He’s Just a Little Boy…

As I was leaving preschool this morning after dropping off my oldest two kids, I went to put Brooks back in his car seat, and he planked. If you’ve ever parented a toddler, you know exactly what I mean by this. He arched his back, held on to the head rest, and made himself stiff as a board when it was time to buckle him in his car seat. Carter did it, Kate did it, and now Brooks was doing it. He laughed at my attempts to get him to fold in the middle so I could buckle him. I finally had to pull out the big guns…the belly tickles…to force him to sit down, just as I had done to his older siblings. It such a typical toddler mom moment, and as we drove out of the parking lot, I wished so desperately that I could rewind time back to the fall.

As we were waiting to bring Brooks home, I had SO MANY sleepless nights. I had so many questions and concerns and there were just a plethora of unknowns. My anxiety was as high as it had been in years. I wondered how this little boy would take to us. I wondered how healthy (or not) he would be. Everyone who had gone before us in the China adoption program had told us to “expect the unexpected,” so I wondered what “surprises” would come our way that we would have to navigate. And maybe you’re in that place today.

If you’re considering adoption or growing your family in some way, but you’re worried about the unknown, here is what I know to be true…

These kids are JUST KIDS.

Don’t be afraid of them.

I spent so much time being scared about how Brooks would change our family and doubting my ability to parent him because we didn’t share biology. And can I just tell you…I could’ve saved myself so much worry had I remembered that he’s just a little boy.

He dumps out his Cheerios onto the floor just like Kate did.
He loves to be chased by Mommy and Daddy just like Carter did.
He finds light sabers and race cars fascinating just like every other little boy on the planet.
He laughs when we tickle him, and he fights naptime with the best of them.

As I drove out of the preschool parking lot that day, I found myself looking at this little boy who was JUST. SO. NORMAL. and realizing that somewhere over the last several weeks, I forgot that this little boy had an entire life before us. He was born to one mother, raised for 13 months by a second, but we’re his forever family. Third time’s the charm right? He is just ours. No biology needed.

And DEFINITELY, no need to fear.

Pictures by: Kristin Michael Photography