As many of you know, my husband and I adopted our oldest child when she was three years old.
As a way to help her wrap her little mind around her life story I made this book for her shortly after her adoption.  The story started as a bedtime story I told her before bed and I decided that I should turn it into a book, so I did.  I had it printed and bound at Kinkos.  At 9 years old she still loves to read her story.

It reads:

The Story of Cassidy Rebekah Conner
Once upon a time there was a woman named Amy who had a little baby in her belly.  On October 23, 2000, this baby was born. 

The baby was the most beautiful brown eyed, brown haired little girl to ever be seen.  Amy named this little girl Cassidy.  But unfortunately, Amy was unable to care for Cassidy.

When Cassidy was 18 months old, she went to live with Robin and Rick _____.  There she lived with Robin, Rick, Elizabeth, Samuel, Richard and Mandy.

Robin knew she needed to find Cassidy a Mommy and Daddy that could love her and take care of her, so she called her friends, Kim and Jake, and asked them if they would like Cassidy to come live with them.  And they said, “Yes!  We love Cassidy and would love to have her in our family!”

On January 25, 2004, Cassidy moved in with her new Mommy and Daddy.  At her new green house, she got a new purple and pink bedroom, a new brother, Diddy the Cat, and lots and lots of people who love her.

Of course her Mommy and Daddy do, but also her Memere and Grandpa, Grammy and Grandpa, Uncle Sean and Uncle Pat, Courtney and Christine, Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Brian, Robin and RIck, Memere and Pepere Bettis, Nana and Granny, and all of her Aunts, Uncles and Cousins!  She became everybody’s Sweet Pea!

Her Mommy and Daddy were very happy to have her as their daughter and they both love her very much… listen to their hearts – you’ll even hear them say, “We love Cassidy, we love Cassidy!”.

On September 1, 2004, Cassidy Rebekah was adopted and they were all very happy.  Together they lived happily ever after!

And they loved each other forever and ever!

These are just a few of the pages.
Our cat Diddy is in the top window, I’m in the left window and my hubby is in the right window. 😉
And now I’m going to step up onto my soap box for a minute:

Please, when referring to an adopted child, use past tense when referring to adoption: My child WAS adopted, not IS adopted. 

No, I do not feel any differently about my other children versus the child that was adopted.  They are ALL my children.  One just grew in my heart instead of my belly.

Adoption is not the EASY path as one person told me (apparantely I am lucky because I didn’t have to go through the pain of child birth that first time…).  I would love to see that person take a moment to hold a child that is confused because she has had three moms in three years, grows up with unknowns, etc. and tell me this was an easier path.  Adoption may be physically easier, but it is no less emotional than a birth!

OK, I am off my box!