Hard to believe Zoë's only been part of our family for just over 3 months.
In that time she's gone from 14 to 20 pounds, scrawny to pleasantly plump (especially in the cheeks), no teeth to a mouthful, sleeping all the time to sleeping not enough, smiling a lot to smiling non-stop, unable to sit to able to hold herself standing, never heard a word of English to lots of sounds that a proud parent could even claim were words (hi, up, more, bottle/baba).
Of course, in many ways, an imagined version of her has been a part of our family for almost five years now. Our hopes for her kept us all sane. But the real Zoë, just like the real Molly and Jacob, is love in technicolor. Every giggle and cry just melts me.
There wasn't a lot of time for reflection during our busy day. But I have spent some time thinking about Zoë's birth mother. Thanking her for protecting Zoë. Hoping she has come to terms with the difficult choices she faced. Assuring her that her little girl is healthy and happy and very, very loved.
And I've also been thinking about Zoë's caregivers at the orphanage. Besides having Zoë placed in my arms for the first time, the most important moments in the past year took place when we visited the orphanage and saw first hand how much those women loved and cared for Zoë. She is blossoming now, and it is in no small part due to their care.
And here are a couple of photos of the big day.
- Here's the finished product - cake decorated and partly prepared by loving siblings
- Here's the whole gang preparing to dive into the cake
- Zoë quietly reading a birthday card while Molly & Jacob celebrate the event
- Licking the bowl
- Early on in the chocolate proceedings. I'll have to see if my mom has a shot of the full cake-face
1 comment:
Happy Birthday to Zoe! She has grown so much! You are all so blessed to have each other.
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