Welcome Home Kira!

With Aunt Tracy



With Aunt Tracy and Uncle John



With Uncle David



With Grammy






I'm going to be a soccer player just like Daddy!






Playing with Cousin Ethan



Getting a kiss from Cousin Connor



With Aunt Maureen


Well, I have been a mother for a week and a half. It is both more difficult than I could have imagined and more rewarding! It is really hard to barely have time and energy to take care of my own very basic needs. But, we really are doing great and adjusting well, and I have never had a feeling like the feeling I have when my daughter smiles at me. Kira gets more comfortable and relaxed every day and is really a good baby. She is a totally different baby than a week ago. I think we are pretty much back on Ohio time now. She is sleeping pretty well. She has just woken up for about an hour and a half the last 2 nights.

It is so fun to learn more about my daughter every day. She gets braver and explores her new home more each day. She crawls all over. She loves to stand holding onto someone or something, but she can't quite pull herself to a standing position yet. She does this adorable thing with her hand when she is interested in something. She reaches out to whatever or whoever she is interested in and opens and closes her hand very slowly as if to say "Come here, I want to touch you!" She pulls at her hair and sucks her thumb while holding onto her blanket when she is tired, stressed, or feeling insecure. She does well in her carseat, which I was worried about, but so far someone has been in the backseat with her entertaining her while she is in it, so I don't know how she'll do when she doesn't have that. She somewhat prefers Daddy still, but we are both acceptable to her and can comfort her and put her to sleep.

We have had two doctor's appointments already, one with her pediatritian and one with her cleft team. The pediatritian said that she looks remarkably healthy, except for some pretty bad looking infected ears, which is common in cleft-affected kids, so she is on an antibiotic. Her cleft team was very impressed with her lip and nose surgery done in Taiwan and with all the medical records we have for her. We are waiting for the scheduler for the surgeon who will do her palate surgery to call us with a surgery date. They will throw ear tubes in also while she is in for her palate surgery. They seem to want to do it as soon as possible. The earlier it is done, the better it is for speech development. I am so nervous about it, I was actually in tears last night. I can't stand the thought of seeing her in so much pain. I feel like we are just going to get her settled, happy, and feeling comfortable and safe and then she'll have to go through this, and it is just so frustrating. I know it must be done. I am on a yahoo group for people adopting cleft affected children, and there has been a lot of discussion about surgery timing and attachment. Many parents have actually found that the amount of comfort and care that parents provide after surgery has actually helped attachment, so that is comforting.

More when I have a chance!