Soaking Into My Skin

Last night I was sharing with some friends how different adoption is to giving birth. Having my biological children was the most incredible experience but it can't be compared to adopting. Can you compare a pineapple to a mango? No. Why? Because they are so different.

Having children through adoption or biologically is the same. They are both beautiful but different.

What is beyond my ability to explain in words with International Adoption of older children is this: I can see what my children look like when they are past newborn. I don't have to wait until they grow up and become little characters to know them. It's like being given a new gift unwrapped.

Both my husband and I are obsessed with studying their little faces. We know every little mark on them. The way they hold their bodies, the shape of their ears, the shadow on Mesay's upper lip, the dainty little collarbone that shows on Gadise, the frail little hands.

We see that Mesay has a light in her eyes in both of her pictures - she seems to have a sweet spirit, a resiliance, perhaps, while Gadise has a solomn look on her face in both of her pictures.

I told my husband that I feel that our girls are soaking into me.

I have taken their weights and heights and compared them to our two littlest boys. They are tiny little girls. I took my boys in to get weighed, so I could picture our girls a little better. It is hard to 'see' them when you have no comparison in the picture. I realized that our littlest boy, Briton, at age 3 yr 3 months is the same weight as our oldest daughter, who is about 1 1/2 years older.

This week I was so blessed because I was suddenly inspired to email an adoptive friend who had just returned from picking up her daughter. I asked her if she might have any group pictures of the children in the Transition Home. Sure enough she did! At first glance we didn't see our children, but upon further studying we found one of them. She was right in the front of the picture!! We didn't recognize her because we were looking for a little girl! LOL!! She has very short hair and could be mistaken (and was) for a little boy.

So now we have another picture to pour over!!

On top of that I have asked a number of Adoptive Parents who are traveling in the next month to take pictures for us if they are able. They have all willingly agreed. We have a great support group on our Yahoo group and they all understand how obsessed you become once you have seen your child! And our agency will not give us any more updates until we have gone through court. So now I hold my breath until some parents come home with their children and hopefully a few pictures for us.

When we go it will be our turn to bless others.