Monday, April 04, 2011

Family Day


Today is the 6th anniversary of my becoming a mommy. After months of preparation, anxiety, interviews, and paperwork, I finally found myself with my husband in Nanning China waiting for the arrival of my baby girl.

They brough Chloe in with the other 14 babies. It took me a minute to figure out which one was mine. I don't think she looked much like the pictures they had sent me. She was quiet, scared and curious. I was most in awe of her big round eyes (accentuated by her fear). She was brave and I later learned, sick.

Those first few days were really rough, but we bonded with our girl and became friends with our travelmates. Everywhere we went, we were approached by Chinese people who would look at Chloe and exclaim, "Big Eyes!"

Now she is 7. We often ask "Where did the time go?" I remember being so frustrated that I couldn't carry on a conversation with her. I was so eager and impatient to see her grow up. I wanted to know what she was thinking. These past few years have been so amazing, I wish I could freeze time......just for awhile. Even my sweet Chloe tells me she wishes she could stay little. How odd, when so many other kids just want to be big.

She has blossomed so much this past year. In Kindergarten, she was quiet and reserved and middle-of-the-pack. In First Grade, she participates, competes, excels and earned Student of the Month. This year she started gymnastics and is taking to it like a fish to water. Her teacher already wants to move her up to the next level. Every evening, when her sister is practicing piano, Chloe is practicing handstands, splits, and back rolls. She does cartwheels as easily as taking a step. She is self-motivated and only needs the slightest encouragement. She is my little sidekick.

Happy Forever Family Day my sweet Chloe ♥

4 comments:

Everything Beautiful Shay said...

Happy Chloe Day!!! What a precious gift!!! Bless you all!

Donna said...

I get so much more emotional looking BACK on the day I met my babies (and my friends met theirs). I think it's because now I know how deeply and completely they are loved and how much our lives were forever changed in beautiful and amazing ways and it all started on that first day in that far away place when a tiny stranger was placed in our arms. A day that was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time. Every year, we sit down together and look at the photos and talk about our first days together and it's so easy to read all their facial expressions in those old photos. The first time I was able to do that, it was almost like experiencing Gotcha Day all over again from a completely different perspective and it always gives me a new appreciation of the gift I was given. I know we've talked about this before so you know what I mean.

Happy Family Day to Chloe and all the people she loves!

Donna
Our Blog: Double Happiness!

Leah Maya Benjamin said...

Happy Family Day! she does have such big beautiful eye's1 glad seh is blossoming in gymnastics. I have a cousin who never wanted to grow up either, but she's 30 now so it just happens.

tiffany said...

What a special girl you have. Happy Family Day!