Ohmigosh what a whirlwind of a year it has been! I look at the pictures from the last post, and I honestly, truly, positively can NOT believe it has been just about a year ago! Kai looked like a little peanut, and Austin still had his little-boy smile.....not so much anymore on either count.
Kai's adjustment and acceptance of us as her family has been nothing short of amazing. She is healthy, happy, funny, adorable and smart. I fully expected there to be more "bumps in the road", but everything she has experienced and all the changes in her life in the last year have been developmentally exact. We accelerated her immunizations to catch up to requirements. She has consistently grown, both in height and weight. Austin has accepted her as his little sister, and although he would tell you that she is annoying, they have moments of happiness and fun together that just melt my heart! I feel SOOOO blessed to have two such awesome kids; it is just what I ever hoped and prayed for!
Kai is a normal 2-year old who loves books, puzzles, playing with her baby dolls, putting on (and walking in!) my shoes. She is talking up a storm and making sentences with so many words I have to really concentrate to understand all of them! My favorite is when - out of the blue - she says "Ah wu you mush Momma" ("I love you much Momma")!! I tell her I love her mush too!!!
Austin turned 6 in January with a pool party at a local hotel with a heated indoor pool. He and 5 other boys swam and played like 6-year-old boys do, then we had a sleepover at the hotel. It was crazy-fun, but I am glad I don't have 7 kids! :) Kai did get to experience her first snow in early March. She wasn't too thrilled with it - - - she's like her Momma! The Winter turned into Spring with the usual flurry of kid birthday parties. Austin played baseball again and had a fun time with his buddies.
Kai was baptized on March 29th at the First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange with Dr. Doug DeCelle performing the ceremony. My parents and family got to be there along with Shawn's family and several of our dearest friends. We celebrated the happy occasion with a dinner at the country club.
Before we knew it school was out! Austin took swimming lessons with one of his BFFs then did baseball camp the following week with another BFF. Father's Day, Vacation Bible School, and camps at the club filled up many of our summer days, and we spent many weekends on our boat on the lake tubing and swimming.
Two weeks before summer's end the kids and I had the opportunity to head to the beach along with my BFF and her daughter. Kai LOVED the beach (I knew she would; she is, after all, MY daughter!)! We had an awesome time! We got home then turned around and drove to North Carolina to squeeze in a visit to my parent's house. It was short but sweet, and we got to celebrate Pop's birthday with him which was great.
In August, Austin started 1st grade at Hollis Hand and Kai began going 3 mornings a week to a preschool at St. Mark's. Both are enjoying school and learning SO much! Austin is reading really well and it is opening up a whole new world of knowledge for him. Kai loves to draw (scribble?) and can count to 13! We're still working on learning our colors and letters, but she is doing amazingly well.
Austin has been losing teeth like crazy since school started. At the present, he is missing 5 of his front teeth, including his top two middle ones. What a change it has made in his appearance! No longer a little boy - - it is bittersweet for me as his mother. I know they are both growing up, but it just happens so quickly. I really do try to savor the moments of motherhood and remind myself that they'll be grown before I know it. Kai has all her baby teeth including her two-year molars. I'm just glad that since her verbal skills have improved she has hardly used those chompers for biting others! That was a problem for a short time.
We went through the process of domestic re-adoption for Kai so that she could obtain an American birth certificate and Social Security number. She became "official" on August 27th!
Kai turned two at the end of October. I figured since she missed out on celebrating her first birthday, we should do it up big for her second! She had three birthday parties: one at preschool, one for the family and our friends from Atlanta, and one girly-girl "Sparkly" Party where everything was pink and/or glittery! It was awesome!
Now as we celebrate again the Christmas season, I am filled with joy more than ever before. My family is complete! I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. Our journey to Kai was different than how Austin came to be in our lives, but there is no less love for either child. Just like the Grinch, my heart has grown with love for my family and also my friends. Kai is not a child of our flesh, but she is a child of our hearts. There were times when I wondered whether we would be able to get to her and bring her home, but I never lost my faith in God's plan (and timing) for us. In fact, in looking back, I can see that God was making me stronger with the challenges that the adoption process brought. I had never prayed so hard in my life, and I am so very thankful that God answered our prayer, and we were able to have our precious daughter home with us. I give Him ALL the glory! Where there is great love there are miracles, and I do believe with all my heart that BOTH of my children are miracles.
The will be the final post for the blog. The journey TO Kai is over - - but the rest of the journey has only begun!
God is good - all the time - and all the time God is good!!!!!! Always keep the faith!!!!
