There are so many emotions tied up in Christmas. There is the typical excitement and stress but, for our family, it goes much deeper. We are called to reflect on Adeline. She came home from the NICU on Christmas Day 2006 and she will always be my greatest Christmas gift. I rarely get through Christmas without "feeling it" all over again. Christmas Eve service drums up an overwhelming amount of emotions - especially when we sing "Silent Night" in candlelight. It reminds me of the long, dark and quiet ride home from the NICU four years ago. I didn't know how to care for this baby, feel loved by this baby or how to take a leap of faith and hope for a miraculous outcome in her development.
This year. . . I held my sweet girl in candlelight while singing "Silent Night" and thanked God for allowing Adeline to be a part of his master plan. I remembered when I held my little five pound baby at home for the first time and wondered how "this" was going to work for my family. While the first couple years of being Adeline's mother were very hard, both emotionally and physically, I can say that being her mother today is a gift from above. Little did I know how much our family would gain by rallying around this one pound miracle. She slows us down while she builds us up. She is our glue, our gift, our belief in the unbelievable. She keeps us loving deeply and celebrating joyfully.
Have I mentioned how much I love her?
Here is a video I made a on the first anniversary of her homecoming.
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