We're winding down from the first week at home. Aliya is all decked out in the Valentine's outfit that Kimmy got her, and she needs a morning siesta, because we're expecting Grandma & Pa Mengine later this afternoon, for their first visit with their 6th grandchild.
The best part of bringing Little A home has been introducing her to the Big A. As we all expected, Ava has proved herself a wonderful, caring big sister. And as I was warned by those who went before me, two is not twice as hard as one - it's 3 times as hard as one. Even when the first is as helpful and obliging as Ava. Incidentally, Ava got to stay home from school with Aliya & me on Monday because a massive baby-diarrhea-all-over-the-bathroom episode combined with a faulty-car-seat-installation episode made us unable to get her there on time. This was Tam's first morning home alone as a mommy. Now let us never speak of that morning again).
Motherhood has proved exhausting, emotional, fun, endearing, silly, exhausting, and also exhausting. The child who slept easily through the night while we were in Kaz has apparently stayed in Kaz. The U.S. Aliya frequently awakens and has forgotten how to soothe herself back to sleep. We have found that keeping her room uber-warm, swaddling her tightly in blankets, and immitating the "ShShShShSh" sound that the baby house caretakers perfected are all helpful in lulling her back to sleep. Unfortunately we're finding it tougher to lull ourselves back to sleep. I'm confident we'll figure it out in time.
Besides the sleep issues, though, it's going really well. She's such a doll. She is obsessed with trying to walk, and we suspect she'l be fully mobile soon (god help us). She's fascinated by the relative vastness and clutteredness of hew new digs. She has consisently pooped on the potty since we got her home, which has been so great for us (other than the aforementioned disaster morning - but, I forgot, I'm never speaking of that again).
Pictures will speak louder than my words, no doubt:
6 comments:
I love that she is wearing her "valentine" outfit, I hope all is well. The pics are wonderful
THe pictures are great. Everyone looks so happy.
Sandi
The sleeping thing is a good sign - it shows she's more engaged with her environment than previously. Happy Valentine's Day to your family of 4!
Ava and Aliya look so sweet together! Sorry to read about the "incidents;" I'm glad they resulted in the sisters spending some extra time together. Have fun with your sweet girls!
...by the way, Aliya looks like she has grown a lot since we saw her in Kazakhstan. Her legs look so long in the picture of her in the stroller! I bet she will be running around soon.
I don't know how I lucked into getting copied on this blog, but I'm so fortunate that I was!! What beautiful, beautiful girls!! Congratulations. :) We'll have to catch up more soon....will send you a loooooong email. Lots of love from Val and Her Assorted Animal Associates
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