The First Days of our New Normal, Part Two

Our little guy came to us that first day with some things given to him (donations from people who had given items to the agency) in a small bag: a few clothes, pjs, some bath products, a couple pairs of socks and underwear, a blanket, and a stuffed animal. He also came in with a big, warm smile. He walked into our den and hopped in my lap the first time he saw me, just like I was a friend he had known all his life!

That first night, some kind friends (more about them later) came over to bring us some things for him – along with a toddler bed that would become a familiar place over time. We gave him a bath that first night, wrapped him in a towel, hugged him tightly and began the journey of deciphering his sounds, cries, fears and looks. Looks that spoke volumes, but we had no idea what he was trying to tell us.

Those first days went really well. Much better than I had anticipated. Our new little boy was quite a charmer and his smile went a long way to making everything ok. The first nights were pretty uneventful, since his bed was right inside our room where it seemed he felt safe and comfortable. He was on his best behavior those days – maybe he didn’t know how to act and that seemed like the best way to make the unknown not so frightening. After all, was he going to be with us long? Where would he go next?

Natalie and Josh fell in love right away! And oh what a blessing they have been to this mama – helping every chance they get. From the very first days, the norm was that he was part of our family. He was their little brother. That was that. I think they even started picking on him on Day Two! In fact, I’m sure Natalie did. 🙂