Day 2 with Kannika

  Today we got to take Kannika shopping at the Thai version of a super walmart. It was really fun and she enjoyed the new experience. She does really well with us when the social workers are present so that is good for future bonding. Today they also left us along with her for the first time. That went exactly as I expected. I am going to be honest here for the future adoptive parents that are reading this. She was banging on the door and crying a lot. BUT the nice part was we would let her grieve on her own for a bit then we would hold her. Holding here did not stop the the crying but she wasn't pushing us away either. She would actually hold on and just cry. This is good because she is working through her grief but allowing us to comfort her. So while it is hard to watch her go through it at least she is letting us be her comfort. It was also a relief for me to see her start to process the grief. From all the reading I have done I knew that if she didn't it was not normal and actually a sign of a problem. After about 30 minutes she calmed down and went to sleep on me. It probably didn't help that the first time they left us alone with her it was nap time so she was in a strange place with people she barely knows AND she's tired. 
  On another note Gavin starts 1st grade in the morning. I am so sad to be missing out. I am also so thankful for the internet. I am so blessed to have friends and family that love us enough to take time to take pictures so this mommy can see her big boy starting school. I know he is fine but it's hard on me still. 
  Tomorrow is the day they will leave her with us for good. We will still see them for our Thai board meeting and for the US embassy meeting but she will not be going back to her foster home. It will be a hard day for everyone - her foster family, her, and us.