Impossible~Difficult~Done: Mama Moments

Six months ago, four excited, anxious Bambergs woke up way too early and piled in the bed all together to talk about our upcoming day. None of us knew what to expect, but we knew our lives would never be the same. There was never a doubt that God had brought us to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia to change us...make us better, stronger, more faithful.

Wow!! It's been six months since our sweet Mei Mei was brought to us in the hotel lobby. Six months filled with testing, surgery, hard pants, worry, and a few tears. Six months filled with laughter,happiness, and complete peace. Peace that comes from knowing God and having complete faith that He loves us enough to get us through anything. He reminds me daily that we're right where He wants us.

November 29, 2011

I could say so much about how our lives have changed in the past six months, how much better we are because of our sweet Lily, how proud I am that we haven't allowed a diagnosis to define us or slow us down. One day I'll blog on all that, but right now I'm nostalgic. Remembering the three most precious times in my life...when I realized that I was a Mama.

I'll never be able to describe how it felt to hold Mary Ashtyn, Reece, and Lily for the first time. We loved them from the minute we saw their pictures and videos. I knew they were mine months before I held them. Our first meeting with each of them was so special but not as special as that first realization with each of them that they were really finally mine.

With Mary Ashtyn, we visited her for several days before everything was official and she could leave the orphanage. We would sit in these tiny little rooms with no air conditioning in 100 degree heat and play with her and try not to drip sweat on her!! I know that's gross, but it's so true :) We loved her and were so ready to get out of there and take care of her ourselves. Late one afternoon, we FINALLY got to feed her. She finished her bottle and drifted off to sleep in my arms. That was my moment, I knew she was mine and it just felt different.


Waited so long to be her Mama....my answered prayer!!!

Three years later, we were freezing in Kazakhstan as we met our Reece. He made us smile so big with his chubby cheeks...cutest baby, ever!! We spent several days visiting him in his orphanage. Those nannies hovered around us. If they didn't think he was happy enough, they'd take him out of our arms to toss him in the air and get him giggling. They tossed him around so much one day, that he threw up ALL OVER ME!! It was lovely, not! We were so tired of being watched as we tried to bond with our son. My Mama moment came as we took him out of the orphanage and sped toward the airport to fly out of his birth city. We didn't get a picture, but Trent was videoing. He asked me how I was, and I just broke down as I hugged Reece for the first time without three or four women watching me. He was bundled up like that kid from "A Christmas Carol" but he finally belonged to us!

Reece with his nannies on the morning he left the orphanage...they came in before dawn to say goodbye.

Lily's Gotcha Day story is here. It's so hard to believe that it's been six months!! Because she was older and grieved so much more, I was very cautious with her. I wanted so badly to just put my arms around her and cuddle and kiss her a million times, but it wasn't easy at first. As we traveled by van back to her SWI (Social Welfare Institute), she wanted to sit in my lap (Insert GASP here, no car seats or seat belts on ANY of our adoption trips). As she snuggled against me and went to sleep, I wrapped my arms around her and cried. She was mine and my heart was so full, it dripped out of my eyes a little! Yeah, I cried...what else would I do?? It was even more special as I whispered to Mary Ashtyn and Reece about my special Mama moments with them.