Bump In The Road

The day we arrived home from China, two local families were leaving to go to China! They set off to bring home their baby girls who are close in age to Maddox. After three months of being home, we all got together for dinner to celebrate our homecomings. We also invited a family to join us who is in the process to adopt. So good to see these babies home with their families! During our visit, I asked one mother what her biggest challenge has been since bringing home their daughter. She responded and then asked me the same question. Well, I answered honestly - it really hasn't been a challenge with Maddox. Yes, it is one more child which means more responsibilities, more laundry, more bodies to bathe, mouths to feed and teeth to brush, but that has really all fallen into place. Yes, we have had a few overwhelming moments and, yes, Maddox is very much a "do not touch my mommy or I will hit you" kind of girl, but, honestly, it has been a very smooth transition for all of us. Until today, I would not have classified anything as, well, a "challenge." However, because Maddox is now all healed from surgery and because we desperately want to participate in our church services together as a family, we placed M in the nursery. Oh, how she screamed even before I signed her in. She knew exactly where we were. She hung on to me with fear. Her eyes were huge and full of crocodile tears. Pitiful. But, I let her go, told her goodbye and then stood in the hall and listened to her cry....I have done this with all of my children and all have cried no more than a few moments at the most. Not Maddox. She cried and cried and cried. Finally, I went in to her rescue and whisked her away and held her tight for comfort. I took her into our SS class and when she saw Ryan, even though she would not go to him, she cried happy tears and clapped joyously.

Three days from now, we will celebrate four months with Maddox. And while those four months seem like forever to us, it is in moments like today that I realize how small her forever is. She remembers. And I was sadly reminded of how hard she cried on Gotcha Day and how I could not comfort her. The difference today was that I could comfort her. So happy for how far we have come and I am thankful for today's reminder on how far we have to go!