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PADS has been discussed on this forum before, but not in a long while.
When I came home with Lydia I had a case of the blues, but I wouldn't call it depression. I know many do have to deal with PADS and that it is a very real problem that needs to be discussed and understood so those who need it can get help.
But I think it's just as important to understand that just because you don't have PADS doesn't mean everything will seem rosey and perfect. When we got home, I questioned whether we made the right choice to adopt Lydia. My life was so different. So much more difficult than I'd imagined. Lydia was (and is) a joy, but I mourned my old life. The ability to go whereever whenever, the ability to just "get up" without having a hysterical scene. Lydia was and still is to a degree a very clingy child--she attached and now has bonded to me...and only I would do for the first few months of our lives together. Now, while I still bear the brunt of "barnacle baby" I can occassionally hand her to daddy and that's saved my sanity in a major way.
Now, I look back at that time and I wonder how I could ever question the wisdom of bringing her into our lives. I know she is the best thing ever to happen to me...but it took awhile, and I think that's understandable. Just as we should know our children will mourn their old life (even though their new life is better) we too will mourn our old lives even though our children enrich us and make our lives better as well.
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