Merone is talking

I cannot believe it!  We've been home about a month.  Merone is amazing.  Our sweet and shy little girl is becoming more confident and is trying to say words.  To be exact she either screams words or whispers them.  I've looked for volume control on her back but quickly realized she is not a toy but a little girl who wants to be HEARD.  I believe she is quite clever.  When she whispers we all stop to hear what she is saying.  When she screams we cannot help but hear her.  I am trying to teach her "inside voice".  I am certain she understands me because when I talk to her about it she looks at me with a furrowed brow and a pout on her lips as if she is saying- I will be heard!!!  We'll continue working on "inside voice" despite the pout and brow.  

Merone says- Mommy, daddy, no, stop, gog (dog), da (down), up, ticky (icky).  She is very good a getting her point across.  Yesterday Rob had to stifle a laugh when Merone pointed her finger at Henry and said, "No, No!"

Yawn... did I mention we are exhausted?  Henry was a terrible sleeper for MONTHS after he arrived home.  If sleep deprivation was a sport Henry would have been given a gold medal in parental sleep deprivation.  I believe my sweet Henry has been giving Merone tips on how to completely exhaust us. 

Sweet baby girl has had night terrors since the day we took her from the transitional home. She continues to have them.  I have tried waking her up about 2 hours after she goes to sleep.  That worked a couple times but then her night terrors were pushed back a few hours.   It's so hard to watch she struggle as she has the night terrors.  After the night terrors she wakes up 3-6 times per night, crying out for me.  I go and I comfort her and then put her back down.  She has slept through the night, ummm, two times... I'm sooo sleeepy... and so is my dear sweet husband.  Did I mention that Merone gets up around 4:45AM no matter what time she goes to sleep?  Rob is my hero.  He gets up with her every morning and tries to get her back to sleep.  Most mornings he is not successful so they go for long walks while the rest of us sleep.  Rob has logged about 50 miles this month with Merone in the stroller.   I'm hoping her sleep patterns change soon, otherwise, Operation Sleep will be back... but not until Merone knows we are her parents and we will always be there for her. 

Operation sleep

Recently I posted that Henry was getting up between 3:45 and 4:30AM and did not want to go back to sleep. After a few weeks of sleep deprivation I implemented "Operation Sleep". Operation sleep eliminated Daddy and Henry's 5AM walks. Daddy was not allowed to get up with Henry when he woke up. If Henry needed to go to the bathroom at 3 or 4AM I took him to the bathroom then I put him back into bed. I explained it was still time for sleeping. Henry could sleep with me or by himself. Some mornings he would not go back to sleep with me in the room so I left him in his bed. He would cry but I knew he wasn't hurt, he just wanted to play. I know it sounds cruel to leave him in his room crying but honestly I could not take another week of getting up at 4:30AM.
Operation sleep is going well. Each day has gotten better. This morning Henry woke up at 5:15AM. He sang some songs then went back to sleep until 6:05AM. Ahhh, glorious sleep! I am not claiming victory yet. We need a week of 6:15AM wake-ups and then I will be able to say- Mission Accomplished!

Attachment & Sleeping

Many have asked, have you had attachment/bonding issues issues with Henry?

Adoption.com describes "Bonding"- is "falling in love" with your child and your child with you.

Rob and I have definitely bonded with Henry. I believe that Henry has bonded with us.


Adoption.com describes "Secure Attachment" - Child rests comfortably in mother's arms and makes good eye contact with child. Eye contact between mother and child is reciprocal and both of them feel at one. When mother leaves the child and separation occurs, the child feels distress. When mother returns, the child is delighted to see the mother and the mother is delighted to see the child. The child will quickly settle into mother's arms and refuel. The child will be ready for a nap or will be ready to venture into the world until he tires and is ready to refuel again. This process will be repeated thousands of times until object constancy is attained.


Henry and I are approaching a "Secure Attachment". Henry and I have great eye contact but we still practice eye contact by doing silly things such as rubbing noses, peek-a-boo or exchanging Cheerios mouth to mouth. When I leave Henry with Rob or Henry THINKS I am about to leave he sobs, stomps his feet, he will run to get his shoes. When I return Henry waves, smiles, giggles and/or runs to me. When he is scared, tired or confused he seeks me out, he will demand to be held. All these things point to us building a secure attachment. However, they must be done over and over again, repeated thousands of times in order for a secure attachment to be formed.

Rob and Henry's attachment is in the beginning stages. Only in the last week has Henry chosen to go to Rob over me. When Henry is upset or distressed and needs comfort he will occasionally allow Rob to comfort him. This morning was the first time that Henry cuddled with Rob in the bed. Normally Henry comes to my side of the bed and wants to be right next to my body. This morning Henry laid right next to Rob and gave him a kiss. It was such a sweet moment.


Overall, I am thrilled with Henry's attachment to us and us to him. At the Transitional Home Rob and I were very concerned about how Henry would attach to us. I will ask Rob to write a post describing our first meeting with Henry and Henry's initial rejection of us.

Henry has been waking up around 2 or 3 AM but no longer cries! He talks to himself or sings and then falls back to sleep! Since DST he has been getting up around 5:30AM! We are so pleased that Henry is finally on a consistent sleeping schedule.

No luck and Igor takes a break

The Goth Guy was off on Friday so I wasn't able to speak with him. The lab is closed on Monday so I will try again on Tuesday. If I cannot reach him Tuesday we will go to the Women's and Infants Hospital to have Henry's blood drawn.

Schools are closed Monday and Tuesday so Igor decided he wanted to go to Papa and Babushka's house for a vacation. He is growing up too fast! I didn't know 6 yr old boys needed a vacation from their parents. Or maybe he needs a vacation from little brother? I asked him what he was going to do while he was at his grandparents house. Igor replied, "I'm going to take a long rest, take long baths, eat and play." Inside I was chuckling - take a long rest? Has my son turned into an old man? I have to give him credit, he thought it out, he knew he wanted to go and his grandparents were more than willing to have him stay with them so he's on vacation until Tuesday. While Igor is gone I have a few hours to myself while Henry is napping. I have missed my alone time.

I thought we were on the verge of a great sleeping streak- Friday night Henry slept from 6:30PM until 7AM the next morning!! Last night he woke up at 2AM and was up for the day at 4AM. I hope tonight he will sleep straight through.

We haven't had much of a language barrier issue. When Henry wants to play outside he gets his shoes and points to the door. When he is hungry or thirsty he smacks his lips. On Friday he decided he was interested in books so I have added reading books to our routine. Yesterday Henry started waving me over so I would sit down with him. When he is upset he yells- MAMA, MAMA! to express his displeasure. Generally, he is a very happy little boy. We are so grateful he is our son.

Sleep & Being a big brother

Did you hear this song this morning at 4:30 AM!! We did!



yes, Henry slept all night!! Okay, 4:30AM may not sound like all night to you but it is music to my ears! Rob and I high-fived Henry for sleeping all night and then daddy went back to sleep.

Getting up early has its advantages. Henry and I cleaned out the refrigerator this morning at 5AM because it smelled like pickles. I found the offending pickle jar and cleaned up the mess. Now the refrig smells like baking soda.

I hate to keep whining about Henry's tummy but I cannot help myself. While daddy was sleeping in this morning Henry had a serious pants explosion and I had to wash the bathroom floor. why do dads miss all the "good stuff"?

Igor gave Henry the sweetest kiss on the check this morning. I wish I had the camera handy. It was a wonderful moment of brotherly love.