Pick Up Trip: Day 5

Let me start off by saying today was our best day with Maia yet!  We are starting to get accustomed to each other and are slowly figuring things out.  We knew this trip wasn't going to be easy (and it's actually been easier than we thought) but its still been a hard week for all of us.

Not having any knowledge of how to specifically care for Maia has been hard. She can't tell me what she needs (she probably doesn't even know what she needs after so much neglect) and I don't know what she needs specifically.  We are guessing on how much to feed her.  Guessing on what to feed her.  Guessing as to when she needs quiet time in the crib and when she needs to practice interacting with us.  Guessing on what to work on and what to let go.  And if you know me at all, you now I don't like to guess.  But there's nothing concrete or exact when you start figuring out what makes your adopted special needs child tick, so guessing it is.  It's exhausting.  

Then you factor in being in a country with a different language, different customs, and different food and you have a whole new set of adjustments.  :). We've been keeping KFC and Subway in business since they speak a little bit of English and we know what their food is.  We also found a little mini-Walmart type store that we bought sandwich stuff at for lunches.  Nutella and jelly it is!  (Couldn't find the peanut butter, lol) 

Anyway.  After sucking it up and coming to terms with all of this last night, today as been fabulous.  I have no expectations other than surviving the week and making it home Saturday.  What a difference that makes!

(Gentle hands, Maia)

We had another lazy morning today before our appointment at the embassy this afternoon.  That was a bit intimidating until we got to the counter and realized everything was over with no pain or stress. :)  Maia did SO WELL at the embassy.  They are short staffed right now, so we ended up waiting almost an hour for our appointment.  She sat quietly and let me rock her most of the time.  :love:

Maia is still eating well, but isn't drinking much.  She is, however, still hydrated so we are not too concerned by this just yet.  I was able to give her a little sponge bath today.  She was uneasy, but was ok until it was time for soap.  Then she got a bit freaked out so we cut things short.  

She is also figuring out how to let us know if she wants more food.  If we have a bowl and spoon near us she will grab our hand and move it toward the spoon.  Then she will move the spoon (that's in our hand), to the bowl.  She will reach for her bottle when she wants milk as well.  She's making fast progress.  

One of her favorite games is to play with her stroller.  She pushes it around the apartment and rocks it back and forth.  Her other favorite game is to laugh at herself in the elevator.  SO CUTE!  Enjoy.  :)

Tomorrow we have one last meeting with our facilitator in which we will get all of the official paperwork.  And we leave Saturday morning to bring her HOME!!!