Friday, June 28, 2013

Bringing Annie Home!!!!

We are beyond excited to announce that we'll get to bring Annie home soon in the next few weeks! We have had a whirlwind of a month moving, getting re-settled, and doing all that comes along with updating home study and immigration documents to make this possible in the past few weeks. We couldn't have done it without an army of people behind us making it happen. Seriously, thank you... all of you.

So, we should be home mid-July with Annie. As for after we get home, I'm telling you we couldn't make this stuff up. It's real. Google it: adoption + coccooning.... we're not lying... besides, I'm running on about 10 total hours of  sleep for the past few days, so their blog posts on this will be way better than ours :)

Adoption experts suggest "coccooning" with your new kiddo for six weeks to three months. Lots of kiddos who have experienced difficult experiences when they were young have a tough time knowing what it means to have healthy family connections. This often means that they'll sporadically form attachments with about just about anyone for no apparent reason.

So, we will JOYFULLY celebrate Annie's arrival at the airport when we arrive home, but then we'll scale back big time - at least for a while. Cocooning is just what it sounds like - creating a calm and stable home environment where a kid can transition and connect with mom and dad.

Cocooning works differently for every kid, so we'll adjust our plan as we get to know Annie better, but please know that we're not so much in hiding as we are taking the time needed to set Annie up for a lifetime of knowing that we're her people... her tribe (see: Seth Godin ;).

Based on the tiny bit we've read and know about Annie, here are a few things that we'll focus on once she does begin to make her debut out into the BIG world...

We'll ask that you limit physical contact. For quite some time, Jimmy & I will be the only people to hold or comfort her. You can hug her, but please let her see you ask us first- every.single.time - until you hear us say, "Seriously, it's okay. You don't need to ask anymore." This teaches her that we're her protectors and that she should have physical boundaries.

We'll be the only people who feed her or give her snacks or treats. Candy is a big deal for her and we'll be working on setting limits and teaching her that she can trust us to meet her needs. (I know who you are and I know you're going to try to sneak her candy... I'll catch you. I see everything ;)

Finally, when she does something clumsy and hurts herself in front of you, please send her to us. For the time being, let us be the people who make the "owies" better.

In the meantime, we will NOT be people without a kid bedtime. We might not be good at it, but we will work had at having A in bed every day at the same time. PUH-lease for everyone's sanity, please call, visit, stop by, and bring ice cream.

Thank you for your continued support through this nutty journey of adoption!!!!



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