Are You Ready For This?

 

Here he is.

HE IS ADOPTED!!

Name?

Tommy.

Told you it was awesome.

I have wanted to show you my beautiful boy for so, so long.

He is truly the most precious thing.

I'm afraid I won't do this post justice, because I am so emotional.....I don't even know what to say, really.  The relief, the joy, the happiness.  

It's alot.

But look at him!  

My baby.

Above is the day we brought him home from the hospital.

He was instantly familiar to me...he looked exactly like two of my babies did,

namely 2 and 4.  ESPECIALLY 2.  He looked just like 2.  It was crazy, we all

talked about it for weeks.  And that's not all...he weighed the exact same as 2 did, 7 pounds, 3 ounces.  I believe with every fiber of my entire life that 2 and A knew each other before, that they knew they would be brother and sister.

They have quite a bond, those two. 

 

Here he is at 6 months.

I remember getting this picture taken like it was yesterday....

We had begun to know that he would be ours,

that his birth mom (birth dad was never an option) wasn't

going to be able to take care of him.

This is the day I believe that Hughes truly believed

he had a son.

This was a great day. 

 

Here he is at 12 months.

We knew he would be ours this day,

what we didn't know is that it would take 8 LONG months

to make it legal.

Even though we knew it was on, it was agonizing.

Traumatizing, really.

But look at him!

Look at those eyes!!!!

Same exact weird shade of golden brown as his daddy's.

Also the same as daddy's?

Body shape, head shape, eyebrows, face shape.

They look so much alike, except for the hair color,

that people, when we tell them we do foster care, always ALWAYS say "But Tommy is your biological child, right?  He looks just like you guys!"  And we always say yes.

Because who is to decide that this baby isn't biologically mine?

I promise you that my heart is in his body.

That is true. 

 

And on to the events of yesterday, and Tommy as he looks now.

July 26, 2012

I can't even say the day without crying.

And now......lots of pictures.

And check back often, because there will be so many pictures and videos of this boy that you will get so tired of looking at him and beg me to do more posts about Olive.

But I won't.

I have a lot of catching up to do. 

Oh, one more thing.

Yes, he has a slight bruise on his forehead.  I was so hoping it would go away, and he would be bruise free on his Adoption Day.  But I should have known that was a pipe dream......this kid is ALL boy, you guys.  

And that means he is never really bruise free..

Enjoy! 

 

Dear A:

In a hundred years, I honestly don't think I will every be able to tell you how much I LOVE you.

Like your sisters before you, you were destined to be my baby.

Don't you ever EVER think you aren't my "real" child.

I have already had people say that word to me...."which ones are your real kids?"  Well, you know me, and those people get shut down and corrected in a real hurry.  Trust me on that.

Tommy, you couldn't be more real in this family, it's not possible.

I'm so, SO grateful for Valerie, who carried you and gave birth to you

and then realized she couldn't care for you and so she decided to let you be adopted by us.  I am so grateful.  But let me tell you this:  I AM YOUR REAL MOM.  YOU ARE MY REAL SON.  If you ever, ever believe anything in life, believe that.

I couldn't love you more.

I promise you SO MUCH that I couldn't love you more.

Thanks for choosing me and your Daddy.

We feel so privileged, so blessed, so ridiculously lucky,

that we are the ones who get to be with you while it unfolds, your life.

Love Forever,

Mommy