Well, the weather looks good. It looks like we'll be headed 'home' for Christmas (Milwaukee). We are heading out tomorrow and coming home the following day. It should be fun. Jaden and I are both really looking forward to being around family on this holiday.
Next Christmas, we for sure will not be headed out of town. Christmas Day is on a Sunday, and we will have church, so there will be no way. Also, I am hoping we have our new little one - so we will need to make it a quiet time around here. We learned, in our adoption classes, that these kids, no matter their age, come to you grieving. It makes sense, really. When you think about it, the orphanage is really the only home they've ever known! They've had a large variety of ladies taking care of them and trying to meet their needs. They are losing that to a brand new, totally unfamiliar world and they will never see that old world again. Even though we say 'Thank God for that,' this little one doesn't understand that. He/she is losing everything they've ever known. It's sad immediately, but in the long run, we all know that the life we are able to give this child is better than a life in an orphanage or worse, in Africa. :( Anyway, when you take the baby from the orphanage, this will probably most likely be the baby's first time in a car. Most get real, real sick since they are not used to it. Also, since there has been no ONE person (or TWO) meeting the needs of this child, they are lost. They don't know what to do or who to turn to next! We received tons of advice from multiple sources that for months, Jaden and I must be the only people to hold, feed, change, bathe, etc. our child. I know some of you are going to be hurt by this (not being allowed to hold your niece/nephew/grandchild/best friend's new baby is going to hurt). I know. But, it is the way it has to be until we are certain that our child is completely, 100% attached to us. Because in the long run, believe me, you want that child to be more attached to us than you. They say, when you walk away from your child and try to leave him/her with someone else and the child starts to cry, you know you are starting to be successful with having a securely attached child. Totally opposite of what we want to see from our biological children! :) And, they brought up in our classes, that our child will have never received a present, seen Christmas lights, been to Target or a grocery store... EVERYTHING is going to be new. Even his/her parents for a long time. So, we are going to need to take some time, as a family, to get to know each other and form close, almost over the top attachments with our child before we allow visitors or take any trips.
I may be wishful thinking, but I'm really feeling like, maybe around Christmas next year (shortly before or shortly after) is when we will be traveling to Ethiopia and picking up our baby. I hope it's before, but we'll see!!! Anyway, I'm thinking of how different it will be next year, and while it may be difficult to not be around extended family at Christmas, it will be the best for our child and us and it will be for an excellent reason. And as soon as that child is extra attached to us, we'll have lots and lots of visits to make up for. :)
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