Our New Baby

It's what Marissa has been calling her lately. So cute! I hear "our new baby is ....." all day long. The girls just adore her and can't wait for her to wake up and play. Marissa now being the middle child is really leaving behind some of her baby ways and is enjoying being a big girl. Surprisingly they are able to play side by side even though there is clearly 3 years difference in their ages. It is a great match. Somedays when I look at Naomi I can hardly believe she is the same little person as the face on my blog , that I looked at a hundred times just waiting till we could travel to her. In my mind I thought somehow we would be denied on some flimsy explanation. But, she is real and she is here. We are so blessed and she is our joy.

My Beautiful Girls

DH casually says to me last Sat. evening during church after he made a trip back home for some clean clothes because someone had an accident, "I had a thought" . Hmm...I said "What" "Maybe you ought to start the paperwork for the next one...." Hmm.. I said "I think our I171h is still good".....Hmm....NOT!!!! I know to quit when I'm ahead. But, seriously that is his heart. He would have a houseful if we thought we could live through it.

Home update

Naomi is settling into her new home and loving it. At first I think she felt lost at times because our home is so much larger than she is accustomed to at the orphanage and especially than our hotel room. Of course I am busy cleaning and cooking and generally running around the house trying to get all things done. Sometimes she sees me flying by trying to accomplish wash or whatever and holds out her hands. I guess I could put her in the baby carrier and carry her with me , but she really likes being on the floor playing or exploring something. So for now I pick her up and TRY doing it onehanded. Sometimes it works, sometimes not..... I end up flying around the house while she is sleeping or intently playing. It's working fine and she fits in soooo well here. We are loving her and her sweet, calm nature. I can put her in her high chair with cheerios and she is fine. She went to our church last night for her first service and you should have heard all the oohs and awws. She loves people and of course will go to anyone having just come from the orphanage but she looks at me and wants back in my arms. (By the way , we are allowing others to hold her this week , but will actively practice attachment parenting by not encouraging this practice .) She is our first orphanage baby having 2 others in foster care and that was an entirely different experience. She is such a joy to us and we are so blessed .

We're Home

Home never looked so good Sat night at about midnight. With 4 flights and a 1 hr. car ride home I think Naomi thought she would live the rest of her life in some kind of contraption. Honestly though she did very well on the 12 hr. flight home with our bulkhead seats (which at first I absolutely did not want) . She had room to get on the floor by my feet, but did not fit in the bassinet provided. Eating was a challenge but then the meals were not really fit to eat in any case. She has been such a joy and such an easy baby to care for , happy most of the time and easily consoled. Does she know I am her mom? Maybe just the best nanny she has ever had. She is not completly mobile but scoots along very well and yesterday stood up independently in the yard while Grant and the girls were playing "soccer" . She loves the girls and they just adore her , helping me and protecting her whenever they can. She fits just perfectly into our family. I just cannot believe how blessed we are. Thank you LORD!!

Pictures to follow this post.