Today two years ago was our D-day – the day we met our son for the very first time. Ever since I could remember, I had decided that it made no sense for me to create a new human being when out there there were already so many who needed a warm, safe, loving family. I shared these thoughts with my partner very early on and thankfully he was open to the idea of adoption.

So it was that as soon as it was legally possible, we undertook the necessary training and work towards becoming adoptive parents. The road is a long and arduous one, mind you, frought in bureaucratic nightmares (at least in our case which, among other things, saw us assigned a baby only to have him removed again after a few days to then being contacted again months later with vague requests for a potential fostering placement for the same child).

So when today arrived 2 years ago, it was understandably underlined with trepidation.

It was a beautiful sunny day, Good Friday in a Catholic country, which meant many people milled around as they undertook the traditional ritual of visiting 7 churches.

Our visit seemed so out of place, weird, strange… we would be entering a couple, and exiting as a family of three. And so it was that with open hearts beating thunderously, we welcomed a tiny, bewildered baby into our arms and lives forever.

Those first few days were hard as we went from zero to 100 in parenting-101, with little support as we elected to keep this momentous change under wraps for the time being. Slowly, slowly we learnt to understand each other and to get to know one another.

Today, our son is a true bundle of joy, such a happy bunny, so inquisitive, caring, funny, energetic, empathetic. He is a delight to be around.

Today we celebrate his homecoming (thank you R&N) as we are also acutely aware that somewhere out there another lady, his tummy-mummy, is probably remembering the day as the one she definitively put her son’s well-being before hers.

Today, as we again recounted our son’s story to him and showed him a photo of his tummy-mummy and of the nuns who were his first care-givers, l was so proud when my two year-old asked if he could invite “the lady” to his homecoming party. Unfortunately, for legal reasons, we cannot, but I look forward to the day when it will be possible for us all to meet and I trust that the very first thing we will all say to each other is – thank you.