I truly can’t believe it’s been 4 years since The Littlest E became our son. Where did all the time go? I’m sure most parents feel the same way when celebrating their child’s birthday, along with tremendous joy and gratitude. As an adoptive parent, I get to celebrate the birth of our son, and the birth of our family, our Family Day.
I hope I never forget what life was like before The Littlest E came home with us, so that I don’t lose the gratitude I feel everyday that I get to be his Mom. Adoption is a gift, one that I cherish with my very soul, for without that gift, my life and my husband’s life would be drastically different.
I remember our first days with The Littlest E, all 19 pounds of him. He didn’t want to crawl; he just wanted to be held and held and held. It was a big adjustment getting used to each other, but he knew we were his “go to” people. We were there for him night and day.
At the foster center where our son stayed in Ethiopia before coming home with us, he attached to one of the caregivers so we knew he’d be able to attach to us, and he did. After being home for a couple of weeks, Tom, my husband, went back to work, and I was at home with our new son. Quite a discovery we both had during our hours together.
One day, I took him on a tour of our house (which isn’t very big) so he’d feel more comfortable in his new digs. I got on my knees and crawled around with him from room to room. Seeing the house from his vantage point, I could imagine how overwhelming his new environment might be. Yet we had fun discovering each room. I would explain the names of the rooms and what happened in each. From that point on, The Littlest E felt comfortable to crawl around.
As time passed, he went from crawling, to waddling, to walking, to running. Now, he often starts in our kitchen, sprints, and does a running leap onto our couch that is frequently used for tackle wrestling. Yes, he’s home and we’re home and we’re a family. Love really does make a family. Blood doesn’t matter so much. Families come in many different ways these days. Thank God for that.
Here’s a poem a friend posted on her blog several years ago:
The Gift of Life
I didn’t give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
. . . As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn’t give you
The gift of life,
Life gave me the gift of you.
– – – Author Unknown
Baseball Elliotts – 2014
There’s nothing like waking up every morning knowing our son is down the hall in his room sleeping. He greets most days with a smile and a snuggle, then it’s time to continue our morning routine. He’s 5 now and still as active and energetic as ever. In the evenings when Tom is home, we have family time, usually around the dinner table. We say our daily gratitudes, takes turns saying a blessing, eat and talk about the day. It’s a lovely routine. After that, I do the dishes and Tom gets some good, quality time with his son. Who could ask for anything more?
I can’t wait to continue to experience life with The Littlest E and our family we’ve created through adoption. We are blessed to have what we have, live where we live and do what we do. To those of you who are waiting to be parents, your time will come. You’ll hold your child in your arms, however that child comes to you, and life will take on new meaning. Hoping that your wait is short and that your child is with you soon.
Images: Melanie Elliott/©2014 Melanie Elliott