Someone asked in a comment what became of the Naum that was mentioned in my last post. Well he was adopted by and thriving in the Bedford family in Virginia and his name is now Xander. Being that the Bedfords are a military family and move around quite a bit, I am hoping that one day we will be able to reunite these two. And I do think it is beautiful, as someone mentioned, how God instills this love in these kids and that even in an institutionalized setting, they care for and comfort one another until their families can finally get to them.
Here a couple of the photos we have of them together. I never thought about it until just now, but I have always found it fascinating that Ava loves to be hugged and cuddled so much. I thought that was unusual for a child who spent so much time in an orphanage, I always attributed it to her Down Syndrome, but perhaps it was all the love and affection Naum gave her. THANK YOU Xander for taking care of our little girl's need to be loved for 4 years. I will forever be indebted to you....
By the way, Ava is the one in the red Reebok suit. Orphans don't always get dressed gender-appropriate. :)
I love this, look at their hands......
And here is Xander now....As you can see he is happy to be loved!
12 comments:
Yeah, you need to keep in touch with Xander, in a few years, you'll find that they feel still a bonding. Kind of like having a friend left over from Ukrainian genetic DNA.
Joshua watches your blog with me a lot. Today he told me he wants to adopt a child when he grows up. I pulled him into my arms and held him so tight and told him I thought that would be a wonderful thing to do.
Oh thank you Charissa! What a sweet bond they have! That is so cool! I really hope they can reunite again too!
One of my favorite posts so far!
How precious. Who knows Xander could be her future husband????? Just a thought. He looks so happy to be in a forever family.
What a neat story. God always sends angels and what a precious little angel Xander is in Ava's life.
I love it! And Xander looks so incredibly good! Look at those pecs Shelley! Wow! LOL
Oh my, those pictures were wonderful to see, but at the same time tough to look at. To think of them just laying in a crib day in and day out for years just breaks my heart. But they both have blossomed SO much!
Charissa, your posts always bring a light to my heart, even on dark days. What a beautiful story.
Bless you.
I've fallen in love with Ava and your family through your blog. I am Jennifer's OT buddy (miss her!). You are an inspiration and your love for the Lord is evident through the love for your family!
Charissa:
It looks like Ava has more hair in these pics. Could these provide some answers as to whether her hair may be able to grow?
Lovely story.
OH those babies laying there loving each other brought me to tears. Thank God that they at least had each other. I love seeing Ava grow so fast and doing so many new things since she has been united with her family. What a difference a few months can make in a child's life. That girly is defintely blessed...and so are you! :)
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