2 weeks home...11 months old!

I still would LOVE to journal about our last trip to Ethiopia to bring Carys home, but I will start that when I have a little more time! In the meantime, its hard to believe we have been home for 2 weeks now. It is really starting to feel like Carys has always been a part of our family. Overall, she is adjusting very well. We certainly have our moments where all she wants to do is be held. That gets wearing, especially when I have 3 other ones to look after. I'm working on learning to use a Moby and do everything with one hand. However, Kai, Becket and Aria have been WONDERFUL big brothers and sister. They are such a big help and they all love to try to keep Carys entertained.

And can I just say how thrilled we are that she is an AWESOME sleeper!?! She has slept through the night since the day we brought her home and takes 2 nice long naps. God knew what He was doing when he placed her with us(-: So thankful for that! She is an "ok" eater and prefers salty over sweet....give her a few weeks and I'm sure she'll love sugar just as much as the other 3. She loves her bottle! The first week, we had some problems putting her down to sleep. She would scream and cry. The first few nights it last about 15 minutes, then each night it got shorter. Now, we give her a bottle, rock her a little, sing her a song and lay her in her crib awake. She looks up at me and doesn't even make a peep, I leave the room and she goes to sleep. What a blessing!

Carys has a fun personality. She's very friendly, smiley and loves to dance....as long as she has some sleep and food in her belly.

Last week we took her down to the DeVos Children's Hospital for all of her labs. They also did a skull xray to check out the shape of her head. The skull xray looked good and we will meet with a Pediatric Neurosurgeon on the 14th. Her lab work was a bit challenging to get. Apparently her veins are super duper tiny. We got barely enough blood to check the "main" things. Everything looked great, except for the fact that she has Giardia. (parasites in the small intestine) Poor baby....explains all of her gas/bloating. We are working to get rid of that.

Here are a few things we have been up to since we have been home:

Carys LOVES the bath tub

Happy as a clam

Big sister helping Mommy by feeding Carys a bottle

Enjoying a movie at our new cottage (she LOVES Praise Baby!)

Getting in on all of the action(-:

Oh yes, she had to be a part of the smores making. One of the kids shared their chocolate graham cracker with her.

She really likes the swing. Her eyes will even roll back into her head and she'll lay her head down on the side. So soothing.

Her favorite and first toy. We brought one to ET (in which we left) and had one waiting for us at home. (Don't mind Aria in her undies....4 kids are a lot of work!(-:)

Oh, and might I add....SHE IS WALKING!! ALL OVER!!!

Love you Carys Tsehay! So glad you are home!