Sunday, August 26, 2007

11:11 and Borealis Grandchild #11

I swear that I've looked at the clock at 11:11 almost every day this week. Today and yesterday, for sure. Probably the day before that, too. I even looked at 1:11 this afternoon. It is uncanny how frequently it happens. I swear it!

My SIL & BIL are in Guatemala meeting and picking up their 13 month old daughter this week. All the kids are at my MIL & FIL's house while they're gone. [Bummer, though, because Starbeans caught Squeeze's cold and there is no way I'm going to spread it around. He's got lots of energy, but the snot and sneezing is copious. We might get to see them later in the week.] My new niece is a half-sister (by blood) to their son, also adopted from Guatemala. The birth mother requested that she be placed in the same home, if possible. We are pretty excited about her: she is fat and chubby and almond-eyed, just like a baby should be. Her hair is dark and she's got rolls, baby, rolls. I love that.

Their process was slowed down pretty badly by governmental issues [Guatemala is considering nixing international adoption] and they've been waiting for over a year to finally pick her up. The whole family is very relieved and pleased that she is finally coming home: we've been waiting a long time! I must say, though, that amidst all the excitement, I'm also saddened by the heartbreak she will inevitably go through. Now that I've had a babe of my own, I have a fuller understanding of one year olds. A one year old knows who they belong to. It is going to be traumatic for her to be separated from her foster family -- I could cry thinking about it long enough. It takes many months to acclimate, if not longer. I'm just glad she'll be too young to remember the trauma. The poor babe. I really am excited, though! We've all been waiting a long time for her to come home. It will be good to finally have her as a physical part of the family.

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