Nine

Nine months.  The number of months a woman carries her child before welcoming him into the world.  Nine months.  Half the time my son spent in a baby home and half the time he spent in his birth family.  Nine months.  The number of months my son has spent here at home with me.  Just as amazing as the growth that occurs in a nine month pregnancy, it's been amazing to remember back to how much Corbin has grown and changed since being home.  Just today I was reminded by a team mate who hadn't seen Corbin since last summer just how much he's changed.  At first she didn't look to see whose child it was directing the group of boys in their game of chase and tag but laughed as he explained why it wasn't ok to go past the stairs to the others - "it's dangerous, noisy and my mom said no. We 'haffa play over there".  And off the troupe went.  She did a double take and picked up her jaw from the ground when he giggled and yelled, "MAMA!!! MAMA!!! That's MY MAMA playing soccer!" at me on the field knowing he was the quiet boy in the chariot from the summer sidelines after having just came home.  She just couldn't believe... he's grown so much and he never stops talking (I know... I know...).  I look back to the pictures on the plane and even listen to his little voice saying, "puppy, da... Mama...da... ooohhhhh Mama" in the video from 2 weeks home and am amazed.  Physical, emotional, confidence, language... exponential growth.  Part nutrition, part opportunity and part love (in no particular order).  I saw this little video and it first, makes me bawl and as I wipe my eyes... the last line of it gets me because that's my Corbin.  He's not the "little adopted kid from Russia" he's just a regular kid... and that is amazing.  When you start into this journey of adoption reading the books, blogs and websites (which by the way I can't recommend enough) you wonder how long it will take or how big the mountains might be that you will climb together as a family.  Nine.  Nine months... and he's just a regular kid.  I am so very very proud every day of my "regular kid".  That video is below... kleenex... you've been warned.