On Getting My Daughter Back

My daughter Sadie Louise is my little shadow. But in some ways I lost her on December 2nd, when we boarded a plane for Uganda. Everytime we talked to her on Skype, she seemed nervous and distant. I'd watch her on the computer screen pressing her tongue inside her cheek, and moving her jaw off to one side, and my heart would feel like a gorilla was sitting on my chest. She's always trying to take care of everyone else, even her crying Momma who was on the laptop screen from far across the ocean.
When we got home, she was taller, and got skinnier. She lost four pounds in the first 3 weeks of January. Her tummy hurt a lot, and her sleep was even more restless than usual. She became melancholy, pouty, frustrated that Momma wouldn't/couldn't carry her as often as she'd like. I fretted. Still do. I miss my LouLou. But slowly, I see her coming back. Today Ruby went to a birthday party. Daddy took a half-day vacation day, and stayed home with the boys. And SadieLou and I got to be together - just "us". Not sure who needed it more.

See that smile? That's my Sweet Potato coming back to me, one scoop of frozen custard at a time. We literally giggled together for 30 minutes at Culver's ~ making up silly things about toasters, salt shakers, and anything else we could think of to create our own little inside jokes.

Thank you, Dave, for making it possible for Louie and I to have this special time. We're getting her back, Honey. She's coming back. She's been here all along.