My first kiss :-)

I got my first kiss from Nathan today.  Best Christmas present of the year! (Sorry guys, I love the other presents I got too!)  He just came up to me after opening his presents and gave me this quick kiss on the cheek.

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect today.  Too much excitement and too many new things SHOULD have brought out the 'wild man' in Nathan, but didn't.  We had a really good, calm, happy day. I was a little worried this morning when I came down and the kids said he was acting kind of grumpy and sad and didn't smile when he opened his stocking ( I managed to sleep through that somehow- must be the monstrous amount of sleep deprivation I've suffered for the last 3 weeks!)  Anyway, turns out his teeth were bothering him.  I hope we make it to January 11 when he gets 2 extractions, a thorough dental cleaning, and 8 fillings, all under general anesthesia.

Things keep improving with our little guy, and with our other kids too.  I think the hardest thing for me about adopting a child is the effect it has short term on the kids already in the home.  Every time we have added a child to our family, at least one child has been majorly impacted.  This time, I have been pleasantly surprised that most of the kids seem to be doing pretty well with their new brother, most of the time.  But a couple are still struggling, and it's hard to watch sometimes.  I know they will get through this time and we will reach 'the new normal' but I just wish we would get there tomorrow!

I think our social worker compared adoption to a chandelier.  The chandelier is the whole family, with each little dangly thing one of the family members.  When a new child enters the family, it's as if someone has bumped into the chandelier.  The whole thing rocks and sways, and so does each little dangly thing.  Gradually, the chandelier and it's individual pieces stop swinging and a new equilibrium has been established.  Our chandelier is swinging a little less each day.

Sorry, no Christmas pics yet!  Maybe tomorrow.  Merry Christmas!