Today is a very important day!

Today is a very important day in the life of Sienna Grace, and what's even more important is she doesn't even realize how significant today is...but I know and I will always remember.  Today is the day that Sienna has been with us as her family longer than she was without us. 

Our day started like most Monday mornings.  At 5:37 a.m. I heard a "Daddy...Daaaadddddyyyy" coming from the room next to us.  Daddy has been sick so I got up to greet the little voice in the dark.  I was hoping for a little more sleep so I gave her a bottle of water, laid her down and put her soft blanket over her and said I'd be back soon.  The quiet bliss lasted for another 15 minutes.  Then I heard cries of "puppy!"  "PUPPY!  Where my puppy, where my light".  I knew it was time for the day to begin.  I got up, got the flashlight and went into Sienna's room and surrendered it to her.  I still heard cries of "puppy missing, need puppy".  So together we lifted blankets, "soft blanket", "special blanket" and "really soft blanket" - still no puppy to be found.  Finally in the corner of her crib I found her beloved puppy.  "UP Mama, UP" So I picked her up, got special blanky and puppy and we went in to greet Daddy. 

Next came the usual "no dress Mama, no change me" - this is a familiar battle lately.  Sienna is not fond of clothes and she does not want to get out of her cuddly footie pajamas on a cold Minnesota morning. We start playing a game that puppy is helping with her jammies, getting her feet out, getting her arms out, new diaper, socks (puppy has to try them on first), soft pants, Minnie Mouse shirt, shoes and downstairs for a treat for sleeping all night. 

She settled in on a chair in the family room outside the lower bathroom door where she can watch Daddy shave - another of her morning rituals.  I go upstairs and get big sister up and dressed and then we all gather in the kitchen for the last minute rush of packing lunches, grabbing hats and mittens and blankets and bears for naptime at daycare. 

Everyone gets settled in their car seats, mama in her car, daddy in his and we start out to school.  I look up in the mirror at Sienna and she takes her juice out of her mouth and says, "I no school today, I stay and play with you Mama".  I quietly tell her that Mama will miss her but I have to go to work and she will have fun playing with her friends at school and before she knows it I'll be back to get her. 

Then I realize that today's routine has now become her 'normal' and from this day forward she will have had a family for longer than she was without one. 

I have no doubt that Sienna still remembers China and her life there before she joined our family - she looks at her first pictures and when she sees her Nanny she says, "Mama", she calls her sister by her Chinese name "Yan Yan" and has just the perfect tone, she asks for "shui" when she wants water, and she points to herself and says "Yue Yue" (her Chinese nickname).  Most importantly she looks at us and says, "Wo An i" - "I love you!" 

Sienna Grace, we are so thankful for you and you have blessed us in so many ways.  You are amazing and wonderful in so many ways and every day we are grateful that God chose us to be your forever family!