Saturday, May 1, 2010

A Birthday

I turned 27 on April 15th. It's still very young, I know. In February and March however, I was already trying to prepare myself for this day. More than Thanksgiving and Christmas, my birthday is a marker for the time we have been waiting to become parents. This is the 3rd birthday that I have celebrated (or just tried to get through) while on our journey to parenthood. I never dreamed that I would turn 27 and not be a mom. It probably sounds so weird to some, but I started my career at 19, got engaged at 21, married at 22, and always thought I would be a mom for the first time by 24... Now there's a real possibility that I might celebrate yet another birthday before becoming a mom for the first time. More than anything, I think that it just the realization (yet again) that sometimes the life you had planned for yourself takes a different course.

Despite the dread and many tears shed in February and March, my April, including the birthday, have been great. A new job that I love has definitely helped. This truly is my dream job and a perfect job for a working mother. Some realizations that I have had this month : had I gotten pregnant right away at 24, I would have likely never even considered taking this job; this incredible journey has helped me re-find my faith; I look at the children in our lives in a completely new way, knowing just how much of a miracle they really are; and so many of our friends and family members have been exposed to the beauty and joy of adoption through our journey. I hope this joy and feeling of hopefulness can carry me through a few more months and maybe even through the number 28!

In February, the Parrish family welcomed their second child - Gabriela. We have loved following them on their journey to, and in, Colombia. Their CaringBridge site is:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/parrishadoption
This week, to the surprise of many, there was another referral! The Galarneault family received news that they are parents to a 2nd boy! We can't wait to share their journey with them as they meet and welcome Baby Samuel. Their CaringBridge site is:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/galarneault

While the outlook for international adoption is still pretty grim in terms of waiting time, we are so happy that a least 2 FANA families have/will be welcoming babies into their lives. It's so hard to imagine right now, but one day, that will be us.