A few words about easy

I have read many blogs in the past two years relating to adoption.  I have seen the gamut of experiences from adoption being the hardest thing a family has ever done to adoption being the most wonderful thing a family has ever experienced and everything in between.  There are so many variables that come into play that it is impossible to predict just what the outcome will be for any given family.

I read a number of books in preparation for Sena's homecoming.  Some of those books painted a frightening scenario and I tried to prepare myself for the worst.  When we first took custody of Sena, she was very withdrawn - she didn't want to make eye contact and didn't want to engage with us.  She did want to be held, though, and we happily obliged.  With each day that passed, she began to trust us a little bit more and we began to see her little personality (actually, it is more of a big personality) unfold.  It was so fun to get to know her and find out what she was all about.  As time passed, we also began to breathe a little bit easier as it became apparent that, for her, adoption was not a particularly traumatic event.  For many children, though, it is extremely difficult and it can take a very long time for them to adjust to the new circumstances in which they find themselves.  Being taken away from all that is familiar and comfortable is a really big deal.  I am someone who is not a big fan of change.  I like routines and I like to know what to expect.  I'm pretty sure that if I were in such a situation, it would be really hard for me - that is just my temperament.  Sena, on the other hand, is more of a roll with the punches kind of girl.  I think that quality has really helped her adapt.  I also think that her thumb has helped her and I am totally serious about that.  We don't see it as much these days, but early on, when she was overstimulated or overwhelmed, she would pop her thumb in, snuggle up close and she was just fine.  She still does that in certain places- church still seems a bit overwhelming to her - and I am so thankful she has had that built-in comfort.  People have commented that she "sure likes that thumb" and in my head I am always thinking that with all that she has been through in her short life, I am so thankful that she had it.  If they really stopped to consider how far she has come - literally and figuratively - I think they would agree.  I have rambled on and on to say that while our experience with Sena has not been one full of trauma and grief, that doesn't mean that it has been a piece of cake, either.  She is still an active toddler with a mind of her own who needs constant supervision.  She requires food and diapering and nurturing and entertainment and a nap every afternoon.  Sometimes she can be downright demanding. Sometimes she screams!  Loudly!  Newsflash:  her brothers pulled the same shenanigans.  While we have eluded (for now) some of the truly difficult aspects of adopting a child from a "hard place," we are still hard at work parenting this girl.  And parenting is anything but easy!

I remember early on in our process casually telling someone that I thought adopting would be easier than birthing a child.  I WAS WRONG.  SO WRONG!  And yet it has been one of the most rewarding things we have ever done.  If we had it to do all over again, we would do it in a heartbeat.  In fact, we just might!  Thanks to some pretty awesome Facebook friends who voted, this picture...

...won a $1,000 credit toward our next adoption.  We don't know when exactly we will utilize it, but we're pretty sure we will at some point in the future.  In the meantime, we are enjoying our family of six.  I'm not gonna lie - I am also enjoying dresses, hairbows, and nail polish.  Those days are probably numbered based on the fact that a certain little girl really likes to be outside (even if it is almost one hundred degrees), doesn't mind getting dirty, and really prefers balls over dolls!