Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my little monkey! I can't hardly believe E is three already. I have said it before and I'll say it again....it seems like just yesterday that he came home so tiny and fragile. Now he is a full-fledged little boy.
On this day, I always think about E's birthmom and wonder what she is doing, if she is happy and healthy, if she thinks of him. We'll probably never know the true circumstances behind his relinquishment or whether or not she would've kept him if she could. We'll never know if it was a difficult decision for her or if it was just the logical next step. It really doesn't matter that much. It is what it is and he is ours and we love him more than anything in the world. I will always feel gratitude toward this woman I have never met for going through her pregnancy and giving birth to our son. She could've easily chosen a different path. I admire her for her courage and for choosing life for E.

TWO YEARS!

Two years ago today, I met my hero! Even better was that I get to call myself his mom. I will never forget the day we walked into that orphanage a couple and walked out a family. It was exciting, emotional and undoubtedly one of the scariest days of my life! I absolutely cannot believe that it's already been 2 whole years. E has changed my life not only in the obvious ways, but my whole outlook on the world. He has made me a better person and I hope everyday that I am doing everything I can to keep him happy and healthy. Here's a few photos from that special day in 2007.

First Meeting


Signing Paperwork (I still no idea what it was I was signing!)


First Family Photo


Our Tiny Guy (after we got him back to the hotel and unbundled him)


Today, as usual, we took off work and had family photos done. Then it was off to Chuck E Cheese and the Zoo.

Family Photo (sorry, we had to airbrush K out for this posting)


Zoo Playground


"Wac-a-Letter"


My Silly Guy


"Ready to Work"


BIG Almost 3-year-old!


HAPPY ADOPTION DAY BABY!

GI Jane? Nope...GI K!

Thanks to our WONDERFUL and AMAZING translator/driver/facilitator's son, we have received new pictures of our beautiful baby girl. It seems everyone got "haircuts" again. She looks great - TINY, but great! We also received measurements and she's about the same size E was at her age. With her special needs, I'd say that's pretty good.

Intercountry adoption is on the agenda for tomorrow's Parliamentary plenary meeting, so everyone please keep fingers crossed for positive news that we will all soon move forward.

Dare I say....

...I see a light at the end of the tunnel?

I've struggled this week with whether or not to put into words the hope and positivity I'm feeling. This process has been so fraught with uncertainty I'm almost afraid that if I talk about "the good" I'm going to jinx it. Mind you, before adoption, I was not really a superstitious person - yet another thing about me that has changed.

Without sharing too much detail, it appears the issue of Intercountry Adoption has been raised amongst the powers-that-be in Kyrgyzstan. Even better is that the conversations have trended toward positive lately instead of negative. Currently, there is no concrete, confirmed information coming out of Kyrgyzstan about the future of adoptions or the cases stalled in-process. There are a lot of theories floating around that seem to indicate that adoptions will indeed continue, it's just a matter of when.

That said, I still grieve for the time we've lost with K, but am more confident now than before that she will eventually come home to us.

There will be another conference call this coming Wednesday, during which I hope to learn that the 65 children who have been waiting to be united with their forever families are going to be coming home - SOON! I will try to post an update later next week.

Thank you for your continued prayers for us and all of the waiting orphans. Happy Easter!