Eye on the Prize

For 3 months I have had my eye trained on today, Little Bro's 15 month birthday. We had been told that after his first birthday he would only go in every 3 months. Although we have been super lucky to get pictures from traveling friends on his 11 and 12 month birthdays, we've not actually received a development update or official pictures since he was 8.5 months old.

So really, all we know is that he can stand without support, has at least 5 teeth, wasn't walking on his first birthday, and is ridiculously cute.

The secret truth is that I am a little gun shy after what happened with Little Bug. I need a development update telling me he is still on track and hasn't plateaued. I need my faith in our agency to be reaffirmed over and over this time around.

We had a care package waiting for him, and I was sure that he would have official pictures and an update done this month. Sure of it. I've spent the last 3 months mentally crossing off the days waiting for today so I could start stalking my e-mail in the hopes of an update popping up.

Earlier this week, just as I was really keyed up for the week, I found out our information was wrong, and the children go in every other month, not every 3 months.

Which means Little Bro went in for a check up last month.

And we didn't hear boo.

The good news is that he will be going in more often, which means we will have a greater chance at updates and a more robust medical history when he comes home.

The bad news is my heart has to wait another month to even begin to hope for an update. I'm so not a patient person when it comes right down to it.

We've decided to burn one of our two update requests on the check-up next month. I've literally got to hear something. Even if we don't get pictures (which would be such a bummer but is possible because I most likely won't have his next care package there in time for the check up), I just want to know he is walking and talking and playing age appropriately. And if he isn't, I want to know that, too.

Someday soon this will all be a distant memory. New pictures will come from the agency and then old pictures from the foster family and finally new pictures from my own camera. In the grand scheme of things, these updates don't matter, don't change the course of our lives or how we are living them.

But it sure would be nice to be able to add a couple more pages to my brag book.

Happy 15 months, my baby big star. I hope you enjoy a day of not having to go to the agency and be poked and prodded.