Tired but Happy!

Dave and I feel like zombies after the trip, but we're happy zombies.

Let's see - the last posting was from Russia with Love - so I'll catch you up a bit. We got to see our son again on Tuesday. They had dressed him in one of the outfits I had brought along and he looked so adorable. I don't know if he recognized us, but he didn't seem afraid.

We played for awhile - looking at a book, helping him with his efforts to walk, playing with legos. When it was time to go, I'll admit, I got a bit emotional. I already love holding him and just didn't want to let go. He must have noticed me starting to cry, and he definitely saw Dave helping to clean up the toys and that set him off. Up until then, he'd been pretty quiet, but he opened his mouth and let out a howl that turned into a watery scream. He cried big tears and just wailed for a few minutes. It shocked me out of my tears, and I started to tell him everything would be fine. One of the nurses came and took him and he started to calm down, so my last glimpse of him before we left had him in a much calmer frame of mind. They told us that he just didn't want us to leave and that's why he cried. Everyone was so very kind to us - and the head doctor even gave us each an apple for the ride back. Chris - this boy has a set of lungs on him - so we'll definitely have to teach him to sing! Maybe even some opera!

There's no way to prepare yourself for leaving after a visit like that. You know you'll be back in a few weeks, but it's still hard. I thought of my friend Rose's words after her first trip. She told me it would be hard, but they make it easier because you can see how much they care about these children. It's so true. I know they'll take good care of him until we can return and bring him home and that makes it easier. I've really been pretty dry-eyed about it every since, although I find myself staring at photos of him frequently and wondering what he's doing.

Another thing that helps is that we've got so much left to do! I keep making "to do" lists and every time I cross something off, I seem to think of two more things to add. As Mom always reminds me - One day at a time - and you'll get it all done. Very true.

We have our reservations for the second trip - just a few more details to work out there. It's going to be a fast few weeks before we leave and there is much to do.

I want to thank everyone who has posted on this blog. I'm enjoying hearing from other families who are going through this process. I know that you truly know how we feel and what we're experiencing. On the return flight, I saw a couple from Atlanta with their new daughter. She's gorgeous and was so full of energy. We talked for a little while and I tried to help entertain the child a bit. I could tell from the things they said that they knew what we were feeling and going through - just as I could relate to their journey. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments and support - and know that we send our thoughts and prayers with you.

I also want to say "hi" to the friends and family members who have posted. Imagine me grinning from ear to ear every time I read those posts. I can just feel your love shining through.

I hope I'm not too disjointed with this posting. I'm so very tired! More to come though - not to worry.