Trip 2, Day 3

The last three days have been relaxing.  Monday morning, we took care of our in-country medicals, and visited Pete in the afternoon.  It has been 2 1/2 long months, and we were unsure whether Pete would remember us.  We brought the same toys as the first trip, to help jog his memory.  Three additional teeth have filled his mouth, and he is walking faster, holding onto us with both hands.  His legs still don't hold up for very long, because he doesn't get many opportunities to use them.

The staff still sing his praises; he is well-liked.  They describe him as "such a good little boy".  They gave us back the disposable camera we left with them in June, and they told us they would e-mail us more.

The orphanage grounds have transformed from a dirt-filled mass of land and construction to a playground-filled entertainment zone.

Pete still has a cold and chest congestion, so we didn't get to take him outside on Monday, but we still had a good time playing with him.  I showed him how to pour a ball from one cup to another, and he mastered it on his own in one try.  He likes throwing objects on the floor for us to pick up.  He still loves the small musical instruments we brought and likes to hold one in each hand.  He doesn't let go of them, even while he's sleeping!

Tuesday, we were able to take Pete outside after he was bundled in 3 layers for the 60 degree weather.  It was so nice outside, so we spent our entire time walking and playing on the playground equipment.  He still looked a bit shell-shocked to be outdoors, but he had some smiles as we helped him down a small slide and on to the see-saw.  He was quiet as a mouse.  He fell asleep after about an hour and a half, so he had all the excitement he could handle.

This morning, Pete arrived in a woolen Oompa Loompa outfit.  He looked so adorable, just like the little fella from the original Gene Wilder version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  So, Trav sang him the Oompa Loompa song as we walked around the orphanage.  Somehow, he knows all the words.  It was quite fun.  Pete fell asleep again after only a half hour of interaction, but luckily, he only napped for a half hour.  Today, he was smiling, laughing, and enjoyed being outside. We took him on the swings, the slide, clacked toys against the wall, practiced walking, searched through a backpack, and all that exciting stuff.  He showed his first sign of looking for my reaction today - he would stack cups together and look at me as if to say, "are you impressed"?  And I was.  We played little games today.  I kissed his chubby little hand, and after that he would lift it up to my lips for another.  Or, he would lean his face back toward mine for a kiss on the forehead.  Today, he knows he is loved.