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Published: April 27th 2009
The last foster home meal
We should have asserted ourselves and worked with the staff to develop some meal-time trustbuilding. Lesson learned!Well, today we finally brought Tigist home from the foster home. It was a very good day as good-byes go. We arrived at the foster home around 10:30 or so with the intention of a brief visit to get the last details of Tig's routine and to say good-bye to the staff and children. I think it was bitter sweet for the other kids, as they were more somber than we are used to seeing them.
When we arrived, Tigist was smiles and gave us a wave. She was given a quick change into her cute orange dress and shoes (keepers). The other kids were enjoying their crayons and coloring books as we questioned the staff on Tig's typical morning routine. In about a half-snap, the driver was back to pick us up and we said our last good-byes. Tigist was noticeably excited to get into the car. The foster home nurse mentioned that she liked to 'go out'. The excitement didn't last very long, as she crashed about half-way back to the hotel. We arrived to our room around 12:20, and Tig barely opened her eyes as we laid her down for a substantial nap on the bed. Such
Good-Bye Photo
Saying good-bye to the children and staff a tiny person for such a big bed.
Upon her waking, we played with toys, read from her books, and generally explored the room. She was fascinated by the view out the sliding glass doors and the full-length mirror. Smiles are rare, but the mirror seemed to do the trick for a bit. Not too long after our play, we decided to try to feed her. Despite the joys of the day, we discovered our first frustration: feeding by spoon. We didn't get the chance to transition feeding from staff to Katrinka or I at the foster home, and Tigist simply won't have any food from a spoon if administered by either of us. We tried everything: rice cereal, the cereal they use at the foster home, even Gerber food brought from the states. Only Cheerios and milk seem to be ok with her. She is strangely aware and cognizant of every detail, leading us to frustration number 2: she understands and speaks Amharic. Something we underestimated for her age. Unfortunately for us, our Amharic is lousy. We can only get so far with ah-ah (open) and bee (eat!). Katrinka utilized the Snickers trick: dip the Cheerio into the
The ride "home"
Too much excitement for one morning Gerbers. It seemed to do the trick, only it happens one "O" at a time. That simply won't do for long. Eventually, she'll come around or we'll figure out a new delivery method.
Tomorrow is a pure play day at the hotel. They have a pool and kiddie playground, gardens, and all kinds of other potentially kid-friendly distractions. Hopefully, it will all work up a healthy appetite!
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Dave
non-member comment
Don't worry
Don't worry, when she gets hungry she will eat! You remind me of myself when Sammy was born. Every little thing will freak you out for a while. You will soon come to realize that kids are durable and resilient. She is adorable and I can't wait to meet her someday.