Gotcha! One year later
One year ago, we were in China and we met our Caleb for the first time. The next day (a year ago today), we headed to the civil affairs office to adopt him in China. As I look back over pictures of that time, I'm amazed at how fast it all has gone. The changes in him have been so subtle, to me, because I see him every day. But looking back at those pictures, I think, "wow! where's his hair? He's so skinny!" etc., and I know that things are definitely not the same.
I remember the day we met: we actually started out in Beijing, trying to figure out how to repack everything for another flight. We went to the airport and flew to Lanzhou. I remember thinking that once we got there, we could just go to our hotel and settle in for one last night and meet Caleb the next day (as planned). When we landed, we were met by Xixi, our guide and we loaded our stuff on the bus for the hour drive to the hotel. The first thing Xixi said as we settled into our seats was that the babies were going to be at the hotel that day when we arrived! Yikes! For the next hour, our guides talked about such things as the landscape around the Lanzhou area, what the Chinese names of our children meant, etc., but I barely listened. I was too distracted by thinking that we were going to meet Caleb, and very soon. What would he be like? What if he looked so different that I didn't recognize him? I don't know how to be a parent! What do I do??!!
We got to the hotel and nearly destroyed our lovely room by trying to put gifts together. We met in a conference room. After a few minutes of waiting, a man walked in and said, "excuse me, but the babies are here." And, one by one, they each came in, carried by their nanny/foster mother. I remember when the first child came in. It wasn't Caleb, but for a second, I feared that it was and that maybe I just didn't recognize him. But then, he came into the room, and I knew right away. I remember saying to Russ, "that's him! Look at those eyes!" And they were those same big brown eyes from all of his pictures. Those same ones he has today. The same face--he was smaller in real life. But real.
Soon, he was running around the conference room. In an effort to not totally overwhelm him, I did not attempt to pick him up at first. In fact, the first time I remember holding him was when he made a dash out the door and I grabbed him. Not exactly the tender moment that I imagined the first time I picked him up was going to be.
When his foster mother left, he cried. I actually didn't find out until later that she was his foster mother, having been told that she was his "nanny". Had I known, I would have tried to allow for more of a good-bye for them if I could. He came with us, though. Maybe he felt like he had no where else to go at that point.
After that, we either carried him or he ran. It was one of 2 things only. By that evening, we realized just how small he was--he had been bundled so much and was a skinny little guy underneath. We took him for dinner to KFC and he fell asleep in our hotel room. Day one.
Fast forward 365 days. He's asleep now, only it's in his crib in his room with his blankets and stuffed animals. He's now 2 1/2 and still running. Working on potty training. Wearing some of the same clothes as a year ago. He knows some numbers and letters, and chatters on about everything. He has friends at daycare and is taking speech therapy. He loves macaroni and cheese and pickles. His favorite song is "wheels on the bus" and his favorite movie is "Cars". He loves trains, cars, tractors, buses, trucks, and semi-trailers. And we love him.
The perfect addition to our family. Introduced to us one year ago. Amazing! One year and we're here where I never imagined it would be. We love you Caleb.
