The Difference of a Year

To say that this Thanksgiving we were thankful is probably the biggest understatement EVER.  We have been thankful for years for all that we have been blessed with, I mean, seriously....even before this year it was overwhelming.  But, I got to sit next to my daughter at the Thanksgiving table...my daughter.....incredible.  She sat happily eating turkey and green beans (no, she's not a normal toddler!), and had no idea why her mommy was about to well up with tears.  I truly feel like we are living a real life miracle in our house every day.  We have been home a little over a month, and I can't imagine now not seeing her smile every day when she wakes up, or hearing her laugh when she's sword fighting with the boys!  It really does feel like she's been here all along, even though I am reminded all of the time how much we missed in those first years of her life.  We have so much time to make up for, and I plan to do that every day!

After the turkey was cleaned up and the pumpkin pie was eaten, the Christmas decorating could begin.  As we were getting decorations out and put up, I ran across this:

I swear it almost took my breath away to see it.  We bought this last year around this time, and it hung on our tree until we took it down.  However, it was almost a year ago that the ban was signed, and we didn't know what was going to happen.  I remember sitting at the table on Christmas Eve (we got Chinese take out, ironically), and I was really feeling numb.  It hurt too much to be celebrating Christmas while not knowing what was going to happen to our daughter.  At this point we didn't have pictures of her, we didn't know what her eyes looked like, what her hair looked like, or even how old she was, but we thought God was telling us she was in Russia.  It was so hard to be joyful at such a wonderful time of year, even though we knew that we had already been blessed so much.  Fast forward, and most of you know the story....we realized that was a detour since our Lainey wasn't quite ready for us to go get her!  So, this year we get these sorts of pictures instead:

For whatever reason, she is insistent the camel goes on the roof!

The boys were working on cutting down a tree...i worked on a candy cane instead!

I was so blessed to watch all three of my children decorate the tree (twice...but that's another story) this year.  The boys helped Lainey put ornaments on, and it really overwhelmed my heart to watch.  Now she is in a home where she can learn about CHRISTmas.  She can learn that she has a family that has adopted her and loves her, but so much more than that, she has a God that loves her and adopted her into His family.  A God that loves her so much that He sent these crazy people called mommy and daddy halfway around the world.  Just. To. Get. HER.

As blessed as we are, and as overwhelmed with joy as we are to have her home and in our arms every day, I can't help but look at this ornament and think of the children that are still waiting in Russia.  I will never know their fate, but I know that it cannot be what is best for them.  I still pray for a change of heart, and that they will let these orphans become a part of their forever family, no matter what country that family is in.  It is heartbreaking that they have become political pawns, and no child should ever have to live without knowing what it feels like to be loved and wanted.  Please keep praying for these children, that they will somehow know that even though they have been abandoned by their worldly parents, their Father loves them, and they will one day be able to feel that love.  It makes my heart hurt to know that children are dying not ever knowing what it is like to be loved so much that you can't even put it into words.  Please pray for their little hearts.

One week

I swear that somehow when you become a parent, you move into this vortex of time where it just flies by without you even knowing it.  I can't believe that we have been home an entire week already!!  Could be the fact that at least for the first couple of days I was in a bit of a daze from jetlag, but truly, I was pretty lucky there.  I've heard it takes about two weeks, but I felt better in about two days.  I may be the exception though too since our girl likes to sleep, and mommy is just fine with that!!

We are starting to settle into our new "normal"....yes, I realize we will never be normal, but you know what I mean!  I can't say it's not a little hard to give up my quiet days and to have to constantly have someone following behind me, but when I see her face with that scrunched up smile, it makes it just a bit more tolerable :)

Girl loves some noodles!!

I keep telling Jeremy that we must have hit some sort of adoption jackpot.  Lainey has transitioned to our family better than we ever expected.  She has gotten over the dog thing really quickly, and she will even pet them now!  She's sleeping well in her own crib in her own room, and she's loving all of the new foods she's having!  We have had several sweet friends bring us dinner this week, and she has really loved all of it, which is such a blessing.  She's already managed to sit through hours of tae kwon do with the boys, and tonight was even yelling and dancing with Gavin and the demo team during practice.  I don't know how we hit the lottery, but I'm just going to sit back and say thank you. 

Lots of pink around here now!

I'm also trying to adjust to being a stay home mom, which is very difficult for me.  I tend to keep busy (I know, that may be a bit of an understatement), and normally have full time work, grad school, the two kids, adoption, and then throw in there being pregnant here and there....and now I have, well, nothing except taking care of kids!  Don't get me wrong, I love being able to spend time with my kids, but I can see already that I have a strong potential for becoming a very lazy mommy.  So, I will have to come up with some projects for sure!  I have about 10 dresses waiting for me, so that will be the first order of business next week.  Maybe I  can teach Lainey to sew and she can be my tiny little helper!

Oh no...shopping already!

On another note, I had someone tonight tell me that he thought he had been feeling the "call" to adopt for a little while now, and that seeing us made him think about it more.  He didn't know if his wife was also feeling it, but I can't tell you how happy it makes me to think that someone else that we know may take this path.  It isn't something that everyone can do, but for those that feel that call and that pull, I can tell you that the rewards are far greater than the trouble to get here.  Much like a difficult pregnancy where you instantly forget everything as soon as you hold that sweet baby, all of the paperwork and waiting dissolves the first time she smiles, looks up, and calls you "mama".

Doesn't get much better :)

So close to home

Well friends, we are less than 24 hours from getting on a plane to head home.  I will say, this trip has given me new appreciation for our wonderful country.  We have problems, but it is amazing!!!  There are so many things that I have taken for granted for years that I have found a new appreciation for.  Being able to drink water out of the tap, being able to have something REALLY cold to drink, and some of the social gestures like a man holding the door for me, or someone letting me go in front because I'm pushing a stroller!  I truly miss the male chivalry that I've grown so accustomed to, and I appreciate my husband for being that kind of guy so much more now. 

It has been a long trip for sure.  I never thought I would survive leaving the boys for two weeks, but knowing they were home having fun with their friends and doing their tae kwon do, and being taken so well care of by my parents has made it so much easier.  That being said, I can't wait to get my arms around them!!!!  They are such troopers with all of this, and they are so excited to meet their sister.  She has been carrying around the book we sent to her for the last 10 days and today she started kissing their pictures.  With her smile, all the boys in our house are in big trouble!  I've already told her that cute won't take her quite as far with me as it does with daddy!

She has already learned that when she takes her bows out, she has to take them to daddy to get them back in, mommy has stopped that game already!

We are so ready to be back with our family and friends.  I think I have also taken for granted my friends, and being able to go next door or pick up the phone and call.  It is such a needed thing to have amazing friends, and I do.  We have been able to keep up with some notes and messages, but nothing beats spending a couple of hours just talking and being together.  It's hard to go through something like this without them.  I can't wait to have her meet them! 

For now, we are planning to take things one day at a time and see how she does.  We have been so blessed here, and her behavior has been amazing, and are hoping of course it keeps up, but who knows!  We are going to try to not overwhelm her with too many people, but here she has loved to go out and be around people, so I think she will be okay.  No parties for a little, but we do want to see everyone!!

These are the 5 kiddos from our travel group.  This pretty much sums it up...the little girl on the left is looking for her mom, who is trying to hide behind the couch so she doesn't scream.  It was just as funny to watch as it seems :)

This is our travel group.  It was a great group of people to travel with, it was nice to have other families to go through all of this with!

A girl's gotta have shoes, right?

Just a little side note while speaking of shoes.  If you see Jeremy, be sure to check out his feet.  We were out shopping with a guide and while on the subway, she looked down, and went nuts over his feet.  She told him that he could make alot of money as a Chinese foot model, as his feet were "perfect".  Who knew??  Guess maybe he missed his calling.  Guess if the restaurant has problems, we would have other avenues to explore....hehehe

Gotcha Day

I've been waiting to write this post until I had a better internet connection, and here in Guanzhou, it's much better, so here it goes.....

We flew out of Beijing on Sunday around lunch, and before we even could fly out, we were both stressed.  We didn't get to the counter to check in for our flight until about 40 minutes before the flight left, so that of course started everything off a little crazy!  We went right from the check-in through security, and then through the gate and onto a bus to the plane.  Nice to not have to wait, but a little nerve wracking being there "right on time".  So, we made the flight, had the pleasure of sitting in the middle seat in two different rows, and I got to sit next to the loudest snorer I've ever heard!  If I spoke Chinese, I considered telling him he might want to see his doctor about some sleep apnea...but, I wasn't sure how to translate all that!

We made it to the airport in Lanzhou, and met with our guide, Melody.  She was very nice, very fast, and very excited!  We had to try to keep up with her to make it to the car.  When we got in the car, she told us that they were on the way with our baby to the hotel, and she had about a 3-4 hour drive to get there.  She said we would change money with a "guy" in our hotel room before they got there.  Then, about halfway through the hour long trip to the hotel, she tells us that they actually are already there with her, and that they are taking her to get something to eat and then will meet us.  So, she says we will either change money or get our baby first....whoever is there first.  Uh, okay.....I can't even put into words what I was thinking/feeling.  She's giving us the run down of what we need to do when we get to the hotel.  Change money, find our gifts for everyone, find toys for the baby.  Okay, sounds easy enough.  Hahahahaha!  Like it happened just like that.....

We are driving past a cross street and I see 4 people walking together carrying a baby in a pink coat, and I say to Jeremy, "that's her."  I've been looking at those pictures for months, I could spot her anywhere.  She was less than a block from the hotel.  I didn't say anything to the guide, I figured she would think I was crazy!  We go into the hotel and the "guy" to change money is waiting in the lobby.  Jeremy is getting passports to check in and in walks these people carrying the little girl in the pink jacket.  I couldn't say anything, I couldn't believe it, she was there....in person....not a picture, but really our baby, in the same room.  She had no idea what was going on, of course.  Our guide had a stroller for her and they put her in, and I assume we got checked into the hotel, but to tell you the truth I have no idea what was going on.

Here comes the comical part.  It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back I wish I could have seen it from the outside.  From the beginning I've been terrified that we would offend someone, or do something that would make them take her away from us.  I'm probably paranoid, but the culture here is just so different.  That being said, picture this.  There is the "money guy", the orphanage director, a doctor (we later found out), the driver, a woman I assume was a nanny, and our guide and us all in the elevator going to our room.  We get to the room, and our guide tells us to find the gifts...what???  You want me to go through the luggage and find this stuff with everyone here and my baby here, and what????  So, of course my brain is gone and I couldn't for the life of me remember where those stupid gifts were.  After what seemed like an eternity, we managed to find some of them and threw things in a bag and handed them over, I asked my questions (though I'm pretty sure the answers weren't the most accurate), and all but the "money guy" left.  All I have to say is, thank God for Jeremy who had the sense to find the camera in there somewhere and snap some pictures!

The arms in this picture are of the "driver", but he was also there the next day at civil affairs and she obviously knew him pretty well, so not really sure who he was

No idea what to say to my daughter....

Candy is the universal language!!

So, Jeremy  handled all of the money stuff, and that was done, which is still weird that this little old guy came to our room to exchange money....but whatever, then we were left alone with this beautiful little thing.  We were soon off to get her picture made and do something else that i can't remember because the day is a blur....

Officially the craziest, most wonderfully wild day of my life.  I will never forget the sweating trying to find everything in our bags with all of these eyes on me.  Trying to not pull a bra or something out of the bags while digging....funny now....wanted to crawl under a rock then.....but would do it all again if it meant having this face smiling at me!!!

Yep, I could eat her!!

Hello from China!

Hello all!!  Many of you have already seen a few pictures from Gotcha day on FB, and I wanted to get a few up here also.  The internet here is not so good, so I'm going to try to just get a few pictures up.  It should be better in Guanzhou, so maybe we can get more posted then.  Lainey is doing so well, and truly even better than we could have hoped!  She's been laughing and talking and eating and sleeping.  We couldn't have asked for more.  She of course is gorgeous, and we are over the moon in love with her!!!!!

Her red footprint and our red thumb prints mean that our adoption is final and she is FOREVER ours!!!!!!

While we were doing the adoption paperwork, she was also hard at work!

Best.  Smile.  Ever.

We got her new shoes today, and she didn't take them off until she had to have a bath!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are doing so great!!  Her laugh is probably the best sound I have ever heard.  We have a few more days here in her province, so we are going to see as much as we can here, and then we head out on Friday.  We have gotten to facetime with the boys, but miss them so much.  I just can't wait until we can all be home and just be a normal family (well, as normal as our family can be anyway!!)

Thank you for your prayers, this is truly a prayer answered for us and we are so thankful for our many many many blessings.

The Day We have Been Waiting For

Here we are....its GOTCHA day!!!!!!  it's 4 in the morning here, and to be honest, the alarm is set for about 445, but Jeremy has been up for a while, and I'm up, so I figured I'd take a minute to send out an update.  It was amazing yesterday to climb the Great Wall and see the Forbidden City.  Never in a million years did I think we would get to see these places.  Jeremy climbed as far as possible with another dad in our travel group and they were able to get some pretty incredible pictures up there.  I didn't climb quite as far, and realized how out of shape I am!!  Didn't help that I have a cold...but probably there's no good excuse!!

The Great Wall was really amazing, and I'm so thankful that we were able to see it.  This is truly a once in a lifetime trip!!

We will be flying out of Beijing at 850, and then they should bring Lainey to us around 2 or 3 at the hotel.  I was trying to pack things up last night and thought, what do I want to wear tomorrow when we meet our daughter.....for the record, there is no answer for that.  There is nothing that is worthy of that meeting!!  Next post will be pictures of our newest family member!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for praying, please keep up the prayers, especially today as Lainey's whole little world is turned upside down.  Pray that we can find the right way to comfort her and show her how much we love her!!

The time is here....

Tomorrow is the day that we have been waiting for for close to two years.  Tomorrow is the day that our lives change forever.  Well, maybe not actually tomorrow, since it will be just spent on an airplane, but by far, this the most important flight either of us has ever been on.  Tomorrow, at 155 in the afternoon our flight will leave from Charlotte and get to Chicago, and then after a bit of a layover, we will be on the way to Beijing.  Truly, I never in a million years would have ever thought I would be saying that.  I've never had a great need to go to China, but now, since my daughter is there, it is the only place I need to be!  I feel like I should be running around getting things ready, but really....we are ready.  Bags are packed, plans are made, and we are ready.  I do feel strangely peaceful tonight.  I know that the boys are in good hands with my parents and with our friends who are helping to get them to some of their many places to be.  I know that He who has brought us here will be with us and will have control over everything and it really doesn't do me any good to stress.  I know I've said that before and not really meant it, but I really do feel like I have kind of let go of the worry for once.  Never thought I would say that one either!!

This will be a trip we will never forget.  But, I know that the next two weeks for Lainey are going to turn her entire world upside down.  I feel like we need to be as calm as possible to help her to handle all that this change is going to throw at her.  Please pray for her.  Pray that her heart will be ready for us, and pray that she will somehow feel how much we love her and only want her to be happy and loved.  Pray that she can somehow understand what parents are, and what a family is, so that she can know how much we love her.  As excited as we are to be her parents, she will not be feeling that.  We will do everything we can to show her how much love we have for her, and we pray that God will show us what is best for her. 

We should get her in our arms while you are sleeping between Saturday night and Sunday morning.  We will try to post pictures here and to FB as soon as we can, but it will not be until after we have been able to facetime with the boys so that they can "meet" her first.  And, the internet is pretty fussy over there, so it may take a little time.  Obviously our first priority is her and getting her settled, so we won't be doing anything until then.  So, be patient :)  Thank you to so many people who have supported us with prayers, words, time, money, we truly could not be doing any of this without the support you have given us, and I cannot tell you how much it means to us to have so many people in our corner to get her home.  Please keep the prayers coming, we SOO need those!!!

Next stop....CHINA!!!!!!!