From the mother of a girl adopted at 2-1/2:

I went to India May 21 and brought home our daughter who is two and a half. She came right to me in the orphanage and I rocked her to sleep. She only cried on me three times.  It was amazing.  BUT when we arrived at the airport she would not go to anyone.  This we expected.  What we didn't plan for was her actions towards me once we arrived home.  I told my husband to get her out of the car seat and she screamed for me.  I told her this is daddy and he continued to take her into the house and showed her all around.

For two weeks she would have NOTHING to do with me.  I was devastated.  I cried for two weeks.  It had to be worse than post partem blues.  She would scream if I went near her.  I felt like she hated me for taking her from
her country.  I called the case worker and I was a mess.  She said this is so normal.  she had seen it many times.  She told me to keep affirming my  love for her.

It was two weeks to the day we got home, she came back to me.  It was so strange.  I think she was just going to make sure that this female in her life now was here to stay.  We are close.  She is so well behaved it is unbelievable.  I have three others.  Two boys 15, 12 and a daughter 10. She also would have nothing to do with our 15 yr. old.  He was the last one she bonded with.  This was also heart wrenching for him, because he loves kids and is planning on being a pediatrician.  NOW, she adores him.  She is his sweetheart.  He treats her like a princess and she listens to him. She goes crazy when he comes home from being away.  She goes air-borne into his arms.

When we had our first post-placement after 4 weeks, our case worker could not believe how well she adjusted.  She was rolling around on the floor with her other brother acting like a little dork.  She was giggling and
our case worker said she acts like she was born into this family.

Then when our case worker came back for the 3 month check, she was impressed with everything we had taught her.  She spoke Marathi when she came home but has picked up English like it is her natural language.

Our daughter is such a joy to us.  She trust all of us and she gives her love freely.  She also accepts our love to her.  She is so sweet and so much fun to have in this family. She has been home for 21 weeks now and I feel
like she has always been with us.