So. It's been a while. We've been spinning wheels. We've made no progress. We've been frustrated. We're changing agencies.
Right after Christmas our previous agency hit a snag when one of their cases fell under investigation by the Ethiopian government. We don't know the nature of the investigation, but we believe them when they say they were following all the rules, regulations, and ethical guidelines. We did tons of research and our previous agency is one of the most well established and highly rated agencies dealing with Ethiopian adoptions in the country, but Ethiopia is cracking down and that is a good thing.
We were told they hoped the investigation would take 2 weeks and until the investigation is cleared up there would be no placements, referrals, court dates, nada... Everything came to a halt. That was two days after Christmas and still no movement.
We so badly want this paperwork behind us. We were soooo close to finishing our paperwork having done our homestudy and having most of our dossier completed, but the previous agency needed our agency application completed which involved paying a big chunk of change, and we felt uneasy committing more financially to an agency with a case under investigation.
Enter Steve and Susan.
I met Steve and Susan at Jivamukti Yoga. (Second note to self of this nature: good things come when you just go to class) Steve and Susan are also adopting from Ethiopia, and will soon be returning to Ethiopia to bring their boy home with them. I can't tell you how excited Fredrik and I are to find another family adopting from Ethiopia! Another family to help us celebrate Ethiopian holidays, another family that will look like us, another family who will have lived a similar process. We've chatted, emailed, sweated and omed next to each other in yoga, and finally we had dinner. We picked their brains, they shared many stories, opinions, pictures and videos.
So now, after much thought, several phone calls and more research, we're switching to their agency. It feels good to have some forward motion again, even if we have to redo some things.
Not only have we switched agencies, and met Steve and Susan....we've been in touch with yet another family here in little ole Charleston with two small boys from Ethiopia! They tell us there are more families in the area. We are giddy with this news. Kysa and I are meeting Evelyn and K tomorrow for a playdate. I can't wait!
So even though we may have stalled out and possibly even backtracked a bit in the paperwork department, we have at least progressed in making a community for Mamoosh and our family, and that feels big. Really big.
And in the meantime as we feel frustrated that even the paperwork is taking longer than expected, I keep telling myself She is always on time....
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Remembering The Visitor
I begin this post by admitting I watched The View recently. Not only did I watch The View, but something Whoopi Goldberg said rocked me to my core. Teachers and teachings show up at the strangest times, and this teaching had me weeping as I spoon-fed Kysa pureed mango. Please bear with me, we will transcend.
Two years ago this week I had a miscarriage. Miscarriage talk makes people uncomfortable, and so does spirituality, both of which are the subjects of this post. I get it. But this blog is not only for our community, it's for our children to read someday, and this story is part of my history, my family's history, and ultimately Mamoosh's* history.
*Mamoosh means baby in Amhraic.
The anniversary of the miscarriage is not something I mark in my calendar to remind myself to mourn, but three major things happened that week to always remind me. Fredrik always has a big-deal annual conference in New York. It consumes him for the entire week from early in the morning until late at night. Ironically, we lost our first pregnancy on the day of Obama's inauguration and the day after Martin Luther King Jr. day. So bittersweet, and looking back, so poignantly perfect as a landmark to remember The Visitor.
After getting the news, a hug, and a shot from my doctor, I walked home from 5th Ave across the Upper East Side the harsh cold a contrast to my hot tears. I made a brief call to Fredrik confirming what we feared the most, and I climbed the stairs to our 5th story walk-up to watch Hope and Change take the highest office in the land. I was happy for the distraction but mostly grateful for the good dose of Hope in the face of my dispair, as well as Michelle Obama's good fashion sense. And Aretha Franklin's hat. I mean, really...
Maybe it was all the talk of hope that kept me from burying my head under the covers and staying there. In reality, I was terrified I couldn't have children, and to me that was the worst sentence. Ever. I knew in my bones I was meant to be a mother, but I was sad and frightened that I might not be. That's when I came to realize I didn't care how Fredrik and I were to become parents....I just wanted to be one, and I didn't want to wait.
The next week I spent alone mourning and recovering physically and emotionally, while poor sad Fredrik worked his butt off at the conference. One night he came home and I announced that I wanted to explore adoption. We talked and agreed it was something we'd like to consider. The following day I spent curled up with the laptop researching adoption. I watched "gotcha day" videos on YouTube, I read adoption blogs much like this one, and I cried good, healthy, cleansing tears because I was touched and moved and inspired. Obama's words from the day before still ringing in my ears, I began to feel like I/we could turn our bad luck into something good.
At some point during my YouTube marathon, I fixated on Ethiopia. It was as if Ethiopia reached out of the computer and grabbed me by my heartstrings. I can't really explain it, but I just couldn't get enough of those babies. Ethiopia and her children simply grabbed me. Ethiopia chose me/us.
I announced to Fredrik that night that I wanted to adopt from Ethiopia. I think he was still processing the miscarriage, but he listened to his red and puffy-eyed wife speak hopefully, and I think he was grateful for a little light in the face of our sadness.
Fredrik being the patient and more pragmatic half of the relationship, suggested we go to a workshop on international adoption and explore our options. We did, and confirmed what we thought we wanted. Yes. Adopt. Ethiopia. We hadn't given up on trying to conceive a child, but we knew very quickly we just wanted to be parents. So we'd try both. Yes, we're the type people who wait to the last minute to start a family and then suddenly demand from the universe: Okay, BABY NOW!
In the meantime, in my spiritual/yoga practice I invoked Ganesha, The Remover of Obstacles, The Lord of New Beginnings. For those of you not familiar with yogic philosophy, the yogis believe that God/The Universe is too big a concept to grasp as a singular being, and so the various deities are aspects, archetypes, or particular traits of the God/The Universe. Ganesha, in particular, puts obstacles in your path to help you grow or evolve toward enlightenment. Likewise, Ganesha removes the obstacles when you have learned the lesson.
I am not sure when I started praying my prayer, or repeating this mantra but for the next few months, through my deep sadness, all I could repeat was: please let me be open to receiving the lesson I'm suppose to learn, Om Gan Ganapatye Namah, please let me be open to receiving the lesson I'm suppose to learn. I even got Ganesha tattooed on the inside of my wrist to remind me.
Fast forward to August: Walking through Budapest I tell Fredrik I think we're pregnant (like 1 day pregnant). I was right.
Fast forward nine months: Kysa is born and we're blissfully and thankfully a family of three.
Fast forward four months: We seamlessly remind ourselves of our desire to adopt. Fredrik and I can't remember how and when we decided it was "time" it just happened. We jumped.
Fast forward to just a couple weeks ago: I'm feeding Kysa pureed mango and The View is on in the background. I hear Whoopi Goldberg telling Bill and Giuliana Rancic (who were discusing their recent miscarriage) the words that rocked me to my core. She said she believes the precious beings who come to visit us for a short period of time are sent to help get us ready for our future children. "Are you ready? Are you really ready?" they ask.
I felt like The Universe had just graded my proverbial paper. I got it. I had received the lesson. We needed to loose a pregnancy in order to set us on the path to adoption. I don't know if it would have happened otherwise. The Visitor came into our lives for a short but purposeful time to make way for Mamoosh, and I will be forever grateful for that blessing.
Two years later (last week), Fredrik returned to New York for that same conference. This time I wasn't alone, Kysa was warm and cozy in my arms, and Mamoosh is on his way.
Allison
Two years ago this week I had a miscarriage. Miscarriage talk makes people uncomfortable, and so does spirituality, both of which are the subjects of this post. I get it. But this blog is not only for our community, it's for our children to read someday, and this story is part of my history, my family's history, and ultimately Mamoosh's* history.
*Mamoosh means baby in Amhraic.
The anniversary of the miscarriage is not something I mark in my calendar to remind myself to mourn, but three major things happened that week to always remind me. Fredrik always has a big-deal annual conference in New York. It consumes him for the entire week from early in the morning until late at night. Ironically, we lost our first pregnancy on the day of Obama's inauguration and the day after Martin Luther King Jr. day. So bittersweet, and looking back, so poignantly perfect as a landmark to remember The Visitor.
After getting the news, a hug, and a shot from my doctor, I walked home from 5th Ave across the Upper East Side the harsh cold a contrast to my hot tears. I made a brief call to Fredrik confirming what we feared the most, and I climbed the stairs to our 5th story walk-up to watch Hope and Change take the highest office in the land. I was happy for the distraction but mostly grateful for the good dose of Hope in the face of my dispair, as well as Michelle Obama's good fashion sense. And Aretha Franklin's hat. I mean, really...
Maybe it was all the talk of hope that kept me from burying my head under the covers and staying there. In reality, I was terrified I couldn't have children, and to me that was the worst sentence. Ever. I knew in my bones I was meant to be a mother, but I was sad and frightened that I might not be. That's when I came to realize I didn't care how Fredrik and I were to become parents....I just wanted to be one, and I didn't want to wait.
The next week I spent alone mourning and recovering physically and emotionally, while poor sad Fredrik worked his butt off at the conference. One night he came home and I announced that I wanted to explore adoption. We talked and agreed it was something we'd like to consider. The following day I spent curled up with the laptop researching adoption. I watched "gotcha day" videos on YouTube, I read adoption blogs much like this one, and I cried good, healthy, cleansing tears because I was touched and moved and inspired. Obama's words from the day before still ringing in my ears, I began to feel like I/we could turn our bad luck into something good.
At some point during my YouTube marathon, I fixated on Ethiopia. It was as if Ethiopia reached out of the computer and grabbed me by my heartstrings. I can't really explain it, but I just couldn't get enough of those babies. Ethiopia and her children simply grabbed me. Ethiopia chose me/us.
I announced to Fredrik that night that I wanted to adopt from Ethiopia. I think he was still processing the miscarriage, but he listened to his red and puffy-eyed wife speak hopefully, and I think he was grateful for a little light in the face of our sadness.
Fredrik being the patient and more pragmatic half of the relationship, suggested we go to a workshop on international adoption and explore our options. We did, and confirmed what we thought we wanted. Yes. Adopt. Ethiopia. We hadn't given up on trying to conceive a child, but we knew very quickly we just wanted to be parents. So we'd try both. Yes, we're the type people who wait to the last minute to start a family and then suddenly demand from the universe: Okay, BABY NOW!
In the meantime, in my spiritual/yoga practice I invoked Ganesha, The Remover of Obstacles, The Lord of New Beginnings. For those of you not familiar with yogic philosophy, the yogis believe that God/The Universe is too big a concept to grasp as a singular being, and so the various deities are aspects, archetypes, or particular traits of the God/The Universe. Ganesha, in particular, puts obstacles in your path to help you grow or evolve toward enlightenment. Likewise, Ganesha removes the obstacles when you have learned the lesson.
I am not sure when I started praying my prayer, or repeating this mantra but for the next few months, through my deep sadness, all I could repeat was: please let me be open to receiving the lesson I'm suppose to learn, Om Gan Ganapatye Namah, please let me be open to receiving the lesson I'm suppose to learn. I even got Ganesha tattooed on the inside of my wrist to remind me.
Fast forward to August: Walking through Budapest I tell Fredrik I think we're pregnant (like 1 day pregnant). I was right.
Fast forward nine months: Kysa is born and we're blissfully and thankfully a family of three.
Fast forward four months: We seamlessly remind ourselves of our desire to adopt. Fredrik and I can't remember how and when we decided it was "time" it just happened. We jumped.
Fast forward to just a couple weeks ago: I'm feeding Kysa pureed mango and The View is on in the background. I hear Whoopi Goldberg telling Bill and Giuliana Rancic (who were discusing their recent miscarriage) the words that rocked me to my core. She said she believes the precious beings who come to visit us for a short period of time are sent to help get us ready for our future children. "Are you ready? Are you really ready?" they ask.
I felt like The Universe had just graded my proverbial paper. I got it. I had received the lesson. We needed to loose a pregnancy in order to set us on the path to adoption. I don't know if it would have happened otherwise. The Visitor came into our lives for a short but purposeful time to make way for Mamoosh, and I will be forever grateful for that blessing.
Two years later (last week), Fredrik returned to New York for that same conference. This time I wasn't alone, Kysa was warm and cozy in my arms, and Mamoosh is on his way.
Allison
Friday, December 31, 2010
A Sleepy Mama/Happy New Year!
I write this as a way to keep myself awake this New Year's Eve...our party begins at 9, and I'm wondering if this Mama is gonna keep herself awake.
So here's a little review and reflection of our life altering 2010:
Fredrik's first words this morning: "Kysa, today is the last day of the first year you were born." If Kysa hadn't smiled her goofy two-toothed smile, I would have cried. I've never been this nostalgic on a New Year's Eve and I attribute it to the state of being a parent that I call "constantly smiling with tears in your eyes."
In early 2010, I felt time stretch on forever, as my belly seemed to do as well. I felt the raw, powerful surge of divine feminine energy with the natural birth of Kysa. I still marvel at the body's miraculous ability to grow a beautiful little being, and at just the perfect time nudge that little person out into the world. After the most physically and emotionally powerful experience of my life, I then felt my heart split wide open to love in ways I never knew possible, and with that love came the snap of time that makes my head swim. Perhaps it was the splitting open of my heart, of all our hearts, that led us down this adoption road so quickly after Kysa's birth. I understand a little bit more about the heart's capacity to love and I trust that our hearts will continue to open wide to a new family member, our little Mamoosh. I just can't wait to see his face...
2010 and Kysa have taught me deeper and simpler ways to be present. Just feeling her breathe as she sleeps on my chest is the greatest of gifts. Midway through 2010 Fredrik and I made a commitment to ourselves, our planet and our fellow beings to go vegan (no meat or dairy). We haven't been perfect (I still haven't eaten meat:) but we do our best, and have enjoyed our new relationship to food, to each other, and to our planet. We look forward to continuing our vegan diet into 2011...YUM YUM!!
In the meantime, while we enjoy our sweet Kysa and eagerly await our Mamoosh, my New Year's resolutions are:
To be present with the bliss, to soak it up, and not take a day for granted.
To be grateful
To walk softly on Mother Earth.
To love BIG and give BIG
To Swiffer more often and put the laundry away in a timely manner,
...and to do forearm stand without a wall:)
Happy New Year All!
May 2011 be a year of boundless possibilities and joy.
/Allison
So here's a little review and reflection of our life altering 2010:
Fredrik's first words this morning: "Kysa, today is the last day of the first year you were born." If Kysa hadn't smiled her goofy two-toothed smile, I would have cried. I've never been this nostalgic on a New Year's Eve and I attribute it to the state of being a parent that I call "constantly smiling with tears in your eyes."
In early 2010, I felt time stretch on forever, as my belly seemed to do as well. I felt the raw, powerful surge of divine feminine energy with the natural birth of Kysa. I still marvel at the body's miraculous ability to grow a beautiful little being, and at just the perfect time nudge that little person out into the world. After the most physically and emotionally powerful experience of my life, I then felt my heart split wide open to love in ways I never knew possible, and with that love came the snap of time that makes my head swim. Perhaps it was the splitting open of my heart, of all our hearts, that led us down this adoption road so quickly after Kysa's birth. I understand a little bit more about the heart's capacity to love and I trust that our hearts will continue to open wide to a new family member, our little Mamoosh. I just can't wait to see his face...
2010 and Kysa have taught me deeper and simpler ways to be present. Just feeling her breathe as she sleeps on my chest is the greatest of gifts. Midway through 2010 Fredrik and I made a commitment to ourselves, our planet and our fellow beings to go vegan (no meat or dairy). We haven't been perfect (I still haven't eaten meat:) but we do our best, and have enjoyed our new relationship to food, to each other, and to our planet. We look forward to continuing our vegan diet into 2011...YUM YUM!!
In the meantime, while we enjoy our sweet Kysa and eagerly await our Mamoosh, my New Year's resolutions are:
To be present with the bliss, to soak it up, and not take a day for granted.
To be grateful
To walk softly on Mother Earth.
To love BIG and give BIG
To Swiffer more often and put the laundry away in a timely manner,
...and to do forearm stand without a wall:)
Happy New Year All!
May 2011 be a year of boundless possibilities and joy.
/Allison
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Cookin' With Gas
"Cookin' with gas" is a phrase one of my favorite and most influential dance teachers, Alyson Colwell Waber, used when things really got moving in the dance studio. It best describes the swirling kinetic energy when sweat is flowing freely, when everyone is in "the zone" and when progress is clearly being made.
Well, I think it's safe to say: we're cookin' with gas. We've completed our homestudy, we dragged our baby girl to a correctional institute so we both could get fingerprinted, we've signed our names at least a thousand times and had the signatures notarized. We've answered tough questions and tedious questions. We've had to remember and document ALL the places we've both lived and prove we're not criminals, sex offenders, or parents to other children. We've had bloodwork and physicals, we've recorded our finances, and we've taken pictures of our home. We've organized and made stacks, and stacks, and stacks of papers....and then copied all of them....and then mailed the originals.
We're far from the end, and have several weeks waiting on the FBI and other government agencies, but this feels good. Really good.
We're seeing the light at the end of the paperwork tunnel.
Special thanks to my parents who gave us a WHOLE UNINTERRUPTED DAY to work together. The perfect Christmas gift. Thank you.
And, just because...here's a picture of our Christmas Angel.
Well, I think it's safe to say: we're cookin' with gas. We've completed our homestudy, we dragged our baby girl to a correctional institute so we both could get fingerprinted, we've signed our names at least a thousand times and had the signatures notarized. We've answered tough questions and tedious questions. We've had to remember and document ALL the places we've both lived and prove we're not criminals, sex offenders, or parents to other children. We've had bloodwork and physicals, we've recorded our finances, and we've taken pictures of our home. We've organized and made stacks, and stacks, and stacks of papers....and then copied all of them....and then mailed the originals.
We're far from the end, and have several weeks waiting on the FBI and other government agencies, but this feels good. Really good.
We're seeing the light at the end of the paperwork tunnel.Special thanks to my parents who gave us a WHOLE UNINTERRUPTED DAY to work together. The perfect Christmas gift. Thank you.
And, just because...here's a picture of our Christmas Angel.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Another 5,499,999
"Who was going to raise 5.5 million children?
Who was teaching 5.5 million children how to swim? Who was signing 5.5 million permission slips for school field trips? Who packed 5.5 million school lunches? Who cheered at 5.5 million soccer games? Who was going to buy 5.5 million pairs of sneakers that light up when you jump? Backpacks? Toothbrushes? 5.5 million pairs of socks? Who will tell 5.5 million bedtime stories? Who will quiz 5.5 million children on Thursday nights for their Friday morning spelling tests? 5.5 million trips to the dentist? 5.5 million birthday parties? Who will wake in the middle of the night in response to 5.5 million nightmares?
Who will offer grief counseling to 5.5 million children? Who will help them avoid lives of servitude or prostitution? Who will pass on to them the traditions of culture and religion, of history and government, or craft and profession? Who will help them grow up, chose the right person to marry, find work, and learn to parent their own children?"
Source: "There is no me without you", Melissa Fay Greene (the book references sub-sahara number of 'twelve' million replaced here by '5.5' to represent Ethiopia specifically)
Who will believe in these 5.5 million kids? I was absolutely struck reading this tonight.
And, that number (5.5 million) represents only an estimate of orphans in Ethiopia. Try searching for sub-Saharan, African or global statistics and I promise you that you can hardly fathom the numbers. How can we even make sense about the difference between 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 million?
I'll be the first to tell you, I can't. It's even hard in some ways to feel proud that we are in process to adopt only 1. One of 5.5 million. Even harder when you acknowledge that the *best* solution for these kids is really to be with their parents, their extended families, in their country... if only that were a viable option.
But, I do feel proud. Honored, even. I'll be a Father to our young boy at the end of this process. One boy. Our boy. I know that at least our little Mamoosh and Kysa will always have me to read them that bedtime story.
/ fredrik
Who was teaching 5.5 million children how to swim? Who was signing 5.5 million permission slips for school field trips? Who packed 5.5 million school lunches? Who cheered at 5.5 million soccer games? Who was going to buy 5.5 million pairs of sneakers that light up when you jump? Backpacks? Toothbrushes? 5.5 million pairs of socks? Who will tell 5.5 million bedtime stories? Who will quiz 5.5 million children on Thursday nights for their Friday morning spelling tests? 5.5 million trips to the dentist? 5.5 million birthday parties? Who will wake in the middle of the night in response to 5.5 million nightmares?
Who will offer grief counseling to 5.5 million children? Who will help them avoid lives of servitude or prostitution? Who will pass on to them the traditions of culture and religion, of history and government, or craft and profession? Who will help them grow up, chose the right person to marry, find work, and learn to parent their own children?"
Source: "There is no me without you", Melissa Fay Greene (the book references sub-sahara number of 'twelve' million replaced here by '5.5' to represent Ethiopia specifically)
Who will believe in these 5.5 million kids? I was absolutely struck reading this tonight.
And, that number (5.5 million) represents only an estimate of orphans in Ethiopia. Try searching for sub-Saharan, African or global statistics and I promise you that you can hardly fathom the numbers. How can we even make sense about the difference between 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 million?
I'll be the first to tell you, I can't. It's even hard in some ways to feel proud that we are in process to adopt only 1. One of 5.5 million. Even harder when you acknowledge that the *best* solution for these kids is really to be with their parents, their extended families, in their country... if only that were a viable option.
But, I do feel proud. Honored, even. I'll be a Father to our young boy at the end of this process. One boy. Our boy. I know that at least our little Mamoosh and Kysa will always have me to read them that bedtime story.
/ fredrik
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
We found our Ethiopian wise man in Spain...
It's been a while since we've posted. We've been busy, busy. We took Kysa on her first international trip to Milan and Madrid. She was amazingly happy ALL the time, especially on the plane, much more than her parents were. She also didn't seem bothered by the time change or jet lag. I guess this is one of the benefits of not having her on a specific schedule, she just went with the flow and slept when we slept.It feels good to have an international trip under our belts with an infant, although I know how to distract and comfort Kysa. I'm sure it could be a different story with Mamoosh (Amharic word for baby), but nevertheless the experience gives me a bit of confidence.
One of the things I wanted to get in Spain was a nativity scene. I know in Spain the three wise men are cherished and celebrated AND they observe that one of the kings was from Ethiopia; King Balthazar who bore frankincense. I found an adorable nativity scene at the Mercado San Miguel. So I'm super happy to report that we now have an Ethiopian presence in our house. He's tiny, kingly and cute, and yes, he's black....and he has a place of honor on our table.
Fredrik has since informed me that the 3 wise men were actually 12 Chinese men...but I'm not sure where he gets his facts.
We had the last of our blood work done today and the social worker comes tomorrow morning for part 1 of our homestudy. I probably should be on my hands and knees scrubbing the shower or organizing my sock drawer...
But since I am procrastinating, it is with great joy I present to you,
King Balthazar of Ethiopia via Spain
(I kinda have a crush on him):
King Balthazar of Ethiopia via Spain
(I kinda have a crush on him):
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Smitten
This weekend we met Eli. He is 3 and charming. He likes to put objects on his head that make him look like a spaceman. He plays a mean game of Candyland, and a very strategic and giggly game of Hot Potato. He's articulate, happy, and affectionate. He speaks multiple languages and can do cartwheels, and he seemed to have boundless energy. He's sweet, curious and loving. We watched as Kysa took a nap, and Eli went over to check her out and gently pat her on the head. He also knows exactly where he came from: "Ethiopia which is in Africa."
My dear friends, Maggie and Michael (who adopted their daughter, Niya, from China in 2004), hosted a cozy get together on Sunday to allow Fredrik, Kysa and I to meet Eli and his truly lovely parents, Lisa and Maurice. We picked their brains and hung on every word of their story to adopt Eli. They showed us pictures and shared memories, insights and opinions. My good friend, David, was there as well, who also adopted his daughter from China in 2004. Fredrik and I felt that we'd stepped into, and were warmly embraced by a new community...the international adoption community. I felt like I was in a room with kindred spirits, and I feel even more confirmed that we are on the right path.
And did I mention Lisa (Eli's mom) is Swedish? Like born in Sweden Swedish. She and Eli almost sang us a Swedish children's song but Eli had a little performance anxiety. Maybe next time...But how COOL is that?
I think Sunday will serve as a milestone for us. Seeing Eli and his family, we can now picture a little more clearly what our family will look like someday. We were smitten with Eli, and now we're even more excited about our growing family...if that's even possible.
Thanks again, Maggie, Michael and Niya!!
My dear friends, Maggie and Michael (who adopted their daughter, Niya, from China in 2004), hosted a cozy get together on Sunday to allow Fredrik, Kysa and I to meet Eli and his truly lovely parents, Lisa and Maurice. We picked their brains and hung on every word of their story to adopt Eli. They showed us pictures and shared memories, insights and opinions. My good friend, David, was there as well, who also adopted his daughter from China in 2004. Fredrik and I felt that we'd stepped into, and were warmly embraced by a new community...the international adoption community. I felt like I was in a room with kindred spirits, and I feel even more confirmed that we are on the right path.
And did I mention Lisa (Eli's mom) is Swedish? Like born in Sweden Swedish. She and Eli almost sang us a Swedish children's song but Eli had a little performance anxiety. Maybe next time...But how COOL is that?
I think Sunday will serve as a milestone for us. Seeing Eli and his family, we can now picture a little more clearly what our family will look like someday. We were smitten with Eli, and now we're even more excited about our growing family...if that's even possible.
Thanks again, Maggie, Michael and Niya!!
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