Happy Gotcha Day, Isabella!

Today (depending on when blogger publishes it... but it should be Saturday) is Bella's Gotcha Day. It is the day that we picked her up from the hogar, where she spent the first 13 months of her life, and the day we never had to bring her back. She physically joined our family FOREVER. We have decided to celebrate Gotcha Day AND Forever Family Day. Her FFD is Oct. 30. It is the day that we landed with her in America and we were all reunited as a family. Jake did not accompany us on our pickup trip. I would like to take a trip down Memory Lane and she "what a difference a year TRULY makes". The above picture is one of my favorites. This was taken on her birthday this year.
This was also taken on her birthday, but I post it for a different reason. While her transition was, for the most part rather easy and smooth, the next picture will show you how far we have come. In this pic she is cheek-to-cheek with me and her arm is squeezing me. Scroll down to the 3rd pic and you will see quite the opposite. That one was taken on our pickup trip and you can see her hesitance and rigidness. She is only close to me because I had her in the sling. Now she hugs me because she loves me and WANTS to, not because some strange lady is pulling her close. I did not realize this then, but I began to look back at pictures tonight and it just popped out at me. A year has changed this precious little girl SO much and it has changed this Mommy SO much, too!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this picture. It makes ALL the hell and heartache we went through SO worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This does not even look like my Isabella. When I look in those big, brown eyes, I see very little emotion... very little life. A BIG contrast to the big, brown eyes in the first picture.

As some of you may remember, this is what she did if Jeff so much as looked her way.

Now.... she can't get enough of her Daddee (as she pronounces his name). The other morning as he was leaving for work, she kissed him bye and pulled him close to hug him. She said "Love you, Daddee". Jeff said this was the first time she had pulled him in for a hug. Up until that point, he was the initiator of hugging between the two of them. That showed me that we are still gaining ground that we lost in our time of being away from her.
This was taken when we got back to the hotel with her. She looks so confused and scared.

"Not quite sure of these 2 people"...

Here is where I KNOW she made the connection with me and who I was to her. This is how I fed her every time I visited. I made it a point to keep this the same. We would always lock eyes and everything and everyone else would fade... it was always just ME and HER at feeding time. I know God used that to connect us and he used it that day to show her little mind and heart that connection. I am SO thankful for that. I will NEVER forget that moment in time. It was supernatural.

I am so proud to be her Mommy and so thankful that God's ways are ALWAYS best. While I was fighting with infertility and crying "Why?!, He was patient with me and knew that my tears would one day turn to joy when I met His BEST for our family. I can honestly say, the only tears cried here these days, are tears of joy and amazement that I am SO richly blessed. And that is why I will spend today with my daughter, my son, and my husband praising my God for his "plan to prosper me and not to harm me; plans to give me hope".