It was three years ago when I first held Bethany in my arms, and we became a family of four. I will never forget that incredible day, and how God grew our family through adoption. (You can read more about our homecoming day in detail here andhere, and find our adoption video here.)
Much has happened during Bethany's third year home, and I am happy to report she is doing extremely well. She's our sweet girl, ready to cuddle at a moment's notice, and the first to say thank you and ask if we're okay. She is also our spunky and determined one, sharp and fearless, strong and carefree. You wouldn't think it at first glance, but once she gets comfortable, you'll see her fire. :)
Her big brother is of course her best friend, and Grandma comes a close second. She enjoys being a part of the same preschool co-op from last year, and attending our local public preschool where she continues to receive speech therapy. It's been encouraging to see her interact with new friends, and see steady progress in her speech all year long. Although she has a lot of room for growth, her articulation and vocabulary have improved immensely, and the entire family is having fun cheering her on with every new word. Go Bethany! We hope to hear some good news when she has her annual IEP next month.
Bethany's a bit of an ipad/iphone junkie already, and it always surprises me how these little ones are so proficient with today's gadgets. She loves watching television, and her latest favorites are Dora, Tinkerbell, Sophia the First, and Peppa Pig. Her favorite part of the day is when we pick Austin up from school, and she gets to pull his backpack all the way to the car. Bethany loves to do "homework", cut with scissors, and chase her big brother with a nerf sword and nerf gun. She also loves to sing and dance, and is my tv buddy when shows like American Idol and The Voice are on.
Bethany still sneaks into our room nearly every single night. Once upon a time, we were those parents who would have nipped it in the bud, but having a ten year old, soon to be middle schooler puts things into perspective --- they don't stay little for long. I decided that waking up with her cheek pressed against mine, or her foot in my face was worth it knowing that she just wanted to be close to her mommy. I know soon enough she'll prefer her own bed over mine, and maybe the tables will turn, and I'll be the one sneaking into her bed at night.
Although I wish she could stay this little forever, I know she has a lot of growing up to do, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for her.
Two years ago, our family of three stepped inside an airport and waited...
After much anticipation, a woman emerged from two sliding doors pushing a blue stroller. I immediately recognized the precious baby sitting inside. I had spent countless hours studying every inch of that beautiful face for that past five months, and now she was here.
I had imagined this very day for years, daydreaming about it constantly. In my "best case scenario" daydreams, I would be greeted by a happy little girl, eager to meet and embrace her new family. But in reality, I was greeted by a frightened and confused ten month old who had just been removed from everything and everyone she knew, and was now expected to fall into the arms of a complete stranger. Understandably so, what I saw in her face was fear, confusion and sadness --- and it broke my heart.
I vividly remember her tiny hands grasping onto the bar of the stroller, not wanting to be picked up. I remember struggling to get her out, and to this day, my eyes well up when I think about how frightened she must have been. It was without a doubt, one of the most amazing days of my life, but it was also heart wrenching.
When I think about all Bethany has had to go through, and the sacrifices made by her birth parents and foster families, my heart is filled with conflicting emotions. Sorrow and guilt at the losses experienced by so many for Bethany to become a part of our family; and immense joy and gratitude for this precious and amazing gift we have received. As an adoptive parent, I have gained so much, but there's no denying that it was through others' significant losses, that my gain was possible.
Today, I look back and thank God for every single person who had a hand in bringing her home. Thanking her birth family and her two foster families are a given, but I also wanted to thank the adoption agencies both in Korea and here in the U.S., the adoption community, our dear friends and family who prayed for us, encouraged us, and supported us all along the way, and all the government agencies who played a part in bringing Bethany home.
As difficult as some parts of our adoption journey were, it pales in comparison to the joy and love that has now filled our home for the past two years. Gone is the frightened and confused ten month old, and in her place is a loveable, affectionate, independent, adventurous, and spirited little girl who is growing up much too fast. Not too long ago, I wrote a short post about her, and not much has changed. She's still full of that "sugar and spice", and we wouldn't change a thing. :)
It's hard to believe Bethany will be turning three in a matter of months. The last time we checked, she was at the 5th percentile for weight, and 13th percentile for height. I'll be curious to see what her new percentiles are when we go for her three year check up in April. Bethany has had a growth spurt recently, and even her tiny feet have managed grow into a size 6! :) Her speech and language development are still a bit delayed, but she has shown a lot of progress, allowing us to decrease her speech therapy sessions to once a week. We are currently in the process of getting her assessed to see if she will need to continue once she turns three. Fortunately, in all other developmental areas, Bethany either meets or exceeds the targeted outcome, so we are not too concerned. We know in time, our little girl will be talking our ears off, just like her big brother. :)
As we celebrate two years together, I am overwhelmed by my love for her,
and thank God for the miracle and beauty that is adoption. Our family has been given a tremendous gift, and to quote my nine year old son, "I don't feel like she was adopted. I feel like she was born into our family." Amen!
In the future my sweet girl will have questions
about her adoption. Though we may not have all the answers she's looking for, I pray Sam and I will be able to respond with patience, wisdom and compassion. I pray she will know just how much we love and cherish her, and that we will always be there for her. I know there might be times when even those truths may not be enough to shield her from the pain and sorrow that is inevitably part of her story, but I pray that when and if that time comes, my dear Bethany will know God, and that He will be the ultimate source of her peace and joy.
I love you so much Bethany, and I thank God everyday for choosing me to be your Mommy. You are my beautiful baby girl, an answer to prayer, a precious gift from above.
Now I'll leave you with some video clips and a year's worth of pictures from Bethany's second year home.
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