An Intricate Dance

We are in Guangzho, checking things off our To Do List to finalize our adoption of Charlie.  The process has been intense.  We traveled here 2 days ago from Tianjin, and the journey was long and awful.  Charlie had no clue what was going on, and we lack the language to tell him. Everything he does is so new to him, and we are little more than total strangers in his world.  He knows we are Mama, Baba, and Jie Jie, (mom, dad, and big sister), but what does that really mean?   How does one manage the ins and outs of being in a family when the concept of such is so tangled and unfamiliar?  And to have no way to communicate with each other, it's a stunning challenge at times.  We are all full of mixed emotions and on edge.

Yesterday was the best day we've had so far.  He was seeming more attached to us and having a blast with his sister.  They are already good buds, and often he wants to be near her constantly.  They communicate really well with each other, too, all things considered.  At times they chatter and fuss and laugh and play, and sound like they've been siblings forever.  And they tell on each other, too!  I got many hugs from Dan Dan last night.  Such medicine for this mama's soul.  :)   This morning was back to Upside Down World again, and Charlie woke up sad, angry, and restless.  We've had one meltdown after the next, and they have not been pretty.

Building a family is not easy work, and sometimes it feels a bit hopeless.  None of this is unexpected or anything we have not experienced before.  We know there is a plan, and over time, our family will come together, and our rhythms will be in sync.  I read in a parenting book once that parent/child attachment is a delicate dance, and I agree.  It's often one step forward, 2 (or 12!) steps back.  However, I can already think of a thousand good things to say about our wild little tank boy, and I know my life will be bigger and brighter because he is in it.  I am just hoping for a better day soon.  :)