As two-and-a-half year old Jayna is bounced up and down on the knee of her new dad Jeremy (Jake) Knodel, her childish giggles fill the room.
It’s a sweet sound to Jeremy and his wife Amanda, who have waited for years to hear it. The Medicine Hat couple flew to Ottawa last week to meet their new daughter, a Haitian orphan whose adoption was fast-tracked after January’s catastrophic earthquake devastated her homeland.
“Once I heard her laugh, for me, that was it — that was the moment when I really felt that connection,” Jeremy says.
The Knodels spoke to the News in late January, when they were unsure what the status of their adoption was. They knew Jayna (whose Haitian name is Edmara) was unhurt, but the orphanage she was living in was damaged in the quake and all of their adoption paperwork was buried in the rubble. Wanting to feel like they were doing something to help, the Knodels organized a bottle drive on Jan. 24 and brought in more than $4,100 for earthquake relief.
However, when it came to Jayna, the Knodels were left to wait and worry until last Tuesday, when they received official confirmation that she would be one of 37 orphans on a flight to Canada from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
In spite of the fact that Amanda had gone through an emergency appendectomy only three days before, the couple was at the Ottawa airport on Wednesday, waiting with open arms for the newest member of their family to arrive.
“It felt totally surreal,” Amanda says of that first meeting in the airport reception centre, which was a blur of officials and immigration forms and the chaotic excitement of other expectant families. “When we were finally able to drive away in a cab with her, I was like, ‘okay, this is for real.’ ”
While Jayna is healthy and has obviously been well looked after in the orphanage in Haiti, the Knodels have no real way of knowing what the first two-and-a-half years of her life have been like. They know they need to be patient as their new daughter adjusts to her new family and surroundings.
“Right now, our focus is on connecting with her and creating that bond,” Amanda explains, as she sits on the floor and gently hands toys to Jayna. “It’s just like having a newborn in the house.”
But while the Knodels know they have much to learn, they are making discoveries every day about their new daughter. For example, Jayna appears to be naturally neat and organized — she sweeps away crumbs if she sees them on someone’s clothing and puts each toy back where it came from when she is done playing with it. She is already starting to open up to Jeremy and Amanda, giving them hugs, handing them toys, and tapping on them when she needs something.
The Knodels first started filing the paperwork for a Haitian adoption four years ago, so they still find it hard to believe at times that Jayna is finally here. And while there are sure to be challenges in the days and weeks ahead as the little girl and her new parents get to know each other, the Knodels are nothing but smiles as they talk about the future.
“It’s so fun. I’m excited about everything,” Amanda says. “I’m looking forward to taking her swimming — she loves the bath, so I think she’ll just be in awe.”
“Whenever I see her smile or laugh, it’s a great feeling,” Jeremy says. “When I feel like we have that connection, it just makes my day.”