Comfort Nursing

The time I have with Deston is so precious to me.  Every single second is a blessing, but I confess that I especially love the times just before naps and bedtime when I sit and rock him to sleep.  He usually has to study every little blemish on my face and ask, "Que es eso?" and I answer, then he will rub my face with his little soft baby hands and tell me that I am his mommy and he is my baby, and lastly I sing to him how much I love him.
We have been doing this for 4 out of 5 weeks because the first week he fought me and did not want me to hold him AT ALL.  Then a wall fell, that wall of fear.  He feared letting his heart be broken again and slowly allowed me to enter the territory of his pain.  We still occasionally will visit the territory of pain, but it is much less frequently these days.  And tonight, another wall fell and he submitted himself to rejection by asking if he could nurse.
The idea of nursing is still not completely acceptable in the United States, but here in Nicaragua, women bear all to nourish their babies and nobody batts an eye.  For a few seconds, I wondered if it was "appropriate", then I feared my older children would not understand, then I submitted to the nurture of my newest little baby.  It is a sweet time for us.  It is a time when I let him know that I am his mother in every way a mother should be to her baby and it is his way to say, I accept you as my Mommy.  I cherish every second knowing that it will not last forever, but I am enjoying my baby today.
Adopted children are so much like a newborn no matter what age they come into your family.  It is still so important to follow all the little bonding rituals that you would a newborn; feeding them, bathing them, rocking them, singing to them, eye contact, and even comfort nursing.
I know this topic is taboo, but for those of us adopting these little angels, it is important to share all the facts and support each other in the journey.  I, for one, am so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be Deston's mommy.