If any of you have ever been around heath and me with our children, i mean, really been around us with our children, you would see how affectionate we are with them. and we even try to hold off on the affection when we are around friends and family simply because...well, simply because. i could eat my children up with a spoon. i think they are yummy. i love every little tiny piece about each one of them. they were wonderfully and miraculously made, after-all. i can see the wonder and miracle in them at any given moment.
as you know, heath and i have been working with echo on her hugs and kisses. now, our approach has been very different. heath has been playful, silly, strong and just throws himself right in there. i do too, but i've been more of a teacher during the day. you would think hugs and kisses come naturally. i use to think that. growing up in a loving a sweet family. hugs and kisses are adored and welcomed. not the case when you spend your first year in an orphanage. so, during my day, you can see/hear me giving her a soft kiss and saying "kiss". or sitting in the floor with her and wrapping my arms around her saying "hug". these are things that babies who are well loved and cared for, automatically begin to do. i've been just waiting for that moment when i get that wide-open mouth kiss that you get from your baby. you know the kind, she comes at you with those sloppy lips and just smother you right smack dab on your own smackers. you almost want to dodge it because you can see the drool coming your way, you feel as though you may drown in this saliva but as she pulls away, you wish that it could have lasted longer. babies are so quick with their kisses. so stingy. they only give them when they want to and when they mean it. i know this, i've been through it three times already with my other children. that quick, sloppy kiss is never enough. they always leave me wanting more. and so, we played (and worked) with echo on these simple things. hugs and kisses.
heath's parents were here over the weekend to have a last visit before the big move to london. it was a great weekend and will go down as one of my most memorable weekends because of one tiny moment. after having lunch on saturday, i was sitting at the table and echo was down walking around. she was in a great mood. just like any random moment, i saw her coming toward me so i bent down in hopes to steal a smooch, knowing full well this would make her squirm or turn running. she was coming right for me. i don't remember if i requested the kiss or if she just laid it on me, but she came over and very clearly, very intentionally kissed me. i have no doubt that she felt love in her heart and wanted to share it with me. what a beautiful moment. our first kiss. then, of course, i immediately requested more! one could never be enough. i could hear heath in the background, "no way, she did not, bring her here"....and like any stingy baby, she was done. as quickly as she'd given her kiss, she walked away. easy come, easy go.
i've gotten another kiss since then, in our dinning room. i was sitting alone with her in the floor and she was playing in front of me, "kiss?" i asked. and she raised up that beautiful little face of hers and gave me a kiss. and continued with her play.....our girl, she's coming around more and more each day.....
tonight at dinner, i was over at my parent's house and we were all sitting around eating. out of absolutely no where, echo leaned over and wrapped her tiny arms around me. i leaned in too and we held our hug....i'm not sure that i would have been certain what she was doing, except that she wanted to do it several times and each time i would say, "hug....thank you", "hug....thank you".....she did this several times, over and over. again, i have no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing. she has learned several signs (eat, more, all done), a couple of words (bye-bye, no) and now this, displays of affection. a hug and a kiss. something so simple and yet, something i have been waiting for. i love you, echo...do you love me? the more i ask this question, the more i can see the answer. yes, the feeling is very mutual.
i guess you could say we are in love.
*thanks, nicole eliason, for the photo!
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