Cambios de Humor

In Lia's report we were told that she was prone to "cambios de humor" (Changes in disposition).

The first day we met her she seemed very lethargic. We were actually very concerned that the little girl we were meeting was not the little girl that had been described in the reports.

As we got to know her during the first week we saw more energy. Even an occasional swat at the caregivers which was met with a chuckle from those nearby.

We have lived with our daughter for a week and two days, and we are now seeing the "cambios de humor" in all their glory. She can go from laughing, to hitting, to a big smile, to throwing herself on the floor, to hugs for everyone in a matter of seconds. Today between the doorman buzzing the psychologist in, and her knocking on our door six stories up Lia had changed moods about three times. Fortunately she was on the upswing when I opened the door. It didn't last for long, though.

Orphanage life taught her to fend for herself. Like we've said before, she's a survivor. She had to defend herself...

She's also two years old, which counts for something.

The good news is that she catches on quickly. When bad behavior (like flinging herself to the ground and screaming) is ignored, and we all walk out of the room she tries a different technique, like arms raised, and smile on her face, which yeilds much more positive results. She will pick it up. However, we may go crazy in the meantime...

Pray for us as we navigate these new waters. Believe me, we were not naive when Isabel was a toddler. We don't credit ourselves for how easy she has been to raise so far. We have just been blessed with a mostly compliant first child.

Adoption, of course, throws a whole new set of rules into the mix. Bonding with a child that Luciana didn't carry for nine months before giving birth to makes things tricky. On the other hand, who wants to have the child in the nursery that the other parents call a hitter and a biter?

There are a lot of "experts" out there for parents of adopted children. Whether it's on the internet, or at the park down the road, we've already been given quite a bit of advice.

One woman, while pushing her nose up (making her look a little like a pig), told Luciana that she needs to have Lia's nose operated on when she gets older.

Another piece of advice came from an adoption magazine online, which claims one good technique for curbing temper tantrums in your adopted child is to encourage the tantrum and actually join the child in screaming and throwing yourself on the floor. (I wish I was making this up.)

Anyway, feel free to share your opinions with us. We really are open. Really.

mbp