I have been meaning to get online and post an update about Leo's transition home, but I have to say that finding the time to do that has been such a challenge! I will admit that having a toddler is more work than I ever imagined it could be! This little guy is demanding and busy and into everything and always "helping," it wears a girl out - especially this pregnant one! But little Leo is also so much joy and so sweet and so fun. So much more than I ever imagined, in every possible way. Here are some categorical highlights about his transition home:
The Flight Home:
Leo was amazing! He was so much better on the flights coming home than I could have ever hoped he would be. He slept most of the flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis, and when he was awake, he spent his time on his daddy's lap, watching movies (Tinkerbell was his favorite movie on the plane and continues to be his favorite at home), playing with the plastic water cups they gave us, and stacking/unstacking the flight magazines. Of course he wanted nothing to do with the actual toys we brought for him to play with. We did have one screaming fit toward the end of the flight. He was tired and Caolon needed a break from holding him, so I took over. Leo did not like this one bit, so he responded with a major tantrum that we just kind of let happen. I held him and let him cry it out and he finally fell asleep. Other than that, our day of travel couldn't have been better.
Attachment/Adjusting:
This is another area that I am pleasantly surprised about. Leo has really bonded and attached so well. Of course, in China he was going great with that with Caolon, but since coming home, he has also attached to me. He calls us mama and dada (though, sometimes he gets confused as to which of us is which) and he will go to either of us for his needs and wants. He plays with both of us and likes to be held and cuddled. Which works very well for me as I could just hold and cuddle him all day! :)
Our House:
Our first night home started a little rough, as we arrived at about 7:30 p.m. and found that our furnace had gone out at some point during our trip. It was a nice, Wyomingy 48 degrees inside. Nothing like a warm welcome home. Fortunately, Caolon is a handy, problem solving type, so he was able to troubleshoot and fix the problem. We got it up and running and then spent an hour touring Leo around the house pointing out things. He was so cute when we showed him his room. He was walking with me, holding my hand and I took him into his room and said, "This is Leo's room." He looked up at me with his sweet wide eyes and gave me the biggest grin. I have no clue if he really understood or not, but I can say that over time he has definitely taken to his room. He likes to play in there. He will go to his door, tell me "bye-bye", wave and blow a kiss and then close himself in his room. This is pretty funny until he realizes that he is too short to reach the knob, so I have to come rescue him.
Kisa:
Kisa is our sweet, cute little Maltese doggie, and I had been worried as to how Leo might take to her. My fears were justified, as he was definitely not a fan at first. Actually, the word terrified might sum it up a little better. Every time Kisa would come into the room (which is basically always, as she follows me around loyally), Leo would squeeze his eyes closed, hide his face, and often cry. It took quite a few days of us reassuring him, telling him that she was "Leo's doggie", and holding her while he was on our laps so he could get a closer look. Eventually, he started to calm down a little and now he has developed a small interest in her. He will often come take my hand and indicate that he wants me to help him pet her (I won't let him pet her on his own yet, as she is not exactly the most patient pet there ever was) and he says her name and feeds her snacks. I think she has decided the situation is tolerable, particularly during mealtimes.
Family/Friends:
I have probably not done the best job of limiting visitors/visits out of our home for Leo. He actually started meeting family and friends as soon as we got off the plane in Denver and he has had social interactions with people every day since. He tends to meet new people with a tentative nature. He gets quiet and will cling to Caolon or me until he feels that the stranger is interesting or safe. He has gotten a little more used to meeting new people and it seems lately, the time it takes for him to open up when new people are around has become less and less. He is still picky about who he will play with or let hold him, much to the dismay of his Poppa and Buddy, but we are definitely seeing progress there as well. Some of the family and friends he has particularly opened up to include: Grammie (which makes sense as she was with us in China - he has liked her since then), Pops, Aunt Holly and Aunt Heather (who both must have some kind of magic touch with babies, as he opened up to them right away), Uncle Shawn, my friend Shannon at work (who I am convinced had baby crack in her pocket because he went to her immediately - with no looking back at me at all!), his cousin Regan, and lately his Poppa. He has a slew of other fans dying to scoop him up to kiss on his cute little cheeks, but he is taking things slowly. I know he will warm up to everyone else soon!
Belle:
Leo's cousin, Belle, is (as a family friend put it) 2 going on 3 going on 13! She likes to remind us that she is "the only princess" and I am pretty sure we all believe her. I had been nervous about how she might take to Leo and vice versa. The first night he met her, she came over, swooped into our house, pulled out each and every one of Leo's toys and just completely overwhelmed him. He stared at her with huge eyes, not entirely sure what to make of this crazy person. The next time, we were at Godfather's to meet my family for pizza and Belle had her hands full of pop and candy. She gave Leo a sip of her soda and from then on he has been quite taken with her. They still haven't quite worked out how to play together, but Leo watches her every move and takes his cues from her. She has done so well with him and I'm proud of them both for being patient as they get to know each other.
Overall, I couldn't be happier with how things are going. Leo has just really been a trooper with adjusting and a joy in our lives. I can't wait to see how the next month will unfold.
Some of my favorite things about having Leo have been the typical happy-go-lucky, daily-routine-type stuff. Like watching him eat when he gets food all over the place and does a happy dance when he really likes something. Or waking him up from his nap and cuddling with him for those few moments between sleepy and playful. Reading to him before bed at night when he will point to the book and pretend to read with me. Holding his hand and walking anywhere and everywhere - seeing that big grin on his face because he loves to walk so much. Giving him his bath. Putting on his shoes. Hearing him try new words or giggling or just plain babbling.