FINALLY PICTURES and a name....

 Ok everyone :)  This is my first few glances of Michael Jason Wright........

 He loves his music.  Great fit for our family!!! 

 At first I just stared at him thinking I seriously want to pinch myself!

 And when I scooped him up.......It was love!!!

 This first night K (his first healing mommy) gave me a run down of his routine and the amazing PROGRESS he has made. 

 I got to put him in his jammies. 

 Squeezing on him!!!!

 That first night was one that I will remember and cherish FOREVER!!!!  It is such a privilege to meet your new child.  For some it is hard work because a child can reject you- yep been there several times.  Sometimes it is not love at first squeeze.  And you know what, that is ok, and perfectly normal too!!!  Don't ever feel that you are not normal because you didn't instantly fall in love. 

That first night K and I had a long conversation about sooo much.  I can't tell you how awesome it is to have a great relationship with first families, first healing families, or relatives.  It helps in sooo many ways.  Sometimes it just isn't possible, but when it is- I encourage it.  It may seem hard, but in reality it really isn't- Promise! 

Yep, not going to lie it is a bit awkward in the beginning kind of like that junior high dance.  Yea, because you both don't know what to expect.  Are they judging me- and that is for both sides?  Do they think I will be a good enough parent to their child?  Do they think I am a failure since I am asking them to take my child?  Am I talking too much?  Do I sound stupid?  What are they thinking about me?  Oh and the list goes on and on!

But once you get past all that.....and you start talking....we have really found that so many times we really love spending time with the family.   And that is completely true in this case!!!

 So the second day (Sunday) I got to take him to the hotel for the afternoon.  I also got to spend some time with a precious friend who traveled a few hours to meet me!  Laurel is a mommy to many and a great friend!  We have met up a couple of times before when her family has gone on road trips and let me tell you we love their family!!!  It meant the world to me that she got to come and meet our newest addition and we just got some time to chat for the afternoon :) 

 Look at this new skill people - this is HUGE!!!!!!  When he came to K and her family's home he couldn't come close to sitting up at all, didn't make any eye contact, stared at his hand a lot, could not crawl, could not do - well pretty much anything.  He did not eat baby foods- that is something K has put a lot of effort into.  Textures and he - don't get along.  And just looking at him makes me say WOW! 

 And this bear we bought him.  He usually isn't into stuffed animals except his giraffe.  But we have a tradition of giving bears to our kiddos.  He wasn't really into it until I started singing silly songs and making the bear dance.  Then he loved it.  This picture is one of my favorites so far!!!!

 I mean look at that sweet face!!!!  How could you resist????

 Look who woke up?  :) 

 So his new name.  Yes it is new.  And that is something that can be hard.  Hard because it is a change.  Hard because that is not what his birthmother named him.  Hard because his last family kept his original name.  So why would we go and change it? 

Well, we have prayed over each of our children as we were entering the adoption process.  We prayed over specific names- you know one boy name and one girl name.  That name was said in our hearts.  It is the name we prayed protection and healing over them with.  It is something we chose.

And well.....I know this is a touchy subject for a lot of you.  So hate if you must.  That is fine.  I totally respect those who keep names!!!!!  But when we started having children we really wanted to name them.  And we decided to have names from the Bible that meant something to us with their stories and with the meanings of the names.  So having 8 other children and then having child number 9 have a name that had nothing to do with scriptures or meaning anything.....would be pretty hard.

When it has come to names our children all know their previous names.  We don't keep secrets in our home about their given names before they were adopted.  We do not ever shame that name- ever!  Just like we wouldn't dream of shaming their first families- ever!  We are open about why we named them their names.  What the meaning is, the fact that we prayed their names for them.

We also know that to some people our children will always be a different name- that is fine.  Our kids are not worried about it.  They realize this and we have talked about it.  To their first families this is who they are.  We also have talked about and read about in Bible stories the fact that when significant things happened in someone's life that is was common to change names.  And in some of our children's cases they couldn't wait to change names because they knew what it meant.  It meant forever they were a part of our family.

So with that- Michael means who is like God?  and Jason means Healer.  We couldn't think of a better name.  God has done sooo many miracles in this little man's life!  He brought him to a place of healing over 6 months ago.  He has healed in so many ways.  And we know who is our HEALER- GOD!  So who could ever heal our son like our God?  NO ONE!  HE IS OUR SOURCE OF HEALING STRENGTH!

Michael Jason we are so proud of you.  We pray healing over your life and know that God is going to do great things in and through you- HE has done sooo much already! 

***Oh and yes, this is a gradual name change.  He was just starting to recognize his name so we of course are using that name too....with Michael thrown in there.  We would never dream of slowing down any progress that he is making.  :)