I am so glad to be having the chance to finally sit down at my computer and update a bit. The last month or so has been a complete and utter whirlwind, preparing for our son to come home.

We found out a few weeks ago that we had travel approval and were given the date of February 10th to leave. That’s this coming Wednesday, 5 more days! It’s surreal really. Jack’s suitcase was the first thing to be packed. I think it was the most fun to pack! We have a few bathing suits folded in since we have been told we can swim with him in the hotel pools. He has more than likely never been swimming before so we have a puddle jumper packed as well.

Jack’s room has been a work in progress for some time now. I swear I started it the day after we said “yes” to our little guy. It is looking so so good and we can’t wait for him to come home and see it. The most favorite part is the world map wallpaper. This just completes the room for all of us. We are able to show him exactly where we traveled to bring him home. The Pacific Ocean sure is massive! Ha!

These next five days I plan to relish the time with my girls knowing that for 17 days, we will be apart. We will look back after we are home and settled and know that it was a blip in time really and that it was for the right reasons, however, it doesn’t change the fact that my heart hurts every time I think of a day going by without being able to kiss their faces and hug their warm little selves.

I promise to update my blog in China as frequently as possible. We plan to use these 17 days to really get to know our son, see some sights, eat some different foods, and of course get a sense of where our child came from. If we are lucky we might find that his birth mother left a note tucked away in his pocket. I’m not counting on it, but I’m hoping. Some sort of clue as to why she abandoned him at 19 months of age. However, I want to make it clear to everyone that I don’t blame her for doing what she did. These moms over there aren’t faced with easy decisions and most of the time their intentions are good. They know they cannot give them the life they deserve and they hope by leaving them behind, an opportunity will be given to them. I can hear Jack’s mothers cries and I know it was with a heavy sad heart that she did what she did. I will always have love for her for giving him to us.

We skyped with Jack right after Christmas! It was amazing and totally and utterly surreal. Josh was away on business the first time we did it, but we have since done it again and that time Josh was able to be right by my side. Jack’s little friend asked me in Chinese “Can I come to America to live with you?” That literally broke my heart. I wish we could take all of them. Really.

I wanted to share our Skype session. It was truly truly remarkable. I never want to forget the feeling of seeing and talking to him for the first time.

Our trip itinerary goes like this;  We start in Beijing and spend three nights, then travel by plane to his home province called Zhengzhou. We’ll be meeting him on the morning of February 15th. Remember, we will be13 hours ahead in China so as you are going to bed on Valentines Day, we will be getting ready to go and meet Jack. We spend another 5 nights or so there and then the three of us fly to Guangzhou. There we will formalize everything, sign a bunch of paperwork, wait for his Visa to arrive and then his passport. February 26th, we will depart for home sweet home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtQhqJWJs2k&feature=em-upload_owner