What Adoption Looks Like Day to Day: Daniel

Daniel has the funniest personality. His laugh is positively charming and contagious. Although he doesn't agree with Lydia's plan to marry him, he is very protective of her.

Because of his age (he wasn't quite 2 when we adopted him), Daniel's adoption was the hardest of the three. He was too young to understand what was changing or why or for how long. His life changed a lot when he was just a baby. Shortly after turning 1 year old, he left the care of his loving mother and was placed in an orphanage. Just before he turned 2 years old, he left the familiarity of the orphanage for a totally foreign land, foreign people, and foreign foods. Life was confusing and hard for him.
-Daniel reverts to a baby voice whenever he gets caught disobeying, or when he's asking for something from Kyle or I, or any time he's feeling emotionally needy.
We just recently realized that he only does this with Kyle and I. He never uses his baby voice with his siblings.
When he needed the safety and security of just being a baby, that right was taken away from him. Although he wasn't quite 2 years old, he knew how to peel a banana and an egg by himself. Survival skills. He got mad when I cut his food for him, so I did it away from his view. He didn't like letting me feed him, which broke my heart since I knew how important that was to our bonding. So I sat him in my lap in the rocking chair and read to him at night instead. I wanted to give him the chance to be a baby.
We had decided that I wouldn't nurse him because it had been so long since he'd been breastfed. Looking back and knowing what I do now, I really regret not trying. My sweet Daniel just needed to be babied.
I have learned more about the sacrificial love of God through Daniel than I ever had before. I am so grateful for him and all that he has taught me.