More Photos and an Update

Well, we're having problems getting onto blogger, so not sure how often we'll be able to post.  Our lunch on Sunday was great.  We were celebrating our friend Stephanie passing court. She is French and is adopting a precious little 2-year old girl with a cleft palate.  The food and company were both fabulous.  We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring markets and shops and trying to stay warm. 

We're having a great time with our kids and have seen their personalities blossom.  Nicholas spends the majority of our visits laughing, hugging, and running from one activity to the next.  Such a huge change from the stoic little boy we first met last week.  He and Nathan have shared some boy-bonding time through (what else?) wrestling and are really starting to enjoy each other's company.  Nadia is glued to me and fusses if I put her down or hand her to anybody else.  I am enduring this the best I can (smile).  They are so precious...

We spend the morning visitations in a small foyer just outside of their room.  There are about 15 other children, ages 1-3, in their room.  When we come, they all run up to us, eager for a smile or pat on the head.  They are all so desperate for personal attention, and it's difficult to walk away from them each and every time.  I pray that they would be reunited with their families, or that God would send new ones to love them.  We get to spend our afternoon visits in a much larger "family" room with other adopting families.  The caregivers send a snack for Nicholas and Nadia when we pick them up in the afternoon, which is usually a piece of bread, a large piece of apple (seeds and all), and a glass of either hot milk or hot tea.  They both scarf it all down, barely breathing between bites.  Nadia is used to feeding herself and drinking out of a regular cup (not a sippy cup).  But she still drinks with a sucking response, so we just bought her a sippy cup and hope to start giving her formula in a bottle once we have her full-time. 

We're all doing great...everyone's healthy and happy.  Our apartment building has lost all cold water (we think a pipe froze underground), so we've been without for 5 days now.  This means that all tap water is scalding hot...we can't take showers, do laundry, and we have to wash our hands very quickly!  But we're managing just fine.  If it's not fixed tomorrow, they'll probably move us to another apartment.  Thanks again for the prayers and for following along with us!  We love you!