A Letter to Noah

Dear Noah,

Two weeks ago, on September 10, 2012, your dad and I received legal custody of you. 

In other words, we officially became a family.

Your forever family.  As I typed that sentence, my eyes welled up with tears.   

It was a very special day--a day we'd been looking forward to since your birth mother placed you in my arms at just five days old.  (Coincidentally, it was eight months ago, to the day, that we received physical custody of you.)

As you can see in the photo above taken in the courtroom, you wore a special outfit--a spiffy suit--complete with a white button-down shirt, vest, and clip-on tie.  You were adorable!

Underneath your suit, you had on a white onesie that read: "I was worth the wait!"

Boy were you ever, Noah!  

You are adored.

You are treasured.

You are loved. 

There are lots of people I love--your dad, my parents, my sisters, etc.  But the love I feel for you is different, unique--and amazingly strong.

As I sit here thinking about the past eight months, about you, and me, and your dad, there are a few things I want you to know:

I want you to know that your smile melts my heart.  Even more so now that you have four teeth (2 on top and 2 on the bottom).

I want you to know how lucky I feel to be your mom.  To be able to spend my days with you--playing + singing + dancing + reading + hugging + kissing.  Speaking of kissing, I kiss your cheeks all. the. time.  I even rub extra lotion on your cheeks in the morning, so they don't get chapped from all my smooching.  (I know: I'm silly, really silly.)

I want you to know that your birth mother loved you so much.  She knew she couldn't take care of you, so she made a loving and courageous decision to place you with us.  I'll forever be grateful to her for that selfless act. 

I want you to know how much I love singing "Good Morning to You" every morning as I walk into your nursery.  (It's the same song my mom sang to me when I was young.)

I want you to know how I adore scooping you up out of your crib and bringing you back to bed with me, where we can talk and play and sing for a few minutes before we officially start our day with a diaper change, bananas, and a bottle.

I want you to know how thankful I am that you love to sleep.  Because I like sleep, too! 

I want you to know how much I cherish our time together as a family--whether we're camping or taking in a Giants game or running in the park.

I want you to know how much I enjoy watching you grow and change.  You are so curious about the world--touching, tasting and exploring everything around you.  But please don't grow up too fast, okay? 

I want you to know that your daddy and I will do all we can to give you a great life.  Note: I didn't say a perfect life or a pampered life.  There will be chores.  There will be hard work.  There will be consequences.  But there will also be hugs.  There will be laughter.  There will be praise.  There will be adventure.

More than anything, I want you to know that your dad and I will always love you--no. matter. what. 

Love,
Mama

P.S. Thanks to our friend, Nicole Liotine, for capturing the moment above with my camera.  Thanks, too, to all of our family and friends who attended Noah's adoption finalization.