I Traced Their Feet

Thursday, February 10, 2011

I had the measuring tape along, just in case, but we ended up tracing their feet on the white cardboard backing of a book of stickers.  My fear about shoes is completely resolved...as long as the kids don't grow!

Despite wanting to write down everything in my heart and mind, I simply cannot write long because it is past midnight and I am exhausted and mentally preparing to be picked up for court at 9:00am. The internet has been down for over 24 hours, and just came back up thirty minutes ago.

Here are a few thoughts to hold you until I can write what I really want:

• they are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!   Teeny, teeny tiny for their ages, even in comparison to other to-be-adopted children of their ages, but so beautiful.  I recognized them both from their referral pictures, though he is quite different in appearance than those pictures.
• the orphanage is meticulously clean and tidy, the children are very well cared for and obviously loved by their caregivers.
• she has fire in her and has sparkly eyes when she smiles, as if she has secrets tucked up there behind her eyes.  He is reserved (for now!) and cracked not a single smile during our 90 minutes there...but he was very aware and alert.
• the children (all of them) LOVE stickers and hot wheels cars and bouncy balls and soccer balls...and did I mention the stickers??  Oh, and the girls loved the sticker earrings I brought for them (thanks for the idea Sharla!); most of the boys clearly disdained sticker earrings...we didn't need to speak a common language for me to understand what they were saying!
• I saw her first; she was alone in a little room that I was taken to.  My first thought was 'oh, how beautiful and how teeny tiny she is' and my second thought was, 'oh, that's my daughter!'  When I first saw him, my first thought was 'he's sooo small for his age and looks so sober, but he's my son...we need to teach our boy how to have some fun in our family.'

Folks, I am so tired I just can't write more tonight.  But know that I appreciate every well wish and every prayer that you have told me about - as we head into court tomorrow morning, I feel supported and cared for, and hopeful, too.

There is so much going on in my heart right now and this is such a huge moment in our lives.  Seeing the kids today really was a moment worth waiting all of these years for.

More soon, I promise.  Blessings all...including to two certain little folks in the city of Adama.