First Week Home

We have survived our first week home!  The jet lag has worn off, Daddy is back at work, and we are settling into our routines.  The first week had many highs and lows as we all adjusted to our newest family member.  

Lottie has amazed us with her adjustment so far and we are so thankful for the mercy God has shown our family in this area.  She is sleeping really well, eating GREAT, and seems to be bonding with us a little more each day.  We (especially Mommy) were SO happy to have Daddy at home with us this week to spend time together as a family of five as we worked through the jet lag and got to know Miss Lottie more.

Abigail and Lottie immediately connected and both enjoyed playing together a lot.  Lottie loves watching her big sister and copying what she does. 

Tuesday of this past week we loaded up and headed to Birmingham for Lottie's first appointment at the International Adoption Clinic.  We are extremely grateful to live in close proximity to such an amazing clinic with specialists trained in treating internationally adopted children.  The kids did well on the way there and enjoyed spending some time with the Vestavia Hunsbergers on Tuesday night.      

First road trip!

Daddy with his three kids on their way to breakfast (drive thru...he was not that brave)

 Chad and I took Lottie to her appointments while Nana (who traveled to bham to help us) played all day with Abigail and Luke.  It was a LONG day (five hour appointment) but Lottie was a trooper through all of it.  She endured poking and prodding, an ultrasound, and a difficult blood draw where they had to fill 9 viles of blood! The appointment went well and was more of an information gathering appointment than anything else.  We expect to get a report with results of the tests in a few weeks and have a follow up appointment at the clinic in June.  Next stop on the medical front is an appointment at the Spina Bifida clinic associated with Children's Hospital in Birmingham to see several other specialists for assessment.  Please continue to pray for favorable outcomes in these assessments and wisdom for the doctors as they advise us on a plan for her immediate and long-term care.

This was immediately after the blood draw.  Sweaty and mad after fighting pretty hard.

She was WORN OUT after her appointment and slept almost four solid hours after we left the doctor.

Luke was a bit slower to warm up to Lottie this week.  Poor guy didn't have the benefit of understanding what was about to change in his life like Abigail did.  Not to mention, Mommy and Daddy had been gone for two weeks and returned with a little girl who likes to play with his toys and consumes his older sister's attention.  He reacted in a way extremely appropriate for a two year old and was pretty clingy and needy all week.  Thankfully, he never once acted out against Lottie or showed any aggression.  He just needed a lot of extra attention (another reason we were glad Daddy was home this week).  He made great strides this week and he and Lottie were even caught playing together a few times later in the week.  Little man loves his new sister, just needs extra prayers as he continues to adjust.