My Hair's Been Styled, Now the Baby Can Come Home

I joked to a friend yesterday that I've started to make plans based on whether or not I want to do them with baby-in-tow or not.

As many loads of laundry as I've done this week, the sad truth is that half way around the world there are four people exponentially creating piles of laundry faster than you can say "extra large front loader". It makes the to-do list with Baby Girl.

Ditto the dishwasher, vacuuming and grocery store. All must-dos.

Preschool class field trip? To the bowels of the local grocery? Definitely not.

One thing that made the short-list to be done before Baby Girl's arrival was to have my hair cut. This afternoon, during quiet-time for the little ones, I slipped out in my car and headed down for 45 minutes of head massaging, primping and preening. Something I schedule for myself every time a baby comes or every 8 to 12 weeks--whichever comes first. I'd take a picture of my newly styled hair for you all (because I know it will keep you up at night if I don't.) but the digital camera was otherwise occupied today with more important matters.

Today, The Captain and my two big girls (who are both feeling a little homesick again), met our Baby Girl's grandmother. And using a camera no bigger than a pack of post-it notes, captured the moment for me to see. Try as I might to wiggle into that picture when I see it, to experience that hour spent between her first and forever families, I will never truly know what happened there. It is one of the little heartbreaks of our adoptions that I have. Knowing little of digital technology, her grandmother was captivated by the instant picture that appeared on the tiny screen. She insisted (and we promised) that we send copies of the picture to her.

Because someday, she will look at that picture--just as I will--and try to relive that moment. To recapture just one more time the feeling of holding her precious granddaughter in her arms. But the moment will be gone. All that will be left is a picture.

I think you'll probably agree. My haircut picture really isn't that important after all.