Today I awakened with a wellspring of joy! After creating this blog last night, adoption has become tangible and is no longer a distant abstract concept that is unattainable. In nursing school I remember learning about the various stages of development of the fetus during gestation, like when the heart develops or when a baby is able to hear his mother’s voice for the first time. Another concept that I also remember is the sensation pregnant mothers feel early on in their gestation called “quickening.” Quickening is often described as a fluttering sensation within the uterus, felt in relation to a baby’s movements. As an adoptive mom (this is the first time I am saying this!) I have experienced a type of “quickening” of another sort. This quickening occurs in relation to the joy that is elicited by thoughts of our baby. Every time I think about him or her I simply cannot help but smile. I notice the “fluttering” that occurs in my heart, which skips a beat. It is evident that becoming a mother does not solely consist of physiological changes.
Though I realize there may be no physical evidences that a little one will be soon joining us, motherhood seems to manifest itself in many other ways. After my husband and I decided to adopt and began making plans, two of my co-workers asked me if I were expecting. I said no, but perhaps should have said yes. When I asked them why, they responded, “… You are glowing!” Perhaps there are physical manifestations after all!
(Repost from November 12, 2011)
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