When we adopted for the first time, it was a newborn baby girl named Precious. We travelled to bring her home when she was a week old. We were instructed to not allow anyone else to hold, feed or change her for the first weeks so that she would bond with us. We told al our family and friends about this rule. The day we got home, my mom was with our older children who were just home from school/daycare. We came in the house and set down the carseat with our new baby girl in it. My mom proceeded to take her out of the carseat, practically knocking the other kids over in the process, to hold Precious and see her and soak her in. I said, “mom! you aren’t supposed to hold her yet for a few weeks!” my mom said, “oh……that rule doesn’t apply to me!”. She proceeded to take her out and hold her and kiss her and love her and she has continued to do just that every day of Precious Maryn’s life.
We lost Precious’ blanket lately and it has been very traumatic for us. Today, my mom came over, as she does most days, with a big, likely expensive, down comforter that they were not using. She told Precious it could be her very own new blanket. In a house with 5 kids, it is really important to have a few things that are “your very own”…..and Precious has been dragging this thing around all day, and is wrapped up in it tonight. She has named it “Cottony” and she loves this blanket.
Sometimes, breaking the rules makes more sense than keeping them. Some nanas are worth it.
