More Red Tape

Adopting has many similarities to giving birth, not the least of which is how much of the struggle you forget as soon as it is over. I vaguely remembered the onslaught of paperwork and bus rides when we adopted Mara but it seems absolutely overwhelming this time. Maybe it is the nature of the beast, if we could just sit down and get everything done in a day or two it wouldn't be so bad, but it is a few hours here and a few hours there for several days and almost always at a mealtime or a nap time. None of us slept well last night so today's venture to get a passport/Visa photo followed by a visit to the clinic for the cursory medical checkup felt like the longest afternoon yet. I think you can see from the pictures that Ailah was not having any of it without a fight which we were ill-equipped to handle in our unrested state.

On the upside, we had more adventures in eating and these were very entertaining. Ailah entertained us at breakfast with her spoon. At lunch she had her very first McDonald's fries and it is evident that she will assist her big sister Mara in petitioning for eating there every time we go out for dinner. Tonight was the funniest yet at Lucy's. She had a bowl of mashed potatoes which evidently were quite yummy. She kept us laughing with a baby bird routine until they were all gone. I took video and if I'm able to figure it out I'll post that here.

From early observations it would appear that Ailah can do very little for herself, including holding a cup or bottle, crawling, walking or communicating. But as time goes on she forgets herself for a few seconds now and then and lets us see that she does know much more, or at least is working on it. Several times today she began to crawl across the room but when one parent alerted the other she would immediately stop, sit down and put her arm across her eyes as if to say, "oh no, what have I done." Tonight while I was putting on her pajamas, she created a game of lunging at me for hugs. Before all was said and done she was getting up onto her knees, pushing up into a "standing" position for a micro-second as she fell onto me. At dinner tonight she grabbed her sippy cup by both handles and began to lift it off the table before realizing she'd not shown her cards on this one yet, looked at us in horror, and set it back down.

The most exciting development are her smiles and laughter. We began to see the hint of a smile a few days ago, which became a full-fledged smile and a tiny rumble of a chuckle yesterday. Today we got huge smiles and she even laughed out loud a few times. This is wonderful to observe and brings tears to my eyes. She was so frightened and shy the first few days that I couldn't imagine her coming out of her shell for weeks. But with the amazing resiliance these kids have in spades, she is now relaxing and beginning to show her personality. She is a beautiful girl and the smiles make her glow. Now if only we could catch one on the camera. I'm working on it!

I'm really enjoying having a mama's girl but my back and shoulders, not so much. She weighed out today at 19.3 pounds. That is a chunk to be carrying all the time. Fortunately, she does allow Jeff to carry her much of the time, so we share the pain. Maybe we are too old for this after all. Oh well, too late now!!

It is really cold here. (Cold by tropical standards without winter coats.) I guess the really warm days we had last week were the end of a warm front being pushed out of the way by a cold front. We have jackets and sweaters, but they aren't a match for the chilly temps which are topping out in the mid-40's most days. BRRRR!!! We're praying for warmer weather for our last week here. Wow, we arrived one week ago tonight. It seems longer and shorter both at the same time. Amazing how much our lives can change in one short week. Of course, it took us 2.5 years to get to this week, but still.

I want to tell you all how much I'm enjoying your comments. I'd love to answer individually but I can only post to the blog, not look at it. (Glass half-full at least.) Fortunately, the comments come to my e-mail so I can read them but unfortunately, I can only respond to them directly on the blog, which I can't look at. (Yes, I could write individual e-mails to all of you, but I'm going to claim utter exhaustion at the thought.) Just know how much we appreciate all your prayers, support, advice and fun stories. We are blessed indeed with our friends and family.

We would appreciate prayer for Ailah's health to continue to improve. Coughing last night kept us all awake. The croupy, chest rattling cough she had on day one is gone but draining sinuses are miserable. She also seems to be struggling with intestinal problems, constipation and gas. Nothing major, thank God, but it would be nice if she can really feel good for the trip home.

Also please keep Mara in your prayers. She is a trooper but it is a struggle for her (and us) to be away from mom, dad and home. We are so thankful for the Collin's family and Nikki and Katelynn for the wonderful care they are giving her but it is still hard on a 4-year-old to be away from parents. And then I know it is scary for her to think about how her life will change when we do get back. I'm sure she wonders how the relationships will shake out when there is another child in the home, sharing her room, no less. I know that in time it will all resolve and she'll be happy to have a sister closer to her age, but for now it is an unknown and quite nervewracking for her.

More tomorrow!