ONE

Grace turned one yesterday. I almost can't believe I just wrote that. At this time last year, our dossier had just been sent over to Ethiopia. We had the long (or what seemed long at the time), 4 month wait for our referral and then four more months of waiting to travel. We finally got to bring our baby girl home in April. Now that she has been home for five months, I can not even imagine our family without her. I'm a little sad that we missed so much of her babyhood, but I am really looking forward to watching her grow and change. I've realized that adoption has some fun, hidden surprises. You see, when your biological kids are growing, you might recognize a trend or pattern in their growth or personality that echos Mom or Dad. Not too many things are truly unexpected. With adopted children, especially those that are abandoned, everything is a surprise. When will she begin walking? When will her first tooth come in (not yet)? How tall will she be? What will she look like when she grows up? I am looking forward to the future with great anticipation!

As most parents know, with the 1st birthday, comes the next obligatory visit to the pediatrician's office. There is the usual stuff like safety, height and weight, eating habits and milestones to go over. After all the pleasantries with the doctor, it was time for the nurse to come in. Grace started wimpering as soon as she saw her. The poor thing needed 5 shots. OUCH!!!