I worried for nothing

I remember many sleepless nights before we left to adopt Ava. Even while we were in Ukraine I worried about one particular child of mine: Hope. She's so young. Will it be hard to not be the baby anymore? Will she resent us bringing a stranger home? Will she understand? Will she feel left out? Will she suffer from our decision to adopt? Should we have waited until she is older?

I can honestly say that Hope has adjusted far better than I ever imagined. If anything, she is a little too fond of Ava, if you know what I mean, and I'm not sure the feelings are mutual. :) Every morning Hope comes into my room first thing and it's no longer me she wants to see! She wants to find out if Ava is awake yet and if she can play with her. She wants to "hold" Ava, and insists that she IS big enough. She wants to sit by her in the car, and feed her at mealtimes. A couple of weeks ago, I found Hope crying. I asked her why she was crying, and she said, "Mommy, I don't want Ava to go back to the orphanage. I want to keep her forever." Oh, how I loved to hear those words. (I'm not sure what she was thinking we were doing!)

So I thank the Lord for a smooth transition for our family. If anyone is reading this blog who is considering adoption but not ready to commit for fear of what it will do to their kids, I hope you this post will encourage you!

This picture cracks me up. Four-year-old Ava being held by three-year-old Hope. This is the event that Hope always refers to when she insists that she IS indeed big enough to hold Ava standing up. She always says, "Remember mommy, on our walk, when I held Ava. I didn't drop her! So please can I hold her again?"