On the ride home from the orphanage back to the hotel, I was prepared with a plastic bag for her to vomit in from being car sick. But she did not. She just looked around and tried to take it all in I guess. I am sure she is still trying to figure out what in the world is going on.
Taking the advice of former Moms that have gone to pick up their children, I was prepared to do something next that I have never done before…. And I was probably most nervous about this…
Delousing her. 🙂
She actually did not appear to have any lice or nits. But just in case, I decided it was best I still treat her and comb through her hair.
We started off with a shower for her. I showed her the water for a while and let her reach in to touch it. We also have a tub, but I felt the shower would be best right now. The shower also had one of those removable shower heads with a hose attached, so I could control the water. She actually seemed very comfortable with the shower and the water. She even grinned while I was running the water over her.
Next we wrapped her up in a clean towel, sat her on the bathroom counter and began the delousing process.
She is definitely a McCorkle (my maiden name) at heart. She loved having her head rubbed and massaged. She grinned while I rubbed the foam in her hair.
I gave her a little mo-hawk in honor of her brother Levi, who likes to spike his hair up too. I put some lotion all over her, and she seems to enjoy being pampered. Definitely a girly girl in the making!
Next we got all dolled up. Then she got to go and play with her gifts. I brought gifts that grandparents had sent for her, and some that Scott and I had bought. She immediately went to the nail polish, so I painted her little nails pink for her. I feel like she has had her nails painted before, because she knew exactly what to do. She held that hand out and kept her hands really still after they were painted.
Then she was interested in a hand sewn photo book, my friend Andrea Warren made, that I inserted pictures of our family in for her. She loved touching the pictures and holding the book.
Next…her first Barbie. She is very interested in the tiara that Barbie is wearing, and pretty much carried the tiara around with her the whole rest of the day. Do you think I have future Miss Tennessee in the making?
This is the “I am grinning, but trying not to grin”
We played for a couple of hours, and then snacked on some cookies. I think she was worn out, because she pretty much begged to crawl in the bed.
She is out!
She is wearing a little cross bracelet that her Daddy gave her on her right arm. 🙂
She smiles some now at this point…more like grinning, but trying not to grin. 🙂 It is so cute.
I am realizing more and more at this point in the day, that even though she is four, she seems so much younger as far as her skills and abilities. It is mostly, because of her experience. She really has the capabilities right now that my 16 month old at home has.
For example, I sat her on the couch to play with her dolls, and walked away for a second. She fell off the sofa and bumped her head. We then realized, she has probably never really sat on a sofa before, or possibly even a chair. When she bumped her head, she began to cry. It was a good bonding moment to let her cry in my arms. I wondered while holding her if she had ever been held before when she cried.
Then periodically she would sit indian style on the floor and start crying and whimpering. I would just hold her again. I know she is trying to figure out what is going on, and she is probably missing her routine and everything that she has ever been used too.
I feel so honored and blessed, even though it is hard to watch her hurt emotionally… that I get to be the one to hold her as she cries, and tell her everything is going to be okay.
So sweet, Kelly! We had a similar moment a few days after picking Meryn up while still in Ethiopia. She fell off a chair, and I ran to scoop her up, and that moment of comforting was the beginning of the attaching. She was my girl from that point on… 🙂 Sometimes a boo-boo is a good thing if it begins to build that trust!
Kelly,
I've recently connected with the Carrolls who told me about your family. We are also adopting from this very orphanage! We know our daughter's name and age and are waiting for our Article 5 to be issued.
This gives me great joy and hope as I read what you are experiencing. I know it's additional work to write posts while getting to know your daughter, but I'm grateful. Thank you.