I will never have another birthday without remembering turning 30. While most people dreaded it, I was very excited. You have to be 30 before you send your paperwork to China to adopt. Unfortunately, after working on our paperwork for almost a year at that point, we were still waiting on our government to send something back before we could turn everything in. Needless to say, I spent the morning of my 30th birthday crying over paperwork instead of celebrating it. It was only a couple weeks later that our paperwork was on its way to China.
At the time, the wait was only about 10 months, so we had expected to have a baby by my 31st birthday. But 31 came and went. So did 32. A couple weeks after my 32nd birthday, I finally saw Will's picture for the first time. When I saw his birthday, it was further confirmation that he was my little boy.
I've always thought it was special that each July the family gets to gather for a birthday party for my nephew, my dad, and my brother-in-law. They all have birthdays within 5 days of each other. So when we found out Will's birthday was just 4 days before mine, I knew that another family birthday party was in order.
This year it was finally here. We celebrated Will's actual birthday on the 17th, but his party fell on my birthday. There is no one I would rather share a birthday with. It was definitely my best birthday ever because he was here to share it with me. Happy 2nd birthday to my wonderful little boy! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate. We wish we had room to invite more of our wonderful friends to share the day with us.
On the flip side, we will never celebrate Will's birthday when I don't say a prayer of thanks for his birth parents who helped create our wonderful little man. I imagine they must be good looking, funny, and smart (like he is!). Also brave and selfless, to give up their little boy who I truly believe they loved, so that he could get the help he needed to be healthy and have a family who could provide for him. In a country that does not have adoption plans in the form that we do in America, they left him in a very nice place where he could be found quickly and taken care of. We pray that someday we can meet in heaven and show our true appreciation.
And to everyone else with February birthdays (It seems to be a popular month!)...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy Birthday Tara & Will!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet! i love your story! Will is so very precious and I am also Thankful he has both of you as parents!! You and John both are amazing and your love is so grand! Happy Birthday my friends!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Will and Tara. My second son's birthday missed mine by just 3 days... I was hoping he could hit it!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully stated. I think about Drew's birthmother a lot. We were lucky enough to meet her, and I thank God for the sacrifces she made that brought us all together. It's a miracle.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post Tara. I didn't realize that it was your birthday also! I really wish we could have made it, to help you celebrate. Thanks again for Jordana's goody bag. She has been carrying around the little car for the last week!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthdays, again! I know Will's birthparents would be so proud of him, to see how he's grown and how wonderful & energetic he is...and they'd be so thankful he's being so loved and well-cared for by you & John!
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