First Birthday Presents

On October 26, our little girl in Ghana will be turning one year old! Because of the timing of the trip, she will be getting her gifts slightly early, but I am so glad that we have the chance to get a few things to her! 

We will not be taking this trip, but never fear, we will be flying there at least once at some point in the future. Our previous coordinator has been asked to escort a child home from Ghana, and so she gave us adopting families the chance to send items to her to take there with her. Even better, we get pictures! I am so excited for a new picture (or two, or three or ten :-D) to enjoy and share with others. I am also hopeful for just the tidbits of information that we might be able to find out after this trip- is she shy or outgoing? cry easily or a happy kid? is she talking yet? can she stand on her own? can she color? can she understand simple commands? I would love more about her story as well- who gave her her name? what do her caretakers think about her as far as easy sleeper? is there a certain way she falls asleep? what does toys does she like to play with?

I have no idea how much I can expect to find out, but I know that any information is way more than what I have about who she is, and extra information will continue to connect me to our girl so far away.

So, the items in the box. First thing that draws the eye is the pretty pink dress. The first item of clothing we have bought for her! I had a plan to have Blake pick it out, all on his own, and I was doing really well at that too... until I mentioned that my favorite was this pink dress, and then he put back his top choice and got mine. I almost didn't let him choose it because I had said it was the one I would pick and I really wanted it to be the one HE would pick, but ... how much can you argue when he is picking the one you wanted anyways?

My hope is that the pictures of her will be with her wearing her new pink dress (even if we never get it back afterwards, we will have pictures of her in it, AND come on, kids outgrow stuff all the time, it might not even fit her if we got it back).

The shapes you see in the background are baby blocks that I sewed together from fabric that I had in the house and stuffed myself. One will be for her, and the others will go to other kids waiting for families, and it felt great making them knowing that they had such a great destination.

We made a photo baby board book with pictures of us and our family members in it (her grandparents and aunt and uncles) with very simple words about how much we love her and want her home. I hope that by her looking at it, hopefully often, she will learn all our faces, and we won't be strangers.