The Big Reveal

Since we got home with Baby C, J and I have wanted to tell our oldest niece, who is now 5 1/4, the story of C. She was the only niece or nephew old enough to grasp it when we talked about C's birthmom or adoption, and we felt uncomfortable having to censor ourselves when she was around.

Last night the entire clan got together for an impromtpu dinner (thanks J and S for hosting!) and we felt it was the right time. We took M, our niece, downstairs to the family room with her parents and told her. She was snuggled up to me and J took her hand and did a great job telling her that Aunt R and Uncle J couldn't make a baby in Aunt R's belly, and we wanted a baby and family so bad, and a woman in Texas had a baby and couldn't take care of her, so asked us to take her and make her our daughter and love her forever. And that Baby C is her cousin forever.

I told her how there are all kinds of families, families with all boys and all girls and one kid and 12 kids (she just saw Cheaper By the Dozen - to which J added later "and those people are really socially irresponsible") and that this is how we plan to build our family. J added that in November we will try again to bring another baby into our family by adoption. And that baby will be her forever cousin as well.

I then added that this was not a secret, and that she can ask anything she wants, and that she is welcome to tell anyone, including her friends, or any kids at school.

After we said this, we said to M, "Is there anything you want to ask?"

To which she said "Can I go color now?"

It was a start, right? :)