In my last post I wrote about meeting Benjamin (who was then almost six years old in Ethiopia) for the first time.

After that first meeting in which he was smiley but also shy, one of the nannies said something to the kids, and they all ran off. Ben left us standing there and didn't look back. Josh and I followed the kids to where they were playing soccer, and quickly joined in the fun. Ben played with us, however so did all of the other kids and Ben did not seek us out or claim us in any way.

That is pretty much how that first morning went. We followed the kids and tried to be close to Ben without smothering him. He gave us big smiles and seemed to enjoy us being there, and yet also was still shy and did not think twice about taking off with the group and leaving us in the dust.

As the kids were laying down for a nap, Josh and I left to go pick up our donations. When we returned, Benjamin was one of the only kids up from his nap, and we had some quiet one on one time together. This was the first time he was really affectionate, and really interacted with us. He sat on Josh's lap and did Play Doh, and enjoyed some other toys I had brought in my back pack. He also took us to show us his room, and pulled out the photo album we had sent him. He was very proud to rattle off the names of all of his siblings, and show us our pictures in the book. He definitely knew we were Mom and Dad!

I assumed that we would let Ben spend the night at the orphanage that night and that we would take him back to the hotel either the next day or whenever he was feeling very comfortable with us, but when one of the nannies asked him what he wanted to do, stay at the center or come with us (and she explained we would come back for him the next morning if he stayed at the center) he very emphatically said that he wanted to come with us.

Truth be told, I was a little bit nervous about taking him at that point because he had been so shy with us most of the day and because the communication was very minimal, but I took the fact that he wanted to come with us as a good sign.

He climbed into the van with us to go to the hotel, and he felt like our son from that moment on.

Continued in my next post.