Lil's Gotcha Day Revisited

It is hard to believe that it was five years ago today that we officially became Lil's parents. I had spent six months packing our bags for China and the night before we left, Tony looked at the 14 ziplock bags with baby outfits, matching socks and accessories for each day of our trip and said "babies go through more than one outfit a day you know!" Once I resumed breathing, I realized how ill prepared I was for motherhood, but was luckily standing beside a pro who promised we would exercise his gold visa card in all the baby shops of China. And so I was coaxed onto the airplane and launched over to Guandong.

We were so excited to receive Lily in our arms and she was so forlorn and confused on that day. But once handed to her Dad, she wasn't about to let go even to give the nanny a hug goodbye and so she's been a Daddy's girl ever since.

The months ahead were tough as Lil battled rickets, malnutrition, pneumonia and kidney infections...I felt more like her nurse than her Mom for a long time. Three months home I was pretty bagged and certain that another adoption journey was not in our future. By the six months mark we began our home study to adopt Grace.

We often see women who have been through infertility treatments to get pregnant and who are beyond excited at the prospect of having a baby. By the second time around the elation is subdued somewhat and although happy about adding to the family, being a mom is no longer theoretical. They've lived through the croup and poop, sneezes and wheezes and understand what the job involves.

That's the way I felt about our second adoption journey...it was the right thing to do but I was stocking up on rubber gloves. Happily Gracie had experienced a healthier start and her transition into our family has been smooth. Of course I am not the helicopter mother I was with Lil...more experienced or worn out or both.

So tonight we celebrated with pizza and banana splits and with a grateful heart, looked at all the old photos of Lil's gotcha day five years ago.