It was!

Definitely rest up! Hope your healing goes well 🥰

I knew it wouldn't be easy but honestly absolutely nothing can prepare you for parenting (even a typical child) until you're in it. There has been some stuff that I was fully prepared for but other stuff, like sleep issues and the endless noise, I couldn't imagine what it would be like. Also work has changed a lot over the past couple years, which there was zero way of knowing that. Most days when I'm super overwhelmed it isn't because of parenting, it's because work takes so much from me when it didn't before so by the time I get home I already have nothing left to give. Weekends and holiday breaks are amazing usually because with the work stress off my plate I can manage everything else. It's a huge reason why I'm hoping to change careers eventually because it's burning me out.

Hello!!! How have you been?!?

Thanks!

He's been incredible! I'm so grateful to have him!

Unfortunately I can't seem to find anyone for respite! I have one friend that does it occasionally but because it's so rare I usually use the time to clean the house.

I love Bulgaria! Unfortunately my daughter still has a trauma response hearing the language so it will be a while before we return there 😞

I have to set a timer. I tell myself I'm just going to do it for 5 minutes and then I don't have to anymore. Sometimes I only do it for 5 minutes but that's 5 minutes more than if I did nothing. Most times I do a lot longer though because once I get going I hyperfocus lol

I traveled there in 2008 and would totally love to go back again!

Oooo we are visiting there in July! Might need to scope it out for longer 😊

I totally could NOT live that way 😂 my mom is and her house stresses me out. My brother lives with me and although he has some trinkets, I pushed him towards minimalism years before he moved here.

I grew up in Niagara. Toronto gets hit worse with snow than where I live now.

Yes, I know that, I was just joking 😂 I originally tried to find the temperature at the North Pole but there isn't a weather station there so it was hard to find a temperature to compare it to.

Haha I'm still a minimalist, just not for some things 😂

Thanks so much!

Thanks! I remember you too!

Yay, thank you!

Thanks! 🥰🥰🥰 So glad to have og friends here!!

Thanks 🥰

I remember you 🥰

🥰🥰🥰🥰

Thanks but in her orphanage she was actually in a crib alone all day. The workers had a lot of children to care for and couldn't give them the attention they needed. I tried to babywear her for a long time and it's only been the last 10 months or so that she's tolerated it (she's been home 2.5 years). Self harm is extremely common for children who have been neglected in orphanages. Many have their arms restrained and/or are sedated to prevent severe damage.

Obviously you are new to this channel. From 2013-2020 I documented MY journey to becoming a mom. I focused completely on me and my true authentic feelings and helped many people feel they weren't alone. There might be some post adoption updates on this channel from when she first came home but this channel is no longer active and I removed most videos so I'm not sure. If you would like to see my incredible daughter and her amazing progress there are videos over at @travelingbeyondboundaries where I took video the first six months she was home, plus slowly adding videos from our adventures this summer. I did post a 2022 in review video where you can see her walking progression! Starting this summer we will be starting bigger travels outside of Canada. The focus is still directed towards myself, as I don't like how many KZbin channels focus on their children due to ongoing privacy issues in the community, but you will get to see how she's been doing since she's been home.

Last year and this year she has attended prek half day. Last year was a mix of children with special needs and typical children. This year is only children with delays. Next year she will be in kindergarten with a mix again. She was briefly in daycare but there were issues with their ethics. Unfortunately there is no child care in my area willing to take her so I pay for private childcare instead. She was in dance last fall and this but I had to drive to the city as local studios exclude children with special needs. It was too much for us so we won't be doing dance in the future. She loves swimming and is part of the Special Olympics. We also tried bowling through them but she's still too little for it really (she only started walking earlier this year and isn't really strong enough yet). She will be 5 in June and I'm considering Girl Guides for the fall but I have to see if they will accept her or not. She has adjusted amazingly. She has trauma from the orphanage but it shows up less and less. Her main issue continues to be oral aversion from being force fed. She has a feeding tube for liquids as she refuses to swallow them but she has learned to eat very well now. Developmentally she is very much still a baby/young toddler but she is very interactive and interested in others now. She is working on learning to walk up stairs (assisted). She uses ASL for a few words of communication but she mostly uses an AAC device. She verbally says a few words but mostly communicates through body language. Like I said in my other comment, this channel is no longer active but if you want to see videos of her they are at @travelingbeyondboundaries

Have you adopted before? I would love to hear your experience of when you felt attached to your child. Or maybe you are an adoptee? If so I'm sorry you felt that way, my daughter has special needs so her compensation of things is very different than a typical child. Either way it's been almost three years since this video and I've come to realize that my issues with attachment came from fear that things weren't going to happen. After over seven years of failures it was hard to believe she was actually coming home. Lack of attachment was trying to protect me from the heartache of losing her because that's what I felt was going to happen. Thankfully it didn't and she's been home two and a half years now. She is Mama's princess and fully knows how loved she is.

But it is my update... It's about our time together as a family.... Those that had followed my journey were used to me doing these types of videos 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks! Emrys didn't have anything for her hearing in her paperwork (same with eyes, they said she was too young to be assessed). All her hearing tests have been here. There were other things in her paperwork that turned out to not be an issue but her hearing was never tested there. She's very hard to test though, so I don't feel we've had an accurate assessment. She does have physical issues with her right ear though so I can see the right ear results being at least somewhat accurate.

Thanks so much!

Thanks, unfortunately that's way beyond her comprehension.

She is 😭😭😭😭

She has!

Thanks so much 🥰

Thank you!

Thank you so much for your kind and supportive comment. When I see there is a new comment on this video I often cringe because it's usually something cruel. My daughter has been home almost two years and we have such an amazing bond. I leave the video up hoping that others can get support by it but sometimes it's hard to have your life and emotions be so public. I definitely agree that there are so many other factors. I feel like what helped us the most is that it's only just us (no partner, no other children) and I was able to be home with her for almost a year before returning to work. Every day I'm grateful that she was chosen to be mine and I hers. We were totally meant for each other 🥰. Welcome to the channel and hope you find other videos helpful. Life is a bit crazy right now but I have new content planned! Also check out the travel channel "Our Slow Simple Travel" for our videos from the adoption trips.

@@TheChoiceofMotherhood I am absolutely warmed to know it all worked out just like you knew it would and that you were able to have time with her for a year. It's something I actually wished I did when my child was born and it's a constant process of juggling quality time when I work, my kid is in daycare, and I go to school. I am loving the content I checked out so far! I think I have seen 3 videos already. I will definitely read up on the adoption trips and also your tips for saving for adoption. Lastly, I appreciate you keeping this video up. It is so important other parents know the truth: that it's actually more common than not to grow to know your child and vice versa. And from all the parents who had bio kids, you can tell it happens quite often regardless of how a family is created. Which I think is amazing for any new parent to see when they view this channel: that it is NORMAL. You are so strong, so brave, so loving. I never really wanted to have my face on the internet and I have missed out on documenting important journeys and reaching others that I could have if I had that ability. I really applaud you for doing it and it means so much to me as a person who is making long term plans to adopt to actually hear real humans say their perspectives. Not just the brochures or commercials show. This kind of raw honesty and documentaries are what this new decade needs. YOU are a much needed part of KZbin because so many of us women want to be moms and want to adopt, regardless if there is a partner.

Thank you so much! If you have any questions please let me know. My adoption journey wasn't typical and had way too many set backs but a happy ending ☺️

@@TheChoiceofMotherhood Thank you! I really appreciate it!

Yes, definitely! I had planned on doing one but guess I never did lol

I had no bleeding. I was told to bring pads to the hospital and never needed them. I had a tiny bit of spotting right after surgery but only when wiping and it was gone within 24-48 hours. You should probably check with your doctor if you are still bleeding.