I'm here... he's amazing

I made it... and it is so worthwhile.  I'm hungry, exhausted and so very very happy.  I don't have the energy right now to re-type the whole day but the parts that matter are these: He was extremely shy to the point of tears when I arrived on his scene (which is the saddest, most desolate, run down, destitute place I have ever seen - I will try and take photos tomorrow after the first visit) - let me clarify that - the town of Seliheno is... the baby home however is clean, comfortable, doesn't even smell weird and full of love.  He took about 10 - 15 minutes to come out from his babushka's skirt after me brandishing out endless noisy, flashy, crinkley toys from my bag of tricks and treats.  He would feign interest and return to her skirt and cling for dear life.  The winning ticket was the orange, soft, stuffed lion that I brought for him.  He smiled the smallest, sweetest smile and started to thaw.  Soon, he was blowing balloons with me, lookng out the window for sabakas, racing cars around the floor, peeing on me (yup, I'm christened!), and smiling the sweetest smile I've ever seen.  He's smart (stacked blocks and shape sorters like he was blindfolded) followed instructions, answered simple questions, learned what the strange lady who obviously doesn't know how to speak properly means when she says "turn it around" with the associated hand gestures (in reference to the toy car that only goes when you zoom it forward not backwards), loves to be hugged, cuddled and read to, is inquisitive and neat (put everything back into my bag at the end of our visit, and melted my heart when he took my hand to show me where he sleeps so that he could put his lion and new blanket into his crib.  Things couldn't have gone better today (OK could have done without the KGB road side check point - my heart almost came right out of my chest - another story for another day, getting pee'd on but I guess that means my boy was that close I'll take that too... ).  I will see him 2x tomorrow and then again 2x before leaving on Tuesday (or whatever day it is... I have no idea really???).  No worries about the airport security thing on the way home... A) I don't care... the hard part will be over and they serve free drinks on KLM  and B) I don't fly through the USA so hopefully it won't affect me at all and C) it will be nothing short of a miracle to begin with if I make my connection in Moscow on the way home.  (did I tell you how much I LOVE that city already??? Can't wait to spend another night there grrrrrrr.  I'll be going through Seoul on the next trip and sending a courier to Moscow). 

Good night from Komsomolsk from a very happy Canadian girl. 
P.S. did I tell you he called me Mama on the way to his crib... "Mama... Pashlee" (Mama... follow me)...
Smiling... a really content happy smile :)