The journey so far

This month is a year since John and I decided to adopt and contacted Gladney. We'd always agreed we wanted more children and our original thought was to have one more biologically and also adopt. As we got into the adoption process though it all changed for us. One week I just started feeling that it felt more 'right' to me to adopt two, but I didn't know how John would react to not having another biological child. When I brought it up the next weekend it turns out he'd been thinking about the same thing and felt the same way and we've never looked back. Since we made that decision it felt so right and exactly what was supposed to happen. I loved being pregnant and feel so fortunate to have experienced that, but this 'adoption pregnancy' has been a wonderful, special and incredible journey, just different. This has been a lot more emotional and no less an experience, and I think we've only just scratched the surface. Traveling for court, meeting the girls, experiencing Ethiopia, leaving them, picking them up and especially (hopefully) meeting their birthmother will be a tremendous few weeks. I am so excited about traveling to Ethiopia, and so excited to have the Bean travel with us.

We've been really lucky to have an update and some more photos and videos from traveling families/moms. The girls are getting so big, look so healthy and well looked after. This week we saw a photo of one of the girls smiling for the first time, and the other sucking her left thumb. They are so sweet. Their eyes are still SO big and they have the most perfect little mouths! Their thighs have little rolls and the backs of their little hands have dimples! The videos are precious. It's so different to realize that it is via electronic media that we are getting to see them move for the first time! They seem so startling real in the video and I have to admit I watch them over and over and they still make me tear up. It has also been a treat to see the lovely caregivers and how proudly and sweetly they look at the girls. I have found that waiting for a court date is harder for me than the wait list. I have these two sweet little people that I now have seen that I really want to go and pick up. I remember when we first made the wait list it was so exciting but getting a referral felt so far away it was as though it would never happen. That is what waiting for a court date feels like now! That 'will it ever happen' feeling. Many thanks to everyone that has taken the time to photograph and video our little ones. What you've sent us is cherished.