When Mark and I began our first adoption journey, like many people new to the concept I had the idea that it was girls that were most likely to be needing homes and families.

The UK's Channel 4 production, "The Dying Rooms" swept the world, and the terrifying view into the world of unwanted little girls in China convinced many that boys had it easier and were far less likely to be in orphanages.

For many reasons ... our foster child having been a boy, little familiarity with little girls, being a boy himself ... Mark was determined that we would adopt a male child.

The fact that I am fifteen years older than my darling spring-chicken-of-a-husband brought up the possibility that he could end up parenting teens on his own. This seemed okay, as long as it was boy teens he'd be looking after. The though of raising a teenage girl on his lonesome struck a fear into my brave honey's heart that surprised me, but made complete sense to him.

Once into the process, we learned that in many countries ... Cambodia included ... boys are just as likely to end up in orphanages, but less likely to be adopted. It's often the case that the boys end up seeing girl after girl pack up their meager possessions and run into the waiting arms of new parents while they must steel themselves to the realization that no such option will come to them.

As we all know, Sam was our first child, and he is most certainly a boy.

As Mark adjusted to fatherhood, and as we began thinking about adding a sibling to our mix, I was again surprised by my astonishing mate when he made no bones about the fact that he was holding out hopes for a daughter.

This time, we made no stipulation as to gender, but simply requested that the next available child come to us.

Once again, we all know our story has Cj well featured now, a very girly girl in every aspect, right down to a love of shoes and bling, a flare for the dramatic, and a compulsion to stick flowers in her hair.