Little Lassie is getting baptized this weekend. My parents and sister are coming into town today and FlyGuy’s family will arrive on Saturday. They will be meeting LL for the first time. I’m nervous about having a home clean enough to entertain a mother-in-law, but my MIL is kind and will likely turn a blind eye to any dust. She’s a true southern belle, so even if she does see dust, she won’t say anything. She lives by the motto- if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. I know this because my MIL and I didn’t always see eye to eye and in the first years of my marriage she was very quiet.

I’m very excited to celebrate LL’s entrance into the Christian Orthodox faith. She has been charming everyone at church for a few months and after this weekend, she will be able to fully participate and take communion.  This is a very important weekend for my family and I’m feeling very proud and grateful that my immediate family now includes Little Lassie.

We recently had an adoption service at church where we prayed that God will blend our natures and make FlyGuy, Little Lassie and I as close as blood relations. The Orthodox church has wonderful wording and symbolism in situations like this. The priest talked about how we are all first children of God, thus related at the core. My family had a small shower for me after church and it was terrific. The best part was when my cousin who is an adoptive mom to 2 boys talked to me about her adoption process. Her boys are now 18 and 24 and I constantly forget they are adopted. They are a very dynamic, attractive, funny family. Their road hasn’t always been easy, but they have a happy ending and it’s very inspiring.

I’m officially writing my letter of resignation to my employer this week. No more teaching for a while. In an effort to catch Little Lassie up on a few missed milestones, we work together for a half hour each morning and afternoon. Work includes putting pegs into holes, sorting shapes and feeding her babydoll a bottle. It’s different than teaching braille to visually impaired children, but its a good different. Our work time has helped us to bond and enjoy each other. At times, I have felt inadequate or flawed because I didn’t fall in love with Little Lassie on day one. Now I know love that comes slowly is just as valuable as love that strikes like lightning.

As I approached my first mother’s day where I finally qualified for a hallmark card, it occurred to me that my time with eggsbenedictarnold may be coming to a close. I started this blog with every intention of continuing it after we became parents, but now it feels like an old, well-loved sweater stretched beyond its limits and no longer fits. For the time being, I’ll continue checking in here and see if I can change my perspective.

My first mother’s day was strange, but nice. It felt weird being a mom and having people wish me happy mother’s day. In the past, people assumed I was a mother and mistakenly wished me well. This year, a small part of me kept thinking they were making the same mistake. I spent the evening at my dear friend, Juliana’s daughter’s baptism. It truly was the perfect ending to a day meant to celebrate mothers.

Everything continues to run rather smoothly in our home. Little Lassie is darling. She has a unique way of falling apart for 15 seconds when I say no to her. Of her own accord, within seconds, she abruptly stops the meltdown and beams a huge smile at me. I cannot even whisper the word no (or silently sign it) without this reaction. Not sure what she is communicating, but it’s pretty endearing.