He's almost ONE???

Haley is out of town this weekend and Jeremy has drill so I've spent Ira's nap times stuffing birthday invitations and printing labels. I cannot BELIEVE his first birthday is just a few weeks away. This year has flown by. Haley's senior year in high school and Ira's first year of his life...wow.

So, it hit me this week - it is time to start writing my first "annual letter" to Ira's birthmother. I did it every month for the first six months before the adoption was finalized, but is not required after that except annually on his birthday. What do I say? How can I express what a great little boy he is; how much joy he brings to our lives; what a God-thing this was; how I still think about her so much and hope she is doing well and doesn't question the decision she made for one second? Maybe those are the things I tell her......I know God will lead my hand while I'm writing it.

Received a compliment at church last week. This may sound VERY odd to many - but an African-American lady who always dotes on Ira at church told me "you dress him so nice and care for his skin and hair so well; you are doing so good!". *tears* If my best friend had said that or a family member, I would have said "thank you" without a lot of post-reaction thinking. BUT, for a mother/grandmother of African heritage to tell me (pink skinned! joke at the house) that I'm caring for his skin and hair and she likes the way I dress him........it was HUGE. I don't think I have shared this compliment with anyone - but the more I think about it, the more I think it is "okay". It is a common fact that his skin and hair is different that mine and it takes a different type of care than I would use for Haley if she were a baby. More work? Not really - just different and it has taken a while to see what works for him. As far as clothing, I have to say the color of his skin doesn't play into that...I'm just super picky about boys' clothes. :) I like what I like......

I LOVE my kids; I wish I were younger and could do this some more - LOL. Second thought: I'll wait for a granddaughter and just have fun that way. :) A LONG TIME FROM NOW, HALEY - YEARS AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION - YEARS FROM NOW.....LOL.

I hope Ira reads these blog postings one day and realizes some of my thoughts before we knew him, while we were bonding and 1 year later. I know he will know his Mommy loves him to the Moon and back; Haley does and Ira will too (if not already).

Well, I have an Excel spreadsheet to make for Haley's graduation party and Ira's birthday party so I should work on that while baby boy is still snoozing away.

I am blessed ~ Thank you, God!

Angela