Continued Progress

We are using Cocoa Butter for Josiah's skin, so Olivia decided to try some.

Things have been going amazingly well - better than we expected. He really didn't have any fits where he hit us yesterday, and typically when he does have a "melt-down" he seems to be comforted by us and is calmed down much more quickly. He doesn't like the word "no" (what kid does) and he doesn't like to share at the moment, so those are the things that can typically set him off right now, but we see little improvements everyday and we are pleased with how he is doing. Yesterday we got our first kisses from him, and he actually kissed my parents good-bye, who came to see him for the first time. Even though we are disappointed we couldn't bring Gabriella home, we are thankful for this special time to help Josiah adjust. Also yesterday we realized he is responding to Josiah from the kids, so Kim and I have started addressing him as Josiah rather than Boimah too.

Regarding Gabriella, we checked on the status of her and her mother's DNA test, and they have received the DNA kit in Liberia, and need to set up an appointment to get the swabs done. Then from there, they will be sent to the US for testing, and then will be sent back to Liberia to be read in front of the Consulate. I inquired what would happen should the woman prove to not be the mother of Gabriella, and they would then need to search for the mother. There is a similar case where the father turned out not to be, and so they are pursuing the courts to grant custody to the man as an amendment to the adoption and expect things to go smoothly. Each case is different, but there are options open to us should the results come back unfavorably. Also initially we were leaning more towards having Gabriella escorted back, but realize we would have to re-file some federal forms which could delay the whole process, so most likely just I will travel with a power of attorney for Kim, since we feel it would be less traumatic on Josiah for me to leave rather than for Kim to leave. But we'll make all those decisions later.

The Tormey's and Joyce's are enroute home with their children, and so we rejoice with them as things have gone relatively smooth, after a difficult start. We thank God for working out all things on their behalf, and can't wait to see pictures of their children. We miss Joyce, Noami, and Odell who we escorted back and have been following their progress from the Frye's blog. Until next time.