Journey’s With Kelly…A Marathon Adoption of Epic Proportion

The Meeting of a Sleep Deprived Mom and an Amazing New Son

Hello readers. I’m glad you’re are back to read another installment of the journey to bring Mitchell Feri home. I trust that as you read about my journey to meet him for the first time that you will see through this mom’s eyes what meeting an older child is like.

Early on a cold November morning, I unload my bags that I have stuffed to the gills with “stuff” for my boy. I have never been packed so efficiently. (That in part due to my wonderful friend, Melanie, who literally packed my suitcase for me.) I was too frazzled from moving across town to even think about how to pack. I could not wait to get on the plane just so I could sleep. The anxiety of leaving my oldest child behind for 11 days in brand new surroundings was at the forefront of my mind, but it did not override the excitement of knowing that I would see my 2^nd child in just 48 hours.
As I greeted the other people that were coming on the mission trip that morning, I am sure that the excitement I felt was evident. Most of them were probably hoping to not be seated next to me. Not to worry, another “expectant mom”, Jan, would be my seat mate. Our dear Bonika Susie had already made our seat assignments.

Our flights all left on time and soon we were flying over the ocean. With every minute I was closer to meeting my little guy for the first time. In Amsterdam, at some ungodly time of day, I waited, practically falling asleep propped up by someone’s suitcase.

I am not good with sleep deprivation in any form and my body clock had no idea what time it was. Something to factor in when traveling to meet one’s child: Plan a day for sleep before you see your child. I had…….Wait till you read what happens.

Finally we boarded in Amsterdam, the last “leg” of the journey before I would land in the country of my son’s birth. We got our instructions of how to enter through customs.

We found out that we would take a 2 hour drive to a hotel in the mountains for our first nights stay. The night I’d plan for sleep. Yes, I was being smart. Jan and I could hardly believe that we could wait another day to see our kids, but at that point sleep was sounding glorious. Me, a pillow, a shower and an Ambien.

Even now I can feel the anticipation I felt when I stepped off the plane. Knowing that I was in the place of my son’s birth made me feel so much closer to him. I wanted to remember everything. Would he like me? How will we communicate? Will he want to touch me? All these things raced through my sleep deprived mind as I checked through customs. Being occupied in mind, I totally missed all the jockeying of my missions teammates to keep me and Jan at the back of the line. We breezed through customs a lot faster than I thought we should. I think someone just let us walk through. And I had went to so much trouble to pack everything in clear bags. Funny the things you remember you thought just before you met your child.
As I turned the corner into the terminal, I looked up and saw my son’s caregiver. I thought “how nice, Paul has come to greet us”. And Bonika Susie comes up behind me and whispers “surprise!”. I looked down and there stood the most beautiful 5 year old boy I have ever seen before or since. I dropped all my luggage and probably scared my little guy to death when I dropped to my knees in front of him. He had been coached, and smiled a shy smile, like he knew the secret and I didn’t kind of smile, like he knew the secret and I didn’t kind of smile. I think I asked if I could hug him, but I’m not sure. I just did and he responded with a hug back and a sweet “hello mommy”. My friends around me collected my luggage and I left the airport in Bucharest with a small hand in mine. The best feeling this sleep deprived mom could ever have.

I do not recommend meeting your child directly off the plane after a 17 hour flight, but if you must do it. Brush your teeth and get ready for the best feeling you have ever had in your life.

This installment of A Marathon Adoption of Epic Proportion is dedicated to our beloved Bonika Susie. Our friend and God Mother to our Mitchell Feri. Thank you for giving me one of the best days of my life, Sue.

(Read all of Kelly’s Journey’s by clicking on the tag below “Posted in Journey’s”)