One year ago tonight our phone rang and our lives changed forever.

It was a phone call I almost did not answer, we were outside working in the yard and I ran inside to get something and the phone rang just as I was going back outside , for a moment I hesitated answering it because I was busy..... But, something in me said answer it. I recognized the voice on the other end being our program director, she said Hi Jody do you have time to talk, I said yes and then the next words out of her mouth caused me to loose all sanity.... She said I am e-mailing you pictures of your sweet baby girl. Jon was in the front yard watering the lawn so I ran to the front window and yelled get in here it's M and we have a baby, I swear it took him 2 steps to get into the house. So as M is giving me our babies info Jon is on the cell phone calling everyone we know. As soon as we got her photo I forwarded it to all the people he was calling.

I was hardly able to sleep that night, I was so excited.

We were DTV just shy of 1 year when we got that call, and it took us exactly 1 year to become DTV.... We sent in our application to our agency in 2005 when Vietnam re-opened but, we did not start our paperwork until January 2006 when our agency got their license, then it took 6 months to be DTV. Thanks to everyones favorite USCIS.... They lost our paperwork twice and then took forever to approve us for our I-171H so we dealt with them for almost 4 months, so needless to say I was so glad to get that piece of paperwork. Now having my daughter I know there is a reason it took so long....

Along this bumpy adoption path we were open to some SN, we received info on one little girl that we had to turn down, she had a very serious heart problem that can not be fixed, we met her when were in Vietnam and it broke my heart that she would never know the love of a family and that she would not live much longer. Our agency flew her to Hong Kong for surgery and once the doctor say her and what was going on he would not operate because she would never survive and sent her back to live out what time she had left in the orphanage.

We also received info on another little girl with a SN, we decided that we wanted to adopt her, so we told our agency, showed her picture off to some friends and family and we were very excited for a few weeks until we got a phone call saying that they contacted the orphanage saying we wanted this little girl and were told that they waited to long and her info was given to another agency and someone else wants her.... So we lost her, I was devastated.

Now I know why we lost that little girl, she was meant to be someone elses daughter and we were meant to have our daughter.

We were a bit surprised when we got our referral call saying our daughter was a healthy 6 month old, being that we were open to SN up to age 3.

Adoption was a very long bumpy road for us but, to be honest I look forward to hopping back on the adoption ride and doing it again.

I think often of how much our lives have changed in the last year and more so how much Cami has changed in the time we have been a family. She is loving, strong willed, feisty, sweet and whip smart. We always say that we know she will never be a pushover.

I often wonder how we got so lucky to be the parents to this amazing little girl.

Oh, and the picture of her feet is these super cute sandals I found at Wal-M@rt for $5 (and her really cute toes, that are very long) she had a major melt down last night when her dad made her take her new sandals off to take her bath.....

Also, if you are wondering why she always seems to have a Sponge Bob band aide on it's because she loves Sponge Bob and if she does not have a "Bob" on there is hell to pay!!!!! (So no worries that she keeps getting hurt in the same spot, it's fake)

We had Cami's 18 month check up last week, it goes as follows:

18.2 lbs
30" tall
And her Doctor marked all other things at excellent. She is small but, very healthy.

I have been trying to find a gymnastics or dance class for her to take because I think she would love those but, no luck...... All that is offered in this area for her age group is on a weekday morning, that does not really work for me being a working mom. Apperently I am the only working mom in this area with a daughter who would enjoy an activity...

I am going to Colorado next week for work for almost a week.... This will be the first time I have ever been away from Cami, I am trying hard not to fall apart over it but, I will miss my sidekick so much. Her dad will do great because he is a very hands on dad but, still I will miss her. Luckly there are 2 more of us first time moms leaving our kiddos behind so we can all cry together.

Cami's verbal skills are growing so much. Now if she sees an animal she knows on TV she says it's name and what sound they make. She absolutly loves animals. Next weekend for Mother's Day me, Cami, my mom, my grandma, my aunt, my cousin and her daughter are all going to the zoo for Mother's Day. I know Cami will love that. My cousin is a Vet so her daughter (who is Cami's age) is always around animals so I know E- will love it too. And most of all, my 85 y.o. Grandma will love watching her "babies" play. She introduces them to everyone as "my babies"! She say's I have one blond and one with black hair, then she always tells me how she always wanted black hair.

I really need to get some pictures taken of Cami but, she does not like strangers and I know she will give her famous "evil eye" to anyone trying to take her picture..... Any suggestions would be great.