Tubes, Snow, KY Trip, New Job, Readoption

Long, long overdue for a real update. I'll try not to blather on for too long! And at the end is another Mari Montage...not the easiest for all to view but blogger has gotten so finicky with uploading pix that I refuse to play those games anymore.

First, several people have asked for pix of the different hairstyles I do with Mari, so I'll try to make a separate post with some pix and descriptions soon...one that I can add to later as I think up more. I'm reading a great book, It's All Good Hair, right now that explains some things really well with some great hints on very basic hair care. Check it out.

So, last time we chatted was...a while ago, a long while ago. Mari moved into the 2s room at daycare, leaving behind her beloved Archie and all that was familiar. This is the first big transition she has had since last June; needless to say, it did not go smoothly. Things have finally settled down with some steps back; we had to work very hard on some basic attachment/security issues that I thought we were long over but came back to bite us in the butt. A great friend (one of those virtual blog buddies who shall remain nameless but much loved!) sent me this book, The Connected Child, and it was an eye-opening read. If you are adopting, read it although I really think I probably got more out of it now, living "in the moment," than I would have even 6 months ago. But I may have recognized what was happening a little better. So things are moving along better, still trying to differentiate between normal 2-yr-old behavior and fear/distrust issues...an ongoing committment.

Mari got her tubes in her ears. She did awesome, of course, charming the socks off everyone at the hospital. She knows how to work a crowd...definitely didn't get that trait from this wall-flower. We did have some issues for a few days with what I would call some "sensory overload" (see above paragraph!) due to finally being able to hear clearly. That mixed in with the new situation at school led to some very scary behavior...let's just say 2-yr-olds CAN have panic attacks. Luckily, it scared the socks off her teachers and we now have a lot more cooperation in understanding Mari's emotional health (which is far more immature than the rest of her development).

We finally got one big snow for the year. It snowed a couple inches one Sunday afternoon, so we got to play in it before bed. We woke up the next morning to nearly 10 inches of snow. So we got to play a LOT in it. Mari had a blast...just wish we would get a couple every year.

We managed to squeeze a quick trip in to Kentucky to visit all my kin...kind of a surprise to my Grandma who has been in the hospital since January and doesn't look like she will get to come home. She is doing very well though and was very surprised to see us. My cousin Juli even managed to keep our visit a secret from her son Brendan and he was delighted to see Mari again. They totally love each other. I had never seen Mari so physical before. She chased Brendan all over the house, pulled him off the couch, tackled him...it was so cute. Juli surprised us with a little birthday celebration (mine was the 14th and Mari's is the 24th) and it was a much better birthday than last year (remember the malaria scare that ended up just being mono?).

So as March winds down, we are starting yet a new chapter in our lives. I will be starting a new job on the 30th. My current employer is really struggling with the economy and, with recent mass layoffs, I decided to start looking around for some stability. I found a great job at a clinic where I'll be working for mostly caridologists. It is Monday-Friday, daylight, same pay...one of those nursing jobs that is very hard to come by so I made the decision to leave my current job. This one will provide me with a lot more hands-on clinical time and still fulfill my needs at home...sounds like a win-win to me.

Another chapter closed in our life Friday...a very happy chapter ending. Mari's readoption was finalized by the judge signing off on our last document (no pomp and circumstance in this state, just signing some documents). This means two things...#1, Mari's new legal name is AMARI ROZA (her third name in her short lifetime), and #2, she is an AMERICAN. Hip, hip hooray! Our paperwork is nearing an end...after I get her new birth certificate (in about 6 weeks), then I can send in the paperwork to get her Certificate of Citizenship (to prove to anyone who may question her status), and get her a social security card. Then we are DONE! Time for another one, huh? NOT YET!

So, I'll leave you now with a montage. Mari's 2nd birthday is Tuesday; I will be taking her butterfly cookies to school for lunch and then her party is next Sunday. So stay tuned for fun!

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