Celebrating Tantrums

In the adoption world, we celebrate strange milestones.

We celebrate when our child cries after we leave, because it means they missed us. We celebrate when we get to change a poopy diaper, because it means that their system is finally regulating after a week of major stress. We celebrate when they bonk their head while playing, because they came to us for comfort instead of all the other parents hanging out in the hotel hallway.

And we celebrate tantrums.

We celebrate tantrums because it means they are starting to trust us. It means they are learning that their protests will be heard, their needs will be met, and they are free to have an opinion.

Little Man has thrown his fair share of tantrums today, and while physically exhausting and mentally exasperating, we recognize this as a good sign that he is beginning to attach to us.

For instance, we know that he did not get to be choosy with his breakfast selections while in the orphanage, but like his daddy, he has decided that he is not a fan of squash nor watermelon. We know that no one rocked him to sleep in the orphanage, but he has made it crystal clear that he will be rocked to sleep- standing only, don’t even dream of sitting down– before he lays down from here on out.

It might sound unwise to the layman to indulge his every desire, lest we raise a Little Emperor, but we are choosing our battles and prioritizing attachment for the time being. But don’t worry, one of the few Mandarins words we have mastered is “bu” (no).

Included are a few photos from the day. We Skyped with Papa and Grandma (and the dog) this morning before heading to a local zoo, where we quickly became the most popular exhibit. After lunch and naps back in the hotel room, we headed out in search of a nearby Starbucks, which helped to stretch our legs a bit. I caved and let Husband purchase a small stroller for Little Man, as he is clearly too big for our Kelty front-pack and my back is paying the toll. Still, I will probably try to wear him until he goes to Kindergarten.

Little Man now says “Mama”, “Baba” (daddy), “Mei Mei” (little sister), “Ge Ge” (big sister), “hi”, “wow”, “yay”, and “uh-oh”. He can give a high-five and wave and clap and blow a kiss. He is a typical rough and tumble boy, we are thinking his nick-name will be The Juggernaut. He also has a strong arm on him, and loves to play catch with Daddy, hurling nearly any projectile in sight across the room without warning.