Each day we go and visit Little Person brings us closer together. It’s gotten to the point now that Little Person makes eye contact with Papa and calls him Papa. He even taught Little Person to say “down” from his arms. What a difference a week makes!

I’m not bummed that Little Person isn’t that close to me just yet. First of all, because Papa’s a man—and the orphanage is filled with women caregivers, he’s a novelty. Plus, Little Person likes the feel of his beard. But more importantly, Pa has to fly home with Little Person by himself. And if there isn’t a trust there between them, it’s going to be a miserable 17 hours (10 to NY; two for layover; five more to Seattle) for both of them.

All kids living in an orphanage are driven by food, and Little Person is no exception. We bring a small package of round biscuits with us each day and this has really helped to form a bond. As Little Person gets ready to grab the cookie from out of our hands, we hold it up to our face so we can make eye contact, and while the cookie is being enjoyed, we sit Little Person in our laps, and hold rock and rub Little Person’s back. We’ve discovered that this was quite effective when we heard Little Person hum and coo.

I came to the orphanage about 45 minutes later than Pa and Na this morning, after my run (yay! I ran!) They were on the playground with Little Person who saw me and took a running leap into my arms. That just about turned me into goo.

Little by little, right?

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