Four times in - there are A LOT of firsts for a new Yingling girl.
Her first niece -
Her first Jana dvd…and she dialed right into it. Like she had been jamming to Jana her whole life!
The first Saturday park outing….
followed by the first frozen yogurt stop!
The first shopping trip with dad - and the discovery of who is the soft touch in the family
The first Santa Ana zoo trip
Her first Eastside Wednesday morning chapel..and her last because the next day...
Her first day of school!
we are so blessed. It's a hard and complicated process to get a child with special needs into a special ed program without an IEP or official assessment. Our district really worked with us and the limited information we had to work her into a class - because she really, really wanted to start school.
A couple of weeks of first. These pictures are definitely the positive and happy firsts. There have also been the territorial fist fights. The battles over stuff and tv show choices. The first tastes of new and strange foods that aren't the favorites. Those firsts are not as memorable - but just as important in the acclimation and transition to being part of the new family.
We are working though it all - the highs and the lows.
We are blessed to be walking this journey.
all these wonderful and positive moments help supporting the harder ones. You have a wonderful family !
ReplyDeleteAt home, our soft touch is Daddy too !!!
So happy for you all! Glad we got to skype with her and hear her say Happy Birthday to Vincent. It was adorable.
ReplyDeleteBoy do I remember these first weeks home! It's such a roller coaster ride. I didn't realize that you lived in California. I live about 5-6 hours away from you. If you ever want to get together, I know my girls would love meeting your girls and I'd LOVE to connect with another mom like me with kids from China with special needs.
ReplyDeleteThese firsts will be so quickly forgotten, be grateful you felt them
ReplyDeleteImportant enough to write about them now, as you'll be happy you did! These are the simple things we take for granted in our lives, but firsts for Julia in her new life with her forever family... Things that she will remember! Things that will mean a lot to her. You've had some busy weeks!
HI! I came across your blog through the No Hands But Ours website (we have LOA for a boy in China, waiting on immigration and travel approval). I have really enjoyed reading back in your story, and seeing the amazing love you have offered to these kids, as you braved the waters of older child adoption. As I read your thoughts about trauma histories and the like, I was reminded of another website, of a family who adopted 4 girls from the Ukraine, all as older children, some with disabilities, and all with great trauma. The mom now has a website where she shares her wisdom, as they are seeing the "success" of all those hard years (the girls are all now teens). Just wanted to share it with you, if it might be a useful resource! http://parentingthatheals.org/ Blessings on all you are doing! ---Emily
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