Monday, May 08, 2006
Recently we have gotten to spend time with other Guatemalan Adopt families. Last week a friend came over with her son, Roman, who is 10 months old and came home a few months before Lotus Maria. What a world we live in that two kids from the same far away land, but from different places in that distant land can be in their new homes for just a few months and playing in my living room.
We also went to a picnic in a Foster City park with about a dozen other families whose children are from Guatemala. The kids were all older than Lotus Maria, but they were all so adorable and their families so beautiful. We hope to continue to connect with other adoptive families as Lotus Maria gets older.
Rachel, Art and Kaiya were here last week. My sister's visit couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Lotus' adjustment to us has gone easier than my adjustment to being home. And to have visitors for a few days was exactly what was needed. There were a few long and dark days before their visit. Though everyday it is gets easier with Lotus, she still wants to be carried a lot and at over 19lbs that would be difficult for the healthiest of parents. And with my muscular problems and generally spinal angst it is almost impossible. The poor thing doesn't understand why I can't hold her all the time. She didn't sign up to have such a gimpy parent. She cries and then I cry. It's equally frustrating for both of us. My doctor, who I adore but at times subcontracts out my injuries to some wacky specialists, has me seeing a PT whose great advise the other day was to make sure that my toes and nose were always in alignment. In other words don't turn. I thought she was joking, but her stern look when I started chuckling told me otherwise. I think she is good at least she spends a lot of time trying to put everything back where it's supposed to be, but she's highly impractical. On top of that a sprained my toe trying to run downstairs to put laundry in during one of Lotus' 10 minute naps. You have no idea how important your toes are until one is in pain. Needless to say I was in top form when my family arrived. Rachel was wonderful and so helpful. Rach held Lotus when she needed holding and got me all set up with different carriers so I can carry Lotus without needing days of recovery time.
And Kaiya... well she's just adorable and was equally amazing with Lotus. The pictures don't lie, Kaiya is that cute. She is talking up a storm and saying the cutest things. She played with Lotus and when Lotus got fussy she would pat her hand and say "It's okay Baby Lotus". She even loaned Lotus one of her favorite stuffed animals. I wish they lived closer, but we are going back to visit them in June and we can't wait.
Lotus Maria has had quite the social calendar. If Nate's Art Show wasn't enough, she then helped me plan and pull off a surprise party for Nate's birthday. Nate's birthday got rained out last year, so I wanted to do something special. Shockingly enough, Nate was actually surprised. Lotus got to see a lot of our friends that day, some that she had already met and many new faces. Most importantly she got to met her new friend Lucia.
Lotus Maria has already attended her first art opening, and not of any ole' artist, but of her father's work. Nate was in a group show at Canvas Cafe. It was his first show in San Francisco and it was a great event to introduce many of our friends to Lotus Maria. Our dear friend Courtney Booker was in town and she tagged along. Lotus had a great time, until she had a complete melt down. We left a bit after Lotus' normal bedtime, which is exactly when many of our friends were showing up. Oh how times have changed.
Lotus got spend the day with Auntie Heather and Heather's girls, Angel and Myene. She was enamored with the girls and couldn't take her eyes off of them. I think she knew how special this family was to her. Heather and her girls wrote one of our letters of recommendation and because of that Ms. Lotus was placed with us. They will always be special to her and incredibly special to Nate and I.
Lotus Maria got to spend her first Easter watching her new friend Alma look for eggs.
We have been together and home now for about a month. Lotus Maria continues to be more and more amazing. She can crawl now and eat cheerios (though most of them end up on the floor). She recognizes Nate and I and does an adorable schoochy dance when either us enter the room. She seems to genuinely love her surroundings and her home, though she still is not fond of napping, but it would be annoying if she was too perfect.
In the past month she has gotten to meet so much of her family and our friends. She meet her cousin Kaiya and Aunt Rachel, she has had two visits from her Grandpa Art, she has played with her cousins Angela, Jim, Jack and Lauren a couple of times and got to meet her great aunt Susan and her great uncle Richard. She has spent quite a bit of time with her Great Aunt Evie and got to meet her Great Uncle Jimmy before her passed away.
She is blessed to have so many amazing people in her life.
