nearly overwhelming

what I said before we met him:

• When we meet him I'm going to RESTRAIN myself as much as possible. I'm actually hoping the sister who brings him to us won't be holding him and won't try to put him in my arms. I mean, of course I'm DYING to hold him, but I'm hoping we'll get to give him the chance to call the shots a little bit. Feel a little more comfortable in the first moments we have with him. If he was younger I wouldn't be as worried about this...but since he's older, I imagine this is going to scare the crap out of him and I want to be as gracious about it as we can.

what I felt while he approached us for the first time (one of my favorite simple lines in a book ever):

• the temptation to cuddle [him] was nearly overwhelming

what actually happened

I guess more accurately I should have said that the temptation to cuddle him was completely overwhelming.

and it still is.