Sunshine for the Weary

The subject of Mia's sleeping (or lack thereof) when she returned home has come up several times recently in conversation with friends, and during some pre-adoption homework we are working on with our adoption agency. Mia's first year and a half home were not without challenges. I didn't blog about it much, but she would be up for hours every night and suffered from horrible night terrors. I have always been someone that desperately needs sleep. Even as a child, I required more sleep than most kids. (Things haven't changed much as an adult, by the way.) My husband has always been one that can get by with much less, but that first year+ were tough on us both. Yet, somehow, God gave us the strength to get through all those sleepless nights. As difficult as it was, I have to see the blessing in it, too, because Mia and I really bonded in the wee hours of the night... rocking, cuddling, playing. She is firmly attached to me, and I attribute part of that to the special moments we had during the night - even if I could barely keep my eyes open. And during the day, she was pure sunshine and would wipe our memory of the previous night away in an instant with her beautiful smile or contagious laughter. Oh, how I love my silly bunny-nosed girl. Sleepless nights and all.