Happy Birthday!

In 2005, there was a woman in China who was pregnant. When she went into labor on April 10th, she most likely already knew the baby was a girl. She had already decided not to have an abortion, but to secretly carry the baby to term and then say goodbye. I don't know this woman, the sister of my heart. I don't know what factors contributed to her decision to give birth to Xanthe. I know she was courageous, she put herself in great danger, and she did it for her daughter, even knowing that her daughter would call another woman mama. I wonder if her father was the person who left the little bundle at the gate of the orphanage before dawn on April 14th. Is there a more painful journey than walking away from your child? Her umbilical cord was still attached. She wore only a hat and a shirt and had a baby bottle of sugar water by her side. Don't think that Chinese parents cast their baby girls aside. Don't imagine that any parent is capable of such disregard. Condemn the one-child policy, but never condemn Xanthe's birth parents, who gave her life at great sacrifice and risk. At the moment of their greatest agony, Xanthe was already in our hearts, and we were praying for her safe arrival in our family. I wish they could know that. Xanthe was a 14-pound little noodle when she was placed in our arms at 13 months. She was too terrified to do anything but stick out her tongue to let us know she was in there! She was perfectly quiet for 3 days, but she has more than made up for it ever since.

Today is Xanthe's 3rd birthday. When someone asks her how old she is, she says, "A doll cradle." Maybe that's what she wants for her birthday! I made Erin's sticky buns this morning to celebrate, and to hold us over until the birthday party tomorrow! What I meant to say before I got all emotional was, "Happy Birthday, Xanthe! We're so glad you're here, so glad we found each other, and so happy Heavenly Father chose you for us. We love you!"