Meeting Sean
Today we met our son. This is Sean Xinmin Statton.
The moment we first met him.
We arrived to the civil affairs office before him. The office was small and we could easily hear every time the elevator doors opened and sometime walked down the hallway. While we finished paperwork, we listened for foot steps to approach the door. We had 4 false alarms before the foot steps belonged to our new son.
Noah and Sean seem to speak some common language that is transmitted without words. Some of their connection comes from the video games they play on the iPad as seen below in the pictures. But there is something more than just video games. It amazes me to watch them interact even in the first few hours.
Today, so far, has been easier than the days we met our other adopted children. Jude cried a lot. And he didn’t want anything to do with us right away. Eva was so traumatized by what was happening to her, she was barely there. Sean seems both happy and eager to be with us.
He has an infectious smile. He is quiet and polite. He likes to read. He doesn’t like to eat fish, and will pretty much eat anything else. He loves basketball.
Sean is a very sweet boy. I can see why he has touched the hearts of so many in the adoption community. I have received many emails from people I have never met telling us how excited they are for us.
He is touching our hearts as well.
It is difficult to describe what you feel when sitting in a room and waiting to meet someone you will make your son. A stranger will be invited into your home, not simply to rest and eat and enjoy what you have, but to be given everything you have. To become and extension of who you are. To take on your name. To be your son.
When I tell people what we are doing they often respond by saying, “I don’t know how you do it.”
I have a confession to make. I don’t either. I do not know how to do this. I don’t know how to get to know an almost 14 year old boy who speaks very limited English. I don’t know how to ask him if he would like another piece of pizza any more than to find out who he is. I don’t know what to say or what to do.
I confessed this to my wife. And she responded by saying, “Keep showing up.”
We showed up today. We will show up again tomorrow. And the next day after that.
Here are a few more pictures from today.
Meeting our guide this morning next to the Christmas tree in the hotel.
Xin Min signing his name saying he agrees to be adopted. Even if it means being adopted by us.
Brother bonding over the common language of the iPad.
Our new family with the orphanage representative and Xin Min’s caretaker.
The caretaker, Xin Min, the orphanage representative, and the civil affairs officer.
Back at the hotel. More bonding.
I know I’m not supposed to use this word to describe my 12 and 13 year old sons, but this is too cute.
