Jet lag stinks. I am posting this at 4:30 a.m. from the business center of our hotel. There are workmen down here doing some construction, otherwise everyone else is sleeping. I slept soundly from 10:00 until 12:00 last night then restlessly from 12:00 until 2:00. Since 2:00 a.m. I have been wide awake listening to Phil snore. He is clearly not bothered by jet lag. Since it feels like 2:00 p.m. to my body I decided I would get up and do something instead of hating Phil for his sleeping abilities. Hopefully he doesn't wake up and become alarmed by my absence.
Another reason for my inability to sleep is probably excitement. In 5 1/2 hours we get to meet the tiny human who is to be our daughter for the FIRST TIME! As I have been pondering this meeting for the last several hours I came to the conclusion that this is like a very strange first date and an arranged marriage rolled into one. We both know a little about each other (sort of like Internet dating). We have received updates, well child reports and photos for the last 18 months. Charli has seen pictures of us and heard our voices on the recorded story books we sent. Tomorrow is like our first date, however, when a first date goes badly you walk away and don't have a second date. We, however, are bonded forever (arranged marriage) regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's date. I worry that she won't want to have anything to do with us. She is nearly two, perhaps she will have stranger anxiety. Can you imagine anyone 'stranger' than Phil and I? We are not naive, we don't expect a perfect union of a child anxiously waiting to join our family but it would be nice if she willingly interacted with us.
I figure there are three ways in which tomorrow could go pretty well:
1) Charli recognizes us from our photos and her foster family has prepared her enough that she actually wants to interact and play with us; OR
2) Charli is curious enough about our strange pale skin and hair and funny language that curiosity gets the best of her and she can't help but interact with us to try to figure us out; OR
3) Charli can be bribed. In my arsenal of tricks I have a huge bag of M & Ms, some other snacks and toys. I am not above buying the love and affection of children. It's worked pretty well with the 3 we already have.
In life there are small days and there are BIG days. Most days are small days. We go through our normal routines of work, school, caring for the kids and at the end of those small days our lives looked pretty much as they did at the start. But every now and then you get a BIG day. A day where everything changes and life looks differently from then on. Tomorrow is a BIG day for the Germann family. Perhaps jet lag is actually a blessing as I have had time to reflect on the BIG day ahead.
Tune in tomorrow to see pictures of our beautiful girl and the first meeting.
Julie
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