Mom

That's a word I have only been hearing for almost 4 years... Mom. My girl is 17, but we've only had her a short while as we adopted her on her 14th birthday.

So, I don't look back and think of the day I gave birth to her, because I didn't. I don't look back and remember her first words or her first step. I will never know what and when they were.

The sad thing is, she won't either.

However, the happy thing is... is that we started before adoption day, when she was 13 1/2 building new memories. Not all are good, but the not-so-good are way less. We are, however, making efforts to establish a timeline for Nicole... reference points that she will be able to recall as she gets older... when she fell off the bike, made the volleyball team, broke up with her first boyfriend here, went to her first dance at high school, being on the swim team, her best friends, her first cell phone, her first puppy that belonged to her, changing schools, getting a real family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, going to driver's ed, getting her license and first ticket, and so many more.

We try and play, "remember when" with her - remember when you said..... or did..... and how proud we were, or how funny she was, etc...

So, as an adoptive mom, you start where you started and enjoy today.

So, today will be enjoyable and I will give thanks for this opportunity and all the lessons this opportunity is bringing to me.

Oops! Better call my own mother!