Six months a family

Six months ago about right now (only in China time) Kevin and I were waiting anxiously as our guide was leading up an entourage to our room that included our not-quite-2-year-old son.
The doorbell rang and our lives changed forever. That day, as I opened the door, a little boy looked up and a look of terror crossed his face, which I'm sure was genuine. After all, he had traveled that day hours from the only home he ever had known (possibly for the first time ever), disrupting a schedule that never had changed before.
He probably was told he was going to his Mama and Baba. His caretakers were excited for him, but the little boy wasn't so sure what was happening.
As the door opened and he looked up at a hopeful woman and man, brandishing goofy smiles and a camera, obviously not Chinese, he began shaking his head and backing away, then the tears began.
They lasted quite a while. Eventually we were left alone as a family, something we were not, at least physically, hours before. Later, after a bath, a sleepy boy was wrapped in a towel giving his parents tentative looks amid the tears that may have been the start of a smile. The next day there were definite smiles, and then they got bigger and every day since they have turned into giggles and laughs.
As his Baba says, "I love to hear you laugh."

Church was busy today, and we had work at home to do, so it wasn't a big day adventure-wise (plus there was a cold wind blowing.) But today we were a family, just as we have been for the past six months and as we will be every day from now on.

Happy six-month anniversary son. Mama and Baba love you.

Show me that smile Little Man!



Six-month lesson learned: I scream for ice cream!



And that was then:

Well, he didn't walk into our lives, but we'll take it!



Somebody help me! My Mama has a fish face!



It's going to be OK, baby.



Saturday passed without us remembering it was our 2-year LID anniversary. By the time we realized it the day had passed into the wee hours of April 5, our six-month anniversary home.
April 4 was the date we were logged in to China, and it became our LID, which is a date in which non-special needs children are chosen for families. The LID date became meaningless when we went into the special needs program and adopted Jake. Currently, the people that got in the same line we did at the same time have a long wait ahead of them (the wait is now at three years and growing longer), as China just matched children for those with March 7 and 8, 2006, LIDs. Our hearts go out to them, but we know it can happen, it has to us, so hang in there.

We are so blessed to be hugging our son today.

Violet