525,600 Minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?

One year ago today we woke up in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Mark and I were in a hotel room, full of excitement, and a bit of ignorance at how difficult it was going to be to take our daughter from all she’d ever known.  Those first days are impossible to put into words.  There isn’t an emotion you don’t feel during that time.  If you’ve done it, you understand.  It’s nothing short of a miracle however, how quickly that all fades away and gives birth to a life that was meant to be. 

This morning I awoke to sounds of little feet coming down the stairs, and little hands quietly opening the door to our bedroom.  When our eyes met and she realized Mommy was awake, a smile filled her face.  She crawled in bed and I cocooned her body.  She took my hand and showed me exactly how she wanted me to rub her forehead, and demanded that I kiss every inch of her cheek. 

A year later she takes everything from me that I so desperately wanted to give her on that first day.  Comfort, safety, peace, and love.

How do you measure, measure a year?  In daylight, in sunsets, in midnights and cups of coffee, in inches, in miles of laughter and strife.  How do you measure a year in the life?

Today we celebrate her and all she’s accomplished in this year.  We celebrate us too, because we’ve come a long way also.  Let’s face it, we just like to celebrate(Happy Birthday Mom!).  There are cupcakes with birdy nests on them.

  

I have all my birdies in one nest, and it’s going to stay that way!

There are presents.  Well, a used scooter handed down from the cousins, that’s what happens when you’re the 3rd egg.

  

Measure in love.

Happy Gotcha Day!  We couldn’t love you more…