Look who’s 5!!

Five years ago, our daughter was born in Armenia. The first time we saw a photo of her, she was probably a few months old. After recently visiting two newborn babies, I am struck by how much of her young life we missed, even though she was 11-months-old when she joined our family. I watch newborn moms coo and snuggle, nurse and touch and fuss over their babies and know daughter missed out on this crucial bonding experience. Even though she was well-cared for by the nannies in her orphanage, she didn’t experience being “a family girl” for the first year of her life.

Being an adoptive mom has it’s own unique set of challenges, as does starting life in an orphanage and spending your first critical year without the security of a home and the constancy of family. I see the impact of these circumstances in my daughter.

But I also see her resilience and her strength and know these traits will serve her well. She is smart, funny and grabs life by the horns–my wild child, born in the sign of the bull.

In celebration of her fifth trip around the sun, she asked to have her nails painted this lovely spring green, with nail polish she received as a special gift from a special person, found inside the “Magic Cabinet.” Green is my favorite color, the color of life, renewal and growth. And so it is with this I wish my daughter–so full of energy and life–a year of renewal and growth. Here’s to hoping her next trip around the sun will be the best one yet!

Happy 5th Birthday Little Bird!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth