Fun with Krassimir

So much of what I've been sharing lately has been about our new girls, but I caught these photos of Krassi last week, and wanted to share them.

I've been reflecting quite a bit over the last few weeks about my relationship with Krassimir as I've been asked to write something about some of the struggles that accompany adoption. One thing that really stood out to me is the difficulty we have had bonding with Krassimir. What happens so naturally with our birth children, and what we're already seeing with Bogomila and Tsvetomira really drove home to me the continuous effort it has been with Krassi, with really very few returns.

RAD* hasn't figured greatly into the topics that I've written about on this blog, but definitely have been an issue for Krassimir.

All of that is a background for the beautiful photos I'm going to share here. I spent nearly an hour on the couch the day physically restraining Reuben during a bad post-ictal** response where he was screaming almost continuously, and trying desperately to kick anything he could find, and to smack himself in the face, or me if I tried to keep him from hitting himself.

Krassimir sweetly crawled over to where I was, and was just taking a moment to be near me. And, oh, those big brown eyes!! And that smile...for me! What a rare, precious gift.

*Reactive Attachment Disorder "is a condition found in children who may have received grossly negligent care and do not form a healthy emotional attachment with their primary caregivers -- usually their mothers -- before age 5." It impacts how all future relationships are formed.

** "After a seizure"