When I heard the news, Kate and William are expecting, I couldn’t help but remember the last time I was in England. Nine months ago, I passed through London on the mother of all trips, the trip where Big Papa and I would bring home Baby Bird. London was, if you will, our last hurrah […]
Adoption
Three girls from Gyumri
A little over a month ago, Big Papa, Baby Bird and I took a trip to the east coast to visit our families. One of the highlights of our trip was a rendezvous with two of Baby Bird’s “sisters” from the children’s home in Gyumri, Armenia where she lived for the first year of her […]
Never yield
Friday: our fourth trip to Gyumri and final visit with Baby Bird. On this morning, before heading north, the plan was to stop at the Ministry of Justice Office and sign papers to register Baby Bird. Registering signaled our intent to adopt Baby Bird. Our taxi driver for the day bore an uncanny resemblance to […]
[Not so] still life with chair
Becoming a mom has been a good reminder of the many things we adults can do. Brushing our teeth, holding a spoon…or sitting in a chair. All these skills, learned so long ago. It’s hard to remember not being able to do them at all. Watching Baby Bird try to figure it out, helps me […]
Ticket to ride
Big Papa and I made three more visits to the children’s home in Gyumri to visit Baby Bird. On day two, as our taxi pulled up to the apartment where we were staying, I paused, remembering the lack of shock absorbers…and the flat tire, from the day before. As soon as we climbed into the […]
The day we met our daughter
Big Papa and I exited the taxi, a bit shaken from the long, wild ride and woozy with anticipation. Oh baby, here we are! We walked up the stairs to the second floor of the children’s home. Light streamed through the large front window, decorated with brightly colored flowers, butterflies and birds, most likely the […]
Going to Gyumri
It didn’t take very long to realize there’s something about hurtling down a patched and bumpy highway in a taxi, at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, in the middle of rural Armenia, that lets you know you are really going somewhere. Because, in fact, we were. Side-by-side in the backseat of the cab, Big […]
The call
A year ago today, we got “the call,” the call which is the adoption equivalent of two pink stripes on a pee stick. “It’s a girl!” the director of our agency told me. Later in the day, after Big Papa came home, we poured two shots of Armenian brandy, sat down in front of my […]
Four months ago…from Yerevan to Seattle
Four months ago… Big Papa and I awoke in Yerevan, Armenia. It was 3:30 a.m. Outside our window, the moon was full. The water in our apartment wasn’t working, so we weren’t able to take showers. Or make coffee. We woke up Baby Bird at 4:30 and headed to the airport. At 6:30 a.m. we […]
Happy Birthday USA…and Big Papa
Happy Birthday USA! And…Happy Birthday, Big Papa, also born on the fourth of July. Baby Bird, Maggie and I are the luckiest girls in the world to walk alongside you.