One year

He has been home for one year. A year ago today around this time I was driving to the airport. A two hour drive that seemed like an eternity. I was going to pick up J. and my new son. The greeting was not very emotional. Both he and J. were exhausted from a day of flying. The poor little boy had a cold and earache. On they way home he was quiet, not very reactive, and overwhelmed. We put a movie on the dvd player. He stared out the window the whole time, bundled up in his hand-me-down winter jacket. During dinner at Arby's he ate and started to interact more with us. He used the bathroom and freaked out by the auto flushing toilet! He jumped around and played in the nearly empty dining room. I think the only thing he said that night was "oui". We drove the rest of the trip home and arrived late. E. explored the house timidly and we got him ready for bed. New pjs, new bed, new everything. He was extremely cooperative and lovely. Until we left him in that bed. But we learned from each other and as the days passed he began to trust and love. We learned his tricks and personality. He's absorbed so much. We've grown. He's ours.