It's a Golden Life

Halynd,  We had your 5 year well check yesterday. You are a healthy, happy, smart little gal.  You weigh 34.10 lbs (10th%) and are 41 inches tall (25th%). You know all your shapes and colors, count past 30, have all your gross and fine motor skills down, and can do all the things a 5 year old should be doing! We are working on learning to tie your shoes :). We always get slip ons or Velcro, so it's difficult to teach!  (Here you are at Dr. F's office. You think he is hilarious. Especially when he said he could hear your birthday cake milkshake talking in your stomach)  While sassy, you are so sweet! You are always looking for ways to be helpful-be it in the kitchen, helping mommy with daycare kiddos, or helping with your siblings. You have a servant heart. We often have disagreements on what you will wear for the day. It is a norm for you to gallop down the stairs-proud to be wearing-the frilliest dress you own. Completely with a style of your own, you match bright r...

Our adoption journey has reached its 18th month. It has been difficult not to compare our adoption story to anyone else's. While there have been others who have walked this path, it feels lonely in the sense that it takes (so) long. It's difficult not to think that a child could be born 2 times over in the amount of time we have been in this. In the grand scheme of life, I imagine this will feel like a small chunk of time when we look back. We may even look back and laugh at our antsy and impatient hearts. The desire we have to bring our little girl into our family to be loved and accepted is overwhelming. Sometimes it is that desire that makes us feel sad with longing, as if this process has no end! I feel as though the adoption process takes so long because it is preparing you in ways being pregnant for nine months with a biological child cannot. There are hours of training, gathering paperwork, attending doctor appointments, gathering paperwork, raising funds, tracking down ...