Happy Birthday Dora

Oh how my baby has grown. The three pictures are from her birthday celebrations. Two with us and one in China, I can never express how much the photos of Dora before we knew her mean to us, but the one of her birthday truly shows how much she was loved in China. Half the Sky is the organization that collects the information for families and helps the orphanages with stimulation for the girls such as playrooms and toys as well having people specifically go in and interact with the children to help the children learn love and bonding. We were told the woman in the picture with Dora was her foster Mom and that she visited Dora when she went back to the orphanage. I truly hope both her foster Mom and birth Mom know in their hearts that Dora is well taken care of. It is very obvious that she knew love from the start of her life. It is hard for me to understand that we will never get to say thank you for what they have done for Dora and us. This year I am struggling a bit with the whole birth mother thing. Dora is my daughter and always will be. But the whole birth Mom thing, knowing that 3 years ago a woman in China held my daughter for several days and then made a choice that was the best thing for her family and little did she know for mine. I do not know how my life would have been without this child. I had a great life with a wonderful husband, but she has added a dimension to our lives that is indescribable. I want her to know that the hardest choice of her life has turned into our wonderful family and that Dora shows great love to all that she meets. I have no idea what this woman went through 3 years ago, but I will forever be grateful that she did and will never forget her sacrifice for me to be this precious child's Mommy.

We had a wonderful day playing and visiting and going out to eat. We didn't get out of bed until 10:00 Dora likes to eat breakfast in bed (so do Wrigley and Randall). We got our haircut, went with Grandma to the doctor's office, went to eat chinese food, ...opening presents, I think she liked the window clings the best, we ended our day with eating dinner at the Nitty Gritty with Aunt Susie. We had a wonderful day with more partying to come this weekend.

Enjoy the pictures.