Today Tizita Desta, our first granddaughter is two years old. Here she is on the first day we met her. Already bright eyed and exploring her new home in her new life. What great big changes for such a little lady!
Becoming a grandparent is something I had been looking forward to with great anticipation. I watched good friends become grandmas and while being very happy for them, I was also a bit envious.
Finally we heard that Courtney and Paul were "expecting" our first grandchild, but not in the usual way. There would be no nine months of watching Courtney's tummy grow and feeling those kicks and seeing those ultrsound pictures. This was unchartered waters for me. I tried to learn all that I could about adoption and Ethiopia. I spent hours reading forums and blogs about families who had adopted from Ethiopia. I met two grandmas through the forum who already had their precious little ones home. They assured me that when I saw that child for the first time all the right grandma feelings would be there.
Boy, were they ever right! The minute Tizita came walking off that plane holding so tightly on to her mama's hand I was a grandma with all the love and pride that any other grandma feels when meeting a biological grandchild.
Different process, same outcome!
In ways, I feel that Tizita has been with us for so much longer than three months. I can hardly remember life without her. I know that it is a grandma's right to brag on their grandkids and I have to do that a bit now.
Tizita is very funny. She loves to joke with us and make us laugh. She has a lot of her Aunt Alissa and Gruncle Kevin's humor in her. Her facial expressions are simply precious with those big brown eyes and that cute smile.
She is such a loving, trusting child considering the life changes she has faced. She freely gives out her hugs and kisses to anyone that requests one.
She has learned so much since arriving although I think she brought many skills and good manners with her from the Care Center. It is obvious that she was well taken care of and loved by the nannies there and also by her first family.
She learns new words on a daily basis and loves to mimic everything we say. She is right on target for her developmental stages and she is healthy as can be.
Sometimes my mind wonders to the years ahead and what challenges she will face being raised in a white family and in a basically white community, but then again, with all the love that surrounds her it should be fine. I think all grandmas worry about their grandchildren's futures not matter what their circumstances.
I better wind this up. Sorry it is all over the place!
Happy Birthday Tizita Desta! We love you to the moon and back and we are ever so thankful to God for his perfect timing and match in giving you to us.
Becoming a grandparent is something I had been looking forward to with great anticipation. I watched good friends become grandmas and while being very happy for them, I was also a bit envious.
Finally we heard that Courtney and Paul were "expecting" our first grandchild, but not in the usual way. There would be no nine months of watching Courtney's tummy grow and feeling those kicks and seeing those ultrsound pictures. This was unchartered waters for me. I tried to learn all that I could about adoption and Ethiopia. I spent hours reading forums and blogs about families who had adopted from Ethiopia. I met two grandmas through the forum who already had their precious little ones home. They assured me that when I saw that child for the first time all the right grandma feelings would be there.
Boy, were they ever right! The minute Tizita came walking off that plane holding so tightly on to her mama's hand I was a grandma with all the love and pride that any other grandma feels when meeting a biological grandchild.
Different process, same outcome!
In ways, I feel that Tizita has been with us for so much longer than three months. I can hardly remember life without her. I know that it is a grandma's right to brag on their grandkids and I have to do that a bit now.
Tizita is very funny. She loves to joke with us and make us laugh. She has a lot of her Aunt Alissa and Gruncle Kevin's humor in her. Her facial expressions are simply precious with those big brown eyes and that cute smile.
She is such a loving, trusting child considering the life changes she has faced. She freely gives out her hugs and kisses to anyone that requests one.
She has learned so much since arriving although I think she brought many skills and good manners with her from the Care Center. It is obvious that she was well taken care of and loved by the nannies there and also by her first family.
She learns new words on a daily basis and loves to mimic everything we say. She is right on target for her developmental stages and she is healthy as can be.
Sometimes my mind wonders to the years ahead and what challenges she will face being raised in a white family and in a basically white community, but then again, with all the love that surrounds her it should be fine. I think all grandmas worry about their grandchildren's futures not matter what their circumstances.
I better wind this up. Sorry it is all over the place!
Happy Birthday Tizita Desta! We love you to the moon and back and we are ever so thankful to God for his perfect timing and match in giving you to us.
1 comment:
What a beautiful post! You are such a wonderful grandma and it doesn't take much to see that you have a wonderful granddaughter. Tizzy is just amazing. I hope some day when I am up in WI I will get to meet her. She brings so many smiles and laughs to your big happy family. Going to shoot over to Courtney's blog and leave some belated birthday wishes to the little lady.
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