One Week To Go!

Several times over the past week Gene and I have stopped, looked at each other, and said, "We are about to have a child!" The other night we decided at the "last minute" to go see a movie that started at 9 p.m. Gene wanted to see "Transformers" and I didn't really care to see it but I said, "Soon we won't be able to go out at the drop of a hat like this. Let's do it just because we can!" As we've spent the last week meeting with the pediatrician, installing the safety gate at the top of the stairs, buying "baby gear" for the trip, and trying to decide what to pack for Eden, I think the reality of being parents is sinking in. I'm not sure we'll truly grasp that she is ours until we step off the plane back in Birmingham.

We're excited that we are going to have a few days in Beijing to decompress after all of the last-minute running around and late nights we are pulling to get ready to be out of town. I'm excited to have my mom traveling with us as I'm beginning to feel the "first-time mom panic" of, "What do I feed her? What if she gets choked? What if she won't stop crying? What if she gets sick?" And then on top of that, there's the "I'm going to become a first-time mom on the other side of the world panic" which includes, "She understands Chinese. I don't speak Chinese. She doesn't speak English. If I call someone for help they won't speak English. I don't know what kids eat there. I don't know where anything is. What if I need something I didn't bring?" And all of this is topped off with the "I am giving birth to a toddler anxiety" which includes, "What if she doesn't like me? She can run away from me. She weighs 24 pounds...that's heavy! Oh man, I should have gotten in shape - she's going to wear me out! How am I going to entertain her for the 2-day trip home? She is going to be into EVERYTHING!"

Thankfully, however, all of this anxiety pales in comparison to the "God is sufficient" peace which includes, "God knows Eden. God knows me. God knows Gene. God created the 3 of us. God loves the 3 of us. God planned for the 3 of us to be a family. God led us to one another. God knows the future. God lives in Eden's parents. He will show us what she needs. He will love her through us. God is all we need." And then, of course, there's the "I love her with all of my heart" peace which includes, "I have been praying for her since before she was born. God has softened my heart to her needs. I don't expect anything from her - I just want to love her. She is my daughter. I will do whatever it takes to meet her needs. She is worth whatever difficulties come with her. She is a blessing. She is precious. I want to be her mommy."

As you can see, my mind is racing as I process the weeks that are ahead. So many changes, so much blessing. My head is full, but my heart is even fuller! This child who belongs to no one on this earth is about to become a daughter, a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, a friend. She will have a mommy, a daddy, grandparents, great-grandmothers, aunts & uncles, cousins, friends, and 2 sweet dogs! So many people have been waiting for her, praying for her, and loving her with us. We can't wait to bring her home!

The official process of putting everything into suitcases begins this week. I have been making a packing list for about 3 weeks and it's a good thing I started then because I keep remembering little things to add. I've been to Wal-Mart (I'm sure not for the last time), borrowed the biggest suitcase I have ever seen, and have begun "piles" throughout the house. Our airline tickets arrived. I have one last meeting with our social worker at the adoption agency on Tuesday to finalize details. We are almost ready to go! Thank you all for taking this journey with us. Your prayers and support mean more than you know. We love you!