The Visits

Because we did a gradual placement with Anna the first week after we met her she stayed at her foster home. I would come in the evenings and give her a bath and feed her before bed. Then, as she settled down for the evening I would put her to bed. Meanwhile at our house - everyone was busy getting ready for her to come to our house for visits.

It was wonderful for her to be able to get to know me in a familiar environment to her. Her foster parents - now her adopted grandparents - were wonderful wonderful to her!! She has been deeply loved from day one!

The next week she would come over for visits to our house during the day. Everything stopped when Anna was there for a visit. The kids were so excited to see their new sister. However, everything was so overwhelming for her. Most of the time we sent them upstairs and tried to get her to calm down.

This part was hard for me. She loved 'her' home - and her foster parents loved her so much. When she would come and cry it hurt so badly. Yet, I knew it needed to be - so we would continue to let her cry and rock her. By about the third day things got a bit better. Daddy was her favorite and he would come home from the church to rock her and sing to her. What memories.

After Daddy would leave to head back to the church I would take over. Life stopped. I had made meals for two week - so there was not anything pressing that needed to be done. I just wanted to enjoy my baby. Most afternoons during her visit we would simply sit in the rocker and rock. She would suck her two little fingers and fall asleep. I would watch her and fall asleep too. :) I was so tired - I only had 6 days for nesting - and had been quite busy getting everything ready for her arrival.In the evenings she would go back to her foster home. I thought this would be hard fro me - but it was not. I knew she needed them too at this time; and truth be told they needed her. Our week of 'hello' -was their week of 'goodbye'. It brought such mixed emotions to my heart! What blessed memories I have of that first week when we started getting to know her and she started to get to know us. Adoption - a beautiful gift!

After the first week of getting to know her we were looking forward to our first weekend where she would come and spend the whole weekend at our house! Her first sleepover! More on that next time....

Thanks for stopping by and walking down memory lane with me.

Blessings,

~Martie