Tuesday, June 15, 2010

May 11th, 2001

I am behind, please bear with my reflecting on the past month.

My Peanut came home on this day. Nine years ago, our first born child and only daughter was placed in our arms. We traveled to an airport about 3 hours away. It was a surreal experience, driving to an airport to be handed your child. This was pre-9/11 (barely) so we were able to wait at the gate and see our children's escorts getting right off the plane. An incredible experience and I am so thankful we had one child come home before 9/11 as to not miss that scene.

We had family at the airport. Her flight in was really late at night so we all stayed in a hotel. I gave in to the warnings to not let anyone else hold Peanut and regret that to this day. Very sad to say, it is my precious daughter who has paid the biggest price for that choice. Is still paying for it.

At the time we were adopting our first child through Holt, parents were not able to select gender unless they had one gender at home. We didn't so we were obviously open. It was a well known fact that more boys were available and most first time parents were blessed with a son. That knowledge, combined with the fact we knew a family in our town with the same dossier to Korea date requesting a girl, convinced us our first child would a boy.

Obviously God had other plans! And we naturally had no problem with that!!

Peanut is a loving, generous, petite, free spirited young girl who loves and hates the fact she is adopted. It is a battle that flares up frequently within her sweet soul. She longs to know Korea and recently became penpals with a young gal who is Korean. Peanut loves her family, Jesus, reading, swimming, ballet, singing, snuggling, sleeping with her bros, music, sunshine...

So many of her characteristics fit mine from when I was a child. Nicknames like Trouble, Twinkle Toes, Babbling Brook.....There is no doubt she is my daughter and I am SO very thankful to God for allowing me to raise her!!




Our butterfly whisperer


She had to squat down because the water blaster got too heavy!


A girl and her dog, Sam~we miss you, boy~


Peanut and her Godmother, my sis


Our 4 1/2 year old!


Is determined to do anything she wants!


Her first ballet recital, 5 1/2 years old

6 comments:

Ellie said...

She's beautiful!!! Happy Birthday, sweet Peanut! :)

Kelly said...

Thanks for sharing her story. My sister-in-law was adopted from Korea (she is now in her 20's). When she was about 5 my inlaws were lucky enough to do another tour of duty (Army) in Korea, so she got to go back. Peanut is such a cutie!

Angie said...

Such beautiful memories...thanks for sharing. Looks like nothing is going to stop Peanut in life! Hoping she gets to visit Korea someday.

chaniemom said...

We were SO privileged to meet her. I can't wait to meet your family again.

Annie said...

Peanut, I can see, is such a blessing in your lives! Thanks so much sharing about her! Can you tell me more about what you meant when you said that you didn't let anyone else hold her and you regret that? I didn't fully understand what that means. I just want to try and learn for when our time comes!

Annita said...

Hello Megan, I too would like you to explain your regret and how it has affected Peanut. I am just reading your great blog for the first time after stumbling upon it via a friend of a friends blog...so sorry I am a couple of years behind! Your children are beautiful. We are hoping to be allocated a baby from Thailand this year...our Aussie process so slow and different to the US...our file has been in Thailand since June 2008 and this is relatively normal! We were able to have our gorgeous bio daughter Molli (born 09) whilst waiting. I was very protective of her and anxious about others holding her when she was a baby and I imagine I will be even more so with our Thai baby because I want him/her to bond and feel safe and secure with immediate family first and foremost.