Grandparents' Night

Every month John and I try to go to our homestudy agency's meeting for prospective adoptive parents. Last night my parents joined me for the annual Grandparents' Night. John couldn’t make it, and it would have been a long drive (at night) for his parents, but my parents--well, let's just say they didn't win any prizes for traveling a distance.

The room was packed! There were three newly adopted children to meet--all boys, one from Ethiopia, one from Russia, and one from Korea. They were beautiful children and squirming a lot, especially since it was past bedtime. My parents really enjoyed them. Who wouldn’t? That’s the highlight of every session, and it always makes me feel a little less impatient. There is a child--our very own little boy--at the end of this wait, and that makes it all worthwhile! The mom who just returned from Russia said that the wait just disappears when you have your child in your arms. We’ll be sure to let you know!

You can’t fill a room with expectant grandparents--some of whom are waiting for their first grandchild--and not enjoy yourself. It was an evening of smiles as parents shared photos and unusual referral stories. We met another couple adopting from China. They have just been matched with a little girl who is about a year younger than Louis. The mom and I chatted on and on, comparing notes on LOIs, DTCs, and LIDs, and it was just so great to be able to say, “We’re an I-800 family too!” and be understood.

When I got home, I was telling John that I wonder what happens when two pregnant mothers meet for the first time. What do they say? “When are you due?” “Is this your first?” “Boy or girl?” Then what? It seems like when I meet an expectant adoptive mom, we have so much to discuss--maybe because we already know who are children are, but also because we are on this wondrous journey and it's so hard to find people who understand not just the alphabet soup shorthand, but also the unpredictability of the process, and what it feels like to know your child is on the other side of the world, laughing and crying and playing and running and clapping and learning to talk. Maybe pregnant moms have similarly exciting conversations. They probably do. Still, it's so great to meet people who speak a common language, people who have similar hopes, fears, questions, answers, and are hanging onto four or five photos and a whole lot of anticipation.

Of course, when I got home, I was hoping that John would tell me that our TA had arrived, especially since the call that our LOA had arrived came while we were at the monthly meeting in August. But we're hoping it comes within the next week, and we'll certainly announce it when it does!