Jubilee

Today was a beautiful day!!  We barely made it to the breakfast buffet because the Robinson boys like to sleep late!  Even Wyatt was still sleeping when 9:00 rolled around this morning.  Two days with his new family and he's already a late sleeper! I managed to sleep until 7:30 for a change…Praise God!!  The breakfast buffet closes at 10:00.  We made it downstairs with only 20 minutes to spare.

Our guide, Rebecca, is fabulous!  She is so incredibly organized.  We met with her at 11:00 to sort through the paperwork and prepare packets for our various appointments and appearances.  With everything sorted and stacked and marked with stickies, we returned to the room to pack up the diaper bag and gather our things together to go meet Jubilee!!

I thought 2:00 would never get here!  We met Rebecca and our new friends, the Johnsons, in the lobby at 2:00 and then took a short ride together to the civil affairs office. There's a beautiful waiting room on the 8th floor where we sat and waited for the children to arrive.    While we waited for the children to arrive, Rebecca carefully went over the paperwork with us and made sure everything was accurate. Riley and Wyatt were all over the place.  Wyatt hasn't quite figured out that he's with us and Riley has decided that he is a toddler instead of a 5 year old, so I was praying that we'd be able to hold it together during the wait.  I'm so thankful we didn't have to wait long.  

Auntie Amy from Jubilee's orphanage arrived at the door with a beautiful little pink bundle and my heart leapt out of my chest.  Tate was snapping pictures and I was following them like a glassy eyed stalker.  Rebecca saw the look on my face and my not-so-subtle lurch toward the door and told me that I had to wait a just bit longer.  They took Jubilee through a curtained door to a small room beside the waiting room.  Torture!  After a few minutes they were coming back through the door with her.  This time we got to greet her sweet little self and 

After a few minutes they were coming back through the door with her.  This time we got to greet her sweet little self and then she was in my arms.

Amy and I moved to a section of the couch to try to calm Jubilee down and talk a bit about her schedule and needs.   Auntie Amy is from Hong Kong and speaks English….thank you, God for this time with someone so important to our sweet Jubilee.  There are no adequate words to describe the multitude of emotions that were coursing through my heart and mind at that moment.  Even trying to think about it now brings sobs to my throat.  I'm so glad Dean recorded mine and Amy's conversation because I'm having trouble remembering everything that was said.  God has shown himself in mighty ways through our journey to Jubilee.  I'm so thankful for His hand upon our little girl and humbled that we get to be her parents.  

NOTE:  For those of you traveling with young children already in the home or those of you adopting two children simultaneously…it seemed like there was no way to avoid relegating one parent to the status of bystander.  Dean and I didn't talk about this beforehand and I feel pretty bad about that.  It seems that with Wyatt and Jubilee both the cameras were thrust into his hands, as well as the task of keeping up with Wyatt and Riley, while the babies made their way into my arms.  Those that know me well aren't surprised, I suppose, but I promise I wasn't trying to be a baby hog.  We just didn't talk about it ahead of time, and there wasn't time to talk once she arrived.  It just happened. 

After we left the Civil Affairs office we made a stop at Aeon, a department store close to our hotel, to pick up a few necessities.  The Johnsons have adopted a teenage girl, so they needed to buy a translator from the electronics department.   While they shopped, we explored the store and were surprised to see things like the "As Seen on TV" section and Mother's Day signs everywhere.  If it weren't for the Chinese signs everywhere, I would've thought we were in the JC Penny's.   Jubilee peered up at me from the Ergo every few minutes, probably wondering who I am and why she's with me.  Every now and then she would cover her eyes with her tiny hands or her little blanket and just sob.  My heart breaks every time.

Armed with diapers and noodle bowls, we headed back to the hotel to hunker down for the night.  The first battles in attachment and bonding were fought, and the ranks on both side were exhausted by bedtime.  

I'm going to write more about what attachment and bonding look like for us here in China but my eyes just won't stay open tonight to tackle that.  

Pray for my babies, please.  This is hardest on them.  Night!