Bitter Chocolate

So, you know how bitter chocolate is like 65% bitter and then 35% good? in my humble opinion. Milk Chocolate is the only way to go. I digress....

That was last night for me. Mostly bitter, but a pinch of sweetness.

Leanna is sick. For the first time since being a member of Team Parker.
Last night she threw up. She didn't cry. She probably wouldn't have made a peep had we not been in the next room and heard her awake. Sad reality of orphans, they are pretty good at fending for themselves.

Sean, being the one of us with an iron stomach, cleaned up the mess. I gave our lady a bath, then wrapped her in a bath towel and just snuggled her. Eventually I started rocking, and she fell asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about how this was the FIRST time in her almost 7 years of life where she had a Mommy and Daddy holding her as she felt sick. That rubbed her back as she took a bath. That tickled her tummy as she fell asleep.

After Sean got her a bed set up in our room, I moved her there. She was pretty out of it, but grabbed onto my thumb, like a baby would do to your finger.. Every time I started to move away, her little grip tightened. At one point she started humming in her sleep, which was her way of self comforting in the orphanage. I told her, Mommy is here....and she stopped.

Heck yes I cried.

This morning, she was still feeling icky, but every time I picked her up, she would kiss my cheek before putting her head on my shoulder.

Really heartbreaking on one hand, and such joy on the other.

Thank you God for giving us this amazing gift..... Even if it breaks my heart that it took 7 years for her to get a family. Pray for the orphans, friends. There are so many of them. Last night there were probably hundreds of kids, sick in their beds. Nobody came to them. Nobody cleaned them up. Nobody got them a cup of water. They were alone. This was Leanna just 5 short months ago.