and with limited English, offered to help us get Krassi down. This was pretty intense for me. Although the country is not currently equipped for people with disabilities like Krassi to be a regular part of society, Bulgaria is NOT void of people who are able and willing to show kindness to strangers. This man probably has no idea and never will, but his actions that morning are cemented in my mind as part of the culture that gave us our son.

And later that night hanging out on the big bed where we spent most of our hotel room time. Not too close, because that still wasn't really okay for him, but still near each other.

Dondi caught a smile! Oh, wait - see Owen in the corner! I'll bet he was laughing. ;)

Letting himself look (kind of) at mommy.

Because he has such positive associations with having his lower limbs handled, I spent a good portion of each evening massaging him with lotion. Look at those tiny feet.

LOVE this one! The boys (now all three of them) still wear matching socks almost every day. Owen announces the color every morning, and we go from there. Krassi's legs were twisted against each other for so many years that his feet look like he put them on the wrong legs.

Letting mommy get a little closer. If he's not looking at me, it's better.

Taking a brief step onto the balcony. What a beautiful day! What a tiny boy. My oldest son. All straight and stiff, he comes barely past my waist.

Sofia and the mountain

Beautiful boy

"Don't get too close mom!" (While waiting in the hotel lobby for our trip to the Embassy, I believe)

Attempting to get fluids in by cup. Not too effective, but both Dondi and I were impressed by how adaptable he was. You can see his jaw/throat working at it. We are still working on this. If I can get the fluid level down by 1/2 inch over the course of a meal, I feel it's a success. He still, even a month later, gets most of his liquids by spoon mixed into whatever he's eating.

Out for a walk as the weather's getting colder. We stopped for his afternoon snack in a park with benches.

"Don't get too close, mom!"

"Well, maybe just for a moment. But I'm not going to like it." (Yet, boy. You'll get there! He still doesn't really like snuggling, but is slowly become more accepting of it, and does appear to enjoy his bedtime snuggle routine, which is short, but close and personal.)

Cuddling in a way that was more acceptable to him.

As I look at these photos six weeks later, I can't wait to see where we are another month from now. And a year from now. This week has been a good week of seeing Krassi become notably more comfortable in our home. (I'll share some details some other time, but do have one other "real" thing on my agenda before bed tonight! So, once more, that will have to wait!)