No appointments. A negative TB test. A decent nap time. Good food.
Besides Jack waking up at the CRACK OF DAWN, and Niko following not to far behind, we have had a great day. We first went to a little cafe my parents found yesterday morning while on a walk with Ana and Jack. They have wonderful croissants, and our waitress spoke excellent english, accompanied by an english accent. Ry asked her how she learned to speak english, since most bulgarians know a couple words at least, and she said she originally learned via Cartoon Network (hilarious!). Then, we finally made it to "Billa", the local grocery store, something we had been putting off for daysssss. Stocked up on Niko's favorite purees, a ton of water (you can't drink the water from the tap here), and some breakfast foods to get us through the weekend. We caught a cab back to the apartment, made Ana a grilled cheese (finally!) and started our nap time rountine-ish. I got Ana to sleep, which was great - that girl has walked over a mile every day, been waking up at midnight every night, and is unknowingly exhausted! Ry got Niko quiet in his crib in our room (we suspect that even though the orphanage says he "naps" everyday, it's actually just quiet time with no sleeping involved). We moved the little crib out into the hallway, and Gramm miraculously transferred Jack into it. But, he woke up about 10 min later, freaking out! So, Gramm was outside doing a backwards row making that crib feel like the rock and play was rocking. Jacky then slept for 2 hours! Truly a miracle, y'all. That boy is so picky about his sleeping! So, us adults were quarantined into the family room, having to be most silent - haha! Jack has also tried some of Niko's baby food - loved it. He's tried a couple cucumbers - obsessed. And he teethed on a carrot - love. I think he's going to be the one to eat us out of house and home!
Both boys respond to their names now, and it's awesome! And today, NIKO signed! That was the first time he has ever communicated with another person without pointing, throwing, screaming, laughing, or crying. It was magical. He still insists on our hands touching his when he signs it, but that's okay - working on that felt safety! But he signed. We have also learned that food is going to be a sensitive subject for him for a while. He obviously didn't get nearly enough, obvious by looking at his body, but he is always so nervous if you take the bowl away to get more, or if you change the situation of eating. He thinks that it means he won't get anymore, and he gets so so worried. Sweet boy. If only he knew he could eat whatever he wanted and however much he wanted! In time.
After everyone woke up, we headed out to a souvenir shop. We took the more scenic route, which was lovely! We saw a center of tons of faucets where people go to fill up jugs and jugs of water to drink - it was so cool! We also saw tons of water fountains and a really awesome museum. The cobblestone streets make Jack feel like he's on a roller coaster if he's in the stroller, but he seems to like it. When we got to Vitosha Boulevard, the walking boulevard, we found the most awesome tiny souvenir shop! I wanted to get things to show Niko when he got older, because who knows when we will be back. After we were done there, we got a "Cup O' Corn" (corn is a big deal here!) and then hopped into the local pharmacy to get some more food for Niko. The pharmacy's sell a lot more baby food and baby products than grocery stores, so we're having to go there to get the foods Niko likes. Then, on our way back, we found a great Italian restaurant. Dad has NOT been loving the food, and has made it very obvious just about every meal haha - so we finally found one that he really liked! Foods are cheaper here, so we are able to get nice meals for even less than expected! Niko is comfortable eating out, which is absolutely amazing - we had prepared ourselves to not being able to go out much at all. But, we just bring his food with us, mix it up there, and he eats it while we're all waiting for our food. Since he loves to just be cuddled, he just hangs out with someone while we all eat. Ana ate amazing - a piece of pizza and 1/2 a huge bowl of pasta! The cheeses here are so strong and intense - I can't quite handle them! Ry likes some of them, and Bulgaria obviously takes great pride in their cheeses, but BOY are they strong! Then, we got some apple pie and cheesecake. Ana wanted to try a small bite of each - she ate the cheesecake but didn't love it. She took a bite of apple pie and started spitting everywhere screaming "I DON'T LIKE IT, I DON'T LIKE IT". It was hilarious - she obviously doesn't love apple pie! We then walked back to our apartment and did our bedtime thing. Everyone fell asleep pretty well, Ana slept through the night, and Jack did the same horrible wake up schedule he always does haha! I fell asleep 1/2 through this blog, so it's getting posted today :)
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