Settling in

This last week has been a week of just settling in.  Getting into a routine.  Several important items crossed off the list... waiting for completion so we can go on to the next set of important documents.   Lael's passport and important paperwork are at the Russian Consulate in Washington, D.C. now as she gets registered.  Once we receive that paperwork back, we'll take her passport and important documents and apply for an American Passport, SSN and eventually, readopt her in the State of Ohio so she can have an Ohio Birth Certificate... Much easier than dragging her original Russian Birth Certificate in for school functions that need a Birth Certificate:)

Our big firsts this week...Lael's blood work was completed... all vaccines have taken... none need to be caught up!! No abnormalities in any other work... Yeah!!! The ladies at the lab had taken our blood work only a few months earlier for our court requirements, and were so excited to see our daughter in person!  The woman drawing Lael's blood got the needle in on the first stick... Tim said it was impressive.  I was looking the other direction so I wouldn't pass out:)  Lael did wonderful as well! She screamed bloody murder but wasn't thrashing too much-- and as soon as everyone stopped holding her still and she had her face tucked in my neck, she was fine:)  We were even able to go do our grocery shopping afterwards:)

First shopping experience.  She sat in the cart perfectly well.  I was soooo wishing I had been able to make or buy one of the shopping cart covers!!  Maybe once the jet lag is over, and I have a little more time during naps.... oh... I may just have to order one online!!  She ate her puff cereal during our shopping (after I wiped the cart down thoroughly with the wet wipes...) and once we finished, we were able to give her a squeezable bag of beef stew:)  Yum!  Lunch in the check out line:)

We had our first experience with Lael at church on Sunday.  Oh how nice it was to see and be seen by everyone.  Thank you to all our friends and family at church!! Everyone was soo good to not crowd around and frighten her, yet we had so many encouraging words!!  A HUGE thank you to everyone as well for drawing attention to Eli.  I could see how wonderful it was in his face... realizing that his sister is important, but he still is, too!!

Tim was acting in Kidstuf, so we had our seats and watched the performance.  Three-fourths of the way through, I was standing with her, bouncing to keep her quiet, and I began to feel very warm on my belly.  Oopss..... She must be peeing... then I felt it trickling, like a stream, down my pants leg... to my knee... to my shoe... oh my!! I brought clothes for her, but not for me....When we got to the diaper changing room, her diaper was not very wet.  Her clothes had a wee little damp spot... not even enough to warrant a change.  Mommy was a different story. 

Somehow, the baby carrier (which I love and use all the time!! makes vacuuming a bonding experience:)) holds her legs at just the right angle.... It happened again last night... only this time she soaked herself as well as me... and had splashes on the floor.  Ahhhh..... bonding at it's finest!

This week I have been trying to learn how to do things while still giving Lael undivided attention.  It is challenging, but necessary.  Tim and I went out after we tucked the kids in bed a couple of nights ago and harvested a bunch from the garden.  By the time we went to bed that night, we had processed 9 Qt of tomatoes, 1 gallon of green beans and had a huge bag of cucumbers in the fridge.  Yesterday,  from those cucumbers I made and canned 7 pt bread and butter pickles and 6 pt dill pickle chips.  They all sealed!! I think I may nap tomorrow... :) 

Lael is thawing towards Eli and Tim more each day.  They haven't been around much during the day since we've been home... with projects and other activities keeping them busy.  We usually are able to have meals together, though:)  It is so fun to watch Tim's face as she toddles toward him to give him a hug.  And to see her face light up when she sees her big brother. 

3 weeks as a family in a few hours.  Hard to believe!  Sometimes I just look at her, as I am sure all new moms do, and I am amazed that God has trusted her to my care.  What an awesome responsibility He has laid upon our shoulders.  I continue to pray that we might be the parents God intended us to be to bring out the most potential of our children, helping them discover who they are in God's sight.