Continuing Forward

One year ago today my world was changed once again. This time it was in an amazing way! When Addy ran ahead to heaven I didn’t know if I could ever love another child as much as I love her. After all, she took a piece of my heart with her. I knew we were being called to adopt but I didn’t know how I would feel once a child that didn’t grow in my womb was in my arms. One year ago today I got the answer to that question. As soon as I saw my son I knew he was mine and it didn’t matter that he grew in someone else’s tummy. All the fears of how I would feel raising “someone else’s child” melted away because he is my child.

The past year has been amazing and hard. I love watching my son grow and meet or exceed all milestones, but it also breaks my heart that I didn’t get to watch Addy do all the things he is doing. The holidays are better with him here but they are still so hard without my baby girl. I hate that all holidays will either be holidays we had Addy here or holidays with Rett here. We will never have holiday pictures (or any pictures for that matter) with both of my babies in them. Before this journey of child “loss” I never knew how much it isn’t one emotion over another. It doesn’t have to be grief or happiness, sadness or joy, mourning or rejoicing. They can exist simultaneously and most of the time they do now. Anytime I am excited or happy there’s always a feeling of sadness or grief that goes with it.

I hate how many times I hear people say that it’s nice to see me smiling again. I want to tell them I’m still sad too. I still miss my baby girl while I hold my baby boy. He didn’t take her place but he has kept me busy and helped me keep moving forward. I don’t cry as often because I don’t have time to sit still to cry. The tears flow when I stop moving and have time to think about what Addy would be doing if she were here. They flow when there’s a celebration she should be attending with us. And they flowed when we had to take Rett to the ER at the hospital where she died.

Life is hard and it’s magnified by the holidays. I want to be fully present for Rett to enjoy all the fun but I also want to hide in my closet and cry until it’s over. As thankful as I am for this day one year ago and getting to meet my son for the first time, my heart is still broken (another pair that always go together…thankful and broken). I am moving forward but I will never get over having to burry my baby girl. Addy took a piece of my heart with her and Rett added another piece to it.