Sa-mare-a...

When we first decided to adopt Samara, I asked how they pronounced her name because I thought it should be pronounced Sa-mare-a because Samara is derived from the word Samaria. Well, I was quickly told that they pronounced it Sa-mar-a. Okay, no big deal. I started pronouncing it that way. Everyone pronounced it that way.

Well, guess what? There is one person that doesn't...and it's the pretty girl that has the name. She says Sa-mare-a & when I tried to get her to say Sa-mar-a, she said, "No...Sa-mare-a." So I went to bed last night thinking how in the world can we continue to say "Sa-mar-a" when she says "Sa-mare-a?" So this morning I told her of my dilemna & asked her which way she wanted us to say it & said, "Sa-mare-a." Now after 2 years & 5 months of pronouncing her name one way...I have to get use to saying it another way. I told her that I might "mess up" once in awhile & say it the other way but that I'm really going to try to say her name "correctly" all the time. Who wants to join me in this endeavor??? :o)

Finally!

I have homecoming pictures to show you. Still working on the video clip but hopefully this will hold for you awhile :o)

Samendia & Jefferson...

So I got "dethroned" from filming the video this time around! Randy took this one :o) I thought we were going to miss this homecoming after finding out that they were delayed in Immigration & missed their flight to come home Sunday evening to our home airport but after finding out that another family (which turned out to be 2 other families besides use) decided to hop in their van & make the 3 hour road trip to the airport they got a flight into, we decided to do the same...yes, with our 4 kids! I am so glad we went! Don & Teresa are very good friends of ours & we started the adoption process together & I wanted to ended it together as well. Welcome home!

Two weeks ago...

my three beautiful Haitian children came home. It's hard to believe that it has been two weeks already! Although I was very excited & thankful for the best Mother's Day present ever, I will admit that the first week was pretty rough. We didn't expect it to a piece of cake but as I have said in a previous post...you can't really ever prepare for something like this. There's too many possible factors & scenarios that can play out due to a clashing of cultures & personalities.

The second week has been much better. Caleb is no longer sick & everyone is starting to settle in & adjust to each other. I know it will continue to be an ongoing transition for awhile but I am so amazed at the progress so far. We look like a family, act like a family, & feel like a family :o)

The kids homecoming did teach us some things about friends as well. I have talked to some other mothers who have already brought their children home & they say the same thing I have been thinking: "You find out who your true friends are when the kids come home." I want to thank each & everyone of my friends who "stepped up to the plate" to help us when the kids came home. Thank you! Thank you for the prayers, support & encouragement! Thank you for the food! Thank you for the gifts! Thank you for having Phoebe come over to your house so she could have a break! Thank you for letting me drop off the kids one morning so I could have some alone time! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I tried really hard to do several updates & pictures since the kids came home because I know that family & friends want to be a part of this transition, however, I don't expect it to continue quite as frequently from now on. I will try to post weekly updates but it may even be longer than that as I don't have a lot of spare time on the computer these days.

Birthday pictures...

Guess what I can do???

This morning I cleaned my own bottom...after going number 2 :o) Then I put on my pull up all by myself...and then I put on my skort all by myself!!!

I am saying a few words in English & Mama is teaching me some sign language. I have to sign "more please" before I get more food...and then I have to say & sign "thank you" after I get more.

Last night I was very excited because some very nice people gave me a very pretty, pink beach towel. I said, "Thank you" very clearly as soon as they gave it to me.

I am learning so much! I do spend some quality time in time out but it is teaching me that I have to follow directions & obey rules just like everyone else. I really like being home with my family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Little Man!!!

Mama is so thankful that you are home to celebrate your 2nd birthday! Thank you Jesus! She is so excited that she can't go to sleep. Hopefully lack of sleep will not affect her party planning :o)

A weekish in review...

To say that we've been busy since the kids came home would be an understatement :o) But I wanted to take the time to post some pictures...still waiting for homecoming pictures from other people...and to let you know how things have been going so far.

We are so thankful that our children are finally home & that our family is now complete! We thank God for bringing his plan for our family to completion. We thank God for his perfect timing...and for the children coming home the day before Mother's day & 10 days before Caleb's birthday. We thank God for bringing them home when he did so Caleb could get the medical care that he needed. This however, does not ease the difficulty of the transition process. Whether you bring home one child or multiples, it is an adjustment...both for the child(ren) you bring home, the parents, & any children already in the home. When two very different worlds coming colliding together...it will be challenging. It is not something you can "really" prepare for. All the books in the world, advice from others, etc. can not prepare you for the responses everyone will have to their rapidly changing environment.

The first two days & nights went fairly smoothly as the girls were still in the "honeymoon phase" & poor Caleb was sick & didn't do much but sleep, puke, & poopy. After that it got more difficult due to Caleb being admitted to the hospital & the girls trying to figure out how to live life outside of an orphanage. This of course is not an overnight process but all 3 of them are taking baby steps forward each day...as are we in trying to help them with their transition.

After Caleb came home from the hospital we saw a side of him that we had never seen before. We still don't know if it is his reaction to the change in his environment or the fact that he is turning 2 & going through that phase, or if it's a combination of the two. He threw some pretty nasty temper tantrums & was hitting, kicking, throwing, & biting but that is starting to subside as well as his constant "Ma Ma" chant he had going on almost non stop for three days. He still likes to be beside me at all times but he's starting to get more comfortable with me doing something in one room & him being in another. Today we smiled & laughed a lot together & even started singing to me although I have no idea what he was singing. He is picking up English very quickly. Yesterday I was eating a salad & he pointed to the croutons on it & said, "Mama, I want that." So needless to say he got some croutons :o) I love holding him in my arms & rubbing his cute head of hair.

Shakira is amazing. The change in her environment has brought out some things that we had not seen before but I think they will decrease as she gets use to being home & her routine. Her smile melts my heart. Her wandering around the house has decreased & she can sit for longer periods of time. Her potty training is hit & miss right now. Some days she does very well & other days...not so well but I don't think it will be very long before she has it mastered. Her communication skills have really improved over the past week. I am focusing on her either saying an English or Creole word or using sign language for a word. No more grunts or groans to speak & she's doing a pretty good job of it. Shakira is definitely a Daddy's girl & she stands by the window & watches for Randy to pull up in the drive way after a days work. She then starts jumping up & down & saying, "Papa Papa."

Samara is by far having the easiest transiton out of the three but there are times when she's struggling & just needs some extra TLC. It didn't take her & Phoebe long to be come "real" sisters. They play well & argue well with each other :o) She is very eager to start school in the fall. I took her to the preschool she will be attending & she was very excited about it. Yesterday Samara & I went to a Chinese buffet by ourselves. You should have seen her eyes when she saw all of the food! I helped her with her plate & then we went back to our seats. She ate some chicken & said, "This is good. It is good for me." I said, "Yes, it is." Then later on she ate a cookie & said, "This is good. It is good for me" & I said, "Not so much" :o)

Phoebe has done much better with the transition than we had expected. She is stepping up to the plate to help out whenever she can although sometimes we have to remind her that we are the parents...not her :o) She has also been getting some much needed "breaks" from good friends that offer for her to go to their house for awhile.

We are very appreciative to all of our friends & family that have lavished support, encouragement, prayers, food, & etc. on us during this time. Thank you so much!

Puke & P_ _ p...

Well, Little Man had been throwing up & having the "runs" since last Thursday. He went to the doctor yesterday morning & they drew labs. Yesterday evening the doctor calls back & says, "He's pretty dehyrdated. I would like to admit him to the hosptial & have IV fluids overnight." So off he & I went. We got there around 6:30pm & he was discharged around 2pm today. He officially has the rhodovirus (however you spell it)...nasty stomach bug that makes lots of stinky puke & green poopy. He looks much better now. He gained 2 pounds since last evening. That's how dehydrated he was. Now he has cheeks & he's his "normal" self. He hasn't thrown up since yesterday but the doctor said the stinky poop will continue for a few more days. Please pray that no one else in our house gets it!

Enjoying outside...

Feeling at home...

They're here!!!

This footage is hard to see because the amazing person that had my camera was standing on the side facing the window & made the footage dark. Hope you can figure out who's who.

On US Soil!

I apologize for not blogging last night but it's been kind of "wild" around here. Randy & "company" arrived safely in Miami last night. The kids are now US Citizens! Samara & Shakira are doing really well. Caleb however is pretty sick so please pray for him. He started throwing up Thursday night at the O. Randy just called from DFW & said Caleb is still throwing up, & now has diarrhea, & a fever. I made jello for him last night & I'm going to the store this morning & get some Pedialyte.

Please pray for peace for my mom as well. She arrived yesterday around 1pm & late yesterday afternoon we found out that a bad storm went through our hometown & she has some house damage which of course is concerning to her.

I will try to post homecoming pictures & video as soon as possible but with a sick little one it might be a while. Thanks for all of your prayers & support!

Talk to the hand...

because that's where the visas are :o) Not my hand, but somebody's :o) I'm really getting excited now! This is really happening!!! Randy & Troy take off tomorrow morning & they are scheduled to come home with the kids on Saturday. Please pray for travel safety & that everything goes smoothly. Thanks!

Amanda...

Hey you...if you still have Michelle's E mail address...would you please send her an E mail & then she can forward it to me so I can send you an E mail about our travel plans. Thanky! :o)

APPROVED!!!

Well, I just got word that we got our visa approvals! Thank you Jesus! Thank you Lord for being with us every step of the way on this wild & crazy ride!
They should be able to pick up the visas tomorrow afternoon. Please remember that "should" is the key word...so please pray that they have the paper & ink they need to print them, & the printing machine works properly & for anything else that could go wrong :o) I will send out an E mail with travel plans once the visas are in hand.

Nothing, nada, zilch...

No news yet. I will let you know as soon as I know something :o)

Praise the Lord!

I was reading Psalm 113 this morning & this is what the last verse says:
"He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!"
Psalm 113:9 NLT

Thank you Jesus!