Day #2: I'm Kind of a Big Deal

On Wednesday, we spent the morning shopping for some toys to help the boys remember their Ethiopia home.  We also made a trip to a local grcery store to stock up on formula & diapers.  I was also thrilled to find my favorite American cereals and whole wheat pasta that I can't buy in China.  With our shopping behind us, we were ready to set off to the care center to bring our boys home.

It's quite difficult to describe the emotions welling in our hearts and the thoughts racing through our heads as we were traveling down the familiar road to the care center.  But this tip wasn't like the trips we had made before.  This trip would not end in a goodbye.  This trip would double the size of our family and change things from here on out.  Everything felt so surreal.  We've been moving toward this day for so long that it was hard to grasp that it had finally arrived.  The joy & trepidation of parenthood took hold of me in a grasp of realism.  I remembered Jesus' words from the book of John that I had whispered to them last April: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

And then it was time.  We were there.  We pulled up to the metal gate of the care center.  Knocked once.  Knocked twice.  The gate opened, and we entered in to find our sons to bring them home.  The nannies were anticipating our arrival, and Sami's departure was particularly difficult for one of them.  We have been praying for the last six months that he would be cared for well and loved while we were separated.  Those prayers were answered in this woman.

She held Sami tight, kissed his fat cheeks, and cried over him as we prepared to leave.  I almost felt guilty for taking him away! 

Micah was a little charmer, waving goodbye to everyone as he put on his shoes.

The nannies had prepared special matching outfits for the boys to wear on their departure day.  This is what they said:

"I'm kind of a big deal."

Very appropriate for the occassion but not necessarily the sentiment I want carrying them through life!

With tears in my eyes and tears in the nannies' eyes, we finally managed to leave.  We were now together as an official family of four!

We headed back home for an afternoon full of firsts:

First bottles

First hugs

First play time

First dinner

First poopy diaper

Our first evening together as a family

The boys have done great so far.  There have been very few fits but instead a lot of hugs, smiles, laughs, and clapping.  Micah has been thrilled with all the attetion he's been receiving.  He loves the toys we brought for him, but what I think he loves more is that there aren't twenty other kids fighting for the same toys.  Just like the nanny said, Sami is fine.  He's content to chill on the floor or in our arms.  So I would say Day #1 of parenthood went much smoother than expected!