Our First Days Home

Well, so far this adoption has been 150% easier than the last one!  I don't know if it's the difference in the girls' ages, Tabitha's medical needs, their personalities, or just my frame of mind, but this time has been a piece of cake compared to the last one!

The big kids love their new little sister.  They all want to hold her and help feed her.  Tabitha's a little aggressive with her love, but other than that they're all getting along well.  Ethan's old enough that he can really help a lot, and even Jesse is great at entertaining her and playing with her.  We've had a few successful times of getting her to sit on the floor without being held!  Once Heath and I are out of sight she'll stop crying and be content for quite awhile.  I think she's very used to being alone in a crib, so once she can't see us she goes back to the complacency of her early life.  She's coming more and more alive though!  Last night I was tickling her and she just laughed and laughed.  It was so cute!

Ever since we got her, her eyes have been goopy, and the last couple of days she's had a fever.  Her doctor exam was today, and we found out that she has conjunctivitis (pink eye) and an ear infection!  Not to mention she's getting her molars.  With all of that, plus the huge changes she's undergone, it's unbelievable to me how good she's been.  She does get fussy, but nothing like I'd expect from a baby who's dealing with so much!  I can't wait to see what she's like once she's settled in here and healthy.

She's still not eating much.  I'm hoping once she feels better she'll have more of an appetite.  And we'll start working more seriously on getting her to eat solids.  She still refuses anything but her bottle, and even that she doesn't want very often.  Hopefully it's just from the sickness and stress, and she'll improve quickly soon.

Wednesday we go back to the doctor to check her tuberculosis test (PPD).  I was ready for a lot of screaming when the nurse pricked her, but she barely fussed!  She cried a whole lot more than that when I put her in her car seat!  On Wednesday, if her fever's gone and eyes/ears are better, she'll also be getting shots.  I hate to do that to her when she's just learning to trust us!  But since the PPD didn't bother her much I'm hoping the shots won't be a big deal for her either.

Heath's going back to work tomorrow, so the real test begins.  How to manage 4 kids?!?!?  But I'm not terribly worried since things have been going so well.  Honestly, I'm more worried about having to go back to managing Tabitha's ostomy and urine bags!  It's been SUCH a nice break from that while we were in China and then these few days while Heath's been home.  But I guess reality is about to come back, and I need to prepare myself.  At least it's only for 3 more weeks!!

I feel so incredibly blessed today.  Four beautiful children, the world's greatest husband, a beautiful home, wonderful friends, salvation by God's grace, and so many other things as well.  These past couple years (with Tabitha's issues) have been extremely difficult for me, but I feel like we're starting a new chapter of life, and it's gonna be a good one!