Her First American Christmas

Christmas was hard on Vika with all of the running around and crowds and noise and interruption to her routine. Between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we had three different family parties. She started out doing really well (she generally LOVES crowds and parties) and started melting down about halfway through the second gathering. We’ve tried to keep things quiet and “boring” since then and she is slowly recovering. We had made some gains with her last week that were lost, but I know we’ll get them back. It is hard to see her struggling even though we know this is a normal and natural part of the process.

One thing that has struck me in this past week is how we are dealing with two separate issues- adjustment and attachment. The attachment part is going very well. She seems to be bonding to us and we are very bonded to her. The adjustment part is where she is struggling. Her whole world has changed and it is taking a toll. The good news is that we know that she WILL adjust with time. Poor adjustment is much easier to overcome than poor attachment. The fact that the bonding is going so well is a huge asset for us and will really help her as she works through this.

In spite of all of this, it was a happy Christmas for our family. We feel incredibly blessed to have her home to celebrate with us. She was truly the best gift of all this year!