6 Month Josie Anniversary

As of September 16th, we've been a family of four for 6 WHOLE months! In honor of our special day, I had Josie put on the original outfit that she wore on the day she was brought to our hotel room in Nanchang so that I could take some comparison pictures.

Please note that my husband is the author behind this post. It's brilliant and so heart-felt.

It’s funny how time fixes things, changes perspectives, shapes our beliefs, and eases pain. What seems like days was the last six months of our lives with you Josie. It hardly makes sense that Emma can love you, that Mommy can love you, and that I can love you so madly in such a short bit of time, but we do. We had been blessed for 10 wonderful years with your big sister Emma. You know all about Emma by now. Her contagious laugh, her beautiful smile and piercing green eyes, her goofy wit, her towns and villages strewn across every flat surface in our house, her fierce loyalty of you, and her lasting warm hugs. Yep, she loves you. She is happy to have you here; happy to have someone to boss around a bit, to complain about a bit, to get irritated by a bit, to try and keep out of her bedroom a bit, to love only like a big sister can. Yep, she’s happy, adjusting, but happy.




In so many ways, you are not the girl we met six months ago in our hotel room. Your language acquisition has been nothing short of amazing. Emma has truly been a gift in helping you along this path. Watching Emma teach you letters and numbers on our chalk board while you sit in your highchair has been a great delight. You are so eager to please and practice and laugh with her. I simply melt watching you both behave in ways that sisters do. You’ve warmed to all of us, feel safe with all of us, love all of us. That scared little peanut in China, especially around Daddy, is no more.


You navigate our house with poise and precision. You tactfully dismantle the child safety lock on the food cupboard and delve into your favorite snacks like a seasoned burglar. Fearless, you chase Kitty around the house, attempting to pull her tail while throwing fake mice at her, Mommy close behind hoping Kitty doesn’t get you first. You are always on Emma’s heels just waiting for instructions for the next adventure. You are here and behave in ways like you have always been here. And maybe in some ways you have. For two years we waited to find you, to see you, to meet you, and to love you. Check, check, check, and CHECK!



Early on, I wondered about your heart and being able to fix you and all the stress everyone would endure to make that a reality. And then I worried about the stigma of an extra thumb and what that could mean. Would it get in the way of dressing you, of you eating, of playing with other kids, of anything? Nope. Six months later and I don’t even see your extra thumb. I barely even notice the scar on your chest. All I see is you radiating from morning wakeup till “nigh nigh” on your “pillbow”. You are simply and unequivocally our little girl and sister who in so many ways has been here for a long, long time.





Welcome home Josie…