Today is Emme’s first birthday.  After a fabulous party yesterday, (photos and videos to come) Emme had quite a morning that was somewhere in between over exhausted from such a crazy day to over-excited to still see balloons, decorations and new gifts everywhere.  Now, as I hear her quietly cooing herself to sleep for her morning nap, I find myself feeling very reverent and sentimental.

My mind goes immediately to a year ago.  I think of her birth Mother, Aden.  What was this woman experiencing a year ago?  Was her labor hard or easy?  What setting was Emme born in?  Was it a hut with metal sidings like so many that we saw in ET?  Was Aden lucky enough to have made it to a hospital?  Did Aden even have shelter over her head?  What were her feelings the moment that Emme was born?  Did she hold her?  Did she kiss her?  I have so many questions about this moment in my mind that will never be answered.

One thing, that I feel I can be certain about, is that wherever Aden is today, February 8th, 2010, her heart must feel heavy with thoughts of Emme.  She knows how her labor was, she knows where Emme was born, she knows what the first moments of Emme’s life was like.  What Aden does not know is where the little girl that she gave birth to, one year ago, is today.  It is obvious the burden on her heart must be so much greater than mine.

As you read this, please help me with passing these thoughts into the universe, so that somehow Aden can know that everything turned out perfect for her little Selam.

Aden,

Thank you for giving me the most amazing gift.  I desired more than anything to be a Mother and because of you, I am one.  Selam is the most beautiful spirit you could ever imagine.  Her beauty transcends her body and permeates through her soul.  She has this way to spread happiness that is magical.  She is an active, very happy baby with a very strong will.  I imagine this is how you are.  Your strength has gotten you, and will continue to guide you.  Selam’s strength and will is beginning to blossom and I am doing everything that I can to nurture it.  I can tell you she is loved, more than anything!  Not only by her Father and I, but by the community around her.  She has several Ethiopian friends, that she plays with often.  These friends will always be a part of her life and as they grow up together, they will celebrate the Ethiopian culture together.  I hope that you have found peace in the decision to give Selam a better life.  I can guarantee you, that everything that you hoped for has, and will continue to happen for the baby girl that you gave birth to.

Although you are a stranger, I love you and thank you for the gift that you have given me.

Laura George

on Baby’s first Birthday Party? Not at all!! Especially when you have been waiting 7 years to celebrate the birth of the soul that was meant to be your child.

I am so excited about Emme’s birthday!!

Today I put you down for your morning nap and after about 15 minutes I heard, “Ma Ma, Ma Ma, Mmmma Mmmma!” I went into check on you and you were sitting up in your crib! Now that you are crawling, the world is opening up before your eyes. We had practiced all morning going from crawling to sitting up by yourself. I truly believe you were calling me to show me that you did it. Especially because you had a big grin on your face. I laid you down and reminded you that it was nap time and you went right to sleep. I love you darling and I am so proud of the daily milestones that you are achieving. I feel so lucky to be by your side as you open up to the world around you.

Love Mommy

I just want to take a moment to talk about Emme.  Everyday is greated with a smile and a giggle.  Now that the baby babble is full bore, we spend the first moments of our morning “talking” with each other.  While she is still in her crib, she goes on and on, almost as if she is telling me about her dreams.  She is so expressive!

Everyday, I see this amazing spirit emerging.  She has a way of spreading happiness that is almost magical.  When we are out and about, she loves waving to people and of course loves the attention that she gets back!  She is absolutely a social bug, not unlike Mommy!

Within the past week, she has started to truly try to communicate with me.   I love the strong eye contact she gets and the conviction to whatever it is, she is trying to get across.  Today at lunch time, she signed “more” to me for the first time.  A very exciting step to that communication happening!

She is finally army crawling and walking with assistance.  Stay tuned for video of that.

She has such a strong spirit, that I think is one of the reasons why we were spiritually matched.  I know that as life goes on i will be learning as much from her as she from me.

Emme will be one  in a couple of weeks.  I am so excited to share this milestone with her.  If you have been following my blog throughout the adoption process, you know the amount of love that I had for her.  It amazes my heart to feel that love expanding as we live our life as Mother and Daughter.

Anyway, here is her Birthday Party invite.  I hope you can make it!

If you have not heard, my best Friend Wendy Heath is getting married this summer on July 24th.  Emme is going to be her flower girl.  I bought her dress today and had to post some pics.  We are going to be taking off the roses in the front and putting a satin sash in its place with Wendy’s wedding colors; chocolate, light pink and a beautiful warm brownish/maroon color.  As you can see there is plenty of room for Emme to grow into it.

Such a pretty baby! (If I do say so myself. )

Last night Emme attended her BFF’s first birthday party.  Although you hear that the first b-day is more for the parents, I have to say I think the kids had as much fun as the parents.  It was a dream come true to look around and see beautiful Ethiopian babies everywhere.  While Abeni was opening her presents, the joy from all the children felt like magic.  I know I have talked before about how lucky we are to have such a large Ethiopian community, but when events like this happen, I just can’t get over how amazing it is.

Click here to see a photo montage of the party:

http://www.kubajourney.blogspot.com/

The best part, was when we got home Emme was sooo happy!  Even though it was bed time, she was going on and on “telling” Daddy about it.  If she sould talk, this is what we imagined her saying:

“Daddy, it was so cool!  All my friends were there plus all the big kids.  There was pretty balloons and decorations and then Abeni got all these new toys, oh and then I had my first taste of a cupcake, it was sooo yummy!  Abeni looked so pretty in her dress, oh and that song, Happy Birthday, that Mommy was singing to me all day.  Everyone in the room sang it to Abeni…”

Seriously, she went on and on.  Mike and I were cracking up!  Our interpretation?  remember the movie with Will Farrel, Talladega Nights?  My favorite movie quote of all times, when the little boy at the dinner table says, “I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew!”

Emme would have said, “I’m all jacked up on Abeni’s Birthday Cake!”

What can I say? There is that word again…DREAMY! It was a magical season with many memories.

My favorite?? New Years Eve day, when my Christmas wish of hearing Emme say Ma, Ma came true.