So Many Firsts...

It has been two months that Sylvie-Aganoti has lived with our family. Below are some of her "firsts" that we've been lucky enough to share with her.

First Open Gym

First Children's Museum Trip

First Time to the Mall with Cousins (not wearing her game-face)

First Superbowl (this was the best part of the 3-D hype)

First Life-Sized Doll

(their relationship has progressed to hair-pulling and long drags down the hall)

First Wedding and Meeting Clark's Mother's Side of the Family

First Lady Griz Basketball Game, where she got to...

...sit by this kid, and...

listen to this kid play in the marching band (Liam is top row trumpet, second kid in).

Ready for Her First Hike up Blue Mountain

First Time Sitting Nice With Her Baby...

...almost.

First Wooden Toy Made for Her by Grandpa Doug (a REALLY great duck!).

First (hopefully last) Glimpse of Brother Jake Dressed as a Crazy-Guy!

First Dental Visit (her teeth are in wonderful shape).

Lastly, Her First Jello With Whipped Cream ( a Reff tradition).

Got it!!!

Enjoy the laugh. We do! We love, love, love this baby...

Where are you?

I've been back at work since Monday. We had huge concerns about Sylvie-Aganoti's attachment with us... Have we had enough time together? Does she know we are her parents yet? Will her care provider understand the needs of an adopted child? Will Sylvie feel abandoned? Will she attach to her provider more than us?

Worries aside, this situation is optimal. The woman providing her care only offers before and after-school and after-school care for a few kids. In-between these times, Sylvie is her one-and-only charge. Even better, her house is located across the street from the school where I work. It is literally less than a minute from my office to her front door. The location enables me to scoot over there for my lunch break, feed Sylvie and rock her to sleep. We feel so fortunate for this arrangement!

We have visited her care provider for the last few weeks to try and ready Sylvie for our work transition. She liked visiting when I stayed with her. However, when I left her for three hours alone and Clark picked her up, she refused to make eye-contact with him and hit at him a couple of times. Then she cried all night, absolutely all night long. Again, we were very, very concerned for this week.

So, Monday I dropped her off at 8:00 and was back by 11:30 for our lunch and nap routine. I walked in the house and Sylvie, seeing me, tosses her toy, and runs toward me laughing like mad. About three feet away she comes to a screeching halt, bellowing, "Where are you?". The look on her face was, "Where the heck have you been!??!" I scooped her up, hugged and kissed her and pointed at my school across the street. She seemed pacified. We had lunch, she napped and when I picked her up after work she was ok. Every day afterward has been just fine. Her provider is wonderful and has been open to reading articles on adoption and attachment, and is very sensitive to our need for alone-time during lunch.

We are incredibly relieved this is going ok. Not just ok, but better than we might have hoped for. Though, now she asks, "Daddy, where are you?" We have to arrange for Clark to pick her up soon.