BIRTHday

Today is our fourth childs eighth birthday. Eight years ago today a beautiful amazing child was born hours away from the woman she would call mama. Kinda of a strange thought, that you could just be goin along with your day...and your child is born somewhere...and you don't even know it. Takes my breath away....

When I started blogging I thought that adoption would be one of the main things that I blogged about. I don't think I have blogged specifically about adoption once.......Where does one start. The topic is so broad and complex. Everyones story is so personal.

I want you all to know, that I believe with all my heart that nobodies adoption story is better than anothers.....no certain type of adoption domestic or international is more superior. God has a plan for each child and how they come to be in the family they are in.....and that is a beautiful thing to be celebrated, not speculated. So as you read our story know it's just that, our story, no one elses. It's just a story of how one child came to be with her family.

I have sat for hours and and listened to women talk about their labor, and delivery stories. I myself have told the stories (when asked) of how our first three children came diving into this world. But I have yet to during any of those conversations have someone ask, "so how was your fourth child delivered to you". I think people are generally afraid they are going to ask the wrong question, offend, or that maybe it's none of their business. All they while they just listened to very personal stories of farting in doctors faces and puking on nurses, and husband sitting on the toilet because every time their wife went into labor they got diarrhea (that would not be my husband....never...not on your life). I can understand why people don't ask.

I have rarely been offended by questions that people have asked. Except for, of course, the dumb ones. Like, "why would anyone want to give their baby away", "or wasn't that weird taking someone elses baby?". What the heck? Um, no.....it wasn't weird, because I didn't take someone elses baby....God gave me my baby through the gift of adoption. It really almost makes me giggle...but not really....at the things some people say.

I will tell you, that there are some labor pains of sorts for adoption too. It tends to be a analytical labor. For us our hearts told us this is what you are to do. After much prayer...a year...of prayer...we knew it was also what God was telling us to do to. Really when I think about it, my first three biological labors being pretty text book and painless, were not too unlike my adoptive labor. It was slightly painful but we knew that God would work out the details and once the child, that was to be ours, was in our arms there was no lookin back.

Originally, Ken and I started our adoption conversation because 1) it seemed like everyone around us was unable to get pregnant and going through infertility and 2) we had some good friends that were foster parents for infants, so we were always seeing these cutey pa-tooties before they went on to be with their adoptive parents...and it grabbed at our hearts. We decided that if I did not prove to be fertile then adoption would be our path.

Apparently my name should have been, Myrtle, as in fertile Myrtle. Ken breathed on me and I was pregnant! Heavens to mergatroid.....I brought our third child home on our first childs third birthday...three in three. Talk about dumb questions...people would say things to me in the grocery store like "haven't got that figured out yet huh?" "HUH?, nope guess not." I am sure I have asked some doozy questions too....but hokey pete!

So after number three...we decided that someone needed to put a rubber band around sumthin'. And we made a permanent decision to be done having babies.....so we thought....

Adoption would not leave our thoughts or our hearts. So in May of 2002 we called a local adoption agency...the one our friends fostered for, and others we knew had used....and started the ball rolling.

That's the beginning of our story....the end is this.....

well not really the end, cause there is alot of middle I still need to tell you about. But today we have this beautiful chiclet smile. What a spark this kid has put in our lives. From those tiny toes above to her big ol' girl feet today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cece....we love you all the way to the moon and back!

Mommy and Dada

I can't wait to share the rest with you!

LuvYA!