The rain is stopping I think...

So, I will get back to the emergency at hand in just a little bit-- the guys are out taking care of some stuff and they will have photos...

Anyway, since we are just kind of waiting here until they get back I wanted to tell you a little more about some things that have made this trip very meaningful to me...

One thing is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing Nico in Haiti. While he is not always comfortable and needs reassuring, it's definitely solidifying our bond with him. He IS turning to us for comfort. He IS wanting to be near us. But also, it's SO cool to recognize some "Haitian" things about him. For example, since he's been home, I am always getting irritated with him at the table, because he's always picking up his plate and turning it over and tapping it and just messing around... well, that's what I thought anyway. He actually did this at the table the other night, and Danny said, "That's a very Haitian thing he's doing." Apparently it's something Haitians do-- this plate tapping thing. Cool, huh?

Another thing is that we always thought that it was cute how he came home knowing how to "pound it." (Basically punching fists with another person.) We thought that was cute, since it's not really a typical thing for kids to do... well, again, we learned that this is a very common Haitian greeting. You pound it and then pound your chest twice... we just didn't know what.

Some of his words we have realized are actually Creole words, although much of it is just babble. Nixon, one of the guys who works here is very fluent in English and twice now when Nico's been babbling on he's said, "I have no idea what he is saying... do you?" (uh, no... for sure no.)

I love the Haitian culture. I love learning things that we can teach Nico about his culture. I love becoming more and more familiar with the language and being able to communicate with the kids here on a very basic level. I love that people can talk to my child in Creole and he understands what they are saying...

It is definitely harder being here with the kiddos than without, but I wouldn't trade the tantrums and the clinginess for all that we are gaining. Nia loves it here-- she's learning a lot of Creole and is asking me for things in Creole... It's pretty cute. At home we give her watered down juice to drink a lot. She calls it "waterjuice." Today she said, "Mom, can you get me some dlowjuice." (Dlow is water in Creole.)

Okay, here's a funny story-- not about my daughter believe it or not! Slendia is a little girl that lives here. She's actually not an orphan but is the daughter of one of the nannies, who is a single mom. SHe just turned 6. She's SUPER cute. ANyway, all the little girlies here love Josiah and love to hold him and feed him... Slendia has been hanging out with Josiah all week and just yesterday she was in the room when I was changing is diaper. As I took the diaper off she exclaimed, "Oh! Josiah GASON!" (Gason means boy.) All week long she had been thinking Josiah was a girl, and it wasn't until I changed him in front of her she realized J-man was a boy. Cute, huh?

HEY-- just got word from Danny and Nick-- they are out helping people out of flooded homes. We won't have pics for another few hours...

We'll keep you posted.