11 Month eve/day

Side note - This post was originally started at 5:55am Friday morning, it’s being completed and posted at yes 1:36 am Sat morning.  Someone woke up and cut short the posting/completion of the post. I have no idea why I am wide awake at 130am especially when I have to be to church at 8 to finish our holiday baskets.  Oh and YES I am drinking coffee, duh… J

11 months ago we were in China.  I'm not really sure exactly what we were doing, from the time we landed in Zhengzhou to the time we went to bed that night is kind of a blur.  I do remember how “official” it became/seemed when we were all on the bus and handed our red lanyards with our CCAI badges attached. Then our coveted MOST UP TO DATE FILES were handed out.  The bus was in a sudden hush as we all open those files and absorbed all the info about our little ones.  I remember thinking THIS IS REAL.  I felt that way when we landed but we were less than 24hrs away from Nian and it was finally happening! 

Lunch? a muffin and some funky meat inside a roll. 

We all got checked in, figured out who was on which floor and in which room.  Of course we took multiple pictures again of the room we’d seen so many times online via families who had gone before us. The bathroom with its window was still a sight to see. As our blind would break in a few days that wasn’t all we would be seeing. But I think this also helped our family to bond. And it was entertaining to watch Nian bang on the window while Joe was in there.  Lol still makes me laugh. A few hours later we all took a walk to Walmart which was an experience alone.  

Yes the blinds broke in the UP position. 

Slow scooter time of day

As I was sitting in Nian’s room with him the other night telling him it was time to be quiet (his favorite new phrase as he told the choir at church the other night, thank God they didn’t hear him, at least I hope they didn’t) anyway….  I was telling him he needed to go to sleep, and I myself had many things to get done before I went to bed.  I was starting to get frustrated that I still had to sit there at night; life was getting busy with the holidays and just life that I had so much to do yet.  I stopped a remembered our first few nights, weeks, and months.  This boy has come SO FAR in these last 11 months. What was 10 minutes of sitting by his bed waiting for him to fall asleep??

Now - at the family CHRISTmas party playing bingo of course!

Gotcha day 11 months ago

I won’t lie those first nights/weeks were hell! I mean they really wore at my sanity and emotions.  I can say even then I wouldn’t have traded it for anything but I have never prayed as earnestly as I did those first few weeks.  There would be times he would just cry and cry and cry and all the while he’s still sleeping.  I had moments where we were both sobbing and I would plead with him to please go to sleep as we were both so off on our sleep patterns.  I felt and prayed for our night time mirrors right below us, Matthew and Bethany with their little one Michal.  It seemed like the moment I got Nian quiet, poor Michal would start her session, and back and forth it would go. God Bless our travel families they are such a support and strength when you need it most.

So yeah I’d say 10 mins of trying not to fall asleep myself isn’t anything compared to where we started. PRAISE THE LORD….

Nian is enjoying this oddly warmer weather while it’s here and playing with his car outside.  It’s the new thing the last few weeks; we must go for a walk, even in the rain.

A few funnies from this week.  While on the potty, he hollered, Ma come here, he wanted to inform me he was going potty.  Later he requested his Thomas Blanket while on the couch because his feet were cold. I said that’s because you took off your socks, if you leave your socks on your feet wouldn’t be cold. Uh apparently I’m wrong there cuz he laughed and told me NOoooo.  On the ride home from daycare I yawned and told him I was tired, he asked why, I said I need a nap, again he says Noooo, I said I can’t take a nap?  He promptly told me No and then laughed….   Yeah he’s his father’s son alright!

I imagine this week will bring more antics from him and his dad. Those boys of mine what am I do with them!?  Maybe we’ll get a little sister so we can outnumber them. Isabel just looks at us as if to say “you can’t be serious” when we talk about another little brother.

A friend at work gave me some candy to bring home to Nian and he thought they were the greatest things.  Especially when I showed him how you pop them out of their package. Thanks Brandi.  Joe likes that candy too so there’s another father/son thing!

We finally got some snow today, and it lasted about hour… Sadly there was another chain reaction 50 car pile-up on 131, thankfully no serious injuries.  It did shut the highway down for about 3 hours.  Amazing how different the weather/roads can be 20 mins north of town. Welcome to Michigan people!

11 months ago today, around this time, (China time that is), we were a family and most likely headed or at our hotel. Who knew I’d have to leave him so soon after getting there to fill out paperwork. For an hour…. Then go back to the room and send Joe and Nian down to do their paperwork.  I don’t think any of us sent the kids/spouse back alone that day.  And that was ok! 

It still amazes me when I sit and think back to those first few days. Everything he has experienced, overcome, and learned in such a short amount of time.  I treasure it all because I know it will be gone before I know it and he will have grown up. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Be safe this weekend whatever your weather may be.  

Please keep our friends Bev and Adam in your prayers as they wait new on their daughter it’s going on 21 months since they started the process and friends Kristen and James as they just received a match.

God’s Blessings to you!