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Published: March 24th 2015
Three-and-a-half years after I formally submitted the adoption application, the day has finally arrived!
With enormous trepidation, Maya and I made our way to the adoption office with our lovely guide, Tiger. There were a number of other families already milling around the scattered tables and chairs, all of them turning anxiously towards the door every time it opened in anticipation of the arrival of their new child. Their faces collectively fell as they caught sight of my pasty white face (a not uncommon occurrence!) and they sat back to await the next door opening. Maya and I looked at each other and silently agreed not to be overwhelmed by anxiety. Instead, we began singing the Sondheim tunes from “Into the Woods” and giggling every time we mucked up the lyrics.
Finally, the children arrived in a flurry, and a swarm of parents waded into the fray to pluck their children from the melée. Sammy was easy to spot, as he was wailing the loudest. He bawled so hard throughout the handover that other couples peeled themselves from their new children to check that he was OK and a couple of times in the hotel room, he cried so
hard he vomited, but these meltdowns are usually now linked to specific issues related to hygiene (taking his clothes off, brushing his teeth, bathing him) much like his mother.
Sammy does not appear to have any additional issues to those in his file, although his knees and feet are pretty grim. He can walk unaided for six or seven steps, but I worry that walking will exacerbate the damage.
Otherwise, Sammy is fantastic.
- In contrast to his file, which stated that he couldn’t speak more than a couple of words, he babbles away incessantly to himself and he makes himself clearly understood to us as our grasp of Chinese improves at a rate of knots. Our hotel room rings with the sound of “Bu sh” – “No!” (Maya swears he’s saying “Bullsh!t!”! and sometimes it fits the context!)
- Sam is very alert and inquisitive, hobbling over to investigate everything that catches his interest, with the sound of “Wow!” regardless of its actual worth.
- Sammy could eat for China. He has a sweet tooth (more like a sweet head), but then Shakespeare and the Greeks never had chocolate and they wrote the greatest
tragedies. In the real food realm, he hates vegetables, but loves eggs and bananas, which makes our forays into the world of squat toilets very (ahem) interesting. Note to self: don't wear a long skirt in a squat!
- He began calling me "Mamma" and Maya "Jei Jei" almost immediately, which thrilled Maya to pieces. He kisses us and says "Wo ai ni" (I love you) whenever he's really happy. He frets when I'm not there, so bonding has begun. Maya is completely smitten and said to me yesterday: "It's OK, mum, I'll take it from here with Jia", making it clear that she will take full responsibility for him. She insists on pushing his pram and she loves to play with him. I have no expectation that this euphoria will last, but I’ll take what I can get at this stage.
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Gail
non-member comment
"Bout time
Here we are all worrying ourselves senseless (hmmm that happened some time ago I hear you say) but I am so Hap-Hap-Happy for you all. Give Maya and Sammy a big smackeroo from us