Forever Family

Wow.  How do I even begin to put into words the love of today?

We were all up at about 4am.  Still trying to get used to the time difference and the long nap yesterday probably didn’t help.  I tried to get online but it wouldn’t work and then the groupme text started deleting everyone for inactivity and texts were coming through on my phone like crazy.  I was a bit anxious and really missing Laila as I knew this was going to be a huge day for our family and she wouldn’t be here to be a part of it.  I ended up just calling my mom to talk to her and she is doing fine and is having tons of fun with the many amazing people caring for her.  Thank you!

We figured out the computer so I zoned into it for awhile and read my Karen Kingsbury too.  The two big kids were being so good staying quiet in their bed for so long trying to go back to sleep but it just never happen.

Our car picked us up at 830 to go to the orphanage. We still don’t really have our bearings of where we are in Pune but I could tell we were starting to get close.  Emma grabbed my hand in excitement.  We pulled up and our hearts were racing wondering at which turn of a corner in the building we might see his face.  We had to go up to the office to chat for a while and got to meet Maina, our social worker.  She was so very happy that Ranjit found  family and told us a lot about his past and the hopes and potential she sees for his future.  We had a little time with our lawyer, who I thanked over and over for his diligence.  We had to set up a contract with him to work for us further in the future filing some required paperwork with our post placement so we will possibly get our court deposit back.  Although I’ve never heard of anyone actually getting it back, we will hire him to make sure everything is done correctly because otherwise it could compromise others families adopting form India.

Maina then told us we could join the children for prayers.  It was no big meeting or running in slow motion across a grassy meadow to the open arms of your child.  It was real.  We walked down the stairs, turned the corner and there he was sitting cross legged on the carpet waiting for prayer time.  He spotted us and recognized us immediately.  He looked at his ayah as if to ask if it was OK if he got up and she gave him a nod and he came to us with a big smile and then….. wait for it….. he hugged me!  I know that they are taught to do that but he didn’t have to have that smile on his face and he didn’t have to be excited but he did and he was :)  She asked him who we were and he pointed to each of us and said our names:  Mommy (spoken momeeeeee), Daddy (spoken dadeeeee), Emma (spoken long E-ma) and Jackson (spoken just as we say it but with his ADORABLE Indian accent).  We were invited in to share prayers with them.  I sat next to him and he actually got in trouble because he was leaning into me instead of sitting up straight.  I’ll let him get in trouble for that anytime!  Immediately and all throughout the rest of the day he asked where Laila was.  He’s been looking at our album and watching his video over and over and he just doesn’t understand why she is not here.  Still even this evening he walks around going “mommy? Laila?”  Maina said he asked her if Laila has a different mommy because he just doesn’t comprehend someone else caring for a child when thy actually have a mommy.  I let him watch some videos I had of Laila and that seemed to calm his fear for her some.

After prayers we were taken into a separate little room (the one with the rainbow table for those Holt families who’ve been there) and they had Ranjit do some of his schooling for us.  He can write his whole English alphabet, tell you the letter,tell you the sound it makes and a word that starts with it.  I was blown away!  He is also starting to sound out words and reading!  He loved writing in his little journal and while it takes him longer than most children he can do it and is even smart enough to look back and find his mistakes and correct them.  He can also write all his numbers and do matching sheets of numbers and objects.  He knows A TON of English words and communication today was not too bad at all.  He understands more that he speaks and for a good part of the day no matter what I asked him he would answer YES but he began to talk more as the day went on.  I pulled out the flash cards I brought for him and he already knows them all!

All day they were telling me he was saying “I go now?  Now can I go?”  He was more than ready.  Maina said he had been so excited and then about a month ago he got very quiet about leaving.  We wondered how he would take it today but he did wonderful.  Not a tear shed, which sometimes could be a bad thing if he’s not doing the grieving he needs to but he is showing signs of loving and emotion so I’m hopeful he still has the ability to love and attach to us.

When we got back to the apartment with him I expected him to explore but he didn’t right away.  Emma & Jackson were exhausted so he just followed their lead and sat on the couch for awhile.  We all changed out of our Indian clothing and into PJs.  I can see Ranjit watching their every move and he is just in love with them.  He calls their names constantly and wants both of them to discover every new thing with him.  They have been great with him, patient and understanding.  I was so proud of them at lunch time because they ate with the kids and I could tell a few things they didn’t care for but they choked them down because we had told them how much that small amount of food means to those children and how disrespectful it would be to refuse it.

Ranjit started his exploration of the apartment after about an hour or so.  He really wanted to brush his teeth and go to bed (and so did the rest of us!) but it was too early.  Yesterday Emma bought an Indian Barbie and he spotted that and loved it!  So they played Barbies for quite a while and Jackson also got a helicopter yesterday and Ranjit likes to watch it just as long as it doesn’t come by him :)  I’m with him on that one!

After a little while he remembered his shirt that we had sent him and he wanted to put it on.  Then he wanted to know if Emma and Jackson had them and I showed him.  He YELLED their names and when they came in he said “see, same!”  He wanted everyone to put their shirts on but we convinced him maybe tomorrow.  He kept his on until bed and then wanted to change into in Angry Birds PJ’s just like Jackson.  One thing he did notice was Emma’s hair.  He looked at her and looked at me and said “Emma yellow??” and I said yes.  He was thoughtful and then went off to play again.  I love kids and their ability to notice difference and not let it get in the way.

We decided to order room service.  Ranjit wasn’t a big fan of anything we ordered.  He would get a look on his face and spit it out onto his plate.  After a few times I asked him not to and he stopped.  I was surprised he listened so quickly.  I did get him to eat a few noodles but for the most part he ate boxed raisins for dinner.  Whatever works at this point right??

He was all ready to go to bed.  No hesitation.  The three kids hoped in and emma prayed then Jackson then Jack then I did.  I then looked at Ranjit and asked if he’d like to pray.  He said “YES” then he hopped out of bed and stood in front of us like he was going to give us a show and then got shy.  Then he looked up and said with the softest eyes “mommy, daddy, Emma, Jackson” and then I think a few of the names from the orphanage.  It was so sweet like he was being thankful for us.  Then he hopped back in bed and we haven’t heard a peep :)  Hope that means we can get some rest tonight.

Well, I’m exhausted and I need to get to bed.  THANK YOU all for the encouraging words and so much for all the prayers.  God has gone before us in everything and today was a huge testimony to Him answering your prayers!

If you’d like to see pictures please go to the facebook page .  Posting on here takes a lot longer, plus I like for people to see the pictures one at a time and I can give a description if I want.