Unnaturally Natural

We were not prepared for this.  We took the required twelve hours of adoption training from our agency.  We talked to a lot of adoption experts.  We were ready for Jack to be cold and unloving toward us.  We were sure he would have problems adjusting to the new culture.  What we were not prepared for, was a sweet, loving little boy who acts like he's been here the whole time.


We have been so busy since our last blog update.  Jack has been to quite a few doctors appointments.  He even made a friend at Batson's where we met his specialist.  Apparently, she likes to be organized as much as Jack, so they lined up all these chairs right in the path of where everyone needed to walk.

We have gotten great reports from all of the doctors, except for his dentist.  Jack will have to go in for surgery at the end of February.  His teeth are in bad shape, but is something we kind of expected.  Dental care was not one of Jack's top priorities before we got him.  Depending on how he feels after surgery, he may miss the Chinese New Year parade in downtown Jackson the next day.

We have had a few pretty days mixed in with all the cold ones we have been having.  We've enjoyed a few trips to the park.  Jack thinks it's so awesome to swing with, "No hands!"

It makes me so happy at how much Jack loves us already.  He especially loves Brandy, but who could blame him.  He's got the best mom any kid could ask for, adopted or not.

Jack hadn't seen his Meemaw for about two weeks, because she had been sick.  You should have seen how excited he was when he saw her and went running to her.

Brandy's mom and dad got Jack a swing set for Christmas.  I finally got the back yard cleaned up enough, and we had a pretty day, so everyone came over and put it up.  He's already fallen asleep in this thing twice.

Mimi brought a pillow back with her from her trip to Atlanta to see family.  My Aunt Betty made this pillow for Jack, but he had to fight Butters for it.  Aunt Betty said she should have made two, but she forgot we had two children.

We were told that Jack liked to sing songs.  Our guide, Yisha, one of our guides in China, even tested him on a few Chinese songs, and he knew a bunch of them.  He's continued his love for songs with us.  We've been hearing Happy Birthday, Emma (his cousin) for three weeks now.  Here is his rendition of "Itsy Bitsy Spider."  If you listen at the end, you might get a laugh, because a bubbling noise comes up in the water, he looks dead at me, and says, "Lababa!", which means poop in Chinese. 

As I said, Jack has been doing awesome.  Brandy and I are sure that our next adoption is bound to be a nightmare, because we don't deserve to be having such a smooth transition.  God has shown me so many things through this adoption that I have a hard time trying to describe.  Thank you for all of your prayers.  I just know they have played a part in how well things have gone.  We have been truly blessed.  We simply answered a call from God to adopt this child.  We knew we couldn't do it unless we put all our trust in Him, and He has shown that He is big enough.