Our First Meeting

I have so many thoughts and emotions surrounding my trip to Addis this time around--from adoption and toddler adoption specifically-- to becoming a mother-- to the sights and sounds of Ethiopia... I can't possibly put it all into one post. I am back home now and still processing, still trying to wrap my head around all I experienced and I want to take time to write it all down but for now I will just post some photos of our time together. Me and Naomi Almaz. (By the way, I am calling her both names now so she can get used to Naomi though I want people to continue to call her Almaz as well).

When I first walked into the care center, I wasn't sure when I was going to meet her as I had two large bags of clothing donations to give them. We walked in, my cousin and I, and right at that moment a group of children came down the steps with a nanny holding a child carrying a disposable camera in her arms. I wasn't expecting to meet her so quickly and it took me a good few seconds to realize it was Almaz they were carrying and that she was holding the camera I had mailed in the care package. Believe it or not, I even had to ask the nanny to be sure it was her! I was taken completely off guard. Luckily I had prepped my cousin on his duties: have the video ready to record our first moments but be sure to switch off with still photos from time to time so I have both. He, of course, followed my instructions exactly. :-D As I was asking the nanny if it was she and thinking about how cute her meeting-mommy outfit was, she handed Almaz to me. She cried for about 30 seconds and reached for the nannies, but they said something to her and she stopped. We stood there in the hallway for about 15 minutes, me examining her trying to take it all in. The feeling is very strange. I could not believe this was my child I was holding!After awhile we went upstairs to the main den area to hang out and get to know each other. She sat on my lap for about 20 minutes. I showed her the photo album and a stuffed elephant I had brought her. She loved the album but preferred the crinkly tissue packet to the stuffed animal! She kept using the album as a phone. It was so cute. Her nanny kissed my photo and repeated "mommy" to her and had her do the same. It was so cute. I love that she taught her how to kiss things cause she does this at home. Adorable. As we were sitting there I got surrounded by several other children. They were very interested in the album and identified her baby photo in it.
My cousin wanted to hold her and interact with her as well. She went to him willingly. (Over the course of the week I found out that she goes to pretty much anyone willingly. It made me very worried about attachment but now that she has been with me for over a week, I am starting to notice a bit more attachment happening--for both of us--but more on that later).She eventually fell asleep in his arms. Meanwhile, I got an opportunity to talk to the nurse about what she eats and how she sleeps. I was told she likes bananas, injera and wot, pasta, cookies, juice and tea with sugar. I asked if she like any other fruits or vegetables and they told me no! I've been working on introducing new foods and creating a healthy diet for her. I was also told she takes a 2 hour nap from 2-4 and goes to bed at 7 in a regular bed (not a crib) and stays in bed asleep all night. So far, having been home 3 days now, I find she does need at least 2 hours to nap--often more-- and does go to sleep around 7 and stays asleep til about 6 (give or take an hour on either side). We've been sharing a bed since she's been home but I plan to move her into a crib in my room in the next few days. Have you ever slept with a toddler? Well, imagine constant motion and body parts slung over your face as you sleep. She also cries in her sleep about 5x a night for a few seconds. I don't know if she's dreaming about something or experiencing night terrors. I need to research those and learn more since I really don't know what they are but I do know they are common with adopted children.

Before I left, with the nurse translating for me, I took the opportunity to thank her nanny for taking such good care of her. I told her she looked happy and healthy and I had them both to thank. We embraced and I got teary-eyed. It was the one time I got emotional that day. I think I was in shock most of the week that I was a mom and unable to really take it all in. It wasn't until the plane ride home that I really got caught up in it all and had a meltdown.. but more on that later.We left the toys and the album with Almaz and the nanny. I wanted to meet her first and have her meet me so it wouldn't be such a shock when she was left with me a few days later. I also felt it was important to leave an album with my photos for her for them to talk to her about me over the next few days to prepare her for what was to come. I'm glad I had that time to visit. We left shortly after that and Almaz and I became a forever family a few days later on March 1, 2010.