My Baby is TWO!

What a great day! All day, the emotions of this day last year kept rolling through my head. I was worried about the new addition of interviews with the birth mothers, I was worried about how/if/when I was EVER going to get Isabelle home, etc. The stress of the entire process I think peaked for me the 2nd week of June last year when I found out they couldn't find Isabelle's birth mother for the interview...

All of those emotions came tumbling back today. And yet, it was a wonderful day! Simple, but good! I was thinking of Isabelle's birth mother and will always be so grateful to her. I was thinking of Ana and Miguel and Heidi, Isabelle's foster family, and it means so much to know they were thinking about Isabelle today and remembering her and continuing to love her.

I baked (okay, I was too sick to my stomach to bake. Jennifer baked) Elmo cupcakes for Isabelle to take to school. Too bad another mom brought Krispy Kreme doughnuts...yikes, that's a lot of sugar! Her teacher told me Isabelle spent a solid half hour eating her cupcake! Here's Isabelle before school...in a shirt my aunt had bought last year in hopes she could wear it for her 1st birthday...good thing it was still big enough to celebrate her first birthday home!

So after a bit of pondering about what to do "special" today, I decided on a trip to IH*P. I figured since she loves pancakes and eggs, she'd like it more than, well, a restaurant I'd pick for my own birthday :) The wait staff all came out and sang and stuff and she got a HUGE sundae...this pic is RIGHT before she pulled the cherry back out of her mouth - not too sure about that part but loved the rest! No, she didn't finish it...


I just got her a couple of small things...one being ERNIE! She's been asleep for hours, but I just checked and she's nestled in there with Ernie. And Mickey (present from my parents). And Oso. And More Oso. And Elmo. And a Cabbage Patch doll. And two ducks. And a partridge in a pear tree... :)

Okay, so it looks like a boatload of presents but really it was just big wrapping for a couple of books. We had to run to the store and when I told Isabelle we were going to Wally World, she said, "Mommy, Mickey Ernie Wally World." Yes sweetie, Mickey and Ernie can go to Wally World. So they did. Sat in the cart and everything. She cracks me up. Tonight she told me she cooked Ernie in the oven!

I am so blessed. It was an amazing day! And to think, the REAL fun is this weekend...! I am eternally grateful to my agency and to Angela and to everyone in GUA who helped me to FINALLY bring my baby home!!!

I think we can all agree, she's settled in nicely :)

PS Today was a 2-post kind of day, so keep reading if you wanna see the final product on the swing set project!