Nine years, one year

Our wedding anniversary is in March, but for years, January 25th was what we considered our "anniversary" - the day we started dated. Today marks 9 years that we have known each other. It seems like we've been together forever and yet, it seems like just last year that we met at that college cocktail party :)

On this day last year, January 25th's meaning changed a bit for us. It was the very first time that we saw this photo:



We were waiting to be matched with 1 or 2 children, 0-4 years old. When we saw this photo, we guessed that this little guy was 2 or 3, but something about him tugged at us. By the next morning, we were "matched" and were shocked to hear that he was "Just under 1 year". With his birthday on January 31st, he really was JUST under a year.

Looking at this photo now I see it - my baby. Of course he was only 12 months. He has grown so much this past year. It hurts a little to know that he has only known us for 5 months and that we missed so much of this past year with him (not to mention his first year), but I'm grateful that we have this photo and the others that we collected over the year from other adoptive parents. It helps to fill in the gaps.

Love you Little Man