Getting to know each other...

Just a quick note to let everyone know we are doing well.  Andrew is adjusting well, but he is having trouble sleeping at night.  It is quite hard for a baby to get on schedule, especially with an 8 hour time difference, and we are having some challenges, but I count my blessings as this is quite minor all things considered.  Although living without sleep is...well, an adjustment, too.   Please keep us in your prayers and Andrew in your prayers that he finds peace and rest, so that he can grow and continue to learn new things everyday.  Thank you!

I did want to let everyone know what our lives are like right now.  We are trying to keep Andrew rather insulated at this point.  We have been educated by our social worker, agency director, and other adoptive parents that staying put is the best thing for Andrew right now.  He needs to learn his home and immediate surroundings, which in and of itself is a lot to take in for a 13 month old who has never been outside a hospital and baby home.

Another thing we have been educated about is attachment.  Andrew has never had a parent care for him, only a variety of caregivers.  At 13 months old, he is having to learn what most babies at birth get to learn - that he has a daddy and a mommy that can meet his needs.  It can take months to get this established, although Andrew seems to be doing well with attachment.  What this means, though, is that his daddy and mommy will have to do all the things to care for him for a while - changing diapers, feeding, soothing, and most playtime.  Without proper attachment, children can have a lot of difficulty later in their lives, and we want to make sure Andrew had a good foundation.  Babies who come from orphanages often resort to soothing themselves, as they rarely can get that comfort from another.  We have noticed of couple of these behaviors in Andrew, and the more he gets to know his daddy and mommy are there for him, the easier it will be for him to refrain from self-soothing.  Believe me, we wish we could delegate a little more - especially with sleepless nights - but it is in Andrew's best interest for things to be this way right now.  The good news is, Andrew seems to be adapting well, and the more intensely we stick to this routine, the sooner we can go to a more 'normal' routine, if there is such a thing :).  Now that doesn't mean we can't have visitors - we just have to keep it at a slower pace than normal.  

We have been so blessed with so many friends and family who are so caring.  Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.  I promise to post more pictures soon.  Andrew's all to brief napping schedule prevents me from doing too much at this point!  Have a nice day, everyone!

Christa