Where's the pics?

What's a blog without pictures? "A boring blog", you may reply. We know that, but here's the scoop. When we entered the adoption process, we signed documents saying that we will not post or e-mail any pictures of Biruk until he is legally our son. The purpose of this is to make sure images of children are not used for unsavory purposes. Adoptions have fallen through because the Ethiopian government discovered that adopting parents had published photos, using them for fund raising or whatever. So, even though Biruk is now our son, we feel reluctant to put his pictures on a public blog until we actually have him.

But here's a funny story. We have been receiving pictures of Biruk since he was about 3 months old. And in every single picture, he has had the exact same expression...until last week. We received a batch of photos of Biruk last week, and my initial reaction was "That's not my child!" Biruk is called Biruk at the orphanage, but his legal name is Bereket, and there is more than one Bereket there, so I'm occasionally haunted by the fear that we'll accidentally get the wrong child.

The reason this new batch of photos didn't look like him to us is because he is smiling!...smiling and goofing around, and just having a great time, with hand and mouth and shirt sticky with some just-consumed treat. The smile totally transforms his face. And, the smile makes me realize that I really don't know who Biruk is yet. (This is where you think: "Hello, Christine! Of course you don't.")

I had built an image in my mind of this child based on photos and DVDs that we've received: quiet, serious, and somewhat tentative. He's someone who needs a mom to just hold him and snuggle with him. Fortunately, I'm realizing this week - not a moment too soon! - that I can't possibly know him from pictures alone. He may not even like snuggling, or at least not all the time, as my imaginary child does. So, in addition to the packing and organizing and last minute running around, I'm busy this week making room in my heart and mind for Biruk to be exactly the person he is. I can't wait to meet him!

We will start posting pictures to the blog either next Monday (July 6) or when the technology allows. In the meantime, pictures of the smiling Biruk can be seen now on Christine's Facebook page, which you can access if you belong to Facebook and are my "friend":

http://www.facebook.com/christine.brockett