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WE'RE HOME
CHOSEN CHILD
Author Unknown
Tonight as you lie sleeping
For the first time in your bed-
There must be something lasting
And profound that should be said!
But as your face is gazed upon,
Framed by dark, raven hair,
No words can tell or quite express
The feelings that we share!
The wait is finally over,
You're home at last to stay.
And there'll always be the memories
Of the joy that's filled this day!
With love that's brimming over
By the sign of you alone...
Welcome home, dear cherished one,
At long last, Welcome Home!
October 2007
We have been home with our dear Anabel for two weeks now, and we
are absolutely in love! She is slowly letting us into her world,
and we look forward to her bright smile each morning. The trip
to China was unforgettable. We have started going through the
photos and video, and I can’t believe that we were halfway
around the world with our new daughter!! I think that our
adrenaline must have been working overtime :)
We had to take two flights on the way home. Anabel cried for the
three hour flight from Guangzhou to Beijing, and it was our
first flight without our guide or other families! It was a bit
intimidating having people look at us and mutter bits of wisdom
(or disdain) that we couldn’t understand. We just kept smiling!
On the LONG 13.5 hour flight, she slept for just over seven
hours. The rest of the time, she snacked and played. I changed
her right before we got on the plane, and before we had her
buckled into her seat, we knew she needed to be changed again!
It was quite a scene trying to unbuckle her from the safety
harness we brought along with us, figure out how to use a
changing station on a plane, and deal with the MIGHTY “poop
explosion” while the Captain told us to return to our seats. It
was bad. It was UGLY!!! But we made it, and were lucky to have
the remainder of the flight be as uneventful as a flight that
LONG (did I mention the LONG part) can be :)
When we touched down at Newark, I hugged Anabel and cried. It
felt like Gotcha Day all over again, only this time we weren’t
going to a hotel in China…we were finally going home as a
family. We trudged through Immigration and Customs, and at long
last saw familiar faces…Uncle Steve, Uncle Greg, Aunt Stephanie,
and Baby Owen met us at the airport, and they were truly a
welcomed sight! They held up a big sign welcoming Anabel to the
USA, and proudly displayed T-shirts with her photo printed on
them! THANK YOU!
Next, we drove to Uncle Steve and Marilu’s for a welcome home
dinner :) We were met by more aunts, uncles, cousins, and
grandparents as Anabel quickly warmed up to them. She tried her
first ziti! She appeared to be so happy and engaged everyone
with her smile!
Finally, the three of us hopped in our car, and made the two
hour trip home. It was about 10:30pm when we arrived at our
dark, country road. As we made the turn, we could see signs and
balloons hanging from the mailboxes! My awesome parents and our
loving neighbors had decorated their mailboxes and our house
with dozens of balloons, and a HUGE sign on our garage!! I told
you that our neighborhood is its only little Hutong :)
It was so hard to try to get to sleep. Anabel timidly explored
her new home without letting us out of her sight. By 3:00am, we
were all so wired from the jet lag. Finally, we crashed together
only to head out early for her first doctor’s appointment. It
was amazing to watch her take in everything around her. This was
her first trip out in a car in the daytime, and she pointed and
babbled as she observed the world around her. She says “woof
woof” to the deer, squirrels, birds, her slippers, a picture of
a fox, and her stone turtle!
……………
These two weeks has gone by so quickly! We are establishing a
routine, and learning more about Anabel each day. As mentioned
in an earlier post, she already has a personality, likes and
dislikes, and quirks that make her unique. We are now weaving
strands of Tam and Dave into the Anabel tapestry. So far, it’s
colorful and dramatic! |
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She enjoys bath
time, and she is learning how to say duck and frog. She loves
being snuggled when she gets out of the tub, and she helps us
rub on her lotion. She also likes to fuss in the bathroom just
like her mommy. She watches everything that I do, and then she
copies me. She uses my big powder brush, tries to put in my
hairclips, points to her arms for a spritz of perfume, and
brushes her teeth! She recently discovered daddy’s drawer with
lots of cool things like razors, shaving cream, and nail
clippers! Looks like we have a bit more baby-proofing to do!
Her favorite thing to do is to help us do whatever it is that we
do…huh? She models everything, so when daddy painted the deck,
Anabel used a paintbrush and water to help. She also used a
screwdriver to help open the paint. She drags around her hamper,
wipes down her highchair, and totes her purses and pocketbook
everywhere that we go! She loves music, and spends time each day
delicately tapping the piano keys while we play the lollipop
drum and tambourine! !We know that she has an incredible
appetite, and she loves to help me cook! She sets up the
Rubbermaid with her little spoons, and forks, drags the loaf of
bread around, and tries to squeeze the milk from her bottle into
the plastic cups. At the end of the day, she likes when daddy
reads her Goodnight Moon, and she snuggles between us and pats
us as if to tell us that everything is okay.
……………
Anabel loves contact with us. There are days when she just wants
to be carried or seated on one of our laps. She curls up against
us and looks at us, perhaps wondering if we are going to leave
her. We know that this is all part of the bonding and attachment
process. Right now, she is curled up next to me taking a nap.
Her sleep is restless, and we can only wonder and speculate
about how she has dealt with sleeping alone for the last 19
months, crying out loudly and competing with other babies for a
pat on the back or a hug.
Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves about the dramatic start
she had to her little life. It is logical and realistic to
assume, based on the information that we have been given, that
she was left crying in the coldness of a February night with
nothing except a tattered blanket to warm her. Her icy tears
stung her newborn cheeks, and her swaddled body ached for warm
arms to comfort her. We don’t know how long her saddened cries
filled the night, but she was left with a permanent scar in her
heart. As I tell my kindergarten students, those “inside
boo-boos” are the hardest to heal…only kindness and love are
able to replace the sting. When we see Anabel laugh and feel her
love, we know that there is a little less aching and a bit more
room for joy in her heart. We see the miracle of healing before
our eyes!
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“…When the
evening shadows and the stars appear,
And there is no one to dry your tears,
We could hold you for a million years,
To make you feel our love.
We know you haven't made your mind up yet,
But we would never do you wrong.
We’ve known it from the moment that we met,
No doubt in our minds where you belong…
There’s nothing that we wouldn't do,
Go to the ends of the earth for you,
Make you happy, make your dreams come true!
To make you feel our love.”
-Garth Brooks
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