Milestones

We have been so busy that we haven't had time to update the blog as we had hoped. We are glad to report that Valmik made the trip to Florida Sunday with flying colors (pun intended). With his Indian garb he looked like a little maharajah in training! The trip went very smoothly and Glenn Hansen met us at the airport to drive us home. When we got to the house, Valmik was truly amazed by the beauty of his new home. It was very sweet to see things through his eyes and hear some of his expressions, like "All this is for ME?" when he saw his bedroom. He has been very brave throughout this whole process, and we appreciate all of your prayers on his behalf.

Last night he slept soundly in his new bed and is sleeping even now. Sleep has been difficult for him in the past, so this, too, is an answered prayer.

To update: On Friday, Valmik visited our hotel for the first time and went swimming in the pool. Then, we took him out for lunch. This prepared him for spending Saturday night with us in the hotel, in preparation for our departure Sunday.

On Saturday, we spent a long time at the pool, and by the end, Valmik was swimming across 2/3 of the pool unaided (you'll see in the photos he has a swimsuit with attached flotation aids, but he was providing all the movement forward). This was very unexpected, because Valmik has kept close to the stairs at other visits to the pool with his foster parents, and was even said to be afraid of the water. Not a problem now!

On Monday, the big event was learning to ride a bike with training wheels. No more tricycle! On Tuesday, David will return to work. Mary Chris and Valmik will spend the day together at home and at the park. So far, we know that Valmik likes chicken and onions and doesn't like apples. Today we will try a few more things as we get to know each other better.

We miss seeing our family, friends and students. We hope you are all well and we look forward to seeing you soon! Thanks for your prayers and your many kind words of encouragement and congratulations.