As we are preparing to bring Gideon home in the next 3-4 weeks, we wanted to let people know what to expect and how people can best support us and him during this time.
First off, we will invite anyone who wants to welcome us at the airport when we come home with Gideon once we know when that will be. We will be exhausted so we won't be able to stay long and visit a ton with everyone, but seeing all of your joyful faces as we finally bring our son home would be such an encouragement.
Secondly, we are aware of the separation that Gideon will be going through. He will endure separation from his foster family whom he loves dearly and total loss of his whole world (language, culture, food, routines, smells & sounds, etc). This rupture is considered a trauma by most child development experts. He will likely experience deep grief once he realizes that he is not going back to his foster family. During this tender time, we are practicing the recommended period of “cocooning” to build attachment. This means limiting visitors at home so he learns that we are the ones who meet all of his physical and emotional needs and to teach him the safe boundaries of family. It is suggested to start with 6-8 weeks minimum and see how he is doing with stimulation and social interactions. If a morning of errands messes up his sleep for the week, he may need more time and we might call on you to help us out! You may see us out and about during the months of October & November for a quick grocery store visit or playtime at the park. While we welcome friendly interaction with Gideon, please leave any physical comforting, picking up or feeding to us. High fives, smiles, and silly faces are great! Thanks for your understanding. You can read more about cocooning here: http://www.lianalowenstein.com/articlesParentAdoptedChild.pdf
We are happy to answer any questions. But we still need you! This is hard work we are about to enter and my prayer with this post is that you understand our hearts and also hear that we still need you! We need you to check in with us to see how it’s going, to let us know that you are praying for us. We might ask for help with running errands that I can’t get to or taking care of Lily, and we will be so grateful for any food you drop off!!!
And finally, and by far the most important, we ask for your prayers. Please pray for his foster family as they prepare to say goodbye to the sweet boy who has been in their home for the last 21 months -- this is a tough time for them! Pray for Jacob and I that in the midst of sleepless nights and stressful times that we will lean on our Father and on each other and stay strong as a team. Pray for Lily as she endures the changes in our family. And pray for Gideon as his little world is turned upside down and he learns a new normal as a part of our family. 💙
Credit to Leslie A @ hiking mommy.com
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