The Best Birthday

This used to be my chair, but Abby told me since she matched it, it was now hers. Ok, Abby, you win!!
Today, 5/9, is my birthday. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday then with my new daughter who I still look at and can't believe my good fortune. Birthdays are always a good time to reflect and think about what has happened over the past year. And, with Mother's Day in just a few days, this is really a special weekend for me. My birthday has always fallen around Mother's Day, and my mom and I always get together to celebrate by going to brunch and a movie. This year will be even more special since we are both mothers now, and Abby is here. As it turns out, my mom is spending time with us on Mother's Day and spending the night so she can take care of Abby on Monday while I re-enter the work force after my 6 week sabbatical.

I woke up really happy this morning when I heard Abby cooing in her crib. Maybe she was singing happy birthday to me (or not), but in any event, she gave me an extra big smile. It already is the best birthday I have ever had, and it is hard to imagine it getting any better than this. This time last year, I had just started my adoption process and didn't even have my home study approved yet. I knew I was going to be a mom in a year or so, but I certainly didn't expect to have brought Abby home over a month before my birthday and Mother's Day. What a wonderful year, all the ups and downs of the adoption process were worth it 100 times over. I have the most beautiful, amazing daughter that I love with all my heart. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love her. It is simply the best feeling in the world.


I took Abby to visit her new school/day care where she will go starting at the beginning of June. Her new caregivers went ga-ga over here as soon as they saw her. It gave me a really good feeling. If they spend more time with her because of her pleasant disposition, all the better for Abby.... There were several other babies her age, and in some ways, I think she will really benefit. I will sorely miss our special time together, but in some ways, I am looking forward to going back to work so that my brain can be re-energized. I hope I don't feel too guilty when I go back to work, but it is probably inevitable to some extent. I hope to turn any guilt into a positive so that I will be an even better mother to Abby.

Abby is extremely active. She is always on the go. One of the best decisions I made early on was getting my home baby-proofed. She puts her mouth on EVERYTHING, and really enjoys door stops in particular. It is a good thing they were all replaced with solid plastic instead of the ones with the little caps on the end that she could have swallowed. It is funny watching her try to get her head at the right angle to put her mouth on the doorstop but not hit her head on the wall. It is just fun to watch her try to "problem solve".



Abby is extremely excited about the great start the Red Sox have had, and she is equally excited about the bad start the Yankees have had. I don't want to teach her to hate anyone or anything of course, but I will need to teach her to "strongly dislike" the Yankees. It is absolute requirement in our house :)