Transition

I've had many people ask how our transition is going since we came home with Aerin. I don't bring it up on my own, and I have yet to post about it because, honestly, I feel a bit guilty about it. I like to say that God knew we were first time parents that would struggle with figuring it all out. So, He gave us an idiot proof baby. She is so easy most of the time that it blows my mind. I prepared myself for our daughter to be up every couple hours and barely eat or have some developmental delay or birth condition that we would have to adjust to. God has BLOWN us away by giving us a daughter that is developmentally advanced, fit as a fiddle (not even a parasite), eats like a pig and sleeps all night. I want to lay it out there because, it will come out eventually as I continue to blog. My post today though is not to brag, but to be real. I don't want someone that is looking at blogs trying to decide to adopt to see my comments and think that this is easy. It's not. We know that it won't always be this easy. Well, it's already not always that easy. This morning my daughter screamed for 30 or 45 minutes, a heartbreaking scream of fear, as I laid her down for her morning nap. She would go to sleep, I would lay her down, and she would wake up screaming..over..and over. That's her easy nap time. She has slept in that same crib for her naps so...so many times. Yet for some unknown reason this morning, she was terrified of me leaving her. I had to hold her until she had been asleep a long time before putting her in her crib. This happens every now and then, hopefully less and less. But, this is a small part of the hard stuff that comes with adoption, even with a young infant as easy as our daughter. That an infant can have a fear of being left amazes me, but emotional scars start very young.

I grieved for our daughter's loss almost continually before we brought her home. It's so easy to forget now that she is home and so sweet, fun and happy. It's moments like this morning that I grieve again for her. I grieve that our daughter has to have already, at less than 7 months old, suffer the loss of 2 mothers, her birth mother and the special mother that took care of her at HH. She's in her forever family now, and we're not going anywhere, but I know that she will always have to deal with her loss. That loss will be evident as show grows up and wants to know why she looks different from us and who she looks like. It won't always be as easy...adoption never is, but it is oh so worth it.

-amory

-here's a post of encouragement for any of you that are struggling with your adoption transition.

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/09/06/after-the-airport

8 Months Old!

Happy eighth month birthday sweet girl! Every other month we have longed to celebrate with our daughter her monthly birthday milestone. Last month we were able to celebrate it by getting on a plane and flying home. This month we celebrated it by Aerin's first trip to the zoo!! It is so much fun to be able to
have these moments with the daughter we prayed for
so long to have. It was even better to be able to have family with us. Aerin went to the zoo with her cousins M and H and Aunt L.

She was reserved at first but by the end of the day decided that she LOVES koi fish and mandrills. Aerin learned to clap this week and started clapping and laughing while we fed the koi. She also had her first ride on a carousel. She decide

d to ride the ostrich but wasn't too sure she had made the right decision once the carousel started. As always, Aerin was a trooper and made it through the ride and was bouncing once it was over for more.

So, happy eighth month birthday baby girl...it was a blast!

-amory

**Please, no comments on my pastiness that is made evident by my latte daughter being next to me. I also would not normally have a band quite that wide on her head, but I was trying to hide her hairline from the sun as much as possible.**

One Month Ago

One month ago today, we became parents. One month ago today, we, as a family of three, walked out of the black gates that kept our daughter at Hannah's Hope. August 1st, 2011 is our Gotcha Day. We already loved the little girl in the pictures and the little girl that we played with in May, but one month ago today we learned to love the little girl that also screamed, cried and refused to take a bottle from us. One month ago today we fell head over heals, crazy in love with our daughter.
We waited over two years for that moment, and I can still hardly believe that right now my daughter is sleeping downstairs. It's hard to believe how far we have come in just one month. God has entrusted us with a ridiculously sweet natured, loving, silly little girl that gives the sweetest, yet ickiest, slobbery kisses.
The song that helped start it all is still a perfect description of this adoption process for us.
"Everyone needs compassion,Love that's never failing;Let mercy fall on me. Everyone needs forgiveness,The kindness of a Saviour;The Hope of nations. Saviour, He can move the mountains,My God is Mighty to save,He is Mighty to save." Christian lyrics - MIGHTY TO SAVE LYRICS - HILLSONG AUSTRALIA
Our God is and has been Mighty to save. He has shown us compassion that we didn't deserve, love that never failed and His mercy has unceasingly rained down on us. He moved mountains and bureaucracies to bring our daughter home. HE IS MIGHTY AND TO HIM BE ALL GLORY AND HONOR AND PRAISE!!

Home

I know you all have been waiting for an update, but my time is now dictated by a 7 month old!
We've been getting settled and trying to figure out what our routine is. I can say that it has been wonderful! We are enjoying every minute of having Aerin home with us...yes, even the poopy diapers, because they remind us of the hard parts that we wanted for so long. Hopefully I'll get a chance to update you all in the next couple days on what happened while we were in Ethiopia, but for now I'll leave you with a few pictures of our sweet, silly girl. By the way, we knew it when we saw her at our court appointment, but we have had confirmed that this girl is NOT camera shy. She can be fussy, see the camera flash, pep right up and start posing. Yes, I do mean posing. If I didn't already know how shady the modeling industry was, she would be a photographers dream baby model.

Heading home SOON!

It's a little ironic that, having just moved this week, I've had at times less internet access than Bryan and Amory have in Ethiopia:) But yesterday I got to video skype with them, and see sweet Tarikua! She was babbling away, looking at her strange new family member on the computer screen, chewing on her rattle . . . generally being her cute chunky self. Speaking of chunky . . . she's close to 20lb and Amory is getting the arm work out of a lifetime. She's eating great (bottles and oatmeal!), sleeping well, and adjusting better each day. Today (Friday) they were going back to Hannah's Hope for a last goodbye. Saturday night they head to the airport for the long journey back to Texas. Keep praying!

SJP

Embassy? Check

Bryan and Amory had a successful embassy appointment today! Their first night with Tarikua (Monday) was tough--as expected for a little one just removed from a familiar environment, she cried and cried. But a bath and bottle and love from her new mama and daddy eventually comforted her and she ended up sleeping a 5 hour stretch that night! Since then she's done well-some hard hours, obviously, but altogether wonderful considering. Amory sent this photo of their beautiful, sweet, happy, baby--THEIR baby. How awesome is this?! Pray for their next few days as they continue to seek to bond with Aerin, comfort her, encourage each other, and travel from Ethiopia back to Texas!

At Last

I have it on good authority that Bryan, Amory, and Aerin are all together, at their hotel!!!

Please pray for B&A as they navigate this crash course in how to parent a 7m old, for Aerin as her world just totally changed and all that was secure is gone, for her precious caretakers who are sad (yet happy) over her leaving, and of course for her birth family.

I'll keep you posted when I hear more!

SJP