Thankful

So many wonderful, supportive, kind, and thoughtful e-mails, comments, phone calls...you name it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We've been processing a lot of emotions - the primary emotion being absolute L.O.V.E.  I can't get over her...don't even want to try.  She's so beautiful, so perfect...and when we got the actual pictures in the mail, we could see more details on her little face - like her perfect little lips.  Oh gah!  To die for...I want to squish her and hug her and kiss those cheeks...oh mah gah.  She's scrumdidilyumptious.  I can't wait to touch her and comfort her and kiss that sweet face.

We're expediting our response back to the agency with a resounding "YES!  WE WANT HER!".  Ok, we just signed on the line - but still...we certainly didn't have to hesitate in doing it.  It's still a little strange, knowing when I look at her face that it's really her.  Not just a dream or someone else.  To finally have a face to go with the longing and the love and the thoughts of the future...it's surreal.

The most popular comment from among my well-wishers seems to be about how young she is, and  I must admit, even on our referral video I heard myself saying "I can't believe how young she is - I'm so excited!"  I think somewhere in my mind I had programmed myself to believe that she would be a minimum of 10 months old at referral.  Maybe even 18months.  I don't know.  I just felt she would be older.  Maybe I was just preparing myself in case I ended up with virtual twins between the two kids.  So when they said "she's only 5 months" I think I was in shock for a full day.  I just couldn't get my head around it.  It just seemed unprecedented.  I'd only heard of a very small handful of referrals in the past three + years that had come out that young.

So for reasons all unto myself...I started recalling how precious that age is; 5-10 months.  Quint was 6 months old when we held him for the first time.  Just a tiny thing at 14 pounds.  Keira is presently 11 pounds at the same age.  She's tiny tiny.

I reflected back to that period of months where he was so little.  Where I would set him on a blanket at my feet and he would happily gurgle and giggle and chew on whatever was in grasp.  Eventually how he would flip over and do a little "airplane" maneuver.  All those little things...precious things, that are so easy to forget because they are gone in a flash.

So I have to admit, I am feeling particularly BLESSED to have the opportunity to experience those precious moments again with my second child, with my sweet little girl.  Moments that I know will once again be gone too quick and part of the past.  I'm so glad she'll be with us for them...and we can document those sweet times for her to savor later...and us too.

Just look what a difference a year made for a certain little man - takes my breath away

Then

 Now

 

They grow up so fast...so fast it makes my heart hurt and full of pride all at the same time...

Can't wait to have her home to share all those little changes and milestones together.

More to come on her translated documents - we didn't get much, but it was enough to make us both a little weepy...she's a dream.

If you missed it or haven't watched the video in the post below - you'll get to sneak a peek at our journey to Keira and our referral moment.  Such a treasure that I'm so glad we captured - I hope you'll enjoy it...