Looking Ahead

I'm supposed to wax poetic - or at least nostalgic - today of all days, right?

The thought occurred to me this afternoon that this is the first year in recent memory that I haven't been saying good riddance by the time 12/31 rolls around. 2004 had my car accident, 2005 had my subsequent back surgery and allll those months of physical therapy, in 2006 I was just ready for the new year so I could start my dossier, in 2007 I was eager to be another year closer to finally being matched with my child. If anyone had told me then that this year would bring what it did, I surely would not have believed it.

So here we are on the verge of closing out 2008 and I'm actually a little sad to see it go. 2009 will no doubt bring more wonderful adventures and amazing discoveries, but 2008 took me to the other side of the world and brought me back to a whole new life. 2008 was when something bigger than even my wildest dreams came true. 2008 was when WeiJ and I - WeiJ and all of us - became a family.

In the year ahead we'll be celebrating WeiJ's second birthday...his first at home. And appropriately enough, it falls on my first Mother's Day. There's a first haircut yet to be had, a first cake to be eaten, a first circus, a first petting zoo, a first real day at the pool. And I'm sure we'll celebrate finally being caught up on those pesky vaccinations! We'll enjoy our first spring together, our first summer together and maybe even our first trip since China. We'll spend plenty of time at the zoo and at Sea World, and log quite a few miles strolling the neighborhood. We'll be celebrating lots of "a year since"s and countless other milestones. 2008 was the beginning, but there are so many more firsts to be had! So even though tomorrow takes us another step away from the baby I met this fall, in 2009 I'll get to watch him continue to blossom into the wonderful little person he is becoming. Yes, BIG things ahead! :)

WeiJ and I wish you all a warm and wonderful 2009 and hope it brings you all much joy!