Start of a new adventure...

So, it’s been 5 years now since Cecelia has been home and a major part of our lives. Through the last few years we decided that she shouldn't be the only child. Thus began our adventure to expand our family again. 

At first we thought we would be going back to Kazakhstan but they had already closed their adoption program down for reform (which never really opened back up since). Then we thought we would go to Russia. The thought being that Cece's sibling would have a stronger tie to her since they would be both Russian. Nice thought, but then Putin decided to be an a-hole and close the adoption program down for Americans. So be it. We moved on. We then looked into Bulgaria, got pretty good into it but then fate decided that our child just was not meant to be from Bulgaria. It was then that India was brought to our attention and both Paula and I knew from hat moment that we were destined to go to India for our child.

Now, during all this time, the last four years or so, Cecelia has been crying the blues about being the only child, about being all alone and not having a brother or sister to play with. It hurt her more when our friends would be over and they would have siblings. Cecelia would play nice, be bossy most of the time (like a typical big sister) and then would throw a fit or start to cry when they would leave. "I'm all alone!" was all we would hear for days on end. Currently, all we hear from Cecelia now is "We'll have to teach my brother this!" or "I know what we will need to show him!" Big turn around and makes us, as parents, happy that we can finally create a "whole" family. 

From this point on, we have start getting ourselves prepared to have a new addition to the O'Brien family, get Cecelia more prepared and ready to be a new big sister. A change for her? You betcha. She'll no longer be the center of attention and no longer to be soul grandchild to Grandpa Chuck or Grandma Joanne. That will be the shock we'll be waiting for her once her brother comes home.

It will definitely be a new challenge for Paula and I, I know, but a challenge we accept from day one. This whole experience is different from what we went through with Cecelia, and once we get to travel, that will be a bigger shock than living in Kazakhstan for a month (at least when we were in country, I was able to blend in. India, oh lord, no matter what, we'll be sticking out as "tourists" the moment we arrive!). 

I also want to take this moment in thanking all our family and friends for all your support in this! Without any of you, this would, could, never happen. It makes us more humble in knowing that we are surrounded by such loving and caring family and friends, makes us more blessed! Thank you all from the depths of our hearts!

~Scott