More transitions...

Two weeks ago I transitioned RP from her crib to a toddler bed. While she still seemed pretty content in the crib (and I was happy to have her confined so she couldn't get into anything or get hurt), she just seemed "ready" for a big girl bed. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me hers, and within 10 minutes we had the toddler bed set up, crib mattress on it, and RP's entire face lit up as she realized this was all for her! She must have climbed in and out of that bed 100 times during the day, smiling, giggling, and throwing herself on the bed, as if to reaffirm that it really was hers.

For as much as she loved her new big girl bed, actually sleeping in it proved to be another story. She was TERRIFIED to move from it, and she cried and whimpered for over an hour that night before she finally drifted off to sleep, with Mommy in there rubbing her back and kneeling next to the bed to comfort her as she was truly scared of this new transition. The next morning she cried for me to come and get her out of bed, but perked up when she realized she could actually climb out on her own, and from then on she has LOVED her new bed.

We've had a few scary moments in the last few weeks with the new bed. About three nights in, she managed to slide through the bars of the rail and ended up on the floor, under her crib (which is still in there until Papa takes it apart to get it out of the room - I had NO idea that it wouldn't fit through the door!), where she woke up screaming. Two nights later I was awakened in the middle of the night to blood-curdling screams when she somehow managed to get her head stuck in the same railing, which prompted me to ask Papa to remove the safety rails entirely, as I couldn't handle the vision of her choking to death in the bed because she got stuck again but this time couldn't breathe - **shudder**

This past weekend I ordered new "official" toddler bedding for her new bed, and washed up the crib bedding to pack away. I won't lie - I cried when putting that bedding away. It's been six and a half months and she is already growing up way too quickly for me. While I did enjoy the fact that she let me sleep in until 8:30 - 8:45 a.m. this weekend (something I haven't done in MONTHS), I'd sacrifice the sleep for more time with her in this stage of life. She is a bundle of energy, with quite the emerging personality, and I'm trying to soak in and treasure every moment I can, as she is truly growing up way too quickly...

Home six months!

Well, I have to admit - I'm late on this post. RP and I celebrated her being home with me six months on August 27, but time got away from me and I am just now able to update.

I can't believe six months has gone by already. I remember distinctly picking her up at the orphanage on February 24, clothes and diaper in hand (because, as my coordinator so delicately put it, I was picking up a "naked baby" and needed to be sure to bring ALL her essentials!). The minute they handed me my bundled up little munchkin and scooted us out the door was the best, yet most terrifying, moment of my life. Her big brown eyes were like saucers in the van on the way to the airport - she was completely mesmerized by everything she saw and was experiencing, but never once cried.

Fast forward three days. We were bleary-eyed when we arrived at the Moscow International airport and our driver was sweet enough to not only escort us into the airport, carrying bags and barking orders in Russian to everyone around him, but he also pulled strings so we didn't have to wait in the HUGE line to get through immigration. That process seemed to take forever, as not one but THREE different people gathered 'round to examine all her documentation. Luckily (for them or for me I'm not sure - just "luckily") I don't speak Russian and couldn't understand their commentary, but after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, we were released through to our gate, thus beginning 18 hours of travel.

RP hated being buckled into her seat and let everyone on the plane from Moscow to Zurich know it. Ditto for the flight from Zurich to Chicago, but at this point I had been up for over 24 hours and truly didn't care. I just wanted to get home. I have never been SO excited to land and get off of a plane as I was that day, and I couldn't wait for RP to meet her Papa, see her new home, and start our new life together.

I can still feel the sense of relief of walking into my own house, petting my frantic puppies (after two weeks away they were beside themselves with joy at my return, and LOVED RP from the start!), and settling into a routine. Then it dawned on me - what the heck was I going to feed this child, who was completely OFF any sort of regular schedule, had just woken up after falling asleep in the car, when I had been gone for two weeks. Right, wrong, or otherwise, RP's first meal home was oatmeal, and she glared at me the entire time she ate it - still not certain about what was going on around her and terrified that at any given time I was going to take everything away from her... again.

We "celebrated" RP's six month anniversary by attending Open House at her daycare/school. She had a BALL showing off her classroom and friends, and I received a lot of great feedback from the Assistant Director and teachers. While RP definitely has her "moments" she is truly thriving at school and has made significant progress in catching up developmentally with her peers. In the last six months she has grown 3 inches, gained 4 pounds, and has gone from an English vocabulary of zero to chatting and babbling non-stop, with new words and phrases every single day. I don't know what the next six months holds for us, but I'm looking forward to the adventure!

RP's first meal at home after 18 hours of travel - oatmeal!

Being silly for Mommy getting ready to leave for Open House at school