Saturday, March 21, 2009

Passing the Babooska Test!

Our first full day together!! It's been a pretty great day all in all. Tania is a serious rocker at night. It's really amazing to me to see all these children (and hear from other adoptive parents) that spent the first few years in an orphanage and how common the "soothing" rocking is. It must be a primal need in the soothing department. Maybe it's soothing to the child, but it sure isn't soothing to witness! Thank goodness for the bumpers in the crib at home.

Little T really get to sleep fully until around midnight last night. Part of it was MY fault. When she rocks she gets all tangled in her blanket - and I try to uncover her face. I know you can breathe through a light blanket -- but silly mom tries to remove it. It wakes her up and the rocking commences again. Even though the rocking is hard to watch, she's really sweet while she'd falling asleep - she makes up little songs and talks to herself in baby Russian gibberish.

Her normal schedule is to bed around 8pm and wake up at 7am. Institutional children are BIG on their schedule - and if they wake up before someone comes for them, they'll typically lay in their bed and entertain themselves or try to go back to sleep. I heard her around 6:15am - and my bad, I tried to get her to come and lay with me. Apparently if you were taken from your crib at night it meant you were doing something wrong - because it scares her to pieces. She'd rather rock it out herself.

She had a brief nap this afternoon - about 1.5 hours. This isn't much for her. She was in a groupa of much younger kids at the Artem baby home. I think she would have "graduated" to the next groupa up if I wouldn't have come along, but I think to minimize the interruptions, they left her in the smaller kids group. The little kids take TWO naps a day (10am-noon + 3:30-5:30pm) but her caretakers suggested I go back to 1 from noon to 3pm. We didn't quite hit that -- but we're on the right track. There's so much going on -- she doesn't want to miss it! I mean how would you feel if you got sprung from an orphange??

She also ate much better later today. Breakfast not so much - she didn't like the "baby oatmeal" they said she eats, but she did have bread (that's typical for them) and baby yogurt. Bananas are also a NYET - spits them right back out. Lunch was more bread and then some chunky style baby food (think a chicken based stew with tiny potatoes and veggies). She REALLY liked the baby food. However dinner was a whole other story. I ordered her the soup - a Russian soup with veggies and "beef" (alleged beef as I saw NONE) and for me spaghetti with meat sauce. She ate a bit of soup but as soon as she saw my spaghetti she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue and went "aaaaaa" like "me me me". Needless to say, she liked the pasta. Oh yes - and more bread! She's a TINY bite eater though. I bought her "baby" type cookies and it seriously takes her about 1 hour to eat one. She takes TINY bites and makes it last. Andrew (of the now semi-famous Andrew and Lisa!) theorized that this could also be an institutional behavior similar to eating fast and wanting more and more -- but instead trying to make it last.

The big event of the day was a trip with Lisa to the local "market". This is the small market just around the corner from the hotel. Andrew and Lisa bought a stroller at the baby store on Thursday, so we used it with Tania until Madam Rhonda gets here (2 days, not that I am counting!!). One of the women who works (owns??) the store is an older lady aka "babooska" (Russian word for gramma but also used for generic older woman). Most families from North American that come to Russia report back that at least at one time or another a babooka "tsked" them for not covering their child enough. While Lisa paid and Tania and I waited I saw the babooska sizing T up. The snowsuit that Angie sent has the built in hand/foot covers - and I had uncovered T's hands while we were in the store (it was at least 80 degrees in there!!). Babooska had apparently not seen this magical new snowsuit trick and she watched in amazement while I covered her hands. Then she pointed to Tania's neck (it would be exposed) just as I was connecting her hat and zipping her coat all the way up. She told Tania "hadasho" (worst phonetic translation ever) - which means "fine/good". Then she patted me on the back and said hadasho mama. HOLY CRUD! I passed the babooska test!!

Here is the tiny one sleeping. Yes - I am living on the wild side -- I dared snap a picture while she was sleeping EVEN with the flash!!

10 comments:

Jennifer said...

Hey Amy. Yesterday when you and Tania called, were at church singing.Congrats on passing your Babooska test!lol Thats funny. Tania looks like a little angel when she is sleeping.Cant wait to see you both
luv Courtney and Jennifer.

Heather said...

Wow - you aced the Babooska test! Way to go! Thanks for continuing to share the details of your days. We all enjoy hearing about them. I love how her sweet hands are wrapped around the little stuffed animal. So sweet!

Rich and Jolynn said...

Passing the "babooshka test" is really good news. She is so cute sleeping with her plush bunny. I hope you are getting some sleep too.

findingourdaughter said...

Ahhhh, I know you are SO IN LOVE with your little Tania.....what a great momma she has! I am thrilled to hear things are going well and so glad I can follow your days on here. You two are never far from my thoughts and prayers! Tania is precious!!! I am so glad she can wear the snowsuit as I am almost certain (never say never as you know our story)....we will NOT be using one. It was probably meant for Tania all along.....I'm just the one who got it on super clearance for you!!! God knew this FL girl couldn't survive winter in Russia, LOL. One week and you'll be HOME!
Hugs and love,
Angie

Barb said...

Good on you, Mama, for passing the test!

Anonymous said...

How sweet she is with that bunny!!! No one could resist taking that picture!

Roger and Joanne said...

Very brave to take that picture--with a flash no less. But it looks like it was well worth it. What a great picture! I imagine that's a new bunny she has in her hands and it looks like she's never gonna let it go. I bet she was having beautiful dreams that night.
Love the details. Keep em' comin'
How has the communication been going?

Mike and Heidi Lee said...

TOO CUTE!!!!!! Congrats Amy!! Sorry this is message is coming late...I'm just finally getting to the computer!! But we've been thinking of you and couldn't wait to hear about the big day!! Sounds like all is going well! Welcome to Mommy-hood and all that rocking!!

Mike and Heidi Lee said...

P.S. I didn't pass the Babushka test!! I got tskd when we were on the bus transporting us to the plane. Bradyn's pant leg was hiked up a bit and the Babushka reached over and pulled it down and shook her finger at me. Congrats on showing that Babushka who is boss!

Laura said...

What a sleeping angel you have, there!

Glad to hear you passed the test - and that's a big one. I'm taking notes!

~Laura :)