One down three to go

Tuesday, I completed the first Post Placement Report. For those who may not know Russia requires that every child is visited by a Social worker in the home to evaluate how the child is doing. Is the child thriving? This is best evaluated in the child's home setting where he or she can be themselves.

Christine our Social worker arrived around 11 am usually this is a great time for Anna BUT Anna awoke (like 5:30 am) early so by the time 11 o'clock rolled around she was exhausted. I did manage to get a couple of pictures before she came. To say that I was worried that she would have a major meltdown while Christine was here and that this would reflect negatively but I was so wrong.





While I talked with Christine, Gerard and Anna played in the living room. Christine and I watched as they played with her kitchen and stuffed dog.

Christine and I talked about a lot of what we have experienced since Anna has come home. Some of the things that we talked about were how she was sleeping, eating and attaching to us. Thankfully the sleeping has been going well, even as I write this today nap time has been WONDERFUL! I know I should not say or write this but that is how I feel. We laid down together as I fed her a bottle she gently touched my arm and fell asleep in exactly 5 minutes and is still sleeping now 2 hours later. Sleep at night time is also so much better then I ever thought it could be. Do we still struggle at times...yes but the fight to go to sleep is much less then it was in the first 2 months.

As far as attachment I think that is really coming along too. She looks for me when she is hurt. She plays near me and has started something new. If I am doing something and she wants my attention she bends down and taps the floor with a distinct tone of come sit here. I can not help but to laugh and stop what I am doing and start playing.

Attachment to Gerard has also been successful in my opinion. She not only looks for him but she is easily consoled by him. She loves to give him kisses and hugs. I laugh because if he leaves the room she starts to look for him. The two of them have these little games that they play like cheek to cheek, he says cheek to cheek and she presses her cheek to his. They also play a little game were they zoom in real close nose to nose. I interesting thing is when they do this she maintains constant eye contact. I will tell you that I shamefully did take a picture of her when as she cried for Gerard when he was in the bathroom. I think she thinks he is secretly taking a bath and playing with toys without her.



Which brings me to the saying two out of three ain't bad. Eating! UGH! Anna still struggles to eat enough calories in a day. When you think about 1000 calories a day that seems like it is so little but when you are a child who is struggling to eat them and a Mother who is painfully watching and praying that it will happen it is hard not to focus on this. I know that the eating will come with time. I have been trying my best to not obsess over it. I know that in the past I have told you all that I am a numbers girl and I am. So here are the numbers, when Anna came home she:

September 3, 2009: weighted 21.4 lbs, height 32.25 inches and head circumference was 46 cms. Less then 3rd percentile, 10th percentile for height, Less then 3rd percentile for her head.

January 3, 2010: weight 21.8 lbs, height 35 inches and head circumference was 46 cms. Less then 3rd percentile for weight, 25th percentile for height and Less then 3rd percentile for her head.

To my surprise after Thanksgiving her eating seemed to pick up so I had become less worried. She has a list of things that she eats now and frankly some may be surprising: turkey, laughing cow soft cheese in the little triangles, keifer, salami, Italian suppresotta, chicken nuggets, hot dogs,Italian bread with lots of butter. Nothing hot everything must be cold. She has been eating less fruit, pudding and apple sauce. Nothing is off limits as far as eating. When food id present at time it has been a challenge for me because others feel the need to correct her behavior or dictate what foods she should be eating. I will say I have been politely trying to talk with those who have been doing this but I feel that a sit down out of Anna's ear shot is needed.

Here is where I will get honest, Christmas was a problem some family members insisted that we travel for the holiday in the name of making it easy for us. There was a blow out it is these same family members who I must sit down with and explain to them that their behavior will have to change. This was hard to write and will be even harder to say, off on a tangent I know.

The numbers are objective where I may not be so objective. I am developing a plan of action. Yes I plan on having her evaluated by a speech therapist and a feeding specialist. So there you have it in all the visit was a success for many reasons.