Paka, muy malish!!

How big can the heart actually grow? As any person expanding their family knows, there is a wonder how you can ever love any other child as much as you love this child?? We are finding out!!
I spoke during Eli's process about stretch marks on the heart... It is amazing.. Such a great miracle. My coworker was expecting twins last year. Her belly was so great with child that we all feared she would burst... I wondered if it would be like that with the heart... But it is not!!! What a miracle to feel God's gentle tug and pull as he expands the margins of our love, growing it deeper and deeper. Oh how marvelous!!!

We arrived 1/2 hour early today and had a little time to play before lunch. She smiled when she saw me and came right to me... Ahh more expansion!!

I brought a little brush we had purchased on our trip for Eli.. Soft baby hair bristles and a pretty rattle in the handle... I brushed her hair, showed her how to brush Daddy's hair, and she had a blast. She is such a mime! She tries to do and copy everything we do. She alternated between shaking the rattle and combing her hair by herself. So amazing;)

After playing for a little bit, actually playing!! They brought in a tray with her food on it. And she ate it all!! Her little belly looked like the baby flying squirrels we tried to save;)

She had a bowl of thin soup... Looked like a chicken soup with veggies, puréed. She ate about a cup. Then there was another bowl with buckwheat porridge with mashed meatballs. It was thicker... A little thicker than oatmeal. She ate both from a tablespoon... Bigger than her whole hand! We were told she is the youngest in her group, and was changed to spoon about a month ago. After dinner was a fruit compote drink... The boiled pears in bottom with the liquid being her juice. She didn't even slow down eating til I was down to about a tablespoon of porridge, and she drank her fruit drink right from the enamel metal cup, with a lip. Wow!! She will be 1 yr. old, one week from today. Hard to believe she is already eating from a HUGE spoon and drinking from a cup!!

Once we finished lunch, we had a little more time to play. Oh what fun! So many more giggles and smiles as she becomes more comfortable with us;) can't wait!!!

We were able to take her for a walk after that around the baby home grounds. WOW!! It was sooo nice! There were about 50-100 strollers all around that we saw, several sandboxes and playground equipment all over. It was colorful, shaded... So very pleasant, and a beautiful day to be outside!

We put Lael in one of the swings there for infants. She laughed as she swang and really seemed to enjoy it;)

We worked our way back over to the beginning... There was a BEAUTIFUL flower garden... Many flowers we could name, but there were several we had not seen. Soo pretty!

Lael had been resting the last 5 min or so, laying her head on my chest and looking around. As we headed back, our final walk back on this trip, she perked up and began jabbering... For the last 5 minutes we were with her she had so much to say;)

We handed her off to a caregiver in the Lobby and watched as she walked down the hall and around the corner out of sight.

Adios my sweet baby!! I know Paka or Das Vadanya would be more language appropriate... But I love that adios means go with God... Thank you God for continuing to surround Lael with your love and for bringing us back safely in 3 weeks;)

We are soooo excited to get back home and see Eli!!! Tomorrow night his time we will be reunited... And then a month later... Same thing... Only next time... We get to introduce him to his new sister.

Thank you, God!! You are AWESOME!!!

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