When we decided to become parents, we knew there would be " the moments" when - for just a split second - we would wonder why we did it. You know, the first time they tell you they hate you, or want to move out, or throw a tantrum in the middle of a busy store...you get the idea, right?
We also knew there would be "the moments" that would make every sacrifice worthwhile. You know, the first unsolicited hug or kiss, the first time they call you "Mommy" or "Daddy", the first time they tell you they love you....you get the idea, right?
Well last night we had one of those moments. Daddy has had a very tough week at work, and was starting to feel down. Kerri surprised him last night with a book she made all by herself. It is titled, "Daddy is grate", and each page starts off with "Daddy is grate because...". (Kerri is just learning how to read and write, so we had to decipher a lot of misspelled words). On each page, Kerri listed a different reason why she thinks her Daddy is great. And each page made us smile, tugged at our heart strings, and lifted our spirits. Kerri was beaming with pride and happiness. I had no idea she was working on it, Kerri came up with the idea all on her own. Daddy was touched to his very core, and asked permission to bring his book to work. So he could look at it anytime he needed to.
These are the moments, folks. The ones that make that long adoption wait so worthwhile. The ones we dreamed of long before Kerri became our daughter. The ones that make you look at your child with pride and wonder, and happiness and love. Even if she thinks she is related to a vampire.
Life with Kerri makes every moment "grate".