Today I was changing Cambria's diaper. Which isn't always the easiest feat....she is very wiggly and doesn't want to lie still for a boring diaper change! She wants to be on the move. So I gave her a shoe to hold onto....I had just bought her this new pair of shoes...sparkly cute shoes. She tried to put it on her foot! I was so proud of my baby girl! Then today we were at the soccer field watching Joshua's soccer game, and she started clapping! So cute! Yesterday she and I were in her room and she was playing with her toys. Dave came home, and was standing in the doorway of her room. She looked up at him and said, "Hey!" The other day I was feeding her in her high chair. She looked at me and said, "more"! (Well, it sounded more like "ma", but close enough!)
My little girl is brilliant. Brilliant, I say!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
My Daughter
Lately I have been having these fleeting thoughts rush through my head....what if Cambria is upset that she is adopted when she is old enough to understand? Yes, yes for all you adoption-haters, I realize I should have thought of this before we embarked on this adoption journey. I did. But before and after the baby is actually in your home are two different things. I love her so much, and I never want her to feel hurt for any reason. She is so happy and smiley and giggly....I can't imagine her not being that way ever!
My mother still sometimes refers to her birthmom as "her mother".....as in, "Have you talked to her mother lately?" Wait! I am her mother! The other day I was in a store buying a baby gift for our friend (the one who, if you read back to my blog posts after my hysterectomy in June) finally got pregnant at 40 years old and I was bawling like a baby cuz I just had a hysterectomy....never mind that I have 4 kiddos already! And adopted the last one, so my womb wasn't really needed anyways.), and I also bought a cute winter jacket for Cambria, I kept telling the saleswoman "this one is for my daughter so put it in a different bag, this one is for my daughter, so I don't need a gift receipt for it, this coat is for my daughter, etc. etc. I'm sure the salesgirl wanted to tell me "Oh, for God's sake, stuff a sock in it, will ya?!" I kept saying daughter over and over again....like I was finally hearing it for the first time, and I loved the way it sounded. Sure, I've had a daughter for over a year now. Legally, she has been my daughter since January! What was up with me? Maybe I was so nervous for so long that something would go wrong with the adoption and it would fall apart. I love this little girl so much, and the thought of losing her killed me. Oh! And our friend had her daughter (there's that word again!) on Sept. 24th! The day after Cambria's birthday!
One of my adoptive momma friends had 2 sons, and wanted to adopt a baby girl like me. Her daughter was born 3 weeks after my daughter! Crazy timing, huh?! Well, anyways she just posted a cute picture on FB of her daughter with a birthday package her birth family mailed her. I was so happy for her daughter to receive birthday love from her birth family. And I was jealous. Sure, her birth mother posted a really nice post on FB and sent me a wonderful text (saying I was beautiful inside and out and she was so grateful that we adopted Cambria, and that she loved us, etc. etc.), but I wish I had something tangible to put in Cambria's scrapbook. I guess I can print out the post on FB that she tagged me in. Her birth grandma sent me a message asking me to give her a kiss from her and to tell Cambria that she loves her. Which I did. That was so sweet.
I just read this blog written by a birthmother (I've read it before, but it has been a while.) I didn't get thru all the posts, so I don't know all the details, but she doesn't have contact with her birth daugther who is over 18 now. I'm not sure why. But I was bawling reading the blog. Tears and everything. The pain this woman feels over the loss of her daughter is so palpable and raw. This is why I'm happy we have an open adoption. If Cambria wants to have contact with her birth family, that is fine with us. That is why I am keeping in contact with them and keeping the lines of communication open. So there won't be any mystery about her birth family. Cambria has 2 families that absolutely love and adore her. I always ask her birth mother lots of questions about her and her family, so that when Cambria is old enough to ask the questions, I will have lots of answers. I found out that her birth grandfather is Italian! That is wonderful! When I was younger, I always wanted to be Italian! My 2 best childhood friends were Italian, and I loved hanging out with them and wanted to be like them. And the food their mothers made was amazing! Isn't it ironic that my favorite type of food is Italian?! That little girl and I were meant to find each other! That little girl....you know, my daughter!
My mother still sometimes refers to her birthmom as "her mother".....as in, "Have you talked to her mother lately?" Wait! I am her mother! The other day I was in a store buying a baby gift for our friend (the one who, if you read back to my blog posts after my hysterectomy in June) finally got pregnant at 40 years old and I was bawling like a baby cuz I just had a hysterectomy....never mind that I have 4 kiddos already! And adopted the last one, so my womb wasn't really needed anyways.), and I also bought a cute winter jacket for Cambria, I kept telling the saleswoman "this one is for my daughter so put it in a different bag, this one is for my daughter, so I don't need a gift receipt for it, this coat is for my daughter, etc. etc. I'm sure the salesgirl wanted to tell me "Oh, for God's sake, stuff a sock in it, will ya?!" I kept saying daughter over and over again....like I was finally hearing it for the first time, and I loved the way it sounded. Sure, I've had a daughter for over a year now. Legally, she has been my daughter since January! What was up with me? Maybe I was so nervous for so long that something would go wrong with the adoption and it would fall apart. I love this little girl so much, and the thought of losing her killed me. Oh! And our friend had her daughter (there's that word again!) on Sept. 24th! The day after Cambria's birthday!
One of my adoptive momma friends had 2 sons, and wanted to adopt a baby girl like me. Her daughter was born 3 weeks after my daughter! Crazy timing, huh?! Well, anyways she just posted a cute picture on FB of her daughter with a birthday package her birth family mailed her. I was so happy for her daughter to receive birthday love from her birth family. And I was jealous. Sure, her birth mother posted a really nice post on FB and sent me a wonderful text (saying I was beautiful inside and out and she was so grateful that we adopted Cambria, and that she loved us, etc. etc.), but I wish I had something tangible to put in Cambria's scrapbook. I guess I can print out the post on FB that she tagged me in. Her birth grandma sent me a message asking me to give her a kiss from her and to tell Cambria that she loves her. Which I did. That was so sweet.
I just read this blog written by a birthmother (I've read it before, but it has been a while.) I didn't get thru all the posts, so I don't know all the details, but she doesn't have contact with her birth daugther who is over 18 now. I'm not sure why. But I was bawling reading the blog. Tears and everything. The pain this woman feels over the loss of her daughter is so palpable and raw. This is why I'm happy we have an open adoption. If Cambria wants to have contact with her birth family, that is fine with us. That is why I am keeping in contact with them and keeping the lines of communication open. So there won't be any mystery about her birth family. Cambria has 2 families that absolutely love and adore her. I always ask her birth mother lots of questions about her and her family, so that when Cambria is old enough to ask the questions, I will have lots of answers. I found out that her birth grandfather is Italian! That is wonderful! When I was younger, I always wanted to be Italian! My 2 best childhood friends were Italian, and I loved hanging out with them and wanted to be like them. And the food their mothers made was amazing! Isn't it ironic that my favorite type of food is Italian?! That little girl and I were meant to find each other! That little girl....you know, my daughter!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Birthday Girl
My amazing photographer took some pictures of Cambria for her 1st birthday. They turned out great!
I love, love, love this picture!
This is my favorite picture of my baby girl! Gawd, she is sooo cute!!
She is so happy!
Also- Cambria has a new cousin! Her birth mom's sister had a baby boy today! He is so cute. 2 days before Cambria's due date of Oct. 10th last year. Interesting timing!
I love, love, love this picture!
This is my favorite picture of my baby girl! Gawd, she is sooo cute!!
She is so happy!
Also- Cambria has a new cousin! Her birth mom's sister had a baby boy today! He is so cute. 2 days before Cambria's due date of Oct. 10th last year. Interesting timing!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Home Sweet Home
One year ago yesterday, we brought Cambria home. Ahhhh, home sweet home! And after I wrote that last post on Oct. 2nd, Cambria took her first steps!! What a great anniversary! :)
Everybody immediately loved her when we got home from the airport. My boys, my dogs, my parents, my friends, etc. It was such an amazing time in our lives filled with love and happiness. She has filled our lives with so much joy in just one year...can't wait to spend the next 50+ years with her!
I love you, my sweet baby girl...always and forever. You have completed our family.
Everybody immediately loved her when we got home from the airport. My boys, my dogs, my parents, my friends, etc. It was such an amazing time in our lives filled with love and happiness. She has filled our lives with so much joy in just one year...can't wait to spend the next 50+ years with her!
I love you, my sweet baby girl...always and forever. You have completed our family.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Another Special Anniversary
1 year ago today, at 5:00 PM, the 7 day revocation period was up in NC and Cambria was ours! (Well, the adoption wasn't finalized by the court until January, but you get what I mean!)
I have to say, that clock never moved so slow during that 7 day period! I remember at 5:00 several of my wonderful friends texted me saying, "It's 5:00!" Yep, it was 5:00 somewhere, in the NC time zone we were hanging out in! I frantically started packing up our suitcases, and Cambria and I were going to board the 6:00 AM flight (yes, 6:00 AM flight!) to AZ the next morning! (Dave had to go back home a couple days earlier and work.)
Our time in NC was coming to an end. I was happy to go home and see my sons and introduce them to their new sister, and introduce my parents to their one and only granddaughter! We really liked NC. I would like to go back someday and visit again, and have Cambria see her birth mother again.
I have to say, that clock never moved so slow during that 7 day period! I remember at 5:00 several of my wonderful friends texted me saying, "It's 5:00!" Yep, it was 5:00 somewhere, in the NC time zone we were hanging out in! I frantically started packing up our suitcases, and Cambria and I were going to board the 6:00 AM flight (yes, 6:00 AM flight!) to AZ the next morning! (Dave had to go back home a couple days earlier and work.)
Our time in NC was coming to an end. I was happy to go home and see my sons and introduce them to their new sister, and introduce my parents to their one and only granddaughter! We really liked NC. I would like to go back someday and visit again, and have Cambria see her birth mother again.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
October!
October 1st! Happy October to everyone! This time last year we were hanging out in NC with our new bundle of joy! Soaking up every minute of time with her. Praying to God that her birth mother didn't change her mind and take her back. The revocation period was over on Oct. 2nd at 5:00. Time moved so slowly then.
And then after the revocation period was up, poof! Time has sped by. I can't believe my baby girl is 1 already!
What an amazing year this has been, sleep deprivation and all!
Did I mention that I am now FB friends with the new adoptive mom? So awesome- this way we can keep in touch over the years for the girls' sake...they will be sisters, after all! :)
And then after the revocation period was up, poof! Time has sped by. I can't believe my baby girl is 1 already!
What an amazing year this has been, sleep deprivation and all!
Did I mention that I am now FB friends with the new adoptive mom? So awesome- this way we can keep in touch over the years for the girls' sake...they will be sisters, after all! :)
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