Not so little newborn
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, his mother, Kellie Higgins posted ‘baby’ photos of Latrell on her Facebook wall with the caption, “Here’s my sweet not so little newborn! His name is Latrell and weighs 112 lbs.”
Iconic shots
The collage of photos has Latrell in popular ‘baby’ poses with his angelic face resting on a pillow and the iconic shot of his face cradled in his hands, looking peaceful. Some might call it spoof on professional newborn shots reminiscent of Anne Geddes but we think the photos are incredibly sweet, heartwarming and funny.
Even Latrell thinks so as he told TODAY.com, “I thought it was funny and that it would be a good idea.” His mom however found the notion of taking his ‘baby’ photos bittersweet.
She says, “I was very sad too because I didn’t have any photos of him either.” But this is the reality of adopting older kids and she adds that “It’s really hard to have children and not know what they looked like when they were younger.”
The hilarious photo session
Recounting the photo session, both Higgins and Latrell remembered laughing hard and just having a great time. That positivity and joy has come out in their photos and the response and support has been overwhelming with the photos going viral with over 10,000 likes and the story being carried by Huffington Post and TODAY.com.
An incredibly big heart
The photos of course is just the tip of the immense love the Higgins family has to give. For one, Kellie and her husband had five biological children with a sixth one on the way when they decided to adopt Latrell and his sister Chanya two years ago. Both Latrell, then 10, and Chanya, then five, were considered old by then and finding it hard to get adopted. But for Kelli and her husband, there was no question of adopting them when social services called and the two siblings are growing up happily in the loving Higgins family.
Great outcomes
Perhaps the best thing that has come out from the photos is the visibility it has created for older kid adoption which is not as popular as adopting a baby. Higgins says, “The one reaction that is really humbling and I’m really excited about is there have been a lot of parents that come to me telling me that they were thinking about adopting a baby, but after seeing those photos it’s changed their minds and they want to adopt an older child.”
Netizens reactions
The photos which has been shared almost 5000 times have generated comments of pure joy and inspiration with most of them congratulating both Higgins and Latrell as well as applauding the beauty of family.
Holly Abney: “Congratulations! He’s gorgeous! I always think of foster kids who age out of the system and have no adult to help them navigate the confusing early days of adult responsibilities. It really is a time when the background of unconditional love from your family is comforting as you endure break ups and the inevitable faltering as you challenge yourself and follow your ambition and passions. I was always so independent, I grew closer to my parents after I moved out and starting calling them for things like how to cook chicken, etc. It really breaks my heart to think of all these good kids in our communities without that. I will have to find my part.”
Tammy Roberts: “how sweet! I cried upon seeing this. I have soo many wonderful photo’s of my children growing up including their ‘birth announcement’ and this will show your son how much you value his birth………..what a lucky family”
Nancy Blum-Heintz: Absolutely in love with these photos and the idea. Thank you for talking about adoption and what a beautiful gift it is for the whole family. You are a wonderful mother and photographer.
Inspiring
May this photos inspire you to take your own photos of your child whether he is a newborn, adopted, step-child or an adult. After all, no matter how old they get, our children will always remain our babies.
Other articles that might interest you:
Baby photography DIY tips
Bringing home your adopted infant