A year ago today we finally touched our son. The paperwork and the waiting and the pictures and the dreaming all came to life when he was handed to us in the airport. I was so excited and so nervous and so overwhelmed. Here he was, finally, Oliver with us. From another continent, another language, another caregiver, another climate, he was placed into my arms. There was this rush of excitement and exchanges. Touching him, holding him, kissing him. Gathering information from his escort and his paperwork and his bag of medicine. Processing the timing of his malaria medicine and his next bottle and the medicine for his bad cold.
And then suddenly it was just us, our full family of 5 walking out of the airport into our life together.
If we walked back into the airport today, we would look similar to the family that left it a year ago-the five of us together. But what this year has given us has changed us all forever.
This year has given us memories, sweet moments of connection, attachment, growth, development, laughter, the joy of seeing a personality unfold. It has also given us many nights of little sleep, the busy routine of caring for a baby, doctor appointments, therapy, the daily work of being a family.
Our prayer as 2012 began was that God would make us a family. And as we look back, we can see that all that this year has brought to us--the good and the hard--God has used to knit us together. We are a family, and today we celebrate the knowing of each other and the day that we became five.
If we walked back into that airport today, no one would have to bring Oliver to us. He would know us, and he would come running.
Happy Homecoming Day Oliver! We love you!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/axp5oq4syped45n/2012.mp4 (a slideshow celebrating our year with Oliver)
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