Friday, October 5, 2007

Although we’ve been home for six weeks now, we are still experiencing the wonderment, the gratitude, and the indescribable joy that this amazing miracle of adoption has added to our lives! Each day we encounter a novel and unique blessing, as we watch our daughter learning new things, opening her heart to trust those who love her dearly, and growing into such a beautiful little girl! There are so many special moments when it seems as though Meghan has been with us from the start – like when she is crawling around the house with her little head just boppin’ from side to side; when she is emptying the kitchen cabinets of every mixing bowl and lid she can reach to use in her very own symphony of music; when she sees her brothers coming down the stairs and takes off, excited to greet them at the gate; when I walk into her room and she is bouncing up and down in the crib, ready to be showered with good morning hugs and kisses! And there are times, of course, when we are reminded that her life did not begin with us, that her first year was not enhanced or defined by the consistency, protection, security, and warmth of a loving family and a safe home – like when she wakes in the night, trembling with terror, and our hearts break because we cannot erase or change what has made her feel so scared and vulnerable in the past; when she refuses to eat, still unable to overcome her fear of the spoon and having anything other than a bottle placed into her mouth; when commonplace sounds or activities leave her clinging to my shoulder for reassurance that everything is okay! The one thing we know for certain, though, is that our love for Meghan could not be stronger or more real or more wonderful had she been born to us. She has perfectly woven her red thread into the fabric that forever binds us together as family!

So what, you may be asking, has Miss Meghan been doing since she came home? In a nutshell, probably wondering if her family ever slows down to breathe! September was filled with lots of back-to-school excitement, many visits by family and friends, not-so-wanted (by her) visits with physicians, and several road trips. Meghan was welcomed in grand style with a lovely shower hosted by our generous, thoughtful family and friends in West Virginia! She received so many adorable outfits, “supplies,” a beautiful quilt, and some babies of her own. (Why didn’t anyone tell me how much fun it is to dress a pretty little girl?)

Meghan attended her first birthday party in Pennsylvania, a special 90th birthday celebration given in honor of GG (great-grandma)! We had a wonderful time introducing her to more family and friends there who have been so kind and supportive of our journey! Everyone was thrilled to finally meet her! Meghan did very well with all the new faces and with the nighttime travels, as long as she had her silky pink blanket by her side.

Meghan also attended her first family reunion, the Third Annual Pearl Party, and again proved herself to be quite the trooper! She received lots of love and attention from the extended family (and she captured their hearts as well), enjoyed being outdoors, and became a big fan of the Jumperoo (thanks, cousin Colin!).

We continue to praise God that all of Meghan’s blood test results have come back normal! Despite the fact that she will not take solid foods, she is growing well, and has received a clean bill of health from the pediatrician. Meghan has had her first examination with her awesome otolaryngologist, Dr. Tunkel (one of the heroes whose kindness and generosity helped to make our “match” with Meghan possible) at Johns Hopkins. Again, we were blessed with good news regarding her hearing and the apparent absence of any anomalies associated with microtia. We will meet with the audiologist to have her hearing evaluated and monitored for changes every three months, and we will continue to research and consider surgical intervention, if it becomes necessary. Cosmetically, we cannot proceed with a prosthesis or a reconstruction of her right ear until she is older and her left ear is “adult sized.” Our primary concern has always been to know that she can indeed hear and that her language development should not be impeded by the mild to moderate hearing loss she has experienced already.

Meghan explores and discovers more and more each day! Her beautiful smile brightens our lives, and her laughter is so contagious that even her brothers will stop fighting long enough to join in the fun! Meghan is understanding much of what we say, although she willfully chooses to disobey many of our “no, no,” “that’s not safe,” or “be careful” warnings. She will start to reach for something that she knows she shouldn’t touch, then she’ll look back at us for a reaction. When we give her “the look” or caution against it, she’ll grin and proceed anyway.