Happy Birthday Journey!

Today is Journey's 2nd birthday, but the first one we get to celebrate with her! Last year we celebrated with a cake and a wish that she would celebrate with us the next year.

I'll 'reminisce' Journey's little life with some baby pictures we were given from the orphange, followed by some pictures of her in America.

This is the earliest picture we have of Journey, at 3 months old. She always had those chubby cheeks!

6 months old, this was one of the referral pictures we got of her

Also 6 months old, this was the first picture we saw of our girl when we got our referral.

6 months, isn't she a cutie??

This picture was taken just a few days before her 1st birthday, with our favorite nun, Sister Joan of Ark

At the airport, just a few days short of 15 months

18 months on the dot

And our 2 year old princess on her birthday

Journey has only been in America for 9 months, but it seems like forever. It's hard to remember her not being around. In those 9 months, Journey has had hand surgery, an eye procedure under anesthesia, and has been seen by dozens of doctors, requiring blood tests, x-rays, medications, and lots of poking and prodding. And she has handled it like a champ! She learned to walk and talk, and is starting to run like a kid now (instead of the toddler waddle). She is behind in her language but picking up new words every day, and continues to amaze us with her perseverance. She doesn't let anything hold her back!

She is a sweet, cheerful girl with loads of personality! She loves to read books, play with baby dolls, and help mommy and daddy with any kind of chore, from laundry to sweeping. I never realized how often I push my sleeves up while I do chores around the house until Journey started asking for her sleeves up too, a dozen times a day! She holds up her hands and says "Arm! Arm!" She also just started to cross her arms if she sees me standing with my arms folded. She's definitely a mama's girl, but she loves her daddy too! When Eric comes home from work at night she jumps up and down and yells "Daddy daddy!" and gives him the biggest hugs.

She loves to sing and dance, and if her siblings are sad, she'll pat their back and say "it's ok!" She loves to pray with us and has at meals and at bedtime and comes up with a long list of things to pray for. Tonight's prayer included a long list of family members, her glasses, the hat she made at the museum today, and her siblings. 

Journey loves to eat, but has started to get picky about what she eats. She won't eat broccoli or cauliflower or raw carrots, but loves all fruit, especially mangoes, blueberries, and bananas. Her favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle, The Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and You Know It, and ABC. She loves Elmo, Tiana, and VeggieTales dvds. She loves to wear pretty dresses (to her every dress is a pretty dress) and loves to look in the mirror with a big grin while wearing a pretty dress. 

Everyone we meet comments on her personality, and even strangers notice the way she can light up a room. She has been such a blessing to us, and we're looking forward to the joy and fun that 2 year old Journey will bring us. 

Happy Birthday to our Journey Matilda Selam, we love you!!