2nd sleepover February 5-7, 2011

2/5/11 - 2/7/11

“O” stayed the entire weekend this weekend (saturday and sunday night). Mika+family came over Saturday for lunch at our house (my parents were also in town for the shower that my friends threw for us). Saying goodbyes to Mika+family was pretty seamless, kisses and hugs without any questioning of them staying or not. They also have started bringing over some of her things, which she did not object to. “O” was quite enamored with my parents and warmed up very well too them. She also met grandmother, grandfather, great grandma, & kelsey, taylor this weekend at the shower! She had fun playing with grandmother and grandfather after the shower. At the park today, in fact, she was making up names of people she was pretending to be, and one time she said that she was "grandmother".

Saturday night was harder for her to sleep than actually the 1st night over. We tried to do too many things in the afternoon and ended up having a later dinner, late books, and late to bed (in bed at 9:00). We did our normal routine of talking about who loves “O”, that she is safe in the house, and we are all here for her. I sat by the door without her asking if I would sleep in with her. After 20 minutes, Blaine said he'd try to just lay next to her on the floor to see if she'd go to sleep (which is what he did that afternoon and she slept for the first time during quiet time). Well, that was a mistake...he didn't know that the stuffed lion needs to be next to her so when he moved it, she broke down crying and wanted me. Last night was MUCH better. She was asleep by 8pm and I didn't even need to sit by the door. She was ok with me "checking on her".

She has been asking me to pick her up and carry her a lot today. She also started crying this morning when I tried to leave her with Blaine to go to the gym. It was late morning so maybe she wasn't quite yet feeling secure and so I didn't go. Later in the day I was able to go to the store and left her with Blaine without any objections or tears.

Night time is when she asks for and about mommy-mika. She is pretty much calmed and soothed when I hug her and tell her that she's safe and we love her. Now when I ask her, "Where are you safe?" she says "here". and I say, "Who keeps you safe?" and she says, "joni-mommy and daddy-blaine". We are still doing the bathing together, but she gets in right away and I can actually get out after a few minutes while she finishes up by herself. Hopefully I won't have to bathe with her for the next 10 years:) Blaine also started a thing where he tells her that when he's driving/sleeping/eating, etc. he's thinking of her. So then she says to him, "when I'm eating, I'm thinking of you!". We also tell her that we carry her around in our hearts...she likes that.

Today at the park she took her favorite purple blanket (which has been with her since her placement with Mika). She pushed "blankie" in the swing and put it on her lap while she was swinging. (When she doesn't actually have the blanket in hand, she still refers to her imaginary friend, "Blankie"). When the blanket was in her lap, she talked to him, kissed him, and said that she would change his poo-poo when we got home.

She likes Big Franks - yea! Oh, and the other night Mika said that “O” saw her giving "J" (foster brother) a bath and she said, "J"has a tail!"

Move in date will hopefully be this week sometime!

-joni-mommy