How I Became A Mom

I can’t believe I have been blogging for a couple years now, and I haven’t blogged about the day I became a mom! I’ve mentioned it here and there, but never did a post dedicated to that wonderful, awesome day. In celebration of Mother’s Day, I’d like to share the best day of life with all of you.

Background: When I was about 20 yrs old I had a cervical cancer and had to have a hysterectomy. When Teacherman and I were married Sept. 1991 we knew we were going to adopt and started looking into agency as soon as possible - most required that we be married a few years, but finally we found one that counted our years of living together towards the requirements. At first we tried adoption here in the U.S. but it can take 10 years or longer, and we were already almost 40 so ten years was not an option. We also applied for open adoption, where our photo and bio were placed in a notebook to be looked over and someone could pick us. We had two opportunites where we were considered but both times the birth mothers picked someone else, and emotionally it was very difficult to handle. Then we heard of China adoptions. We went to an introduction meeting and within five minutes Teacherman and I looked at each other with smiles and we knew we were going to be parents in about a year.

Oct. 20, 1996 - After a long, roller coaster ride of a year with mountains of paperwork completed, tons of letters of recommendations from almost everyone we knew and barely knew (including local police, bankers, neighbors), lots of home studies and parenting classes the big day was finally HERE. We had travelled half way around the world to an awesome country and were now standing in a room with 9 other parents-to-be with our hearts pounding and the biggest smiles ever on our faces.

Where motherhood began - Zhanjiang, China

Silver Seas Hotel, Zhanjiang, China - where we stayed

The Harbor, South China Sea, Zhanjiang, China

Zhanjiang Social Welfare Institute - where the babies are cared fod

(Note: I wish I had more photos, but back then I didn’t have a digital camera, so our photos would need to be scanned. These are photos are from the Zhanjiang Kids Org photo collection.)

Our translator told us the babies would be arriving any minute. We could hear the “aunties” (foster mothers) lining up in the hall, my hands started to tremble with excitement. Once every one was ready Dur (our group’s mentor) called out #1 and our name, and the first auntie came in carrying a sleeping baby. As she placed our daughter in my arms I just cried and smiled, my heart felt like it was going to burst with so much joy and love. Teacherman cried too but managed to hold on to the video camera. I managed to remind him to film the others too because we knew we would want to have it recorded for later. Words are totally inadequate to describe the atmosphere in the room, but I’m sure you can imagine how awesome it was, like being in a delivery room times ten. Within in a few minutes ten new families were formed, babies were having diapers changed, aunties were being given the extra baby clothes we brought for donations, and within another few minutes we were all piled in the bus waving goodbye, every one smiling and eyes filled with tears. Some of the aunties cried too, happy but sad to see their small charges leave.

We all went to our hotel rooms to begin life our lives together. Angelgirl curled her little fingers around her daddy’s pinky and grabbed his nose. She has been the center of his world ever since. I couldn’t stop staring at her, and the smile on my face was from ear to ear.

The following week of official paperwork, travelling within China to complete all the necessary steps, visiting the hospital for the requried physcial checkup on all the girls, our trip to the U.S Embassy for their passports, all passed in a blur. We had 1 day of site seeing where we visited a beach and a lovely temple. No one minded at all that our days were spent mostly in hotel rooms, small offices, and crowded on a bus, because no one took their eyes off their daughters and no one stopped smiling the entire time. Even the plane ride home (over 20 hours) went by blissfully.

We arrived home Oct. 30 (my birthday, which actually lasted two days that year because we crossed the international date line). A friend of ours picked us at the airport and whisked us to our house, where my family and a few other close friends were waiting for us with a welcome home banner and cake. Angelgirl took in everything calmly and checked out everyone who held her.

From the moment she was put into my arms, my life has been blessed and filled with joy each and every second. She turns 12 this week, and it amazes me how fast times flies by. She will always be my Angelgirl no matter how old she is, and I will never ever forget the joy and love that began that moment she was placed in my arms.

Hope all the mom’s out there had an awesome Mother’s Day!

Bright Blessings, Lady Rose
(crossed posted on Diet Pulpit)