One year ago

I really wanted and had every intention to post this yesterday, but we have been having a few nights with a certain little baby not wanting to go to sleep, so here we are today.

On July 8, 2009 a little baby girl was born on the other side of the world in Yangxi, China.

For reasons that we shall never know, her biological parents decided after four days, they would not keep her.

On July 12th she was found (I will keep the location private) and taken to the SWI. She was deemed healthy and for the next 6 months they took very good care of her. Her file was send to the CC@@ to be placed for international adoption.

This is where our paths crossed.

And she became our daughter.

I have thought a lot lately about her biological parents. Do they realize it has been a year since her birth. Do they wonder how she is. Or do they even care.

After given birth to a child myself, I could not imagine being in that position and not caring.

I would keep her in my thoughts daily, and would always hope that she would have a happy life.

I would like to think that is how they feel also, I would like to one day be able to tell her that they loved her, but since I don't know myself, I cannot and will try not to feed her a story that is not the truth. I don't really know what my answers to her will be, probably mostly "I don't know."

I hate that answer, and hope that I will be able to come up with something a little better for her, she so deserves it.

I did not mean for this post to become the downer that it has, so I will turn it around.

I want to celebrate the first Birthday of my baby girl.

You have touched a part within me that I could not begin to explain.

Oh how much mommy and daddy love you! We always will!

We love watching you learn and grow, even though we have only known you for a little over three months, you have blossomed into such a vibrant and happy little girl, and you are just so smart.

Happy Birthday Tessa Rose!

We had her party last weekend, so yesterday we wanted to make her day special. We had cupcakes, and let her open her first China present. I bought gifts for her while we were in China, so she will get one special gift for every year up until she is about 18 years old.

She really got into the whole opening/tearing up the paper thing.

She liked the cupcakes, but she still won't just take a bite herself. That's fine by me, I will be glad to feed you sweetie, it's better for bonding anyway! She liked playing in the icing too!

I just couldn't help but add these in here. She's just too cute!

We just Love that little face!