Two Years...from Ge Ge to Olivia

There is one very strange law of time and universe that I still cannot seem to wrap my mind around. Time with small children in your life often creeps along at a snails pace when you are living and breathing it...but then you turn around and reflect for just one moment and time seems to have slipped through your fingers like cherry jello...gone as fast as it seemed to appear.

Two years, it has been two years since my beautiful little Olivia Xi GeGe came into our lives for the first time. It was June 26, 2006 that our agency rep. called and said...you have a daughter from Guangdong Province, born November 12, 2005 in the town of Yangxi. We see lots of these pictures...but wow is she a super cutie with big chubby cheeks. We will email you the picture tomorrow as soon as everything has been translated and processed.

And, then time stood still. I was a mother to a living breathing daughter once again.
All of our hopes and dreams for one more child, a sister, were locked inside a Chinese Fed Ex packet. Something so mundane to wrap something so important that would change so many lives so quickly and with such permanence. It is virtually impossible to imagine life without her now. She is in many ways this family's little rock. She is the grounded one. She is the even keeled one. She is the one who trusts us most, she is one who loves without reservation or expectation. She can turn a grumpy stranger into a fast friend by choosing them for a quick high five and perhaps a random hug. I've seen her brighten store keeper's days and quickly chase blue days away.

And now, two years later that little round faced baby walks and talks and refuses to use the potty. She will kiss the dog on the lips and snuggle with you in the morning in bed always remembering to share the blankets. She has devilish charm that can be seen when she tells you "One more time", holding her one finger up as she climbs the playground slide for the 26th time.
You are where you are supposed to be, baby girl. Thanks for coming into our lives. Can't wait to see what the next two years brings.