Belated birthday
A photo from Sabrina’s actual birthday – we celebrated quietly at home with cupcakes. The Happy Birthday song was sung many times as Sabrina is too cute when she dances.
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I’ve been contemplating this post for 3 days and still don’t know exactly how to put it into words. Her birthday was very bittersweet for me. I have so many conflicting emotions. I am so amazed at the little girl she is becoming: happy, social, inquisitive, willful, active and so many other wonderful traits. I am so proud of everything she is learning. But I am so sad that she keeps growing so quickly. I missed the first 7 months with her and I just want to freeze time right now. I want her to stay my baby but each day she looks more like a little girl. I feel like the days, weeks and months are racing by and I will turn around tomorrow and she will be in kindergarten and then college.
I also spent time thinking about Sabrina’s birth mom and foster mom on her birthday. One gave her life and the other gave her a foundation. I can’t imagine how either of them were feeling. I know her foster family was thinking of her since we received the email from them. But I wonder if her birth mom did something special to mark the day or if she just worked to largely ignore it because it was too painful. I ache for these women who made it possible for this amazing little girl to be in my life. Their pain and sacrifice have brought such incredible joy to us. Their selfless acts have enriched our world. I just wish they could know how much we (Steve and I) appreciate our daughter (our meaning mine, her birth mom’s, and her foster mom’s).
Happy birthday my darling Sabrina. You can’t imagine how many people in this world are sending you love as you turn 1.
Ruby will be 1 next Wednesday and I think about a lot of the same things you mentioned.
Kerri and Ruby
Awe How sweet, What a great post. I cannot believe she turned one already. And I cannot believe it is the 2nd week in September.
Great post Michelle. I couldn’t agree more with everything you said.
Wow, powerful post. As always, you have a way with words.
Happy birthday sweet Sabrina!!! Gosh, I still remember seeing her referral and jumping up and down.
Such a sweet photo. Happy Birthday Sabrina. They do grow up way to fast. What a beautiful post and it was said just perfectly. You love for her just jumps off the page.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I think about Cameron’s birth mom every single day. I pray that she knows that.
All of our daughters. I wonder if these women, the birthmoms, realize just how much they mean to us and know that we pray for them always.
Gail
Powerful post, Michelle.
On Emma’s wall, I have a white painted metal tree…in the tree are a few cards, a few momentos from Guatemala and two photos…one of Emma with her birth mother the day of the DNA test (she is giving Emma a kiss) and the other photo is a photo of Emma with her foster mother. The tree is in full view of the rocking chair. As I rock Emma, I hold her a little bit tighter knowing that I am in some way loving Emma on behalf of those two women.
Again, powerful post…as Emma’s birthday is just around the bend, I am experiencing many of the same emotions. And, although Emma will be one year old, to me it feels as though she is younger than that because although she will be a year old, I have only been with her for a few of those months.
God bless, Tera
Ohhh Michelle – powerful post. A few tears I am fighting back over here in Virginia.
We face Sofia’s 1st birthday in a month and I am SO NOT READY for that milestone. I still look at Victoria, who now says, “Not now, mom….I’m busy” and I wonder when I got so OLD or when they got so MATURE.
Motherhood is a crazy adventure. Kiss Miss Sabrina from her blogging auntie Tricia. I still remember laying eyes on her referral pictures for the first time!
**Sniff, Sniff**
Happy Saturday, my friend
Incredible post, Michelle! I was just thinking this SAME thing as we get closer to K’s birthday. His foster family loves him SO much, and I am sure as it gets closer, they are going to be sad. Luckily, we have a good relationship with them already, so we can at least share in that. I pray that K’s birthmom knows in her heart that her son is SO loved, and how grateful we are to her.
Great post!!
Happy Birthday Sabrina! You’re right, they grow up so quick! I’m already melancholy about my 4 week old growing so quick, not to mention our other 2 kids. Where has time gone! With all the chaos, I try to remember that these truly are the special moments!
Ah, Michelle you took the words right out of my mouth! they do grow up so fast! When I was lamenting not sleeping at night, hubby reminded me that it would pass all too quickly and he was so right. Victoria is blossoming right before our eyes and I am so happy to see it, but so sad she is changing so much. she is starting to look like a little girl, not my baby anymore 🙁 🙁
Happy Birthday, Sabrina! You don’t look a day over 11 months!
Aw, jeez, now you’ve got me all choked up. Such a beautiful post.
Beautifully said. Thank you for reminding me about his foster Mom. She was so wonderful. I blogged about his first birthday, and his birth Mom. I got so wrapped up with those feelings and thoughts I didn’t include her in that post. You are right, they certainly give them so much that we don’t.
Wow, she is changing. And, yes, before you know it she will be off to Kindergarten. Trust me, I was a mess! I still have a hard time thinking about it during the day. My oldest is in third grade, and I still miss her terribly. Hold her a little tighter—maybe she won’t get any older.
Beautiful as always!
I feel the same way that you do. I am always saying that time is just flying by and each week they can do something they couldn’t the week before. I cant imagine how much fun it would have been to see it from the very beginning. I feel cheated somehow.
Happy Birthday Sabrina! I can relate to your post, I feel the exact same way. My baby turned one on the 3rd. We’ll see you at Guatoberfest!