Almost everything about Hannah’s transition into our family has been seamless and wonderful. Almost everything. I have mentioned it before, but we continue to have issues about food. She would like to have food ALL the time. She can be redirected into other activities, unless there are other people around who are eating. Since she has 3 siblings, this can be a problem. The problem is especially apparent to me when we are in situations such as parties, where food is just displayed. Hannah really has difficulty focusing on anything other than the food, and will throw major tantrums when I tell her, “no”.
Today I read this article: www.lwbcommunity.org/realistic-expectations-food-issues
This section stuck out to me, “Some doctors have theorized that babies who never eat to full have “hunger switches” (those receptors in your brain that tell you to stop eating) that don’t develop properly. Basically children who grow up with daily hunger often have difficulty knowing when to stop eating even after being adopted, and so it is common for new parents to report that their child will eat continually.”
This is a good reminder to me about how much she has been through in her little life, and that I need to remember to be patient with her. The truth is that I will never know what her life was really like for the first 18 months of her life. I just have to love her now, and pray that she comes to trust us to provide her with everything she needs…
