WE ARE STILL ALIVE!

Hi all, wanted to say, that yes, we are here and doing well. Amazing, Beautiful, Cute, Joyful, in Awe, Thankful and blessed beyond measure-these are some of the words that we feel each day with Seble! We are in love more than I can say and she makes us smile more times in a day then I can count! She is a happy baby and makes the funniest faces! She usually just cries if she is hungry or tired (she definitely lets you know her needs). :-)

She was very sick the night we got home with a very high (104.8 fever) and ear infection. She got a shot of antibiotics at the doctors and within 2 days was doing much better. She had her BIG doctor's appointment last week, got lots of blood drawn and checked out good! She weighed 16lbs 7oz and was 25-1/2 in. long. That is so much bigger than what she started her little life at-it is truly amazing! She was only in the 30% for weight (which surprised me because she is rolly-polly). Her head and lengthmeasurements were in the 25%. She has to get some more labs drawn next month and see an adiologist, but other than that-is doing very well and the doctor thought she looked great. She had no parasites in her stool cultures-which surprised us, but the diarrhea is getting much better....we are trying different formulas and as she is starting to eat food for the first time, her little system is adjusting well.

Seble has been sleeping 3-5 hours regularly and for the most part at a stretch. We have our first post-adoption visit coming up in a couple weeks-can't believe it is here already, but we have to have all the pictures/paperwork to Ethiopia BY 3 months post-adoption, so our social worker is already starting it. We have a 3, 6 and 9 month visit and then have to send a short update and pictures each year to the Ethiopian government-per their request until Seble is 18! O'well, it is a small thing to do to have such joy in our lives! YES, we are working on finishing our blog postings up from the 2 trips....we are about to day 4 on the FIRST trip, so it may take awhile but we will get there! It has taken a back burner to being with her AND sleep! :-)

Our kids are very much in love and can't leave her alone-they love on her constantly! It is very sweet to see them with her.

We have went on a couple of outings in the last 2 -1/2 weeks-they have mostly been fairly short-to get her used to the crowds, etc...we went first to Walmart and Costco (of course-as we we will go there often in this house)! We also stopped by my work....and went and visited her Great-Grandma Bigler who enjoyed showing her off to the office workers at her retirement community. We then stopped by my sister's work to pick up something and so that she could say hi to her and Adam's brother's house to visit for a few minutes. She is starting to adjust well and is getting less shy when we are out. Adam and I are still doing all of her care giving (feeding, changing, baths, putting down for naps/bed, etc) and we will probably do this for the next couple months.....but she loves to be held by her siblings and grandparents for short times-and she definitely lets us know after 2-5 minutes usually that she is DONE and wants one of us back-by growling this whiny growl...it is funny-but she almost does it every time. She gets this serious look when she sees people, and although she is still doing this, she is slowly starting to warm up-as long as she can see us and knows we are there. Then at home, she smiles, laughs and is happy to plan and cut loose!

We plan to go to my mom's work this week hopefully as well as stop by the kids classrooms as they are begging to show and tell her as they have been telling their classmates about her for nearly 2 years....she is finally really here! They can't wait.