A Family One Year in the Making!

 It has been 365 days since two became three. One year since we felt your skin and looked into your eyes, calmed your fears and began a journey like no other.  If the Lord had told me ahead of time what this year would be like, I would have rejoiced, cried, laughed, hid, danced, praised His name, slept five hundred hours ahead of time and worshiped.  It has definitely been the hardest, but absolute best year we have ever had in our lives!  To see the transformation and binding up of wounds by our heavenly Father of an orphan to become a son was miraculous to say the least. Eli has been delivered in so many ways and in so many areas of his life and so have I.

On Monday December 15th we celebrated 1 year with our fiesty, loving and high energy boy. I can't believe how fast it went and that we are celebrating all that has been accomplished in our home.  The Lord has truly shown Himself faithful in the Pilato household.  Eli went from being such a sad, withdrawn and scared little baby boy to a jubilant, strong-willed (which will be a good character trait when he is older I keep telling myself), constantly running, Jesus-loving boy.  What a thing to rejoice!  The Lord has taken him out of the orphan spirit and placed him in a spirit of sonship-what an amazing fulfillment of scripture. We truly rejoice and take comfort in knowing the Lord works always on our behalf!

Is it always praise and flowers and sparkles and rainbows in our home where we are gushing over our dear son? no NO!  It has been a fight many many many times over-a spiritual fight, but the Lord is mighty to save and that is what we claim for Eli!  Allowing the Lord to work on his heart, mind and body is the greatest gift we can give Eli besides a family!  It has been hard work people!  HARD WORK!  Building trust, forming attachments and destroying fear does not happen immediately or because he is in a happy home!  It's slow, pain-staking, earth shattering and grueling at times. There are days where you think so much progress has been made and  only to find yourself with a melting-down child every five seconds who won't let you out of his sight.  We press on though, we pray though and pray some more though because that's what we've been charged to do as Eli's parents. It's such a privilege to have that responsibility and to raise him, such a joy and privilege!

Thinking back one year ago, it's amazing how much I remember that day! So many details and emotions that will forever be with me.  I remembering anxiously waiting to take the van to airport, waiting to board the flight to Xi'an, sitting on a flight to the middle of China, landing and feeling butterflies, rushing to the van, rushing to the hotel, throwing everything all on the bed trying to find the items we needed for Eli, shaking, rushing to the bank, watching the people ride bikes with baskets full of food everywhere while waiting for the guys and gal to back from exchanging money, listening to Sherry our guide advise us on our kiddos, taking the squishy elevator to our babies, being surprised to see Eli standing right there waiting for me in between Kya and Elyana, shaking some more, listening to Eli try not to cry several times, watching Eli cling to a package of Chinese Oreos, being handed my son for the first time, smelling him for the first time, touching him for the first time, seeing him smile for the first time, feeling my heart be full for the first time, holding Eli after he passed out to sleep in the van, shopping for Eli, taking him to our room, feeding him for the first time, dressing him in jammies and feeding him his bottle as he drifted to sleep.  I didn't sleep a wink that night. I haven't slept much since!!!I love it though and wouldn't trade it for anything!  These memories are just the major things I remember of that day, I would need a whole book to record every single memory of the day we became a family!  It's the most amazing experience and those of you who have adopted know what I am talking about.

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  

Fast forward one year later, we decided to celebrate the way most tri-state people would during Christmas time:see the tree, go to F.A.O. Schwartz and eat Chinese food in the city.  We live 25 miles outside of NYC so we headed in to introduce Eli to the Big Apple and all it has to offer during Christmas time!  I grew up seeing the tree during Christmas and seeing musicals throughout my childhood and it felt so amazing now taking my own child to do the same and carry on that tradition!  We took pics in front the Rockefeller Christmas tree, watched the ice skaters, oooed over the model train in F.A.O. Schwartz a thousand times, saw the Big Piano, and picked out a toy.  We ended the afternoon with a delicious lunch at Lilli and Loo Chinese restaurant which has a fantastic gluten free menu if any needs to know!!! By the end of the day Eli was completely exhausted and completely on sensory overload! We have been spending this week trying to keep a quiet schedule and get back into our routine to reassure 
 him.

      

 We had a terrific day celebrating the courage, strength, bravery, joy and fiestiness our son has.  He has taught us so much in a mere 365 days and I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store!  What an amazing day and amazing God we serve!

 God is good and we are blessed!

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 Philippians 4:4