We've been home for just under six weeks now, and we are all doing great! Sofia is pure joy, and constantly making us smile and laugh.
There have definitely been challenges as we adjust to being home as a family, but it finally feels as though everything is falling into place and we couldn't be happier.
The first challenge of Sofia being comfortable enough to be alone with Paul only lasted a couple weeks. It didn't take her long to realize what a sweet, fun guy he is. Paul loves it so much, he wishes he could be home with her all the time. And for anyone wondering, Sofia did finally start calling him Daddy (instead of Mami) a couple weeks after we came home, much to Paul's relief.
The second challenge presented itself after I had to return back to work part-time a few weeks ago. Suddenly, Sofia no longer wanted to go to bed at night. We thought we had the bed routine down, and didn't foresee how this change (that seemed so small to us) would impact her. We have been struggling with this until just recently, but I don't want to be too quick to say it is resolved. I only have one more week of part-time left, and then I have to return to full time, so we'll have to see how this will affect her. Everyone we talked to and everything we have read says to just be consistent and stick with the routine, and eventually things will work out. I'm relieved to say that this is appearing to work....for now.
Sofia is very well behaved and happy 99% of the time, so I consider us lucky, because I feel like we have it pretty easy. There are moments when she will lay down on the sidewalk and yell because she does not want to take my hand in the parking lot, which will draw the attention of everyone else. A small part of me is slightly embarrassed, but a larger part of me is happy in a way, because I finally feel like a parent. I love every moment of being a parent, even the embarrassing, challenging and sleep-deprived moments.
A few weeks after being home, I took Sofia to the pediatrician and an audiologist (since there had been some initial questions on her hearing). I'm pleased to report that all her labs came back normal and the audiologist thinks she has no hearing problems. Her development seems to be normal, but perhaps slightly delayed in language (which is typical for international adoptees). We think she is catching up very quickly though, since she is saying new words every day. Her first English word was puppy, and she was saying this before we even left Colombia. Other than that, she loves to play, act silly, and imitate pretty much everything we do. I have to admit it is kind of nice that she likes to help water the flowers.
Many people have passed along that they miss Paul's posts. Sorry I haven't been able to talk him into it yet, but maybe he will write one soon. I think he just enjoys every free moment being a Dad!
Thank you to everyone who was with us in thought and prayer while we were in Colombia, and also for all the wonderful comments on our blog. It helped so much to have that connection to home while we were away. We love you all very much, and for those who have yet to do so, we can't wait for you to meet Sofia!
There have definitely been challenges as we adjust to being home as a family, but it finally feels as though everything is falling into place and we couldn't be happier.
The first challenge of Sofia being comfortable enough to be alone with Paul only lasted a couple weeks. It didn't take her long to realize what a sweet, fun guy he is. Paul loves it so much, he wishes he could be home with her all the time. And for anyone wondering, Sofia did finally start calling him Daddy (instead of Mami) a couple weeks after we came home, much to Paul's relief.
The second challenge presented itself after I had to return back to work part-time a few weeks ago. Suddenly, Sofia no longer wanted to go to bed at night. We thought we had the bed routine down, and didn't foresee how this change (that seemed so small to us) would impact her. We have been struggling with this until just recently, but I don't want to be too quick to say it is resolved. I only have one more week of part-time left, and then I have to return to full time, so we'll have to see how this will affect her. Everyone we talked to and everything we have read says to just be consistent and stick with the routine, and eventually things will work out. I'm relieved to say that this is appearing to work....for now.
Sofia is very well behaved and happy 99% of the time, so I consider us lucky, because I feel like we have it pretty easy. There are moments when she will lay down on the sidewalk and yell because she does not want to take my hand in the parking lot, which will draw the attention of everyone else. A small part of me is slightly embarrassed, but a larger part of me is happy in a way, because I finally feel like a parent. I love every moment of being a parent, even the embarrassing, challenging and sleep-deprived moments.
A few weeks after being home, I took Sofia to the pediatrician and an audiologist (since there had been some initial questions on her hearing). I'm pleased to report that all her labs came back normal and the audiologist thinks she has no hearing problems. Her development seems to be normal, but perhaps slightly delayed in language (which is typical for international adoptees). We think she is catching up very quickly though, since she is saying new words every day. Her first English word was puppy, and she was saying this before we even left Colombia. Other than that, she loves to play, act silly, and imitate pretty much everything we do. I have to admit it is kind of nice that she likes to help water the flowers.
Many people have passed along that they miss Paul's posts. Sorry I haven't been able to talk him into it yet, but maybe he will write one soon. I think he just enjoys every free moment being a Dad!
Thank you to everyone who was with us in thought and prayer while we were in Colombia, and also for all the wonderful comments on our blog. It helped so much to have that connection to home while we were away. We love you all very much, and for those who have yet to do so, we can't wait for you to meet Sofia!
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