Be Nine

Yes, it is time to acknowledge another LID "anniversary".

Nine. Nine months in line with the CCAA.

I don't need to explain to anyone what nine months usually means to expectant parents. We realized last night that it was a year ago that we announced our adoption plans to my parents.

This is a funny story. We were all in the car - Mom, Dad, Jzboy and me. You know how great it is to do the family-talking-thing in the car, right? Everyone facing forward. I'm sure that you can visualize it. Mom was talking about elaborate trips she wants to make post retirement. Somehow this seemed to be a good place to mention our hopeful travels.

I said, "Jzboy and I are planning on taking a pretty big trip ourselves here in the next year"....."Yeah, we're going to be going to China".

Mom, "China???" Dad...silent.

Me, quite nervously, "Yeah, we're going to be going to China to adopt".

Mom, "Wow...really?...(surprise)...(gush)". Dad...quietly drives.

Jzboy provides some comic relief and breaks the slightly awkward silence in the car by joking, "Yeah we'll be going to China to adopt the ways of the Chinese...to adopt the Chinese culture...chuckle, chuckle".

Courtesy laughter.

I realized then that I'd left out some details. Thank goodness Mom started asking some questions and with some relief that we'd finally let the secret out, I began telling the whole story. The agency, the dossier, the timeline...etc.

Suddenly there was a sound from the driver's side of the car. Dad, speaks.

He said, perplexed, "You mean, you are going to adopt a Chinese PERSON?"

The lightbulb was lit brightly over his head. And, we all had a good laugh. You have to admit that our news was a lot to process what with my anxious storytelling, Jzboy's silly joke and the winding road that Dad was navigating.

That was a very memorable car ride. Funny, loving, happy excitement.

I can hardly believe that was a year ago!