How Do You Love A Picture?

As many of you know, after tons of stress, heartache, and fear, our family received pictures of our new baby girl via e-mail a few weeks ago. The moment was truly amazing. As amazing as when we first saw Big Brother's pictures; as amazing as Big Sister's first ultrasound. The most amazing thing about it - each of these instances, without any rational explanation that I can think of, I fell completely, head-over-heals in love. Many of the people reading this blog have children, I'm sure. Why else the interest in all of the cloth diaper, baby-wearing hoopla that seems to have consumed our lives? And so, I'm sure that many of the people reading this blog know exactly the feeling that I am talking about. It's as if my heart physically grew bigger the moment I saw the picture. I wasn't as aware of this whole process the first two times around. Big Brother was my first baby. Big Sister was my first ultrasound. Having been through the process twice, I seem to have had a little more clarity in this third moment around to truly understand what I was feeling - to truly understand the physical changes that were going on inside of me. And I'm telling you, as I knelt on the floor staring at my computer screen next to my family, I specifically remember feeling different - bigger, better, stronger, more fulfilled. For that moment, all of the petty nonsense that we worry about in life, that silly stuff that separates our day-to-day life on Earth from Heaven, simply evaporated and, as far as I felt, I was flying with the angels. In fact, that is still how I feel when I look at the wall of my office at work, and see the pictures of my three kids. But, how? I wondered that that day and I am still left wondering that now. How in the world do we fall so deeply in love with pictures? My heart melts when I look at the pictures that I now have of Little Sister (and how I desperately wish that we could share them with the world... all in good time). I look into her big brown eyes and I feel like I am with her. I feel like I am holding her. I am excited beyond the definition of the word to be preparing to bring her home in, most likely, just another month and a half or so. I can't wait to rush her home from Ethiopia, throw her into a shamrock dress, and bring her out to Irish Fest. I feel so blessed to have to worry about things like, "We are only two parents. How are we going to manage to dance with three children?" Even as I write this post I am smiling. And so, how do you love a picture? I don't know. I do know how I love my children - and there aren't words to describe that.

Written by Hubby