Where We're At: March 8, 2015

I apologize to any blog readers that I'm not also friends with on Facebook. I realized I have been neglecting to keep you updated during our trip to meet and hopefully pick up our Boo. I have been posting regularly on a Facebook group, but wanted to take the chance to update here as well. Unfortunately, Daddy K headed home today with our laptop (one less thing for me to worry about), so this is post will be heavy on pictures and light on content. It's really hard for me to write anything significant on the iPad.

**Don't worry, I'm keeping a list of all the things we are experiencing here that I'd love to write about later! Oh, you weren't worried? Nevermind, then. :)

**We arrived In country on February 26 and after a quick stop at the hotel, we headed straight to the orphanage to meet Boo. It was amazing but also a little surreal. I was totally freaking out, but Daddy K was cool as a cucumber.

On Friday and Saturday, we went to the baby house in the morning and afternoon to get to know our little man. We stayed as long as they would let us, and were able to feed him, change him, help him on the potty and put him to to bed. We were feeling a little cooped up inside, so they let us take him out for a walk and try out the playground. He was a totally different child outside.

Sunday we had the day off because everyone had to participate in voting for local officials. We were able to tour the Old Town and meet up with a cousin from Daddy K's father's side of the family.

On Monday we were able to visit again in the morning and afternoon. We were able to see his PT session with a different therapist and he was in a slightly more cooperative mood than the first time we saw PT. His main caregiver also spent a lot of time with us to explain his schedule and individual needs. This was the first day he really started clinging to my neck when I would hold him.

Tuesday we took Boo on his first road trip to see the embassy doctor, because she will be out of town all this week. We got him back in time for a nap, and then spent the afternoon/evening with him at his place.

Wednesday he had a hearing appointment in the morning, which we weren't allowed to attend, so we only got to visit all afternoon and into bed time. We were able to spend time with all the children in his is groupa in the evening. Thursday was COURT day, but we also had to bring him back to the embassy doctor in the capital. The drive is a little under 2 hours. We said goodbye to him at the appointment and headed to our lawyer’s office to change and prep for court. After lunch we headed to the court building and waited for our case to be up.

The court went well, and the judge seemed satisfied with all of our answers. She will essentially rule on two decisions. The first is whether or not to grant our adoption of Boo, and the second is whether or not to grant us "urgent execution," which allows us to bring him home now versus in 30 days. Her decision will be given Monday afternoon.

After court we headed to the train station to take an express train back to the city where Boo's baby house is. A cousin of Daddy K's from his mother's side of the family picked us up at the station and drove us to Sulwalki, Poland, where his mother was raised and his grandmother currently lives. We spent two nights with Babciunia before taking a 4-hour bus ride back to the capital on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon we checked into the apartment where I'll stay the remainder of the trip. Yay! I unpacked and started to get things ready for Boo. That night, Daddy K and I were able to have a sweet date night, and we walked around this beautiful old city, ate some amazing food, laughed a lot, and started trying to process some of this journey. He left this morning to head home and snuggle our babies to pieces!

Tomorrow my friend will arrive to provide support for the upcoming week. We will have the judge's decision by 4 pm. If everything is in our favor, we will leave bright and early Tuesday morning for the baby house. We will spend the morning with our dude while our facilitator works to obtain a new birth certificate for him. Once it's compete, we can spring him forever. My heart is screaming as I write that.

From there, we paper chase to get a visa and passport for him. Fingers crossed that he and I will be heading home on Wednesday, March 18. It's been whirlwind, sometimes beautiful and sometimes overwhelmingly broken, but undoubtedly worth every second. God is good to us, and I'm incredibly humbled to be part of His story.