Today, at 11:06 am, I got "the call" at work. Don and I knew we were going to get the referral this week because we had seen the information change on the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) website. However, we weren't certain what day it would be. I had it in my mind that there would be a preliminary call from Gladney to determine who should be notified first, and what numbers to call. Well, there wasn't a preliminary call. When I saw a number coming in from New York City, and heard Andrea Yonai's voice on the other end, it was the real deal. I can't describe the feeling of hearing Andrea say, "Lisa, I have your referral. I am looking at a picture of a beautiful little girl."
Overall, I remained fairly calm and didn't cry too much. I was shaking like a leaf clinging to a tree. During the call, I asked many questions to learn as much as I could about the baby. However, the information Andrea had in English was very limited. Oh, how frustrating to want to know so much, but to walk away with so little. However, I had to remind myself there will always be questions--most that won't ever be answered. Anyway, Andrea told me she was brought to the social welfare institute at five days old, and that she has been in foster care since she was two months old. We will receive a translation of "her story" in a few days.
There was about a 90 minute lapse between when I got the call, and then saw Lindy's face for the first time. During our journey I have looked at so many referral pictures, so I wasn't really sure how I pictured her. Would she be chubby? Would she be petite? Would she have that crazy hair that sticks up everywhere? Would she be bald? I had wondered how I would react, and whether I would experience the amazing love at first sight so many women undergo when they see their child for the first time, no matter how they look.
Overall, I remained fairly calm and didn't cry too much. I was shaking like a leaf clinging to a tree. During the call, I asked many questions to learn as much as I could about the baby. However, the information Andrea had in English was very limited. Oh, how frustrating to want to know so much, but to walk away with so little. However, I had to remind myself there will always be questions--most that won't ever be answered. Anyway, Andrea told me she was brought to the social welfare institute at five days old, and that she has been in foster care since she was two months old. We will receive a translation of "her story" in a few days.
There was about a 90 minute lapse between when I got the call, and then saw Lindy's face for the first time. During our journey I have looked at so many referral pictures, so I wasn't really sure how I pictured her. Would she be chubby? Would she be petite? Would she have that crazy hair that sticks up everywhere? Would she be bald? I had wondered how I would react, and whether I would experience the amazing love at first sight so many women undergo when they see their child for the first time, no matter how they look.
When I first saw her picture, I was speechless. I just stared. I don't remember my thoughts because I was captivated by her big, beautiful eyes. Then I came out of my trance and kept thinking, "this is my daughter, this is my daughter, this is my daughter." Does love at first sight exist? Yes, yes it does.
"Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a distant land."
--Proverbs 25:25
It is with great joy that we proudly announce the long anticipated referral of our daughter
Fan Xiao Jia
"Joyful Dawn"
Soon to be known as Lindy (Middle name TBD) Osborn
Date of birth: 05/08/2005 (Mother's Day 2005)
Changsha, Hunan Province, China
We can't wait to bring her home!!!
"Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a distant land."
--Proverbs 25:25
It is with great joy that we proudly announce the long anticipated referral of our daughter
Fan Xiao Jia
"Joyful Dawn"
Soon to be known as Lindy (Middle name TBD) Osborn
Date of birth: 05/08/2005 (Mother's Day 2005)
Changsha, Hunan Province, China
We can't wait to bring her home!!!
3 comments:
I can't express the excitement I had when I opened my email inbox and saw a message with the subject line..."Meet your Grandaughter", nor the tearful joy I felt when I opened the message and read the beautiful "Announcement"...but,Oh my...when I scrolled down and saw those precious pictures! There she was at last! Now I could finally put a face with the word "grandaughter"! And what a face...and those big beautiful eyes that just grabbed my heart. I made countless trips back to the computer screen that night and the early morning hours just to be mesmerized by that face. Now she was real!
I can't express the excitement I had when I opened my email inbox and saw a message with the subject line..."Meet your Grandaughter", nor the tearful joy I felt when I opened the message and read the beautiful "Announcement"...but,Oh my...when I scrolled down and saw those precious pictures! There she was at last! Now I could finally put a face with the word "grandaughter"! And what a face...and those big beautiful eyes that just grabbed my heart. I made countless trips back to the computer screen that night and the early morning hours just to be mesmerized by that face. Now she was real!
Okay..I am commenting here a year and a half later (October 2007) but I love the way you announced your referral. Linsy looks so petite and her eyes are beautiful!!!
Kim
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