Tang Family
By Chris and Christine Tang : We met our daughter when she was 6 days old. It had taken us 4 years to get to that moment, and it felt overwhelmingly surreal. After a lovely meeting with her birth mother, grandmother and the social worker, we were left alone with a tiny baby in a car seat. We remember very clearly those first few moments together, because it was the first time we were a family of three. It was magical. She was ours. We were hers. And all the heartache and waiting in our adoption journey suddenly made sense.
We spent the next 11 days going to court, applying for travel documentation and exploring the city with our new daughter. I can’t believe how much we accomplished in those first few weeks, considering that we were feeding and changing her every 2-3 hours. But it was our family time. And despite all the paperwork and legal obligations, we were together. We fed her in the courtroom, and we changed her in the trunk of our rental car waiting for passport photos. We had a picnic lunch en route to a doctor’s appointment and we made countless trips to the local drugstore for diapers, wipes, formula, clothes and other baby necessities. All the while, we were having a crash course on how to manoeuvre a car seat in and out of the car, how to prepare formula and bottles properly and how to bathe a newborn. We survived on adrenaline and with the help of google (BTW – there is a great youtube video of how to bathe a newborn), all the while learning what our daughter liked and didn’t like. We were falling in love with her. And she was learning to trust us.
One thing we didn’t anticipate as new parents were all the questions and comments from strangers whenever we were out and about. Looking back, all those experiences and conversations bonded the 3 of us together. Every time we answered questions about her, we claimed her as our own. “Our daughter is 10 days old.” “We think our daughter is beautiful too, thank you.” “We are really enjoying being her parents.”
Seven months later, we are even more entranced by our daughter. We’re not sure anyone can fully prepare you for the intense love that develops over time for your children but we wish people talked more about how revolutionary it is. There is something very special about taking care of another human being, of getting to know them and teaching them about the world. We relish any time that we get to spend together, because all those moments have quality, and all of them are are strengthening our bond and attachment to each other. One day, we will adopt again, and our family will grow. We can’t wait for that day. So bring on the ups and downs of the adoption journey. Bring on the frustrations and the paperwork and the tears. And bring on the awe and the wonder and the enchantment of another child.
Call CHOICES Adoption for more information on adoption
1 888 479 9811 www.choicesadoption.ca
