Being A Mom

To be a mom is one of the greatest blessings of my life. There was a time in my life when I wondered if God would ever fulfill the deep desire I had to be a mom. Then He gave us Kaleigh. There will never be enough words to describe how thankful I am that God chose me to be her mom. I tell her all the time that she is a blessing and a joy to me-those words don't even begin to describe all she is to me.

Kaleigh is such a sweet, sweet girl. She is constantly "mothering" her babies. She bounces them to get them to stop "crying." She feeds them food and changes their diapers. She is going to be such a great big sister. She is also really funny. You never know what is going to come out of her mouth. The other day she told me when she grows up she wants to "play with her friends and have someone drive her around!" She loves to read. Lately she is really into "Fancy Nancy" and "Pinkalicious."Her favorite outdoor activity is swinging. I'm pretty sure she'd swing for hours if we let her.

One thing most people don't know about Kaleigh is that she talks ALL THE TIME. When she is in public or in a big group of people she hardly ever talks, but if we are with only a few people or people she is comfortable with, she doesn't stop talking. In the last couple of weeks I have been in a smaller setting with some people I usually only see in bigger groups and they have all said something to the effect of "I have never heard her talk so much." It always takes me by surprise when people say that because I hear her talk so much.

I am so so grateful to be her mom. Our days are not without struggle, but I would not trade them for anything. This morning as I was praying for her, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for her.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the love and sacrifice of another woman. The love and respect I have for Kaleigh's birth mom is something else that words could never describe. She carried this sweet girl in her womb for 9 months, gave birth to her and then entrusted her to us. She gave us an unbelievable gift. I remember leaving the hospital with her and having no idea what to say to her. How do you thank someone for giving you one of the greatest gifts of your life? The magnitude of her decision is not lost on me.

I am forever grateful that because of her, my desire to become a mom was fulfilled. It is one of the greatest privileges of my life.