He said "Bye!"

Andrei said "bye" to me the other night when I put him down for the night.  It has been the first show of any kind of emotion when we put him in his crib since we have brought him home.  That little word was so good to hear.  I remember when Annsley started telling us "night night" when we would put her down.  Kennedi? Not so much...Talking wasn't her "thang" back then. We'd get a squeal, but that was about it from her. I closed Andrei's door, and said "night night" to him and then did a little victory dance in the bathroom.  I absolutely LOVED Annsley talking to us through the door, and I so much have anticipated having a conversation with Andrei.  Finally it happened--only once, but I know more will come!

His emotional state has really started to evolve lately.  He has started to smile and come running to the door when I pick him up at the nursery at church.  For such a long time he was so stoic.  No emotion.  He showed none when I dropped him off or picked him up.  You couldn't ever tell that he was glad to see me until a few weeks ago. 

One thing that I have had to get used to is his lack of emotions when getting him from his crib. With both Kennedi and Annsley they were so excited to see me.  They would laugh or smile as if to say, "I'm rescued!"  Andrei does NONE of that.  It is a rare day that he looks at you in the eye--certainly no smiling or holding out his arms for you to pick him up.  I'm sure that is all a product of his orphanage environment and will eventually change--slowly.  A small victory in that direction is the fact that he will now at least stand up waiting for you to pick him up. He will even jabber on occasion.  For months and months he would just stay sitting, sucking his thumb with his head hanging down.  I'm just holding out right now to see that beautiful smile of his when I open the bedroom door...

We were fortunate and blessed to pick Andrei up when he just turned 12 months old.  It makes my heart ache to know that he was already learning self-preservation techniques due to the lack of physical, mental, and emotional stimulation he was receiving.  It must be magnified for those children who spend years in an orphanage institution. 

November 6 is Orphan Sunday.  Please keep them in your prayers.  So many children need a home desperately.