loving little men

I was just clearing off the camera card from Thanksgiving weekend, and could not resist posting this pic of baby E, taken at Great-Grandma's house. He is 15 months old today.

I love the little guy! For anyone who did not know, E was our "bonus blessing"--definitely God's idea and not ours. But that makes him all the more special. God clearly thought our family was not complete without him.

And writing those words makes me doubly aware of how blessed we are to have him, since there are too many other families who feel like their families are incomplete, who wonder what God is doing to them, because they have lost a child.

My dear sister-friend Susan just blogged about her own little man, Nathan, the other day. Nathan died July of 2007 of a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma, just about a month after he turned 7. Even writing this, I cannot imagine the pain they feel constantly, as they long for their family to be "whole" again. I do believe it will be--if not whole of heart here on earth, then whole in person in heaven. But in the meantime, I can only imagine, what sweet pain of being glad you have been your little man's mommy even if just for a while.

Here are two pictures I love:

Nathan Gentry, at 7 mo.

Baby E, at 9 mo.

This past summer when we were visiting CO, Susan gave me a gift for E of this adorable hoodie that had been Nathan's when he was a baby. It is a gift I truly treasure--she was giving us a part of her own precious memories of Nathan. We got pics of E wearing it there at Susan's house, on the same sofa that is behind Nathan in his pic. Susan generously sent me the pic of Nathan and gave me permission to blog about him. Look at those bright eyes! Look at those chubby cheeks! Look at that baby red hair! (Nathan's got more blond as he got older--I hope E keeps his!)

I know E will bring me pain too--you can't be a parent without it (see my previous post!). But so far, in his babyhood sweetness, it is just joy.

I'll take that as long as I can.