Week 3 Home

Tessa is doing incredibly well. I often wonder whether any of my attachment training is actually working in my new role as a parent or if I have been given this gift of a very special child, who must have had some special Nannies and some good emotional attachments. She seems so totally attached to me and to Joey. We have had her a month, but it seems we have been together forever. I oh so hope this is not just the "honeymoon."

Last week, we drove 11 hours to Pensacola to visit my family. Tessa slept most of the trip and we stopped only 2 times. I had expected at least 5 stops for the bathroom. Although I did my best to prepare her for the visits (my friend explained it to her and her Chinese Pediatrician explained it to her and I gave her photos), she must have thought we left Baba. She broke down and cried, went for the door at my Mom's and was ready to go back. As I began to think that oh, this was too soon, it was swimming that saved us. We hurried to the beach where my sister and her family of 8 were staying. Tessa quickly connected with 10 y/o Jonathan and she was smiling for photos and swimming. She asked for Baba all night and even the next day. We called Joey at least 5 times. And I also gave her photos of them together and this seemed to calm her. The words "Baba later" was also comforting. She eventually seemed to understand that we did not leave him and we would go back home to be with him.

We stayed with Nai Nai (my mother), we swam for 2.5 days at the pool and the beach at the Portofino Resort, ate lots of seafood and had a good time. We visited Yei Yei (my father), met with my special child hood friend Nancy, and visited Linda at Walgreens, where Tessa was very happy to get 2 bottles of pink nail polish. Tessa did well again on the drive back, sleeping less this time, but watching lots of DVDs.

After our day of recouping and doing laudry, we went to the Miami Zoo today with our neighbors, Gina, Jacki and Maddie. The girls had a blast!! Mama is tired..........but very happy!