The Club I Did Not Want to Join

So the thing about adoption, at least with where we are adopting from, there are all kinds of acronyms and codes. It is like a secret language you don’t understand until you have to start speaking it. Sometimes I still second guess if I am pronouncing ‘dossier’ correctly. Anyway, when we first began this process I heard the term “Century Club”. I didn't understand it, but I knew most families never joined it and those that did join it wanted out of it. I eventually learned it was what people referred to when talking about those that had to wait 100+ days for their LOA (letter of approval that averages around 60 days to get).  I remember thinking how horrible it would be to wait that long – 100+ days. How I felt such sadness for those families and how I was confident I would never be a member of that club.

The last few weeks a lot of families have been getting their approval letters....with a huge number of them waiting far less time than we have waited.  There is no sense to make of it.  I'm doing my best to take my thoughts captive and remember that this mountain will fall one day.  I'd be lying to pretend that watching others speed past us is easy.  It is not, but I am clinging to the hope that God is up to something good.

Today We Joined The Century Club

100 Very long days of waiting 

100 more days spent away from Liam 

My heart breaks and tears are shed.  But instead of sitting around sad I chose to think of 100 things I'm excited about when Liam joins us in his forever home.  And pray like hell that my time in this club is short.  

1. Snuggling
2. Morning Smiles
3. Dressing you in cute clothes
4. Watching you walk for the first time
5. Gaining your trust
6. Doing Crafts with you
7. Watching Disney Movies
8. Going on Walks
9. Watching you and Hannah bond
10. Introducing you to your ever patient grandparents
11. Learning your looks
12. Learning your cries
13. Teaching you about Jesus
14. Taking you to the movies
15. Going to Asheville (mommy's favorite weekend trip)
16. Getting you "movin" says daddy
17. Hearing your giggles for the first time
18. listening to your daddy sing to you.  he has the best voice! 
19. Waking up to you 
20. Whispering I love you a million times
21. Feeling you in my arms for the first time
22. Watching you sleep
23. Comforting you when you don't feel well
24. Diapers - changing them
25. Taking in the moment you are in my arms
26. Road trips with you in the back seat
27. Tracing your face with my finger
28. Taking lots of pictures with my camera
29. Introducing you to toys
30. Helping you find your voice
31. Playing this little piggy with your toes
32. Watching your daddy be protective
33. Watching you feed hannah from your seat in the kitchen
34. Praying WITH you instead of worlds away
35. Crawling in the house
36. Introducing you to new foods
37. Hearing your footsteps in the house
38. Playing in your garden
39. Rocking you to sleep
40. Tucking you in at night
41. Helping you to adjust to so many people who love you
42. Listening from the monitor as you play in your crib
43. The first time you say "mamma" and it means me
44. Comforting you as we straighten out your club foot
45. Seeing a smitten daddy with you in his arms
46. Saturday mornings in bed as a family
47. Sunday mornings at church
48. Carrying you in the ergo carrier
49. Worshiping with you in my arms
50. going to bed at night knowing you are full and have been fed
51. Your smile
52. Wiping away your tears
53. bed time stories
54. running my fingers through your black Mohawk
55. tickle induced laughs
56. facetime with your aunts and uncles up north
57. "porchin" with you and Hannah
58. Watching the sunsets from our front porch
59. watching you watching Hannah
60. teaching you security
61. showing you safety
62. Learning what you like
63. learning what you don't like
64. celebrating your beauty
65. teaching about your culture
66. learning about your culture
67. knowing your needs are being met
68. cooking for 3 instead of 2
69. sippy cups in the kitchen
70. toys in the playroom
71. getting a front row seat as you discover a beautiful world
72. helping you through your transition period
73. sleepless nights
74. breathing in your smells
75. when you are ready, introducing you to our friends
76. slow days at home as a family of 3
77. celebrating holidays together
78. your 2nd birthday and every other one we get to spend together
79. saying your name in your presence
80. when you are finally at ease to hug me back
81. surviving jet lag together
82. discovering your silly side
83. Movie nights with 3 on the couch
84. hiking with you in the ergo
85. travelling the world 
86. teaching you about giving back
87. looking at photos on our wall of you in our arms
88. discovering your personality
89. when he time is right taking you to Africa
90. watching you from across the room
91. showing you how to write on the chalkboard
92. golf cart rides at the beach
93. your first hunt with your daddy
94. your first football game with your daddy
95. your first baseball game with your daddy
96. your daddy teaching you how to play sports
97. discovering what you enjoy
98. how happy you'll make your daddy and me
99. providing for you
100. one day introducing you to siblings

And the list goes on............................