One Month GONE!

A couple of months ago I blogged about why I was so excited for Naveen's adoption and how I was not going to waste a single moment. I was going to soak in everything, remember everything, not take a single thing for granted, and not wish for a single moment to pass.  Having said that...

I am SO GLAD that first month is over. It is gone. GONE. As in goodbye, adios, au revoir First Month. See ya later.

Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Buh Bye!

That first month was brutal! I think with any adoption, the first month is always the hardest. They're trying to get to know you. You're trying to get to know them. They're struggling with a new routine. You're struggling with trying to establish a new routine. They're grieving. You're wondering what on earth you've just done to your family dynamics.

It's hard!

But it's over and I'm so glad it's behind us.

We really haven't had any trouble with bonding. Thank you, Jesus! Naveen took to me right away. In fact, he still prefers me and is still pretty clingy when we're in public. Because Sim works such long hours, Naveen still prefers me at home, but it's getting better. He doesn't want Sim to put him to bed or bathe him or wake up with him, but he will let him hold him now, which good.

Also, he's no longer afraid of our dog. Ya'll, that was the worst! He was absolutely petrified for the first three and a half weeks. I literally could not put him down, as he was positive that Cowboy was going to eat his toes. He ate all his meals in my lap and if I had to get up and do something, he ate his meals sitting on top of the kitchen table. If I was cooking, he was sitting on the kitchen counters. He only relaxed whenever we'd put Cowboy outside. But we felt bad about doing that because it's so hot here and Cowboy's an inside dog. Then, one day, I'd had enough and put Cowboy in the front passenger seat when we went to pick up Nandi and Eli from school - and for some reason, that did the trick. I had no idea, of course, until we got home and I heard Naveen calling, "Mommy! Come!"  and this is what I found...

This has made a world of difference! And it's really freed up some of my time because Naveen's comfortable walking around and playing and not insisting one me holding him every second.

Well, I thought I'd have more time to blog today. The kids are in the pool (Naveen still won't go in it, and it's not even a big/deep one.)  Instead, he's next to me on the back porch flipping through India pictures on the iPad. He loves doing that. He's forgotten some of the ayah names, but he still remembers his three best friends (one whose mom is leaving for India today!). Anyway, he wants to go through the pictures with me, so I'll try to write more later this week. Speaking of pictures, I'll leave you with a smattering of totally random pictures from the past few weeks.

 Naveen with his (American) best friend, Charlie

 His first ice cream sandwich! (Before it melted all over him!)

 In his "Let's Go Bananas" shirt from A. Isabel and Cousins Hannah and Ffion (in England)

 Not sure about Daddy holding him....

 Mommy and Naveen at Nonna & Papa's house for his 3rd Birthday

 With Nandi

 The whole gang...

 With Eli

 Sandbox fun

 He was NOT happy about wearing overalls without a shirt. "I'm not a redneck!!"

 With his Oregon sweatshirt and "Duck Jam" from Auntie H and his future wife N.

 With Mommy 

 With Nonna

Smiling with Daddy (Yay!)