3-14-07 Crossroad's parent meeting

Tonight we attended a meeting at Crossroads to listen to parents that have adopted older children. We are excited because we are hoping that we find a toddler on the next waiting list. There were no little girls for us on the last list and it was heart breaking that the next list wouldn't be out for another 3 months. The wait wondering if our daughter will be on the next list is excruciating! I'm hoping that the information we receive at this meeting will be very positive and informative! I'm wondering how a toddler that only knows Mandarin will adjust to our home where we only speak Mandarin on a baby level and mostly English. I wonder how the bonding and attachment issues are dealt with and if our child will take to us. With Jade Lin it only took her a matter of a couple of hours. She cried the whole bus ride back to the hotel, cried through her 1st bath then I gave her a super warm bottle which she drank a couple of ounces and immediately fell asleep on the bed, sucking on the sleeve of her American jammies. When she awoke from her nap, she took me by the finger and led me to our hotel room door. We took her in the stroller and went our shopping. She was all smiles and loved and trusted us from that moment. Our hearts were hers, forever and we were madly in love with her. My heart was filled with such love and admiration and we only knew her for an hour. How did China match us with this angel? What magic was performed on that day that we would be so head over heels in love with a baby we had just met? I was in love with her since we first glanced at her referral photo only weeks ago. Was it God's loving work that I would first hold Jade Lin on my birthday in China and at the moment that she was placed in my arms, the birthday song would play from some where outside of the window? I have to believe it was God and destiny. It couldn't have been a more perfect or magical moment!