So, This Morning At Breakfast...

...Lily said to me, "My baby brudder was born in China. Just like me." Thank God this time my mouth was empty! To make sure I understood what Lily said I asked, "You have a baby brother?" Lily emphatically said, "Yes! His name is Madalynn."

Gotta love that name! The fact that one of the mom's in our playgroup just had a little girl named Madalynn I'm sure has more than a little to do with the name choice! Anyway, Lily went on to explain in elaborate detail all about her little "brudder".

Here are a few of the highlights:

Madalynn's first mommy "lost him" so now he needs "Lily's mommy to love him".

Lily is going to help carry Madalynn in a "papoosie" while we are in China. Just like Mommy did when she was a baby in China and couldn't walk.

Madalynn is going to call her Jie Jie (Big sister in Mandarin).

I'm beginning to wonder if these breakfast revelations are going to become a daily occurrence!

On my last post my cousin Eileen left a comment. Please, take a minute to go and read it. Eileen is an adoptive mom herself and her comments are always insightful. I love hearing/learning from other "been there...done that" adoptive parents.

In that post I wrote that I didn't think we talked about being an adoptive family very often. The more I think about it...that's not true. The fact that we are an adoptive family influences everything we say and do. One simple example is some of the books included on Lily's bookshelves..."A Mother For Choco", "I Don't Have Your Eyes", "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes", and "The Family Book" just to name a few. I imagine these titles are not included on the bookshelves of most biological children.

At 2 1/2, Lily has already begun to recognize physical differences between us. She often mentions that Mommy and Daddy's eyes are blue and her eyes are brown. Lily has questioned why Mommy and Daddy have freckles and she doesn't. She will also put her arm next to mine and say, "Why your skin look like that?"

When Lily mentions our physical differences I will often say things like, "I'm sure you got your beautiful brown eyes from your birth parents." I will sometimes also mention other members of our family (Aunt Baba, Beanie, etc.) that have brown eyes. I hope that will help Lily to feel a connection to both her birth family and her forever family.

I know this is just the beginning of many questions that Lily will have over the years. I'm hoping that since Lily has started to ask questions so early I will become more confident and comfortable answering them. Because I'm sure the questions will only become more challenging and emotional!

Now, about this baby "brudder". Do you think Lily knows something we don't know????

I have to show my baby brudder my American and Chinese flags.

P.S. - Thanks to those of you who took a minute to leave such sweet comments on my 400th Post...post!