Bulgaria

Sofia

FSP

Saturday, December 6, 2008

First full day with my new girls!

First off, thanks again to Sandy and to Jessica for the e-mails. I can't respond, but so love to hear updates from home! Sandy, why do you thing Julia was crying? Ha! I knew Katie would be upset about the clothes. She helped me pack for the girls and we were expecting 2 seven year olds! So the clothes are big on the biggest girl, Myia, but workable - good thing, because her orphanage didn't let me borrow anything except what she was wearing that day plus coat hat and boots. The little one, Molly is wearing a size 6-9 months and the smallest clothes Katie and I packed were size 4T! But the social worker at her orphanage is a sweetheart and she loaned me plenty of clothes and a stroller! (I had to leave mine at the airline gate or pay $200!) Margaret, it's a good thing I didn't take yours!!!
And thanks too, John for showing mom the blog. Wish she wasn't so afraid of computers! She's missing so much.
Jessica, she is not the Molly on the RR page, although I was in love with that Molly too, which is why I showed you her picture. She's in a different countyr that I'm too old and too single and have too many kids to adopt there. But this Molly was on there for a few days with a very blurry picture, because of the country I'm in not allowing pictures, but she was listed as Missy. Funny, Katie was called Missy before I could change her name! Have Charlie show you pictures. He took some of the girls from the instant messaging video call we did today.
So first night and day with the girls...both went to bed without much fuss. Myia slept in bed with me and Molly slept in the suitcase. (Jesse asked me tonight if she could unzip it by herself! I said, no, I didn't close the lid! Ha! Only a 6 year old would think of that!)
Molly woke up at 2am with a fever - luckily I had baby Tylenol with me. She's getting both back molars and her gums were really inflamed. I gave her some applesauce too because I can't get her to take liquids. She won't take the bottle I have and she has no idea what to do with the cup. I've been spoon feeding her milk and water and she takes if fine that way. She went right back to sleep and they both woke up around 7am. I played possum for awhile to see what Myia would do unsupervised and she stayed in bed! She just sat up next to me and babbled and patted my head, and sang songs and played with her fingers. She passed my test within 20 minutes so I "woke up" and as soon as I sat up she was off the bed. She's like a little tornado! She just flies through the apartment. She's so easy to entertain. She is playing with empty yogurt containers, the pots and pans and a paper bag that she puts everything into, carries it around the apartment and then stops and takes it all out again. She's into evrything, but if I say "Ne, Ne" (no no) she stops! She feeds herself and is signing More with no prompting. She takes her dishes over to the counter. She started to take her spoon and bowl at the same time and then she stopped and put the spoon back onto the table, took her bowl over and then went back for the spoon! Someone is teaching her good skills! She also likes to take my shoes and her boots and line them up at different places around the apartment. What a funny little girl. She is not potty trained, but at my house that's not an issue. (my girls call it the house of pee and poop, because there's always been so many in pull ups). She likes getting her hair combed and her bath time was a kick! She saw me getting the little tub ready and she was so excited. There's only a shower here, but there was a little plastic pan like a dish pan and I used that. I put baby bath in it to make bubbles. I got her undressed and she got in and immediately started washing herself! Then she started splashing and playing. She was so happy! I have some great pictures of her sitting in the tub. Good thing our DS kids are so flexible a typical kid couldn't have folded themselves into it.
She's been very sweet to Molly. She brings her toys and sometimes she stops what she's doing and bends over with her bottom in the air and babbles at the baby like she's asking her if she wants to come play. No aggression towards her at all. She has hit me a few times, but it's usually when she's really excited like when we played with the bubbles she was pretty excited and next thing I knew she hit my arm. She did it 2-3 times more. it doesn't seem to be agression but more that she's excited and just lets loose.
She's lying on the bed right now (I'm in here too leaning over the radiator holding up the computer on the window sill so I can get a signal.) and she's pulling the cord on the little bear I bought each of them that play's Brahm's lullaby. over and over. She's starting to yawn though.
Molly's fever was gone this morning and she was much more active than last night. She ate the Gerber Rice cereal and some baby plums. She has a very immature manipulation of the food in her mouth. Part of It comes right back out when she takes a bite. My feeding therapist is going to have fun with this one! But she has a good appetite. She sucks on her ring finger and middle finger but when the spoon starts coming toward her she pulls it out.
I put her on a blanket on the floor for some tummy time and she rolled over and pushed herself to a propped sit! Then later she impressed me with her ability to get up on all fours and rock. She's not crawling but she has the strength and postion good. One thing I'm worried about is she is not weight bearing - at all. She just folds when your hold her up to stand. Good thing we have terrific therapists that we can get started with when we get home.
Molly is a snuggle bug. She would let me hold her all day, which I was tempted to do, but I also wanted to spend time with Myia. Myia likes to give kisses and she likes tickle games, but she is showing some definate signs of attachment disorder, as is Molly, she won't look in my eyes for more than a few seconds and then she looks away. I fully expected it with any kids I get whether there from here or foster care. It's pretty hard to find a child who is securely attached in an orphanage or in foster care. Molly's fever is back up tonight, so I gave her some more Tylenol and she's already cooler.
I'd really like to take them outside tomorrow before we all get cabin fever, but it's really windy and cold. It snowed on the way to pick them up Friday evening. Didn't accumulate, just covered the grass. Today it didn't rain or snow, but it was cold enough to snow.
Both girls are asleep and I'm no fool, I sleep when my kids sleep - I even took a nap today when they did and I slept! I never sleep during the day even when I'm sick. But it just felt so good to finally be here and I had talked with Charlie and Liz and so all was well with the world - so I slept!
to all the prayer requests on RR, I've heard you and I'm praying. I'm sorry for all the delays, the plans and dreams that aren't going to happen/ Just don't give up. I thought my chance was over last April and here just 8 months later I'm here with my kids. Not the ones I had originally intended, but these are the ones meant for me. ...Hugs to all, Linda

11 comments:

amyl4 said...

Hi Linda,
Everything sounds like it's going well. Myia sounds wonderful, the way she gets so excited over things.:) Molly is already showing off for her Mama, what a doll baby she must be! Have fun with your two newest sweethearts!
Amy

Alice said...

It is wonderful to hear you so happy! I hope Molly's fever goes away for good. So glad you are having fun.

Karen said...

Thank you so much for posting about your day. We all think of you so often and pray for you. Keep lovin on those little girlies!

karen :)

Missy said...

What fun to read your stories! Sounds like you are having so much fun with your darling little girls. :o) One question though: how do you pronounce "Myia"?

Can't wait to see pictures!

Missy

Linda Rosa said...

Don't worry about eye contact. Some children are taught not to look at adults as a sign of respect. And concerns about eye contact date back to the 1970s when Attachment/Holding Therapy claimed to be a cure for autism. Attachment Therapists switch to treating "Attachment Disorder," a catch-all list of signs that still includes "failure to make eye contact on the parents' terms." There has never been any research to validate this claim that lack of eye contact means a child isn't attaching to his caregiver. Good luck!

Unknown said...

Hi Linda. Your mom called me and told me about the change in your plans and I got the blog address from Charlie. The kids did well at basketball. When are you coming home? I think your mom said you know have to stay longer? Do you want us to try to make arrangements for the kids to come to the holiday/santa party if you aren't going to be back on the 20th? The knowledge that you have to leave and then come back again must be so hard. Thinking of you.
Blessings Julie and family

Unknown said...

Hi Linda
I am not sure that this is working but will try it again. Your mom called me and told me about the change of plans. Hope all is going well. I think your mom said you now have to stay longer. Do you want us to try to arrange to get the kids to the holiday/santa party if you aren't going to be home in time. Thkinking of you.
blessings, Julie and family

kristynewb said...

I'm glad that everything is going so well for you. It sounds like you are having a great time! How sweet that Myia patted you on the head when you were playing possum. Awwww! I hope Molly's fever goes away too! I'm so happy for you and your girls!!

Anonymous said...

lots of hugs being sent your way
The girls sound amazing

June Berger said...

Linda,

They sound absolutely perfect! Which I KNOW they are! Praise God! I'm getting teary just thinking of the blessing these children are to you, and you to them. I so love our little "specials" with DS! Molly and Myia sound so very clever! I can't believe Myia is signing more at the first try! Molly sounds like she's doing wonderful with rolling, sitting and on all fours! Jonathan couldn't do hardly any of that at 22mos!

Oh, so very tiny both of them! I can't WAIT to see pics! I'm going to have to email myself everyone's blog addresses before I leave. This way I'll be able to follow along on my son's lap top while I'm in VN! I can't go two weeks with no updates!

Please refresh my tired brain, how long after you are home in two weeks, before you can go back and get the girls? I know that will be so hard for you! I give all of you ladies credit that do that! I've never had to do that with any of my 3, as soon as I meet them, I get them, boy am I spoiled!

Praying for ease and speed in the remainder of your adoption of these two precious angels. You may not hear from me for quite a while, I leave about 3am tonight/tom. to go to VN and will be traveling for two days and then busy for a couple more before Anah and I settle in a bit. Please know I am praying for you all and seeking God's perfect will for all of us who choose to go along with His plans!

Arizona mom to eight said...

I am so very happy that you have the girls with you. They sound so wonderful, so sweet.