Meeting my son

The day finally came. I was nervous with anticipation as I knew that later that night I would be meeting my son for the first time. Oh sure, I have read his medical and social history, so I feel like I pretty much know all I could about him. And then there were the pictures. Pictures speak a thousand words they say, but for me, I am the Doubting Thomas, I had to see him in person. I had to hold him, I had to play with him, and I had to see how he would respond to me as a person. He doesn’t know me as Papa yet, but after an hour or so, he was coming to me and bringing me his toys.
He’s a great kid; his smile can light up a room. He doesn’t talk yet, so he’s noisy in his attempt to communicate with us. Grunts, yells, and banging of toys are his main ways of communicating now, but according to his foster parents, he’s moving closer and closer to forming words each day. I am leaving my hearing aids home when we go and see him on Father’s Day.
He’s also walking quite a bit. He looks like a spider monkey when he walks, as he keeps his hands above his head as he toddles along.
We had a great visit, sharing stories and spending time getting to know the foster parents. They told us all they knew about Elijah and did their best to fill us in on his first year of life. The foster Mom is making us a book of his early life for him to take and have as a record of this time with them. I am thrilled that she is doing this for him and for us. We know so much about the bad that has happened to him, it will be nice to know the good.
So now we wait. Visits are lined up and we’re moving closer and closer to the day when he comes to stay with us for good.
Eli has an audience with Miss Anna on Sunday, their first meeting. If you feel the earth shake, it’s the two forces of extreme cuteness colliding north of Jackson. We hope it’s a good meeting.