A couple nights ago, after what was a really exhausting day, I hear Josie exclaim, "Hey Mom! What's dis big book?" and there she was with her adoption story book. This is the one I made for her and gave to her for her 3rd Birthday. The adoption story book that she has shown NO interest in at all-- until now.
I've often mentioned to Josie-- when we adopted you in China and several other interjections encouraged by adoptive family resources, but until this night Josie has never really asked or commented about it. Not to mention that she tells people that, "We dopted Clara Rose. She is from China." At these times I always pipe in with, "The same way we traveled to China to adopt you."
"Dis is Josie's? Dis is Josie's book!" She says pointing to her name
(she is able to recognize her name in writing).
Me: Yes Josie this is your adoption story book. Mommy made it for you. It is about when Mommy and Daddy traveled to China to adopt you. This picture is of you holding Mommy's finger while you were in the stroller.
Josie: Why
Me: Because you were scared to ride in the stroller, but you felt OK when you held Mommy's hand.
This is the piece of paper we received from China saying they believed we would be good parents and would find a baby for us whose birthparents are not able to take care of a baby at this time.
Josie: Mommy loook! It is baby Dong Dong.
Me: Yes. These are pictures we were sent telling us we could adopt you and bring you home forever and ever.
Me: These are pictures of Mommy and Daddy in the waiting room in China to meet you for the very first time.
Josie: What dis page Mommy?
Me: These are pictures of when we first met you. You were nervous and scared because you didn't know Mommy and Daddy yet.
Josie: Why?
Me: Because you were born in China and you lived there in an orphanage until we were allowed to come adopt you.
Josie: Tank you for coming to get me Mommy. I love you.
Me: I love you Josie and nothing in the world was stopping Daddy and I from coming to bring you home.
Josie: I love dis page mommy-- as she bends over to give it a kiss.
The book is filled with lots of other pictures-- it is a pretty big scrapbook-- pictures of Josie in the orphanage with her Ayi, pictures of us while we waited for her, lots of pictures while we were in China.
I also included a few pictures (quite a few) pictures of Josie's firsts with us from her first year home.
Her 2nd Birthday-- her first with us, her forever family.
Her first Christmas.
The last page has a few pictures of me and Josie and a note I wrote to her about her future.
Throughout the entire time looking at this book, Josie kept going back to this page and saying,
"I love this page" in a soft little voice and giving it a kiss.
I love this page too-- It is my favorite page in the whole book.
I managed to get through all of this without crying, although it brings me to tears now. I'm not sure why, maybe because I know this is just the beginning and as open as I am and want to be with her about her adoption, I am really NOT looking forward to the hard questions that I know lie ahead.
7 comments:
I Love this post. Of course I am crying as I read it. She is getting so big. It seems like just yesterday you were in China getting her! How sweet that she kisses the book!
Michelle
this is so very sweet, thanks for sharing!
I love this post, Reena. My favorite picture is the one of Josie holding your finger. Thanks for sharing this.
I LOVE this post too Reena!!! It bought tears to my eyes. That is so wonderful that you shared that with your daughter. Absolutly beautiful. Beautiful adoption book too!!!!! You do amazing work and are so talented!!!! It is so important to share that with children. They say that a child should not remember when they were first adopted or told they were adopted. It helps the whole process become so much more natural for them and helps them to better understand when like you said the harder question come later in life.
As the parents now of an 11 and 12 yr old we are starting to get the harder questions especcialy from our 12 yr old daughter. We have a book which our daughter's orphange put together for her with which I will just say some very special and very personal pictures. We were going to give it to her later on but felt that now is the best time. I really believe in my heart that knowing from the moment we bought her home about being adopted( and sharing books w similiar to what you made for your daughter)and how much we wanted her has helped us/ her with this chapter of her life.
Your daughters are so blessed to have you as their mother!!!!! Thanks for all your wonderful posts!!!!
Wendy
Hard to believe how little time has passed but how much Josie has grown ... Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. And yes, I had tears too :-)
Gisele
"Thank you for coming to get me, I love you" --- that tells it ALL! Blessed child! Blessed Mommy! Love you!
Andrada
She says 'thank you', so sweet. But I hope she discovers how much we feel she has blessed us, and understands how thankful we are to have her.
Dad
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