14 Months

Are we really 14 months into the incredible journey called parenthood?  Have we really made it this far with a wonderful open-adoption that just seems to get better and better?  Yes, we sure have!  It helps that we have amazing family and friends, that we get along so well with Alison, that Emma is just the most amazing little girl in the world.  I know, I know, ALL parents think their child is the best, but seriously, our little girl really is the best! ;)

Emma just keeps showing us what an incredible blessing she is.  She wakes up happy and chatty, she loves baths and stories and snuggles.  Her vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds, almost daily she surprises us with a new word or full sentence.  Example: yesterday in the bathtub, she was playing with a toy and I asked her what she was doing, she paused then lifted her foot out of the water and said; "I want to kick it" then proceed to say "kick, kick, kick" as she kicked and splashed in the water.

I still can not believe she is truly ours.  I feel unworthy of being the mother of such a special gift from God.  She deserves much better than I.  Everyday with her is a new and glorious experience, yes, even the days when she is cranky from teething or just not in a great mood.  She has learned how to throw little fits, and, while I know I should not do it, I laugh every time.  I can't help it.  The crinkle of her nose, those tiny feet stomping the ground with such passion, the angst in her voice, all just make me laugh a little.  Most of the time, the fact that I am laughing and smiling instead of getting upset, seems to help her stop after a short while.

Yes, there are times when she drives me a little crazy (not in a bad way) with her up, down, up down, up down, miniature fit, run down the hall, up, down, all day long.  But then she will do the something like say; "mama, hug" and give me a great big hug, or she will lean in and kiss my cheek as she sits on my hip while I cook.  Then, it does not matter how often she changes her mind, or wants to ride on her dolls stroller down the hall, or that she gets mad when she needs a diaper change.  Because, in that moment, it is like the sun is shining right on us and I remember how very much I am blessed.  In that moment, I am reminded what a gift it is to be cleaning up the toys for the millionth time, or changing the 5th poopy diaper in as many hours, or calming a cranky baby with a sore mouth.

I would rather spend my day taking care of, feeding, changing, and chasing after the precious child that owns my heart, than doing anything else in the whole world.  I would not change the sleepless nights, the tears, the endless loads of laundry, any of it, for anything in the world.  Motherhood it a gift, an honor, a privilege, and I am so very thankful for it.