Tingting practicing her 3!!

My princess is now 3. It was a very special birthday
because it was the first one we celebrated together as a family. Tingting was adopted 11 months ago at 25 months of age as a waiting
child. Her story is one of miracles, and survival. She was born
with a congenital heart condition and received surgery in China at 15
months of age. I met her before her surgery, when she was tiny,
sickly, and had eyes which touched my soul. She travelled thousands
of miles for he surgery and did well. Soon after, with more
miracles, she was to become mine.

Knowing she would be a toddler at adoption, I prepared myself. I
read and spoke to others who adopted toddlers. I expected rages,
tantrums, grief, anger, sleeping issues. We've had very little of
these. Lianna "Princess Tingting" wakes in the morning with a smile
and goes to sleep smiling. She has so much love in her heart that I
am amazed and humbled. She is joyful, compassionate, sweet, and
giving. It is as if she lived to be part of a family, part of my
family.

On her day which we celebrate as the day she brought such love and
hope to this world, I am reminded about everything which she has
given to me. The gift of motherhood, the gift of herself.
Happy birthday my sweetness.