Monday, September 24, 2012

In Transition?

Right now, we are hoping to hear any minute of plans for Jonathan's move from Lubumbashi to our agency's transition home in Kinshasa. This step will mark the final stage of our adoption, and means that we will probably be with our son in two more months!

And while we are, of course, beyond excited, I can't help but think of the sadness and trauma that will most likely come with Jonathan's impending move. From what I can gather, Jonathan has been with his current "welcome family" since December or January. From pictures we've seen since his arrival into that family, he's been healthy and seemingly well-loved. While the day that he moves to Kinshasa will mark and huge step for us as a family, it also marks another loss in Jonathan's life (a life that has already been filled, in three years, with more losses than I've had in all 29 years of mine). Does he have a bond with a foster parent or sibling that he'll have to leave behind? Will he miss his room or bed? Will he be scared by his first plane ride or trip through a bustling airport? Will it be difficult to adjust to a setting where the primary languages spoken are not his own (only to move in two months to another home with yet another language)? I am hoping that his adjustment to the transition home is as easy as possible, and that he is given some understanding as to his adoption and the family that is waiting excitedly for him across the ocean.

On a lighter note, we've spent the last month preparing for Jonathan's arrival by doing the thing that I've been waiting to do for months and months - setting up his room and moving our girls into a shared room! We've been saving this project until we were sure we'd passed court, so being able to pick out paint and bedding was like a celebration of a very important milestone! And having two girls, we were in a whole new world when trying to agree on boys' bedding and decorations :) Here are some pictures of the (mostly) finished products:

Jonathan's Room





Hannah and Emma's New Room: