Looking Back

I have been working on a scrapbook for Laila to bring to the hospital and I am so thankful to the Philip Hayden Foundation for taking so many pictures of Laila. When Sara brought Laila to me in Xining she quickly grabbed my laptop and plugged in a jump drive and uploaded over 700 photos. It was such a whirlwind in China that I never got the chance to actually look at these photos. However when I came home and things settled I took a peek at them and I had a rush of emotions run through me. First I was immediately so taken by what a BEAUTIFUL baby she was. Then my heart sank when I was reminded that she was alone many months in hospitals, sick with pneumonia for 3 months once, then recovering from open heart surgery, and just spending all those YEARS without a family. Then when Sara called the Xining orphanage to tell them someone was adopting the 6 year old they had sent to live at PHF in 2005, they were surprised. With her condition and her age, why? It stung a bit when I was told they felt that way, but I was going to get my girl.

She was ours and although it took us a long time to find eachother...

I can't change how things transpired.

It is what it is.

Missing a huge part of her life is hard, but there is still so much to look forward to. There are still so many "firsts" that Laila will have and so many she has had since she has been home these past months. I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone thinking about adopting to think outside of the age range you have set in your mind. Laila vividly can recall to me seeing babies "got a family" as she calls it. :(

I know she has a long road ahead of self acceptance (a whole 'nother blog post) and and learning what its like to be in a family. However she is able to understand and we are working on bonding and growing together. I won't gloss things over and say its easy, but I think that's how it is with many adoptions. It is a work in progress and its totally WORTH it!

I say it all the time, but we are the lucky ones and the blessed ones to have her.

So in honor of Laila's 7th Birthday on Dec 1 I wanted to post some pics of her throughout the years.