One Month Ago….Today

We arrived home.

Wow! In some ways, the time has flown!

In other ways, (rocking crabby, sick children-especially w/ Daddy gone) it seems like the longest time of my LIFE!!!

How are we doing?
Well, in all honesty, most days are ok, but some days have been SUPER trying to this Mommy. (& Daddy while he was home)

Honesty IS the best policy, right?

I have had moments where I have REALLY doubted my parenting skills (or perhaps my mind!). Like:

~Ana, precious girl, having MAJOR melt-downs-completely illogical ones in my mind.

~Taking two sick babies under the age on 2 & one healthy child to the dr. at the same time! Diagnosis? Insanity on my part & two ear infections on the part of the babies & one delightful & helpful but needy 6 year old.

~This morning, Ruth’s diaper leaked-in her bed, on me, on her “gee,” her special blanket. When I took off her PJ’s, looking up at me was the same diaper I had put on her about 18 hours before! I had forgotten to change her last night before putting her in bed.

One of my friends-thank, you Joyce, suggested a chart I mark off. Not a half bad idea!

~Trying to give Ruth Natty’s bottle., (in my sleep induced haze) To which she spit & said, “Icky baba!”

~Endlessly bouncing Natty, cuddling, placing in the sling, despite his many protestations.

~The first two weeks, due to an ear infection & jealousy, Ruth screamed any time I put her down.

~Trying to figure out how he goes to sleep best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But, how is he adjusting?

He still has no sleep schedule, per se.

He has slept all night, every night , except one night due to a fever.

He will not lay his head on my shoulder much yet.

Sadness for Mommy.

He is laughing, & babbling some, especially w/ either one of his sisters.

He finally has reached the point at which if he’s crying & I pick him up,

I can calm him (most of the time).

YEAH!!!

That is one of the hardest moments any mom has to endure,

w/ any of their kids, adopted or not.

When you can’t comfort them.

There were a few times I wished his Mama Anna could have just come & dried a few tears.

On one of the forums I frequent, one of the wise ladies there had the following to say about bringing her adopted daughter home:

I tried to imagine what it would be like to be lifted out of my life as I'd always known it and with literally no understanding of what was happening to me to be placed into another life. Different caregivers, different environment, different language, etc. What is that like for a baby?! We read about how resilient children are, and in many ways that is true. But just because they can't tell of the emotional pain they're in doesn't mean it's not there.


That’s why I kinda wished she could just fly here on the fastest plane available on some of those early nights, when he just sobbed the evening away, trying to figure out who I was & what I was doing.

I am trying to remember this, & let him take his time getting to know us, & not force ourselves or my agenda on him too much.

Ana has really become a help, especially w/ Daddy gone.

Today, she made Natty a bottle when I was in the shower.

She really had no idea what she was doing, & she made it way too weak, but I didn’t correct her.
When I got out of the shower, he was sucking away on his slightly cold, watered down milk.

She said, “Will you take a picture of this & put it on the blog & tell everyone that I DID IT ALL BY MYSELF?”

So, there you go!

Ruth settled into her new role as a big sister quite easily,

after her innitial bumps in the road.


Also, the Lord has really been impressing on me that my time is not my own, but His to use in the way He chooses.

All in all, adjustments have been both rocky & smooth,

but our "times are in His hands"

But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in Your hand;
Psalm 31:14 & 15b

Please continue to pray for us, as some of the experts say to allow one month in their new home, for every month they lived away from us to adjust.






I saw that play out in Ruth's adjustment.....so we probably have at least 5 more months to go!