Thursday we woke up, hopeful that Sitota would come back to the guest house with us for some time with just the three of us.
After Wednesday's roller coaster, I wasn't sure what to expect. We decided that once we got to the center, we would try to move kindof quickly... not linger... but I will be honest... I was scared. I had visions of her crying as we tried to bring her in the car. GAH.
Well... I walked through the door of her room and she was still in her pajamas, and I got a big smile. BIG. Relief flowed through me as I stripped her down to change her diaper and clothes... She was in the BEST mood- so happy- so playful... running away from me in just her diaper when i wanted to get her dressed... her lovely little lanky self swallowed up by her enormous smile. Hugs, kisses and laughter. Thank God.
So, we did what any insane new parents would do, and ran for the guest house! Instead of the crying that I feared, she was happily chirping "Ciao" to her friends and Nannies. I acted as her car seat/seat belt.
We had been thinking that we would just bring her back for a few hours,
and then bring her back to the care center for bed. But in the car,
with her snuggled up warm and close to me, we realized that if we
brought her back after hanging out for the day, then we would be
putting her through 2 potentially emotional goodbyes. So we decided we would play it by ear,
but were leaning towards keeping her overnight.
When we got back to the room we read a few books and looked through her photo album. We gave her some applesauce. Some crackers... she was definitely nervous, but we got some slow smiles and snuggles.
She had a bath. There isn't a bath at the care center. She. Loved. It. The only toy she actually liked were these little stacking bowls with holes in the bottom of them. She stayed in the bath for so long. We played with her. We sat quietly watching her. We took her braids out and washed her hair. We let the water run and she was perfectly content. So were we.
After her bath we got her dressed in the adorable batik shirt that I found at Goodwill for $1.99 Thankyouverymuch and the smallest little capri jeggings I've ever seen. Oh, I died from the cute. We took her to the lobby for some pizza. (She mostly ate crackers and coconut cookies, and a roll.) It was the 3 of us, Dani, and another couple who were there for court as well. It was fun and she was in a good mood, curious and engaged. We went back upstairs to play for awhile.
It was all going splendidly... Then I accidentally took a nap. It happend when you haven't slept much in a couple of months and you finally lay down, watching your new baby exploring her new world. Contentment. Peace. Sleep. That, too, was going splendidly.
I woke up to the sounds of Rob and Sitota playing soccer and laughing in the courtyard. Now, she was 2 months shy of her 3rd birthday, and she looks around the courtyard, and puts herself square in the middle of 2 plant pots to tend goal. Laughter and happiness drifted in through the window. I just listened... and facebooked... They had such fun. It was the first time that she really connected or bonded with Rob. It was all good.
When they came in to come upstairs and the women who worked in the guest house started talking to her. They were full of smiles and animated in their conversation. And Sitota started gravitating towards them.
And away from Rob.
She was... a little freaked out I think. She'd had enough of the crazy white folks who didn't speak her language. So she panicked a bit.
She settled down a little as long as I was holding and walking with her. If I sat down or tried to put her down, she cried. I thought.... maybe it's too much. Maybe we should bring her back. Rob encouraged me to play it out a little.
So we turned the water on :-) She really settled down when I let her play in the sink. She loved the water. She came back after that, and we had a lovely dinner. We ordered out, and she had a bit of injera & shiro and we had something vaguely resembling lasagna... and then she and Rob played the "Daddy na!" game which I hope I will still remember when I am 643 years old.
That laugh? I mean, seriously. It is completely infectious. Delicious. Pure love.
After dinner, we read a few books and Sitota's eyes were getting very heavy. So we changed her into her pjs, snuggled up for some books and some prayers and she fell asleep with her Daddy writing on her face... the same way her sister and brothers used to fall asleep when they were sleep reluctant toddlers.
And then we stared at her.
And then I took a trillion pictures of her sleeping.
And we looked at each other. Our first night together. Finally. Dear God, finally.
It would be sweet if the story ended there, right? NOPE.
She slept with me. I was nearly asleep when I heard a weird noise in the room. I was reading with a headlamp, and it took a few minutes to figure out that the torrential rainstorm was no longer happening just outside the window... our ceiling was leaking in multiple spots.
YUP.
I had visions of the entire roof caving in. Obviously, we had no buckets... so we put out dry diapers to absorb the water, and started packing. Around midnight, we were settled into a new room on the floor below.
Sitota slept through the entire move :-)
Sweet sleep.
After Wednesday's roller coaster, I wasn't sure what to expect. We decided that once we got to the center, we would try to move kindof quickly... not linger... but I will be honest... I was scared. I had visions of her crying as we tried to bring her in the car. GAH.
Well... I walked through the door of her room and she was still in her pajamas, and I got a big smile. BIG. Relief flowed through me as I stripped her down to change her diaper and clothes... She was in the BEST mood- so happy- so playful... running away from me in just her diaper when i wanted to get her dressed... her lovely little lanky self swallowed up by her enormous smile. Hugs, kisses and laughter. Thank God.
When we got back to the room we read a few books and looked through her photo album. We gave her some applesauce. Some crackers... she was definitely nervous, but we got some slow smiles and snuggles.
She had a bath. There isn't a bath at the care center. She. Loved. It. The only toy she actually liked were these little stacking bowls with holes in the bottom of them. She stayed in the bath for so long. We played with her. We sat quietly watching her. We took her braids out and washed her hair. We let the water run and she was perfectly content. So were we.
After her bath we got her dressed in the adorable batik shirt that I found at Goodwill for $1.99 Thankyouverymuch and the smallest little capri jeggings I've ever seen. Oh, I died from the cute. We took her to the lobby for some pizza. (She mostly ate crackers and coconut cookies, and a roll.) It was the 3 of us, Dani, and another couple who were there for court as well. It was fun and she was in a good mood, curious and engaged. We went back upstairs to play for awhile.
It was all going splendidly... Then I accidentally took a nap. It happend when you haven't slept much in a couple of months and you finally lay down, watching your new baby exploring her new world. Contentment. Peace. Sleep. That, too, was going splendidly.
I woke up to the sounds of Rob and Sitota playing soccer and laughing in the courtyard. Now, she was 2 months shy of her 3rd birthday, and she looks around the courtyard, and puts herself square in the middle of 2 plant pots to tend goal. Laughter and happiness drifted in through the window. I just listened... and facebooked... They had such fun. It was the first time that she really connected or bonded with Rob. It was all good.
When they came in to come upstairs and the women who worked in the guest house started talking to her. They were full of smiles and animated in their conversation. And Sitota started gravitating towards them.
And away from Rob.
She was... a little freaked out I think. She'd had enough of the crazy white folks who didn't speak her language. So she panicked a bit.
She settled down a little as long as I was holding and walking with her. If I sat down or tried to put her down, she cried. I thought.... maybe it's too much. Maybe we should bring her back. Rob encouraged me to play it out a little.
So we turned the water on :-) She really settled down when I let her play in the sink. She loved the water. She came back after that, and we had a lovely dinner. We ordered out, and she had a bit of injera & shiro and we had something vaguely resembling lasagna... and then she and Rob played the "Daddy na!" game which I hope I will still remember when I am 643 years old.
That laugh? I mean, seriously. It is completely infectious. Delicious. Pure love.
After dinner, we read a few books and Sitota's eyes were getting very heavy. So we changed her into her pjs, snuggled up for some books and some prayers and she fell asleep with her Daddy writing on her face... the same way her sister and brothers used to fall asleep when they were sleep reluctant toddlers.
And then we stared at her.
And then I took a trillion pictures of her sleeping.
And we looked at each other. Our first night together. Finally. Dear God, finally.
It would be sweet if the story ended there, right? NOPE.
She slept with me. I was nearly asleep when I heard a weird noise in the room. I was reading with a headlamp, and it took a few minutes to figure out that the torrential rainstorm was no longer happening just outside the window... our ceiling was leaking in multiple spots.
YUP.
I had visions of the entire roof caving in. Obviously, we had no buckets... so we put out dry diapers to absorb the water, and started packing. Around midnight, we were settled into a new room on the floor below.
Sitota slept through the entire move :-)
Sweet sleep.
1 comment:
Her laugh is AMAZING!!!
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