HAPPY Mother's Day!!!

Here's a slideshow of the passage of time within my family's 3rd GENERATION Adoption that began over 100 years ago!!!! I am deeply humbled particularly this Mother's Day in realizing the joy, excitement and gratitude of adopting our daughter, as it was for my GRANDMA (adopting my mom), then my MOM adopting me! Wow, it's pretty surreal to have our daughter finally HOME with us after 2 years of starting the Adoption journey!

Happy Mother's Day to all those Mommies who have the joy and honor of being a Mommy!!! I remember going to church last year saying "I hope we have our baby girl this time next year..." And, look it, by God's AMAZING Grace, we DO!!!! I cannot believe it was 2 months ago TODAY that we met our daughter for the first time!!! Maile is now 29 months old TODAY as well and while we know we did not have the first 27 months of her life with her, we are thrilled to now a LIFETIME together.

Maile is REALLY coming out of her shell, she has taken to "Ba" (Daddy) - what a blessing!!! I have a feeling she WILL be a "Daddy's girl" in no time...THIS MORNING we were both there to greet her out of her crib and she REACHED for Daddy to get her out!!! Step over Mommy, here comes Daddy! Wow, it was bittersweet...happy for Daddy and sad for me, just a twinge of sadness of the realization I'm NOT her EVERYTHING any more. Thankfully, though, she has found refuge, safety and gaining trust in Daddy to love her and take care of her too as we are ALL so willing to do!

More Maile Moments
**Maile is FINALLY enjoying baths more, loves to pour the big cup of water all over her belly and watch the bubbles cascade like a waterfall. She has NOT quite learn, it's better to keep her MOUTH CLOSED during this event!

**Maile is warming up to SAMUEL, still grunts NO when her big brothers get into her personal space, but has quickly learned to grab the nearest hand near by to drag to the pantry! I think she is still in awe of our "grocery store of food!" She eats ALL the time, still such a littl' peanut.

**Maile LOVES Tofu!!! She ate 9-10 pieces of TOFU for LUNCH the other day, I'm talking 9-10 squares that were 1.5" x 1.5" BIG!!!! Maile does NOT like cottage cheese, there is NO way of hiding it, sneaking it, mashing it, etc...she gets whiplash telling us "NO WAY" when she KNOWS there is any hint of cottage cheese anywhere!

Time to sign off...God bless you and HAPPY Mother's Day!