Home One Week

Ken, Angelina and I all had a very busy first week home. Ken took the whole week off from work to help us all transition as a family, so it was nice to have him at home, and out & about. Angelina has now met all of her immediate family including grandparents, aunts and uncles. She hung in there as we had many visitors and made many visits else where. We spent a lot of time inside as the weather has been cool and rainy all week. However, on Monday we did manage to get to the playground. Angelina loved it! We played on all of the slides, and she loved being on the see-saws while her daddy lifted them up and down from the other end. Angelina and the dog have also found a peaceful co-existence. Angelina loves to dive-bomb her, but Bear does not seem to mind. Angelina has also given Bear a few open-mouthed wet raspberries to the back, and tried to suck on her ear (like she does with her stuffed dog that she goes to sleep with). It has been interesting to watch the two of them interact.

We had our first social worker visit on Thursday, and that was fine. Our SW was amazed with the size and health of our daughter. Ken and I know how truly lucky we are when it comes to the health of Angelina. We truly feel blessed and are very thankful for her health. On Friday, Angelina had her first doctor's visit. It was a long 40 minutes, but certainly gave Ken and I piece of mind. Angelina is in high percentiles for her weight, height, and head circumference. We have some vaccinations and lab work to get done. We also have an eye doctor's appointment scheduled for October to help with her lazy eye. I was quite reassured after our visit with the doctor, but will really rest easy after all of Angelina's lab work results come back.

Angelina continues to be an excellent eater. Besides fresh fruits and vegetables (which we do work on daily) she eats all of her meals with no problem. Thanks to my friends and family who have offered suggestions on the teeth brushing. This is going much better. Both Ken and I brush our teeth and give Angelina her toothbrush. She goes to town now, and even lets us take a hold of her brush and get in there for a brief amount of time. We are also lucky with her sleep habits. Angelina is still sleeping through the night with a 2-3 hour nap mid-day. It was taking her a while to fall asleep, so we started to give her a small amount of warm milk before rocking her. So far, this has worked well.

As far as adjustment, Angelina is doing as good as can be expected. She is mostly happy, but does let us know when she is mad at us or wants something. She has tested us since day 2, and has not stopped. She tries to get away with a lot and likes to see how much we will let her get away with. Ken and I are still trying to figure out how much to say no, but I figure if there is equal praise, then saying no is just fine. Angelina likes to whine when she wants something, especially when I'm in the kitchen and preparing food. She will sit at my feet and whine. I'm assuming that this is her way right now to communicate with us as she does not know what the heck we are trying to say to her.

We are all still working hard on attachment. Ken and I have seen great improvement since gotcha day. Now, instead of holding a 25-pound sack of potatoes, I hold a 25-pound sack of potatoes that conform to my body! Angelina makes great eye contact with us, and reaches for us when she wants to be held. Also, she initiates playing games and will let us hold her for longer periods of time. I feel that we have made great strides in the attachment area, but still have miles to go. Angelina still feels completely comfortable being held by anyone, and still keeps a hand on my chest (held between me and her) so that she can keep her distance.

I'll leave some pictures from the week:

The See-Saw's are the best!

I have learned how to bounce on this zebra, but can't figure out how to spin!

Fun at the playground

I'm glad that Angelina loves the horse towel as much as I do!

Enjoying the outdoors