The Early Days

I have spent the last week and a half looking through pictures from this time last year. It's been nice to remember those days, and exciting experiences of meeting our son. Melke was the one child in our travel group that did not sit nicely with his new mama and dada and smile and play. He was the one child that was unhappy and cried, and was looking pretty nervous about all this change that was happening in his life. When we took custody of Melke and took him back to the guest house, he cried and screamed and looked sad and mad and angry. He did some kicking and pushing away from us when we were holding him. All heart breaking. We didn't even try to feed him that night (don't tell Sister Martha, the head nurse). We just gave him a bottle of milk, which he was happy to take and let him go to sleep. He slept the night between us in the bed, and every time he lifted his head and looked around, we patted him on the back and coo-ed to him. He got a few bottles during the night according to his schedule. And then, he woke up a completely different baby! He was the baby that the nurse and care givers were telling us about, but the baby we had yet to see. He was still a little timid, but he played and crawled, and smiled and laughed, and showed interest in toys. Ahhh, it was such a relief! And he has been/has done awesome ever since...