Early Christmas

Guess what we got in an e-mail yesterday from the French family who adopted their little one from Aaron's orphanage several years ago????

TWO MORE PICTURES...

See my little boy smiling for the camera??? 

And check this one out.... Oh My Goodness!!!

PRECIOUS BEYOND BELIEF!

Makes me want to reach through the picture and hold that baby tight in my arms.

I sure hope she keeps finding more of these gems - they are truly a treasure!

When we first met Aaron - he was NOT used to be carried.  It was obvious that no one had ever carried him or held him as only Mama's and Papa's do.  He held his body stiff away from us which made it very difficult to hold onto him.  Because of this I could not pick him up.  Rob was strong enough to hold him and thus spent each visit getting Aaron used to being in his arms.  By the time we left the institute - after 65 visits - Aaron was happy and content with Rob holding him.  He was still too hard for me to carry though because he would not wrap his legs around me or help in any way and his 50 lbs was too much for me to bear without him helping.

About a week ago, I needed to put Aaron's shoes on him and so lifted him up onto a stool.  Instead of lifting him down, I pulled him up into my arms.  For the first time, ever, Aaron melted into my arms.  He laid his head on my shoulder, wrapped his legs around me and I was able to hold him.  It was the sweetest, most precious gift that little guy could ever have given his Mama.  I held him for a long time before I had to put him down.  Since then, he is discovering that being held by a Mama is pretty sweet.  He's too big to hold for long, but I treasure each and every embrace.  He's learning though that when Mama has him tight against her, she does a whole lot of yucky kissing.