Amy and I often lament that we didn't get Jada and Aaron from Day 1, although glad we got them as early as we did - at age 7 1/2 months for Jada, and at age 5 1/2 months for Aaron. We often joke that those formative months have helped shape something of their respective personalities:
* For Jada, we can imagine her languishing in her crib in her orphanage, thinking to herself, "boy, if I can ever get out of here, I am going to see the world." Hence her inquisitiveness and inability to sit still.
* For Aaron, his first months were characterized by eating on demand, being held, and watching older kids play around him. Hence his overriding thoughts are, "why isn't anyone holding me," "I'm hungry - now," and "I want to do what she's doing."
Having a baby biologically must be a precious experience, from the incubation to the birth and then bonding with that new life. Our parenting experience is different, and I don't doubt that our kids are different somewhat as a result. But who we are is partly a function of our earliest experiences, good and bad, and good parents make the most of both to help their kids grow up healthy and happy. So that's what we're striving to be.
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