It was 10pm when my mom and I walked in the door, weary from travel and the months prior. Exhausted and feeling defeated. Life had knocked us down, and it was becoming a struggle to get back up again. We had just returned home from a week long getaway in Colorado, where Eric was playing a Halloween show with Particle, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a little break from our lives, so mom and I decided to tag along.
Superstorm Sandy had just struck and devastated the east coast days prior, and we were lucky to get home. Eric was continuing on to play additional shows in the east, not sure they would even happen, given the ramifications from the storm. The feeling of displacement was evident from coast to coast, and strong within us as well. Having endured the sudden passing of my father, two adoption disruptions, and a lot of heartache along the way, the strength within our family was fading, and we were all feeling the light within wane.
10:05pm: just 5 minutes after mom and I walked through the door, the phone rang. Our lives were once again about to be altered forever. This time for the better. Much, much MUCH better in fact! "Hello Crystal?" our adoption counselor exclaimed from the other end of the line. "Yes..." I hesitated. After all, this couldn't actually be THE CALL, could it? It was. "I just found your daughter!" And that was it. I put the phone on speaker and called for my mom. We sat there, smiling, listening to the details, the medical report, and the overwhelming excitement coming from the other end of the phone. We were already in love. Then we saw her photo. Done and done. There was no question in our minds; she had indeed found our daughter. Our little China Tiger Princess. Worlds apart, yet conceived in our hearts.
It was after 11pm when we hung up the phone. Heads spinning, hearts full. There was only one small issue...it was a Thursday night. We only had 48 hours to accept our referral, and in order to do that I needed to send the medical report to our international adoption specialist, get the green light, and oh yes...get in touch with Eric and let him know his life was about to be forever altered! No biggie.
Assuming he was already onstage playing his show in Philly, I texted him: "Holy sh*t! We have a daughter! Call me ASAP." Unbeknownst to me, he had not taken the stage yet...they were almost an hour later than expected due to the storm. He was literally walking on stage when he read my text. "Um guys..." he said. "I need a minute..." He phoned. We looked at the photos and medical report together. We cried (okay...I cried) with excitement and gratefulness. Things were finally looking up. There she was...our baby girl. At last, and well worth the wait.
February 1, 2013: 3 months later.
I am grateful for many things in my life, and I have to say this little Tiger is at the top of my list. We are getting closer to bringing her home, and getting our house (and our dogs) ready for a toddler! She is 14 months old today (born, Dec. 1, 2011). We have received word that she is doing very well. Happy, healthy, and sweet. We are forever grateful to her nannies for taking such great care of her, and to her her birth parents for giving us the gift of a lifetime. I only wish I could hug them all. I imagine that feeling will never go away.
While we do not have our exact travel dates yet, we are hoping to bring her home sometime in March or early April.
We have decided to begin this blog so that you, our dear friends and family can follow along on our journey of love if you choose to do so. We look forward to sharing photos of her and our life as a family once we touch back down in the states. Thank you for your support and love. Until next time,
Yu ganxie (With gratitude),
Crystal
