Wrapping Things Up

We had the same problem when we returned home after our first adoption journey: finishing the blog. This time has been more challenging with physical illness and four children instead of three, but it is time to record the end of the trip.

We left New Delhi in a rush early in the morning of Friday, April 8. We had two cars arrive at the hotel to take us and our luggage the ten minutes to the airport. We were able to waive off all of the porters this time and did not have to tip unnecessarily :) The long journey was one security checkpoint after another, followed by amazingly long sits on airplanes.

We really have struggled to heal following the trip. Justin was acutely ill the night before going into the trip, so we medicated him in order to help him travel comfortably. He is just now, a week and a half later, considering himself healed. The rest of us are also healed, but it took over a week to get there. Delhi Belly is miserable. Priobiotics are a wonderful thing :) Interestingly, Elijah has never had any problems. Maybe he still has residual immunities from his early childhood in China.

Behaviorally, the children did beautifully. We had no conflicts or problems on the way home to speak of. They watched movies, played games, worked on sticker books, and read (those that can, of course.) Oh, and slept a little. Very little.

We were met at the airport by a small group of friends. What a blessing to see familiar faces. We gathered our luggage and loaded into the van. I had been preparing Arilyn Sneha for a carseat and a five point harness, but she still thought I was nuts to buckle her in like that. After four years of sitting free in a van or riding on the back of a motorcycle, it would seem strange to be restrained like that, I am sure. About halfway home, Justin noticed that the crack that has been across the windshield for 5 years is not there anymore! Some anonymous friend(s) saw fit to replace our windshield in our absence. Thank you, whoever did that!

We were delivered home around 1:30 am and headed off to bed after unloading the van and dumping in the front hall. Friends had been kind enough to be sure that we had milk, fresh fruits and veggies, bread, and other essentials (including Vitamin Water) to help us get through the first few days without having to venture out to the store.

We have been keeping pretty close to home, slowing expanding her world. She has been to the park and to some stores now. I try to keep it to one outing a day at most. She was very impressed with Costco :) She attended church with us on Sunday and was rather overwhelmed with that experience. Fortunately, she is turning to us when she is stressed and is not retreating inwardly nearly as often.

We are working to simultaneously build a loving relationship with Arilyn Sneha, set appropriate boundaries (which provide safety and trust), and picking our battles carefully. We are all adjusting to our new roles and places in the family; some a little more loudly than others! Fortunately, jet lag has passed, Delhi Belly has passed, and we are starting to get our feet back underneath us a little more each day.

We have also been able to find treatment for her TB here. She is not contagious at all and will complete nine months of antibiotics for suspected latent TB, even though she is asymptomatic on all accounts except for the positive skin tests.

We now set off firmly on the path to truly become a family of six. Arilyn Sneha is everything they said she was: sweet, affectionate, smart, and stubborn. We are blessed to be her parents and look forward to the new adventures she will bring to our family. We thank you for your prayers as we have navigated the challenges to reach this point in our adoption journey. We will be able to finalize this adoption in October after she has been home for six months and eagerly anticipate that day. We covet your continued prayers as we continue to adjust and work towards a secure attachment and a deep love.