Gotcha Day - ONE year with our girl!

It's our "Gotcha Day" as they call it. This day, one year ago, a baby girl was put into our arms that would forever be ours. I remember all the thoughts that ran through my head on that morning... We woke up early with excitement and in awe that the day had finally come. I thought we'd be more nervous but instead there was such a peace in the moments before we saw her, before we knew who our daughter was. In all those months leading up to this I had sleepless nights, praying to Jesus to protect and comfort her. In all those months I longed to have her in my arms but never did I understand the love that we both felt as our girl was placed in our arms. There is nothing like that... And that love has somehow grown over this past year.
This past year we have watched Mae grow from our little baby girl to a beautiful and spunky toddler. She is a person I know she would not have been had she stayed in China. She is so much like us, she is without a doubt meant to be ours. She has a joy that radiates from her. She wakes up each morning jumping up and down and shouting "yay!". (she did not get this from either of us, I only wish I saw each new day this way... seeing things through the eyes of Mae). She dances almost everywhere and always thinks of sharing her snack. If I put her coat on, she wants to make sure I put my coat on, if I take her shoes off, she wants my shoes off too. I don't think this was taught to her, in her world before us... I think this is just her. She is an undeniable gift everyday. We have our bad days. Mae cries. She sometimes chooses to do things her own way without listening and she can tire me out at times with whining... I love it all.  All of her is precious and there is not a moment that I don't praise God for making me this child's mother.

Here's a little bit of what Mae's doing these days:
She says "no please"  very sweetly but expressing her disinterest.
We recently got her a sand table... it is her favorite place to be in the afternoon.
She LOVES bath and bubbles and could stay in there all day.
She calls Griffin "baby dawg".
If you ask her how old she is she will say "two" but then tell you she is "five" with her eyebrows raised, just to see your response.  I find that Mae will make a joke every chance she can get.
She loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and everyone in the room must join her in the "hotdog dance".  It is something else to watch her dance this dance, singing "hotdawg".

These are a few of my favorite things...

tea parties

sifting sand

dress up with friends

being mommy's little buddy

make up... she loves it!

"eyes"

"toes"

"ears"

being baby's mommy

and her "dada"