Day 4 In A Moment All That's Been Is Lost In What Will Be

That post title is taken from a favorite Steven Curtis Chapman song
I learned from our first adoption that the only thing anyone wants to read about on this day is meeting Kinley. So just briefly then, the morning was agonizing. One of the sweetest parts of waiting was to see besides how anxious Steve, Jenna and I were was to see how nervous and anxious Liam seemed to be.

We arrived to meet our guide, Rebecca, about 20 minutes early in the lobby. She showed up early as well and told us if we arrived early enough we would see Kinley get off the elevator. The drive to the civil affairs office was probably 15-20 minutes tops. We made some small talk to pass the time but truly watching out the windows at life in China is captivating enough. The walk from the van to the building where we met our daughter takes you down a somewhat dilapidated alley. The few people we passed gave us curious looks but we were too excited to notice much. We had to wait for a few elevators for our turn. The first one we entered was overweight so we had to exit and wait for the next. Our turn came and we rode the plywood lined elevator to the 8th floor where we have seen so many pictures of so many families coming together. That moment and everything else following has been surreal.

We were one of only three other families. A blessing. Some Monday’s there are as many as 60 families meeting their children essentially at the same time. Two of the families were perhaps Dutch and received their small children; one a boy and the other a girl. One family was apparently nervous first time parents and the other had previously adopted a daughter from China. The third family is one I have met on facebook and they along with their 10 (almost 11) year old daughter were adopting a 6 and a 7 year old girl. In that small group were sufficient tears to tear at your heart. Another small blessing is that Kinley was a little late-enough time for some of the heavy sobs from the other children to cease.

We heard the doors of the elevator opening and a little after 2:30 saw a scurry pass us to the children’s waiting room where official documents are checked. Our guide quickly asked for our TA and as fast as that a scared and tearful girl was thrust into our arms. I had started to greet her in the arms of the person who brought her. But that is not how it is done here. She was placed in my arms and the worker quickly went out of sight. Sort of like ripping off a band-aid. When you stop to truly think about it, there is no easy way, no right or wrong way. It is simply hard.

Steve and I brought her to a small bench where we could sit with her and attempt to console her. When we both began crying with her it was clear we weren’t helping. Jenna, worth her weight in gold, reminded us we had toys set aside to distract her. The rest, as they say, is history. Who would think that one small orange toy cell phone would be all that was needed to traverse into the other side. Within minutes of introducing this phone we had smiles. Before the hour was up we had giggles. We played with the Hello Kitty sticker book while Steve got to fill out paperwork and learn more about her routine. It is very evident that the people from Zhuhai care for Kinley deeply. They provided much detail about her routine and her health. We will have the chance to learn more when we visit her orphanage later this week.

The pictures do a pretty good job of showing the emotions. You can gauge Liam’s reactions by the looks on his face…sad, upset and uncertain. Reflecting back we probably spent too much time preparing him for the fun we are anticipating and not enough time on the transition about to take place. While he understands a great deal, how can you explain all of this to a 5 year old?! I am not certain I totally comprehend all of it. Jenna isn’t in a lot of the pictures because she was the woman behind the camera. It is surprising she got any good shots with all the tears in her eyes. She has dreamt of this day and I think it fulfilled every dream. Why do I have a feeling our family will be back to China in some capacity. Steve took on the role of father and protector. He completed the paperwork and diligently asked our questions and took meticulous notes. He once again amazes me at how quickly he falls in love. And I, as I said before, have the feeling this is all surreal. You dream of this day, this moment for such a long time. It just takes a while to come down from the clouds.