Friday, December 6, 2013

December 6th 2013 a family is made.

It's official! We have a beautiful son named Stefan. The ceremony took place today. The people from his social center gave us flowers, and a shirt and sippy cup for Stefan. It's hard to believe it's over and we are officially his parents. So many emotions right now, but most of them are super happy.

We love you all and will write more soon!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Day 8 in Serbia

Oh my gosh everyone is happier! Eric was able to get the little man to bed last night, with out me. What's even better? Little man stayed there! Until about 3 am, which is livable. Eric has adjusted his sleeping schedule so I can sleep at night. He goes to bed in the afternoon and then gets up about the time little man goes to bed. Hopefully we will only have to do this for a few more days. 

What's even better than that you ask? Eric stopped the whining. I don't know how he did it, but little man no longer whines. If he starts to whine Eric looks at him and says "Neh" (pronunciation of the Serbian word for no) and little man stops. Now we only get cries when strangers approach, or people who he knows from the center try to play with him, although he spoke to a few of them today. I think the hard part for him is still missing his foster mom, he brings her up to anyone who will listen, and well the locals listen, are sad for him and then he gets sad, although a few have said what I assumeare nice   things about his mommy and daddy. 

This morning we went out to the nearby market and got some sort of "meat pretzel" I guess. It was super good! 

It sounds like the adoption ceremony should be this week, and the we can tell you his name and his face, and we can go back to Belgrade! 

Monday, December 2, 2013

Day 7? In Serbia

So, I was going to keep up with this, but our opportunities for wifi were not always the best. Once we met our son, my hands have been full. Daddy is trying to comfort him to sleep, so I can get a much needed break, and they can get some much needed bonding. Our little guy is not so fond of daddy, because when they met, Eric had a beard. The beard is since gone, and they get along slightly better now. Eric is trying his best, I know it will come in time.

As for bonding, it has been going much easier than we thought it would, however little man misses is foster mother. Though the serious crying has stopped, he whines a lot. The first day we got him alone, I spent hours walking black and forth through the hall. I'm pretty sure there is a permanent track where we walked, unfortunately, not he thinks I should carry him constantly, which is a nice feeling, but my body can't physically do it. We are staying at a daily care center, which I would say is basically an orphanage for older kids. I like the set up, but it gets loud here. I think maybe that is part of our guys problem is all the noise. Everything echoes, the nice thing is, no one here cares if the little guy is screaming. 

We like the town we are in, it's very small. Love the foster family our child came from, even if they did spoil him ;-) but we know he was well loved. It's humbling to know what we are up against as parents. He really loves them, and misses them terribly, but he loves us now too. He was even telling people today, that I am his mommy. When he is mad at me, he just calls me Katie. 

It amazes me how easily he is learning English, we work on it daily, he says hello, good bye, good morning, I lob you, up, come on, banana (it's the same here lol), good job, he says the pict part of picture, and will occasionally repeat things we say when we don't expect it. I can't wait to see how fast he learns when he is emersed in English. I do hope we can mew some of his Serbian phases and songs going though. 

Yesterday morning I must have done something to please him because he said, "good job mommy".
That was a big moment for us. He was also singing and dancing today, so I'm glad he's getting back to normal. 

It's late and he gets up multiple times in the night, and also very early, so that's all for now. Hope I can write soon!