Catching up with Lily Mei

I love my brother Eric













Going shopping















My new swimming pool









Nana came to visit!









Lily with an ancient Chinese soldier












Riding the merry-go-round










Swimming with Dad









Water fun at The Children's Museum









Lily and Dad archealogists at The Children's Museum










Mom and Lily at The Children's Museum

Mother Bridge of Love

Once there were two women who never knew each other.

One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.

One became your guiding star; the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.

The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.

One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.

The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask, of course you do, the question others ask me too:

This place or your birthplace – Which are you a daughter of?

Both of them, my darling, and two different kinds of love.

-Anonymous

Two years ago, on May 15th a mother of a beautiful little two month old baby girl made the decision that she was unable to raise her daughter. Through her heartbreaking loss, I have been blessed. The bittersweet reality of how we've come to know and love our daughter is often in my thoughts. I know that as Lily gets older, I will have to explain how we have become a family. It is my hope that the above poem will help to explain how truly special she is.

This poem is featured on the wonderful website The Mother’s Bridge of Love. http://www.motherbridge.org/ This organization was founded to foster understanding between the East and the West and to help internationally adopted children understand their Chinese heritage.

What a Year It's Been!

As I was tucking Lily in tonight and singing “just one more song” with her memories of this past year filled my thoughts. Through the miracle of adoption, a year ago today Lily Mei was placed in our arms and made our family complete. A fourteen-month old infant who was too weak to sit up on her own now walks, runs, jumps, climbs, and dances. In one short year Lily has learned to chew, use a fork, spoon and knife, serve herself food, pour and drink from a cup and clear her dishes. Words and songs come easy for her and she’s constantly chattering and singing, asking questions and learning how to pronounce everything that is new in her world.

Lily has endured two major surgeries and numerous visits to the ER and her Pediatrician. She has been poked and prodded by more doctors than I can count. In the months following her open heart surgery her development has gone from woefully behind to right on target for her age. She is a kind, happy and curious child.

But what touches my heart the most is that Lily has learned to love and be loved. Tonight when she cupped my face in her hands so that I would look straight into her eyes, she melted my heart. Every time we pull into our driveway Lily says, “I am home!” and with more joy in heart than I will ever be able to explain I always reply, “Yes Lily, you are home.”