Crazy overprotective Mama??

Maybe. But my number one priority is my daughter and because of that I feel like I need to share a little bit of my thoughts on our return to the US.

First off, I ask for friends and family to trust us. We are Peanut's parents and we will know what her limits are and what ours are. We may not know that right away. It is going to take time for us to establish a schedule and a level of comfort. We are very much going to be taking our cues from Peanut. She may be shy or she may be a social butterfly or she may fall somewhere in between. Either way we just ask that you let us figure that out. Please ask us to do things and come over but understand if we say no or come for a little while and then have to leave. Also be prepared for Dave and I to be wearing Peanut a lot. We have a great baby carrier and we intend to use it to help build attachment.

When it comes to our actual arrival at the airport, I very much want my parents to be there to meet their granddaughter and my in laws will already be there as they are traveling with us. I wouldn't mind a few close friends but my closest friends live out of town so I doubt they are coming. I guess overall a few people is fine but I am not sure I want this huge welcoming party. To be honest part of me does want a lot of people there as I know there are lots of people who have been praying and cheering for us but part of me thinks I may be overwhelmed by it all and more importantly it may be too much for Peanut.

If there is a gathering at the airport or at some later date, please be patient. Not only am I a new Mom but I will have only known my daughter for a short time. It is key that she knows that Dave and I will be there to meet her needs. We will do all of the feeding, bathing, changing, and comforting. That is not to say that others will not be allowed to hold her, they will but it may be limited at first in who can hold and for how long. Attachment is a big issue in adoption and we want to make sure our daughter attaches to us as her parents. So please understand it is not our intention to upset anyone but for awhile we will not be passing Peanut around for everyone to hold.

I have said awhile a few times. I can't put a number on how long it will take until we all feel settled in. It could be weeks, it could be months. It is all about Peanut. She will dictate how long this takes. We want her to be settled and comfortable and that is up to her. We can't rush that. She at such a young age has already experienced a great deal of loss and a lot of change. We need to help her to figure that out and know that she is safe and loved and that we as her parents will always be there.

For you experienced parents out there, know that we may do things differently and you may not understand why. If that is the case just ask us but again trust us and if you feel you must offer an opinion you can but don't be offended if we respectfully don't change what we are doing. You may think we are coddling her or spoiling her and sometimes we might be. She has been through so much and so many caregivers and change. She needs to feel that safety, love and comfort are always near by.

So will I be a crazy overprotective Mama, sometimes yes. Will that change in time, yes. All I am asking for is time to figure it all out and patience that we know what is best for our family even if it doesn't make sense to you right away. We can't wait to share our love and our family with all of you in due time. Thanks for cheering us on and sending us prayers. That has meant a great deal to us.