One last post for the day

Since I haven't blogged the first months of this adoption journey, I have so much in my head that I want to come out through my typing.

Here are a few of my other random thoughts I'd like to share and facts you might want to know.
Samuel was born on 2/7/07 at 8pm (that's central time)
He weighed 6lbs 4oz and was 19.3 inches long.
He was born in Mazatenango- in southwestern Guatemala- heading towards the Pacific Ocean from Guatemala City.

When we received his first medical update, I instantly became a mom. (I hesitate in saying that because I have been a mother to several children that I never held in my arms and I have been a mother symbolically through other ways of creating and bringing life to the world around me, but that is for another discussion). But I became a mom in the sense that I immediately went to look up to see what is typical weight gain and growing for infants. I learned that during the first 6 months babies gain on average 1-2 lbs per month and grow 1 inch.

So of course I was very proud to see that Samuel had gained 2.5lbs per month (and continued to do so his second month as well) and had grown over an inch. And if he hadn't I'm sure there would have been other things I would have been proud of. But what I'm highlighting is that sense of I am a mother and I am responsible for this child.

Responsible that he eats and grows.
Responsible to soothe him when he cries.
Responsible for his safety and protection.

And someday I will be responsible to...
let him choose what to eat
And to suffer when he cries and I can't soothe him
And to trust his safety and protection to something beyond my arms reach.

And thoughts like this are why a few weeks ago as I was falling asleep and Rob was reading- that I said with sudden realization, "Rob, what will I do when Samuel is 13? I don't know anything about 13 year old boys! What will I do with a teenage boy?"

To which Rob responded calmly (confirming why I married him), and without missing a beat, "Don't worry, I'll take over then."

Goodnight.