Love Makes All The Difference

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while.  We are one busy family!!  It’s good, really good and I am not complaining.  But blogging and facebook have HAD to decrease in order for me to put food on the table, keep little rear-ends clean and keep fish tanks fairly safe (not necessarily in that order either).   (Click Here to see the fish tank post)   

Every once in a while, I like to post about a special family that just inspires me.   The Musser’s have just adopted a 9-YEAR-old girl, with Down syndrome, who weighed just 11 pounds  (from Eastern Europe).   That’s not a typo folks.  Eleven pounds.  Can you comprehend that for a moment?  To help you put this into perspective:  My 9-year-old daughter weighs 79 pounds.  My 1-year-old (almost 2) weighs 28 pounds.

Oh and did I mention that they have 10 other children?  The youngest of who was born with Ds. 

I wanted to share a post that Susanna (the mom) wrote back in October.  The pictures are amazing.  Please read and take a look at what love can do.  The Musser's blog is http://theblessingofverity.com/

 Enjoy!!

What difference does it make?

"I am wondering if you have pictures to share and the before and after story of a child who was adopted from an orphanage similar to Katerina’s. A child who, after receiving love, nurturing and a healthy diet, has blossomed and grown and is doing well now.”

What difference does it make?  
See for yourselves.

Hailee before, 5 years old~


Hailee after 1 year home, now 11 pounds bigger~


Toby before, 4 years old~


Toby after 1 year home, now 13 pounds and 4 inches bigger, walking, running, and using over 50 signs~


Anya before, 3 years old~


Anya after 3 months home, now can swallow, drink, chew, feed herself, play, walk, and communicate~


Liza before, 4 years and 8 months old~


Liza after 11 months home, now 10+ pounds bigger~


Lena before, 2 years old~


Lena after 6 months home~


Xander before, 4 years old~


Xander after 3 years home, now doubled in weight, walking, feeding himself solid foods, drinking out of a cup, using sign language to communicate, and saying a few basic words~


Irina before, 4 years old~


Irina after 14 months home~


Gabe before, 6 years old~


Gabe after 3 months home, now crawling and pulling to stand~


Johannah before, 3 years old, and Ellee before, 5 years old, then
Johannah and Ellee after 6 months home~


Joel before, 7 years old~


Joel after 4 months home, now 15 pounds and 6+ inches bigger~


Victoria (left) 23 months, and Francesca (right) before~


Victoria after 3 months home, now 5 pounds bigger and eating on her own~


Francesca after 3 months home, now 9 pounds bigger~


Theo before, 4 years old~



Theo after 1 year home, now 5 inches and 15 pounds bigger~



[Note:  Thank you to all the parents who shared these photos of your beautiful children!  I'm planning to make this an ongoing post with its own link on the sidebar, so if anyone else has photos you'd like me to consider adding, please email me.]