It's hard to believe it's been this long, but my beautiful son came home to his forever family twelve years ago today. I find that adoptive families have lots of different names and occasions that they celebrate - Gotcha Day, Forever Day, Referral Day, Forever Family Day - but it all comes down to the same thing. We are so happy to finally be a family that we want to celebrate! So, for our family it is Adoption Day. This is technically the day Jeremiah arrived home in the U.S. and his adoption was technically final months before this day, but today is the day we came home to KY as a family. For us, that was the best day ever!
Our long trip from Romania actually started on the morning of April 15. They are about six hours ahead of the U.S., so when we were boarding a plane there, it was still the middle of the night here. Our first flight was from Bucharest, Romania to Switzerland. I still remember driving down the still, dark streets in Romania with Jeremiah in my lap and tears in my eyes as I thought of leaving the place that had been his home. It is a country filled with beautiful people. Even though I was sad to leave, I was excited to finally be heading home. I think Jeremiah must have sensed my excitement, because he was wired! He screamed the whole time he had to sit in his own seat with his seat belt on. He didn't want to sleep on the plane at all, or eat any of the "kid-friendly" meals they presented us with. I'm pretty sure he had never seen a hot dog in his life, and he wasn't taking too kindly to these! He kept looking at me and saying, "papa" which means food in Romanian.
He also wasn't a big fan of a long layover in Switzerland. Our flight was delayed and by the time they were finally ready for us to board our flight to the U.S. I had to go to the bathroom in a bad way, but every time I sat Jeremiah down he screamed bloody murder. Finally, I just decided I would rather have him screaming in the airport bathroom than in that tiny cubicle that passes for a bathroom on the plane. We made it through the bathroom debacle, and boarded the flight, only to find that this one wasn't going to be any more fun than the last one. You try explaining to a two year old who doesn't speak English that he needs to sit still and be quiet because people are trying to sleep. Somehow, the message wasn't getting through! He finally passed out in the last half hour before our plane landed in New York. Ironic, huh?
Once we landed we breezed through security and immigration, and found the taxi that was supposed to drive us to New Jersey so we could catch a flight from there to Cincinnati. Yeah, we took just about the most scenic route we could find on the way home because it was Saturday and everything was booked. The two hour taxi ride was a hair-raising one. For one, this taxi had no car seat, so I had Jeremiah in my lap wrapped in my arms as tight as possible. Two, our taxi was driven by a large foreign man who talked rapidly on his cell phone in an unidentified foreign language for the entire trip while driving on packed interstates with one hand. Finally, a huge thunder storm chose just this time to burst out with lightening and the kind of thunder that makes your teeth rattle.
When we finally arrived in New Jersey, I was exhausted. Jeremiah was exhausted. I just wanted to go home. And that's when they told us that our flight had been cancelled due to the weather. I just started to cry. Then Jeremiah started to cry. I think the two of us standing there wailing scared the poor airport people to death and they ended up putting us up in a hotel and getting us a flight the next morning.
That was probably the best four hours of sleep I've ever had. It was very late when we got to the hotel, and we had to get up super early the next morning to head back to the airport, but I didn't care. Sleep is sleep, especially when you haven't had any for a while. We finally boarded our flight to Cincinnati and Jeremiah slept peacefully for the whole hour and a half. When the pilot announced that we were approaching Cincinnati, I started to cry. I was finally bringing my baby home.
My best friend Jodi and her Dad were at the airport to pick us up. We headed south toward home, and found a few surprises. Jodi's family had gotten us groceries so we could just go home and make breakfast and not have to worry. Sarah, Connie, and Melissa, a few of my favorite students, had decorated our whole street. All the way down the street there were signs that had the Romanian flag, the American flag, and Welcome Home Jeremiah on them, tied to any and every sign and mailbox they could get their hands on. The kids down the street had even gotten into the act and made their own signs to hang out. When we pulled into the drive there were balloons tied to our mailbox, and our shepherd's hook and a huge welcome home sign on the door.
I was so happy to be home and the day just kept getting better. We had worried that a lot of visitors might make Jeremiah upset, but that was not the case. He is a total people person. As it was Sunday, the visitors starting rolling in as soon as church was over and kept on coming the whole day. Family came, neighbors came, some of my students came, friends came, and my Mom and Dad even surprised us by driving up from West Virginia.
I know these pictures aren't the greatest because I just took pictures of them out of his
scrapbook with my digital camera, but this post wouldn't be complete without them!
The first picture I saw of Jeremiah. Taken September 1999.
He was 21 months old.
Updated pictures taken in early March 2000.
Hanging out on the train from Transylvania to Bucharest.
Jeremiah's brief catnap before we landed in New York.
Chilling in the airport in Cincinnati as we waited for our bags.
He wasn't any happier about being strapped in the car seat than he was about wearing a seat belt on the plane.
Meeting Pappaw for the first time.
Jeremiah reached for him as soon as he laid eyes on him and made all of us cry.
This picture turned out awful, but you had to see it. I think my Dad held Jeremiah's hand for half the afternoon while he walked up and down these landscaping timbers in our yard. They would go all the way down and then turn around and come all the way back. I'm sure they did this about a thousand times!
Looking at all of these pictures makes this seem like it happened yesterday. But I have to tell you, even though they went by way too fast, the twelve years since I became a Mom have been the best years of my life. It has been such a blessing and a privilege to watch Jeremiah grow into a young man that makes me proud on a daily basis.
He works hard at everything, especially things he loves, like baseball.
He loves his friends and wants only the best for them.
He spends his free time doing things like being Snoopy in the church Christmas play.
He loves his baby sister.
And prays for her to come home soon every night.
And even though I still long for the days when this little man would run up to me and throw his arms around me.....
I wouldn't give up hanging out with the young man you have become for anything.
Thank you God for blessing my life with my son.
I love you Jeremiah!
Happy Adoption Day!
