We're Home

(Posted January 1, 2009) October 13, 2008 One month ago, after more than 30 hours of travel, we arrived home. Home. Words can’t even describe the feelings I had as we anxiously made our way through the airport knowing that our kids and family would be waiting to welcome Sophie home. As we approached the escalators to the luggage claim area, and before I saw anyone, I heard my kids shouting excitedly from the ground floor, “there they are, there they are!” I am quite certain that Christian almost “jumped” to the second floor as we impatiently waited for the elevator. I scooped Sophie into my arms from the stroller. As the elevator doors opened, we were greeted with a wave of pink balloons, party horns and camera flashes. Sophie clutched her little American flag in her hand and waved it back and forth with all her might. She could not have performed better if we had rehearsed it : ) With all the excitement and for a brief moment, I think she was trying to decide if she should laugh or cry. After all, that’s what the people with the balloons were doing…some were laughing, some were crying. Waving the flag seemed to be a good thing to do. Oh, it was so wonderful to be home! Now two and a half weeks doesn’t seem like a very long time, and I’m still not quite sure how it all happened, but somehow my boys each grew at least six inches while we were gone! And Jessica, well…she looked like she was just about ready to head off to college : ) We spent quite a bit of time at the airport just talking, laughing, and taking pictures. Ah…so, so good to be home! We arrived home late on that Saturday night and Monday morning it was back to business as usual. Ian went to work and I took the kids to school. As I pulled away from the school as I have so many times before, but this time with Sophie in the backseat, I smiled. I positioned the rearview mirror so I could see her and SERIOUSLY could not stop smiling the whole way home. It all seemed like a dream. Our wait. Our time in China. This beautiful little girl. To us, she is a dream… Now, lest you think our transition has been without growing pains, let’s keep it real… December 31, 2008 Hmmm…now where did I leave off? Keeping it real… Obviously, not hard to do since months have passed (literally) since I initially began writing our “Welcome Home” post in October. October, yikes! Things have been BUSY around here with little Mei. Busy. Busy. Busy. Wonderfully busy, I might add. We jumped back into our regular routine as soon as we got home and luckily for us, Sophie is mostly just happy and content to be along for the ride. She is just the sweetest, and we absolutely adore her. She is learning so many new things and is certainly, most definitely NOT quiet, shy and introverted like we were told in her referral paperwork : ) She is a girl with things to do and places to go. She is a 23 pound tiny tornado who we like to call Messy Mei. She busies herself ALL DAY LONG…helping with the laundry (clean in the dirty, dirty in the clean) and things of that sort. A little lady whose work is never done. Get the idea? After she “helps” (a term used loosely here) with any sort of task, she brushes her hands together as if to say, “ok, now that’s done, what’s next?”. One night, as she was emptying Michael’s backpack of every book, assignment, pen, pencil and snack, Michael looked at me and said, “mom, I think she is taking over the house”. That she has. Most definitely. And we love it! Even the messes. We have had so many celebrations since coming home…both big and small. We have celebrated Sophie’s first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and even her 3rd birthday with her. However, some of the small celebrations, or little things, are the ones I love the most. These are just a few of my favorites! ~10 Things I Love About You~ 1. I love how you wake me up in the morning by softly kissing me smack on the lips. So sweet! 2. I love when you realize that we are picking your brothers up from school and you throw your head back and laugh hysterically in anticipation. 3. I love when you learn new words and use them to get what you want. My favorites are “moooore coco” (more chocolate) and “bi bite” (big bite). 4. I love when you walk with your chin held high doing something you know I will be proud of (like throwing your trash in the garbage or putting your laundry in the dirty clothes). 5. I love your independence and definite preference for girly things especially when you take off your pants, pull your socks up to your knees and tiptoe down the hall in your black, shiny, Sunday shoes (even as we are rushing to get out the door). 6. I love how you tenderly smother your “baby” with kisses and love. 7. I love how you lean in towards your daddy so he will kiss you on the cheek. 8. I love how you know to go to your sister if you want lip gloss, lotion or want to practice your sweet dance moves. 9. I love how you try to make us laugh by saying “bop” and it always works : ) 10. I love hearing your sweet, low, raspy voice say “mom” five hundred times a day just to make certain I’m close by. That, I’m sure, will never get old.

One Month Since Gotcha Day Happy Birthday Mei! Our Forever Family Day My first snow! Sophie and Santa Christmas 2008

Tomorrow, the 1st of January, will mark four months since Sophie’s Gotcha Day in Hangzhou, China. For some reason, I always get a little nostalgic on New Year’s Eve, but this year, even more than usual. I clearly remember sitting at my computer last New Year’s Eve, trying to write an update for Sophie’s website. Trying to be hopeful. Trying to be optimistic. Yet, in all honesty, I had become so discouraged with the long and growing wait times. There were even days I doubted whether or not it would ever really happen. Little did I know at the time that Sophie’s paperwork had just been submitted for international adoption and that a few mere months later our family would be matched with her. Looking back, I can clearly see how and why things worked out the way they did. I really can’t imagine her anywhere but with our family. She is a miracle to us. She is simply Sophie ; ) For those interested, you can also find us at www.littlethingsilove.blogspot.com.

“Where is home? Home is where the heart can laugh without shyness.
Home is where the heart’s tears can dry at their own pace.” ~Vernon Baker

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