Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Consulate Date? Check. Plane Tickets? Check.


I feel like a Mastercard Commercial:

Four new passports- $$$
Chinese visas- $$$$
Six plane tickets to the Yunnan Province- $$$$$
A family photo on Gotcha' Day with all five of our children- PRICELESS.

At least that's what I keep telling myself. Otherwise I'd hyperventilate.

On July 1st I saw our little boy's sweet face for the first time. I gasped, just as I did when I first laid eyes on Cholita. The difference was, with Cholita we were actually planning an adoption. With Yun Xi, there was no plan at all. I saw his picture by chance, on a website visited by hundreds of people every day. Through an amazing series of events, we were able to lock his file. And then, naturally, I panicked.

Excluding the time when I went to the store to buy dog food and came home with a miniature dachshund puppy, we are not impulsive people. Cholita's adoption was literally years in the making. We had planned. We had saved. We had already finished our paperwork. None of that had happened when we said YES to adopting Yun Xi. And yet, in those early days, we were blessed with so many signs affirming that we had made the right choice. When I worried about adopting a boy who would be nearly 4 years old, I met a man at my kid's swim lessons who introduced me to his delightful six-year-old son who had been adopted from Yun Xi's province only two years before. When I worried about money, somehow every time we needed it, the funds were there. When I worried that I didn't really know him, I got an e-mail from someone who had met him in China. "He's such a good boy," they said. When I found out he hadn't been in foster care as I'd assumed and worried that he'd have no concept of family, I met his "big sister", who had loved him in the orphanage from the time he was a baby.

Nearly eight months ago we submitted our letter of intent to adopt Yun Xi, looked at our calendar, and thought, "Wouldn't it be perfect if we could travel over Spring Break and bring the whole family?" I even wrote down our ideal travel dates and circled March 28th as our Gotcha' Day. Looking at averages, we knew that was unlikely. Looking at the averages, it would most likely be summer. But when I planted daffodil bulbs in September, I did it to welcome our boy home in the spring.

Well guess what? We'll be meeting our little boy on March 28th. The whole entire family will be all together in our baby's birthplace--Kunming--otherwise known as The City of Eternal Spring. I'd say it was meant to be.


15 comments:

Kelly said...

Ok... Now I am crying! That is so meant to be. I have been meaning to call and catch up with you Eileen. I just may have to find time between VT and the grocery store to do it now. I am so excited for you!!!!!

Jen Bay said...

I couldn't make it through your post without crying tears of joy for your family. He's one lucky little boy to get such an amazing Mom, and one lucky family to be so blessed to have this little boy join them. I couldn't be happier for you.

jajb.lilly said...

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I was crying by the end of your post. I am so excited for you and your family! I miss you

Terynn said...

All those red threads. I love it. Love it. Love it. So happy for you all.

Let us come along on the trip, please?? :D

Lisa and Tate said...

This little guy was meant fro your family... huge tears reading this.

Julie said...

Eileen....that would be my dream if we adopt again...to drag along all of my children. I just think the experience is too amazing to miss. So...maybe I should start saving now!!! ha ha I so excited. What a blessing. I can't believe how fast it has gone. Of course, It probably doesn't feel that way to you. But I'd say 8 months is lightening speed!!

Romantic Dinner said...

OH Yeee Wondering your Style baby. Very nice looking and beautiful your cycle. Nice smile on your face i loved that and great idea ..

Melissa said...

I am so excited I found you and your blog. I can't wait to watch as you all get the newest member of your family. Your son is so beautiful.
I am laughing that you almost named your son Owen. We almost named our last daughter Simon. We were open to either boy or girl and realy thought we would get a boy, so Simon it was. She turned out to be an Iris. By the way, I can't tell from the picture, is Charlie a vizsla? We had a vizsla for 15 years.

Stefanie said...

Wow.
Go GOD!!
Love this post... can't wait to see that picture with all FIVE of your kiddos :)

Amy said...

Yippee!!!

Eileen, it has been ages since I opened blogger. To find this post (albeit a week late)and your wonderful news is so exciting! I am so happy for your family and can't wait to see all SEVEN of you together at last!

With Love and Prayers for Safe Travels and Smooth Transitions...

Lisa said...

Eileen, I am so happy for you! I have been thinking of you often these days and finally wandered over to the blog this afternoon to find out what's the latest....can't beLIEVE it will just be a few short weeks and you will be meeting your precious boy!!!! Congrats, my friend! We will be in prayer for the entire journey and hopeful that it will be as lovely as the last one....much love to all of you!

Romantic Dinner said...

Wow very sweet baby and cute smile cute pose and funny movements images I think all over is too good.

Online Travel Tourism said...

hat beautiful smile I love it. Very beautiful photo. thanks for the posting.

seo agency india said...

This little guy was meant fro your family... huge tears reading this.

web design agency india said...

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I was crying by the end of your post. I am so excited for you and your family!