Adoption Anniversaries

Today, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Isaiah’s adoption. We went to dinner at Red Robin, got him a balloon and an ice cream sundae, and made an event out of it. We have always believed in celebrating adoption anniversaries. While a birthday signifies a child’s entrance into the world, an adoption day signifies a child’s “official” entrance into their forever family.

Adoption anniversary celebrations have presented us with an interesting challenge, however. The first one we celebrated was the one-year anniversary of Joanna’s adoption. On November 18, 2006, as we were enjoying dinner and making a fuss over Joanna on her special anniversary, Isaiah was being born in a hospital across town. We didn’t know that until three days later, though, when we got the call about Isaiah, a newborn baby who was being discharged from the hospital into foster care. How ironic that November 18th is now celebrated as both Isaiah’s birthday and Joanna’s adoption day. And even more ironic is the fact that November 18th was National Adoption Day in 2005, the day Joanna’s adoption was finalized. I always thought it was a sign that Isaiah was born on that special day. But it does present a challenge in celebrating both events on the same day now, especially because Joanna must feel like it was her day first.

On November 18, 2008, Isaiah received a bundle of birthday presents and Joanna received a special adoption day remembrance gift from us. Because what I know for sure is, regardless of what other events occur on November 18th or April 23rd, these days will always be - at least in part - cherished and celebrated as the two days our family officially grew larger by one.