Our cocoon...

We are living in our cocoon these days.  What is a cocoon? Well for a busy family with four kiddos our cocoon may look and feel different than it would if we had only one child but for all intents and purposes it is for us an awareness that Ava needs to be cared for, fed, held, comforted, changed and bathed primarily by us. I tell people that our cocoon is a way to make sure that Ava begins to understand that we are her people. That may sound funny but it is oh so true. We want her to bond with us. We want her to hear us as we function as a family. We want her to be comforted and feel protected by us. She has been through so much in her short almost five month life and although she was well cared for in Ethiopia she was cared for by several people before ever meeting us. Therefore it is vital that she become aware of all the ways we will meet her needs and like I said become her people.

The cocooning for us looks like this. We stay home more than usual so that we can establish a consistent routine and so that Ava begins to recognize her world fully. We are keeping her world and the people in it quite small. Now this is not as easy as it sounds and with grandparents chopping at the bit and people delievering us amazing dinners each day. It feels like we are far from perfect with the small aspect but we are keeping a tight hold on Miss Ava. We are keeping her with us at all times, interacting with her, playing games and completing homework right near her side. We are making eye contact and having little photo sessions, all things that build the connection. What I love most is seeing her big eyes. She does not miss a trick and she knows where I am at all times. She has been in my arms for nearly a month total now and it feels like she is bonding very well. She is happy, animated, cooing and certainly tracking and interacting in everything we as a family do. I should also mention that her brothers cease every opportunity to interact with her from rolling little trucks alongisde her body, to carrying her around the house, to just sitting with her on the couch or the floor.  They too are in love with Ava.

Today when Hayden returned home from school he walked right up to Ava and kissed her on the cheek saying, "It's OK Ava, I am home now." I mean seriously, does it get any sweeter than that? Owen likes to discuss her cough and he believes she must have had it while she was in Ethiopia. :) Carter well he is her protector in the car and reminded me today that Ava was not properly buckled in. Oh yeah I never finished with my list of things we do to cocoon but here are a few things we have to do in the cocoon as well. I have to pck up kids from school or the bus stop. I have had to run errands for Bob as it relates to his relocation of his office and we have had to get all the boys to soccer practices and tournaments. The life we shared as a family before bringing Ava home has not stopped. It has been a bit  more slow on purpose but Ava is learning that she must go with the flow, even if GOING means having to ride in the dreaded car seat. Where that is cncerned she wishes she was riding free as a bird in the AGCI bus with Wass as her tour guide headed out to the countryside. Me too baby girl- me too!