Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Boy, He Has Changed!

I was digging through my email folders, cleaning house and deleting like mad, when I found these pictures of our first days with Maya, Isaac, and Daniel. This picture was taken in the airport a couple hours after we first met our triplets.

I was stunned to see how different they looked. I want to talk about the most dramatically changed, my Daniel. He looks like a baby in this picture. He had just turned 2.

Notice he never smiled. We received plenty of pictures of our three while they were still in Liberia, but only one of Daniel smiling. This is why toddler adoptions are the hardest in my opinion- because they are experiencing a lot of trauma at a very important developmental stage of life. Breaks my heart looking at that picture of the two of us.

Daniel still crawled a lot and played in this position most of the time. He wanted to be held a lot, so I rocked him a lot and sat him in my lap all the time. I carried him on my back when he wanted to be carried. He was too heavy to do otherwise. He cried any time I left the room- he was so confused, nothing was secure for him.

Now look at my sweet boy:

He has changed so much! We get to see his beautiful smile all the time now, he's confident and secure in his family, and he has grown almost 9 inches in the 18 months since he came home!

This is my favorite Daniel in the whole world.


12 comments:

Unknown said...

He really has changed, Ginger. It's amazing! I definitely like his "new look!" :)

Anonymous said...

I am so lovin that haircut. He looks even older. I am such a proud daddy.

heartchild said...

You can see it his eyes. Wow!

Shipra Panosian said...

wow, 9 inches?
I remember one of your early posts about him and how clingy he was at first about if you'd leave or not. It's so wonderful to see what your love has done in his life.

Anonymous said...

We were on that same flight bringing home our daughter (Patience) It was quite a trip and yes your children have changed alot, especially Daniel.


Sherrie Duval

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful testimony for adoption!

Faith said...

Wow, what a change. I remember that sadness too, so well with Isaiah. He was a little older than Daniel when he came home but he acted much like a 2 year old for a long time.
He looks so grown up now!

MommaofMany said...

All your Liberians are so much more grown up, in just 18 months! It's amazing what love and good food can accomplish in a child's life!

Life on The Rowland Ranch said...

We gotta get our 3 year old Daniel's together! They could be best of friends and we don't even know it! :)

Kidcraze said...

He looks so different! I almost thought it was Isaac in the last pictures.

You can tell he has been loved.

debhmom3 said...

Such awesome kids. What a blessing.

Anonymous said...

AWWW Ginger! I have tears! What a difference.

His Peace,
Debbie (momys)