Thursday, January 13, 2005
Amazing
I'm not sure I believe it yet - but I actually attended a baby shower yesterday in our school media center and it was for me! Amazing! I have worked in a local elementary school for 19 years and wonder how many pieces of white cake with iced pink and blue baby booties I have consumed during that time. Most of my friends were amazed and overwhelmed at the piles of gifts and number of friends, but I just kept thinking "after all these years, this shower is for OUR family." I would read a name on a card and just feel overcome with emotion because I would remember a conversation where they had touched me deeply. As I remembered, I thought of the treasures that we have in human relationships. I wanted to embroider everyone's name on every blanket, and toy, and bib so I would always remember how Tian was such a long awaited gift from God - by all of us.
The shower was beautiful! Instead of pink booties, there was a "red thread and ladybug" theme. The whole Chinese tradition of a red thread of destiny drawing people toward each other is such a visual symbol of Providence. The ladybugs were also quite evident, an American symbol of the whole process from referral to finally "flying away home." Our media specialists had created a powerpoint with Tian's pictures, text about our long journey, and an excerpt of the "Lost Girls in China" video showing gotcha day. There were candles and ladybug picture frames and red tableclothes with ladybug covered tissue boxes on each table. We sure needed the tissues! The food was wonderful - I commented that I had never seen a shrimp cocktail in our school library before!
And then the gifts... precious baby blankets, adorable outfits, a monogrammed diaper bag, books, toys for the bathtub, toys for the living room, stuffed animals and dolls, a Raggedy Ann, baby monitors, a pack and play, a high chair, gift cards, cash... There were several things I didn't quite know about but my friends have offered to educate me! So many gifts that it took Steve and I two hours to go back through each card and gift bag sorting things into piles for where they should go for now. Steve's favorite gifts were the Spongebob window shade for his truck, Spongebob bandaids, and the Piglet stuffed musical toy for the crib. Do you see a theme there?
Tonight I will begin washing clothes and actually packing Tian's suitcase for the trip to China. We are still waiting on travel approvals from China, but the papers have supposedly left China according to our agency. We are waiting to see if it is still possible to have Tian before her birthday in February. We will probably travel on a moment's notice if it is possible to go before Chinese New Year stops all of the consulate appointments.
The shower was beautiful! Instead of pink booties, there was a "red thread and ladybug" theme. The whole Chinese tradition of a red thread of destiny drawing people toward each other is such a visual symbol of Providence. The ladybugs were also quite evident, an American symbol of the whole process from referral to finally "flying away home." Our media specialists had created a powerpoint with Tian's pictures, text about our long journey, and an excerpt of the "Lost Girls in China" video showing gotcha day. There were candles and ladybug picture frames and red tableclothes with ladybug covered tissue boxes on each table. We sure needed the tissues! The food was wonderful - I commented that I had never seen a shrimp cocktail in our school library before!
And then the gifts... precious baby blankets, adorable outfits, a monogrammed diaper bag, books, toys for the bathtub, toys for the living room, stuffed animals and dolls, a Raggedy Ann, baby monitors, a pack and play, a high chair, gift cards, cash... There were several things I didn't quite know about but my friends have offered to educate me! So many gifts that it took Steve and I two hours to go back through each card and gift bag sorting things into piles for where they should go for now. Steve's favorite gifts were the Spongebob window shade for his truck, Spongebob bandaids, and the Piglet stuffed musical toy for the crib. Do you see a theme there?
Tonight I will begin washing clothes and actually packing Tian's suitcase for the trip to China. We are still waiting on travel approvals from China, but the papers have supposedly left China according to our agency. We are waiting to see if it is still possible to have Tian before her birthday in February. We will probably travel on a moment's notice if it is possible to go before Chinese New Year stops all of the consulate appointments.
# posted by lorrainegriffith @ Thursday, January 13, 2005 
