be our …
Sunita’s college friends, “Sessh and Britie”, are getting married this summer (congrats!!). They kindly asked the munchkin to steal the show. =D
A very sweet woman named Courtney took these professional photos for us – FOR FREE. I can’t believe we are so blessed. She is a very talented photographer, and she wants to do this as a ministry for adoptive families. I hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as we have. Jared couldn’t make it so it’s just me and the munchkin. If you would, please pray for Courtney and her husband – they are adopting from Ethiopia and are waiting.
This is my favorite. I love the face and the sweetness with the monkey. Cutie.
A child’s wonder borders on magical. I always knew when we added a child into our family that Christmas would regain some of its sparkle, I just didn’t know the rest of life would. I am absorbed watching my daughter take in life. A trip to the beach for the first time in her life may have been more exciting to me than it was to her. What JOY!
Some concern at first.
Oh, sand.
And dogs.
And water.
And my forever family.
She was WET and SANDY!
No fear now.
None at ALL!
And kites.
And footprints.
And a new change of clothes.
And ICE CREAM!
This is your brain on exhaustion. And yes, the oven is on.
One of the special moments in every parent’s life is their child’s first vaccinations… what a HORRID event. And even though you realize it’s for the best, you still HATE IT (as does your baby). Today was Sunita’s first vaccinations with us as her parents, although it wasn’t her first vaccinations ever.
This is after our now poked and prodded girl only has cry eyes instead of sobbing mess eyes. Her snack helped mellow her out a bit.
One of the distinctive *joys* of adopting is being able to re-vaccinate your child. There is no guarantee an adopted child (especially internationally) has been given the right kind of vaccinations, the right way, in the right amount of time. So we pretty much get to redo them, and she had 5 new ones today (in the legs).
But to make sure she doesn’t get more then she needs (along with testing for nutritional needs and some other tests), Sunita also got to have blood drawn today – I wanted to bawl after that was done. We weren’t done yet; she still had to have a TB (I think) test because she is coming from India (another poke in the arm opposite of the blood draw). The cherry on top was this was all happening when her regularly scheduled nap was airing. Lucky for me, Jared was able to come along. I really am not looking forward to doing all that again, EVER.
Alas, if her blood shows that she doesn’t have the antibodies for any vaccines then she will need up to three more, before a month passes. Blech!
Sunita did like the band aids though, until we pulled them off. =(
On the brighter side, she has slept the last two nights clear through without making a peep. I still wake up, just expecting it. The first night I actually wondered if she died and had to go check on her several times to assure myself she really was just sleeping peacefully. She also went to sleep tonight like an angel. God is good, all the time – but especially when he comforts her sleep =D