It's a Beautiful Life!: February 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Fitting in

A year ago right now, we were on the other side of the world. We were just hours from meeting our little wild-man for the first time. Oddly enough, everything else seemed familiar. We had been in the same city, same hotel and gone to the same orphanage a few years before to meet Claire. So, I may have been a little too comfortable to to be able to fully anticipate what we got with Asher.

And, oh my did he break us in good those first days in Tianjin! Yes, there were days when I asked myself if this child was really going to fit into our family. He was definitely out of my comfort zone! Loved fast food. Pitched fits for attention. Ran from us.

Never.

Slowed.

Down.

His hands were in constant motion trying to touch, push, pull or squeeze anything and everything. We couldn't get on the elevator and ride up or down without making multiple stops because he was so fast and would punch as many floor buttons as he could the first chance he got.

And now The L'il Emperor has been with us for a year! We all survived. More importantly, we all thrived!

Physically, he hasn't changed much. Grown a few inches. Gained a few pounds. Lost a few teeth and grown out his hair. He's the same cutie pie, wild man we raced around the world to bring home!

But.

He has calmed down so very much this year. I believe that a lot of his behavior in China was a reaction to the situation. I still think he was quite spoiled by his foster family and that didn't help. But, I also think he had a touch of Post Traumatic Stress. Who wouldn't?

My fears about his not fitting in were totally unfounded. You wouldn't know that he hasn't been a part of our family all his life. He is loved by everyone and loves us all with the same wild abandon that made me nervous when we met! Turns out, he was exactly what we needed! A little spice. A little reckless hope. A whole lot of happy all-boy fun!