Matthew Turns 4!!!

On December 6th, our little boy turned 4. I am not sure if his birthday was celebrated at the orphanage in China or not, but his face is a clear indication that he was so very excited!!

On each birthday of both my children, I can't help but wonder what their birth mothers could be feeling. Because Matthew and Katie were both abandoned babies and not found with a notes, their birthdays are estimated by the orphanage to be approximately 2 months earlier than the dates they were found. I choose to believe that the weeks between birthday and abandonment dates were nothing but pain and heartache for their birth mothers. The decision to give up thier children is often not a choice, but rather they are victim to China's strict children policies. My heart aches for thier birth mothers who will never know the joy they continually bring me. So on the birthdays of my children, I will always quitely think of these women who loved them enough to carry them for 9 months, hold them in their arms for 2 months and then painfully let them go. (Unthinkable!!) In my heart, I know they are grieving for the children I am joyfully celebrating with.