It is the end of another busy day with Tatiana. She is on the go most of the day. She continues to do well and we are all adjusting to the changes in our lives.

At this point, our primary area of concern and the thing that is taken into consideration throughout our days with Tatiana is her attachment to us. In order to develop into an emotionally healthy person a child needs to form a primary attachment to another person. This attachment helps the child learn that the world is a safe place and lets the child know that they are lovable and will be cared for. We know little about the experiences that Tatiana had in the orphanage. What we can say is that she was in an institution from the time of her birth. So, even if her caretakers did their very best to respond to all of the children's needs...there is no way that they could have met the particular needs of each child.

To foster an attachment with a child who is the age of Tatiana there are many things that can be done. Kevin and I are actively working on this with Tatiana.

Part of Tatiana's needs now include understanding what parents are and how a parent and child have a relationship. In an orphange a child goes to which ever staff is available at the time, whoever is not busy with another child and whoever is on for that particular shift...unlike a child who is with a parent and can rely on the parents cosistency. So, many times a child who has lived in an institution will go to whomever is near for comfort and contact. These children are lacking the understanding of primary, secondary and tertiary relationships.

This is difficult for some to remember when they meet Tatiana. We are encouraging adults to help us with this process by taking their relationships with Tatiana slowly. We ask that no one other than Kevin and I feed her ( food is a primary need that is meaningful to a child) and that physical interaction be limited. Tatiana is a bright girl and can interact with an adult even without a common language.

We are thankful for the many people who have prayed for Tatiana and who have been with us during her journey. We also want Tatiana to be a part of the wonderful community of people we have in our lives. Kevin and I continue to learn about Tatiana and the things that are important for her well- being and we are willing to talk with anyone who has questions or other thoughts.---Melanie