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Thursday, April 21, 2011

He is home.


Here we are, folks. All of us. At last.

It has been an emotional couple of days knowing that the journey was all about to be over, yet really, the journey was all about to begin -- all in the same moment. Josh was emotional when they handed him Vlad's visa yesterday -- the LAST document needed to enter into a new life as a family of four. I was emotional last night when I was putting Syrus to bed -- the LAST moment as an only child and a goodbye to our old life as a family of three.

And then today. We waited and waited for Josh, his sister Rebecca, and little Vlad to finally arrive and for it to be official. An orphan no more. A Burick forever. They came through the doors from customs, Vlad proudly swinging his arms and walking into his new life wearing a Puma tracksuit and his hat off to one side, looking like he owned the place and was waiting for his hip hop album to be released. Perfect. I bent down to see him -- a sweet reunion after nearly three weeks -- wondering if he would remember me. I called his name, "Vladi" and he immediately turned to me. Then I said, "Mama" and he gasped. Then smiled. Done. That was all it took.

Then there were hugs and kisses and tears all around as Josh and I began to push TWO strollers out of the airport, holding hands, looking at each other and knowing life had changed. So fun. We put the boys in their carseats and off we went. Syrus and Vlad just kept staring at each other as though they were unsure if they were looking in a mirror. They shared a banana, signing "more" over and over, watching each other eat and modifying some of their own routines to try the other's strategy. I gave them each a baby wipe. Vlad immediately began to wipe down his face, his hands, his mouth, behind the ears. You know the routine. Syrus ate his wipe. Love it. My boys.

Once we pulled into our driveway, we "traded" boys to make the big entrance into our house. Josh took Syrus and they were laughing and chatting away, with Syrus giving one of his emphatic gibberish speeches. I took Vlad. He grabbed me tightly and I said to him, "You are home. You are home." And he laid his head on my shoulder and snuggled into me.

And I completely lost it.

Josh turned around and saw me doing "the ugly cry" and came back, and the four of us stood there for a moment in the driveway, taking it all in before stepping into our home. All the paperwork. The headaches. The fundraising. The worries. The prayers. The appointments. The apostilles. The signatures. The time zones. The frustration. The expectation. The moments we had said, "I just want him to be home." And there he was. In our driveway. About to enter our home. HIS home. This little boy's life has totally changed.

And now so has ours! We went inside and two toddler boys went off exploring together. They jumped on their beds. They played in the ballpit. They fought over Tickle Me Elmo. They ate cake. They tried on clothes. They played basketball. They gave high-fives. And most of all they laughed and cried and babbled to each other. Just like brothers do.

And now I am the only one who is awake. For all my boys have completely crashed for the first time under one roof and I keep walking around the house, checking on them all to see if it is real. Is it? I'm not sure yet. It is indescribable when you have spent almost 9 months chasing a photograph of a child that you BELIEVE is yours, and then that child from the photograph is INDEED yours, and sleeping peacefully in the next room. I mean, seriously? And yet, there he is. THERE HE IS! My little Vladi. He is home.

37 comments:

  1. Yay! So much yay! You guys are incredible and I will be praying for you as you continue to face a life in the call of the Spirit!

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  2. I have more tears than words right now. It's just.so.beautiful. Thank you for letting us share in your journey.

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  3. Oh goodness you brought tears to my eyes!!! SOOO excited for you guys and so glad he's home!!!

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  4. So happy for you guys! I kept thinking about you today and wondering if your whole family was together. Love the family picture!

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  5. At long last, the journey is complete, and a new one can begin. Well done to both of you, for accomplishing what God set you out to do. May he bless you and your new family all of your days.

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  6. Oh, Corbett!!! :) SO happy for y'all!! I teared up reading this... and LOLed at "ugly cry"! ;) YAY!! Welcome home, Vlad Burick!! <3

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  7. Every time you or Josh post lately I keep thinking, "that is the best post ever". But now you've really done it.

    This was the best post ever.

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  8. Again, I am so incredibly happy for all of you. I read this aloud to my husband and choked back those deep-throated tears that make you hurt. Ahhh, just a few more weeks and we'll be there too. Love you guys for pioneering the way for our family. xoxo Can't wait to see more pictures and hear more about your new life!

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  9. Priceless picture. So happy to see everyone together. Perfect, Corbett.

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  10. Thanks for sharing...and making me cry!

    Carla
    www.bringinghenryhome.blogspot.com

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  11. I cry almost everytime I read your blog! (tears of happiness of course!) You and your husband are amazing writers. Praising God for sending you to bring Vladi home. Your family photo is beautiful!

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  12. Praising God for bringing your family together. Rejoicing with you - and praying, too.

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  13. I laughed at your ugly cry too! I’m so happy for you and how you followed your call to adoption!

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  14. So beautiful! I teared up too. I'm up till 2am chasing adoption receipts for our tax credit cause IRS doesn't believe OUR lives changed a year ago. Not in good mood. But then i read your blog--and am reminded that it IS all worth it--all the nasty paperchasing that never ends. But I have my daughter now! Enjoy, bask in your family, and KEEP your receipts, and cancelled checks, and credit card statements! Welcome home Vlad!!

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  15. I am crying such happy tears for you all! This post is such an encoragement to me. I can't wait for us to experience our first day home as a family of four.Congratulations!

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  16. Now I'm a weepy mess 'seeing' you lose it as you enter the house!! God is good. He most certainly is good!

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  17. Let the fun begin!!!!

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  18. Thanks for turning me into a blubbering crying mess....So happy for ya'll....we are getting that much closer on our boys can't wait for the formalities to be over and to have the boys home.

    Joel Golden
    adoptingourfirst.blogspot.com

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  19. Just what I needed to read and see this morning, Corbett!!!!

    WELCOME HOME BURICK FAMILY!!!!

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  20. Beautiful photo...beautiful family...beautiful story. <3 SO happy for you all, and hoping to have our own story like this to share sometime in the near future.

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  21. Congratulations to the whole Burick family and WELCOME HOME, Vlad!! Loved this whole post...the part about the boys in their carseats (mirroring one another) brings back so many memories of bringing Alina home to Bridget...and the part about the diaper wipes, that is exactly what happened at our house. So funny. Alina still thoroughly wipes herself. So glad you are all finally together. Perfect. Beautiful. Enjoy!!

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  22. Crying an ugly cry right along with you. Welcome home!

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  23. A chapter of life ends and a new chapter of life begins. Congratulations! May God's blessings continue!

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  24. Oh congratulations! Sitting here bawling my eyes out. So happy for you and so happy that soon I will have a new son home too!:)

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  25. Josh, Corbett, Syrus, Vlad, and Baby Boy,
    We could NOT BE MORE THRILLED for your incredible family! Jeff and I have been so moved by your faith in your journey to bring Vlad home. Praise the Lord he is HOME at LAST! So excited to meet Vlad, and will be praying for the rest of your pregnancy as well! Blessings to your sweet family!

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  26. Wow! Amazing, Miraculous. Its been great to follow your posts and read of your journey - step by step, all those miles, all that paper work - all that waiting and wondering and NOW. Funny - I think of the "ugly cry" in the driveway like that last push in a physical birth - gritty, overwhelming, but then....
    What an incredible story that ONLY God could write. And as Lewis writes at the close of "The Last Battle"..."But for them it was really only the beginning of the real story...."
    May God bless you in the days ahead!
    Welcome Home Vlad!!
    Ann Gemmel

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  27. Oh Corbett... I love the coming home stories of all of our RR babies, but I have to tell you that the coming home story for one of MY RR babies is so much sweeter!! There will always be a connection for me to the little ones who come home from "our" orphanage. We're family. I am so so happy that we have that connection and that your sweet little boy is sleeping in his very own bed tonight. I love you guys!!

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  28. Congratulations, Josh and Corbett! So happy for your family!

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  29. An amazing story, Corbett! Congratulations-you have a beautiful family!

    Patti (Faber) Hupp

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  30. Your post made me teary. I am so happy for you and your family.

    Nikki
    www.madebynikki.blogspot.com --> blog design to change the world

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  31. Oh my goodness, I'm totally crying right now! This post was so wonderful, we are in the process of adopting a little boy with Ds from Russia. This vision has been going through my mind for so long, that I wonder if it will ever be real:) We are almost finished with our home study. I can't wait for my picture of Sergey to be flesh and blood, safely in his bed where he belongs. Congratulations to you and your family!!!

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  32. i am in tears! thats wonderful xxx

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