On the way home, we called the agency to accept while still six hours from home. Three hours later, our rollercoaster of emotion hit high gear. Lina from Saint Mary International Adoptions called us back to say that we needed to be in Poland in a week. Celebration turned into slight panic as I went into full planning mode. I had to let me boss know that I’d need more vacation time after just returning from a week off, plane tickets needed to be bought, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. I honestly don’t remember much of the week before we flew out. All I knew is that I was going to see my baby girl soon and I’d move heaven and earth to make it happen.
Before we knew it, we were an ocean away and amongst the excitement I was aware that my Polish was nowhere near what I had hoped it would be when we reached this point. Our Polish facilitator’s kind smile and constant assurance helped soothe nerves – at least until we found ourselves in a room in the orphanage waiting to see the door open. After what seemed like a lifetime, the door opened and a very sweet nun came in carrying the little face whose picture we had been staring at for a week. My heart stopped for a moment as I fell in love with this little stranger. As the others in the room chatted to us and worked to introduce our daughter to us, I just kept staring at her, taking her in. We knew she was small but she was tiny. Tiny and perfect and, as we found out when they got ready to pass her into Becky’s waiting arms, fierce. She is a real little person who knows what she wants. I know it’s that fight that has gotten her this far in her short life.
The next three days flew by too fast. We spent a few hours each day getting to know our daughter (she loves music, corn puffs and her momma, she’s still warming up to dad) and we soaked up every moment. Before we knew it, our whirlwind trip was over. It was so hard to kiss that little head and whisper that we loved her and goodbye for now. We cried while walking down the main street of the city until we forced ourselves to pull it together so we weren’t “those weird Americans” to everyone around us.
We’ve been back home for a few weeks now and life seems to be settling back into a bit of routine. The rollercoaster has evened out for now. We’ve met our princess and can prepare her kingdom for her while we wait to return to Poland and make her ours forever. While I’ve never been a fan of real roller coasters in amusement parks, I wouldn’t trade this world of emotional loop-de-loops for anything and I can’t wait for the end of this ride, when we take the big plunge into parenthood.
To learn more about Poland Adoption with Saint Mary International Adoptions, please click the link.