Family Day

Family Day, also known as Gotcha Day, Familyversary, and many other names. Whatever an adoptive family calls it, it is the special day where a baby comes into your life. It is most commonly celebrated in International and Foster Care adoptions where the birth day and the day the child comes into the family are usually not the same.

Miss M was 5 1/2 months on the day she came into our family. We didn't get to be there for her birth or when she was taken home by her first foster family or when she was moved from Charlotte to Raleigh to be with another foster family, but we are her forever family. 2 years ago, Miss M came home to us. I have been very nostalgic this year even more so than last year. Not sure why.

Last year we celebrated by having some of our best friends over for dinner and having a special dinner and cupcakes. This year, I knew it was coming but didn't have anything planned. It all came together though to make it a special day. We had breakfast with some of our friends and went to the park and played. Then we met up with our other friends and Miss M's bff for swimming. She loves to swim, so it was perfect. This afternoon she wanted cupcakes so tonight I baked cupcakes right before dinner and she had a cupcake after dinner. It wasn't anything over the top (and it really shouldn't be) just a simple celebration of our family.

The day Miss M came snow had been predicted all week. I was so worried that the snow would interrupt her move from her foster family to us. She was scheduled to come at 10:30 right after her visit with her bio mom. I cannot imagine how hard it had to have been for her foster mom to pack all her belongings and hand her off that morning. (We do sort of keep in touch and she knows she is doing well). That morning it was only lightly snowing and the Social Worker brought her in. We really didn't know anything about her, but as soon as I laid eyes on her, I fell in love. She was beautiful, huge round cheeks, beautiful expressive eyes, and she smiled such a big pretty smile. She was so bundled up. I couldn't wait to bring her in the house, unbundle her and hold her. She sat in my arms then daddy's arms while we sorted through the paperwork. Hubs and I just looked at each other after the Social Worker left like "They really just gave us a baby!" in shock. It did end up snowing that weekend, but thankfully held off until she was safe in our house.

Here is Miss M on that first day. I loved going back and looking at the pictures.

First Time in Bouncy Seat Day 1:

Big Brother proudly holding her Day 1:

Big brother and Miss M holding hands Day 1:

Her now BFF meeting her for the first time Day 2. Really bad pic of me and of course the dogs were enamored with the new baby:

The dude's K teacher coming over to meet Miss M Day 3 (he was then in 1st, but we kept/keep in touch and she was one of our references for foster care):