Blessed

This time of year has always been my favorite. I love the crisp air and the changing color of the leaves. Fall Festivals...enough said. I love getting together with friends and family and celebrating what we are thankful for. I love how everyone gets caught up in giving to others. I love baking old favorites and trying new recipes and I really love setting up the tree. If Brandon would allow it I would have the tree set up all year round. There is just something therapeutic to me about  the glow of Christmas lights.

I can so clearly remember this time last year. Struggling with being thankful in spite of the disappointment of Nati being denied a medical visa. Going through all the motions of the Christmas season while being so painfully aware that one of my children was missing. That our family was separated by oceans and that all I really wanted was to be together.

So, as you can imagine, last night was pretty magical ...

Blessed.

*** For those of you that have been praying for the medical side of things I wanted to write a quick update. Nati had his MRI on November 23rd. We were able to talk with the medical team and they agreed to try a lower dose of sedation than suggested for Nati's weight. We were thankful for their cooperation but unfortunately he still struggled to metabolize the medication and it was a pretty rough 24 hours. We will continue to talk with our medical team to discuss our options for avoiding this in the future. 

We also met with our pediatric ophthalmologist and decided together to postpone the eye surgery for now. Since Nati is compensating and not having trouble with basic everyday things it is not harmful to wait and might in fact be helpful as we continue to determine which eye muscle(s) need to be operated on. This is complicated further by Nati's lack of English and inability to perform the basic eye tests needed. ;)

We also met with our Neurosurgeon again yesterday to go over the Xray and MRI results. While there is narrowing around the spinal cord he does not believe that is is overstretched as we had been told previously. This is a huge praise!!! What this means is that Nati's risk of spinal cord damage is significantly reduced if he were to be in an accident or fall (which he does daily). He will not require surgery at this time as a surgery is far more risky than waiting and watching. This also cleared us to be able to start therapy so we received referrals for PT, OT and Speech Therapy yesterday. The other thing these images revealed was that Nati's scoliosis of his thoracic spine is more severe than we initially thought. So we have been referred to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to rule out surgery and hopefully be fitted with a brace to help correct the curvature. 

Life continues to be crazy, as we adjust to being a family of 7 and tackle Nati's medical needs, but we are so thankful to be spending this Christmas season together as a family. 

Loss and Grieving

Today marks 3 months since an Ethiopian judge declared we were a family.

These days we are seeing a lot of this. 

And this...

Which is perhaps why last night was a harsh reminder of the reality of trauma. This sweet and brave boy is making huge strides with trust and learning to live in a family. However, last night as we laid down to go to sleep, the tears started. At first they were silent but they quickly grew to full blown sobs which told me this was about more than a little guy that didn't want to go to bed. I remembered reading in one of the many adoption books we have read about narrating your child's story and using pictures. So I pulled him into my arms and pulled up pictures on my phone. We talked about how Nati used to live at the orphanage with his friends and caretakers. I listened as he named them off one by one. We talked about the day mommy and daddy came to meet him. We talked about the guesthouse and our beloved driver Yoseph. We talked about the long plane ride home and meeting his siblings for the first time. We talked about new experiences since he has been here.

As I turned off the phone he looked up at me and said "Mommy, Daddy, Addie, Emme, McKinley, Benji, Nati, Betasaida.". And there in the broken English of a four year old was the answer to the tears. Nati is at war within himself. He loves being in our family and yet he undoubtedly longs for the familiar. 

After pacing and rocking and swaying and singing for over 2 hours this is how he went to sleep. 

Exhausted I went to bed after shedding my own tears. This morning I woke up and looked at the calendar only to realize the significance of the day. 3 months ago was one of the best days of my life. It was the culmination of months and months of fighting for Nati to be in our family. 3 months ago today was also the last day Nati spent in the place he had called home for years. It was the last day he was surrounded by his friends and caretakers. It was the last day he ate the same thing for meals each day and wore the same clothes. It was the last day that everyone around him spoke the same language. It was the last time for all those things and he probably didn't know it.

So while the change may have been for his good it still involved loss. 

Loss that he is still very much grieving.

It has been 3 months since life changed forever and the body remembers even when the mind forgets.

Breaking Out Of The Cocoon

I am so excited to be writing this post. I have been praying for wisdom about the right time to do so. We have now had custody of Nati for 11 weeks and have been home for 9 weeks. Typing those numbers out seems like such a short time but in reality the time those numbers represent also feels like an eternity. Tomorrow will mark 12 weeks since we left our house and boarded our first flight to go to Ethiopia. So much has happened in those 12 weeks that I do not think I could type it all out if I tried. It has been a beautiful time of watching Nati experience new things and watching our family blend together. In most ways it feels like he has always been here. We are making good progress in bonding and attachment. 

This progress has taken time, energy, patience and lots of love to accomplish. It is one of the reasons it is so hard to break out of our cocoon. Because of how important routine and consistency is to Nati, change in schedule can sometimes undo some of the progress made. Unfortunately, some of that could not be prevented as he needed medical care very early on in our time home. However, we have tried to minimize every other outing that could wait. 

So actually tomorrow is pretty monumental. We will be going to church for the first time as a family of 7!!! 

We are so excited to carry Nati into the church that helped bring him home. So many of you have shown our family overwhelming love and support. We are so thankful God gave us a physical reminder of His provision over the last 2 years, through you. Tomorrow morning I will walk into our Sunday School room filled with people who have prayed, cried and celebrated every step of this process with us. I will walk into worship, where we have raised our hands in surrender when we didn't understand and where we have stood with tears streaming down our face as we absorbed God's faithfulness in the waiting. 

However, tomorrow I will be holding my son in my arms

...and there will probably be more tears.

*** Below I am sharing a form letter from an adoption resource because it explains so beautifully why we will still be keeping Nati close and asking that your refrain from too much affection for the time being. Please do not be afraid to approach us and be excited to see us. We are certainly very excited to see all of you. ***

Dear Family & Friends,

After almost two years of waiting, our precious Nati is finally home! We know that each of you reading this has, in some way, supported, loved and prayed for us. Because we know your care for Nati and our family, we want to share with you some information that we hope will best equip everyone around him to assist us in laying the strongest and healthiest foundation - emotionally, physically and spiritually.

In many ways, Nati will be like the children who entered our family through birth; we will parent like other Christian families as we bring all of them up in the instruction of the Lord. But there will be a few, initial differences. For years now, we have researched bonding and attachment in children, especially those coming home through adoption from an institutional orphanage setting.

We are confident of this: God's design is PERFECT! His plan for parents and children is a beautiful and meaningful picture of His love for us. Attachment between a parent and child occurs over time when a baby has a physical or emotional need and communicates that need. The primary caretaker (usually mommy) meets the need and soothes the child. This repeats between a parent and child over and over to create trust within the child for that parent; the baby is hungry, cries in distress, mom nurses & calms the baby - which teaches him that this person is safe and can be trusted. By God's very design, an emotional foundation is laid in the tiniest of babies, which will affect their learning, conscience, growth and future relationships. The security provided by parents will, ultimately, give children a trust for and empathy towards others.

Children who come home through adoption have experienced interruptions in this typical attachment process. The loss of a several caregivers at an early age can be a major trauma on their little hearts. The good news is that we can now, as Nati's parents and forever family, rebuild attachment and help him heal from these emotional wounds. When Nati comes home, he will be overwhelmed. Everything around him will be new and he will need to learn not just about his new environment, but also about love and family. He has not experienced God's design for a family in an orphanage setting. The best way for us to form a parent/child bond is to be the ones to hold, snuggle, instruct, soothe and feed him. As this repeats between us, he will be able to learn that parents are safe to trust and to love deeply. We are, essentially, recreating the newborn/parent connection. Once Nati starts to establish this important bond, he will then be able to branch out to other, healthy relationships.

Nati will have, what may seem like, a lot of structure, boundaries and close proximity to us. Please know that these decisions are prayerfully and thoughtfully made choices based on immense amounts of research and instruction from trusted adoption mentors. We will be doing what we believe is best to help him heal from those interruptions in attachment as effectively as possible. Why are we telling you all of this? Because you will actually play an awesome and vital role in helping our boy settle in, heal, and lay a foundation for the future. There are a few areas in which you can help us:

The first is to set physical boundaries. It will help us immensely if adults limit what is typically considered normal, physical contact with Nati. This will (for a while) include things like holding, hugging and kissing. Children from orphanage settings are prone to attach too easily to anyone and everyone - which hinders the important, primary relationship with parents. Waving, blowing kisses or high fives are perfectly appropriate and welcomed! Nati should know that the people with whom he interacts are our trusted friends.

Another area is redirecting Nati's desire to have his physical and emotional needs met by anyone (including strangers) to having us meet them. Orphans often have so many caretakers that they, as a survival mechanism, become overly charming toward all adults. A child struggling to learn to attach may exhibit indiscriminate affection with people outside of their family unit. It may appear harmless and as if they are "very friendly" but this is actually quite dangerous for the child. To share this is difficult for us because we have snuggled, cared for, fed and loved so many of your children. Please understand that we want nothing more than to have Nati hugged, cuddled and cherished by ALL of you (he's totally irresistible and huggable). But until he has a firm understanding of family and primary attachments, we would be so grateful if you direct him to us if you see that he is seeking out food, affection or comfort.

We are incredibly blessed to have so many loved ones around us who are excited to welcome our son. We couldn't ask for a better extended family & circle of friends for our precious boy. Thank you so much for your love and support over the past two years. If you have any questions please feel free to ask at any time!

Surgery and Settling In

Sorry it has taken me so long to write an update after Nati's surgery. I had intended to do it much sooner but honestly our days since surgery have been pretty rough. We are all doing fine but the surgery definitely unraveled some of the hard work we had accomplished since coming home and that has been a little disheartening. Any timetable we had for hitting our new normal has been thrown out the window. We have extended our cocoon for a little bit longer and are trying to follow Nati's lead in attachment needs. We cannot wait for everyone to meet Nati and to be back at church as a family. However, we truly believe we have been doing what is in Nati's best interest. So thank you for being so patient with us as we are building this important foundation for him. We know you are all so ready to meet Nati and we are grateful for your continued support and prayers for our family.

Ok, back to surgery day. We arrived at Mercy Hospital around 6 AM on September 22nd for Nati's surgery. We were then placed in a waiting room for 15 minutes before being taken back to the holding room. It was here that we confirmed Nati's information and lack of medical history, met with our surgeon and our anesthesia team. We were reassured over and over again that this was a minor, routine procedure but this did nothing to settle mom and dad's nerves. The first thing they asked us to do was to change Nati out of his Thomas pajamas and into a hospital gown. This of course set off a wave of tears as Nati tried to rip the gown off and put back on HIS pajamas. Clothing and shoes continue to be huge security items to Nati and I truly believe that somewhere in his mind he thinks that keeping them on at all times means he is staying with us. It is heartbreaking to watch this and on this already stressful morning it almost sent me into tears as well. 

Something we talked extensively about with all members of the care team was the fact that there is research showing that 30% of Ethiopian kids are rapid metabolizers of Codeine. We put it down as an allergy and told them we did not even want him to have hydrocodone after surgery even though they assured us it was different. What we didn't realize at the time was that Ethiopian kids that rapid metabolize Codeine can have trouble with anesthesia and other narcotics as well. So when the nurse insisted we give him Versed to help him calm down, I went against my mommy instinct and allowed it. Within 3 minutes Nati was completely out of it and limp in my arms. Thankfully the anesthesiologist understood Nati's background and allowed me into the OR until he was completely under anesthesia. 

I was escorted out to the waiting room where Brandon was waiting and told the doctor would be with us in 10-15 minutes. Sure enough about 15 minutes later the surgeon came out to tell us that the surgery had went really well for the most part. He was only able to remove part of Nati's adenoids because when he got the tonsils out he revealed a split uvula which is an indicator for a partial cleft palate and he believed the adenoids were keeping it covered. As soon as he left I looked at Brandon with tears in my eyes and said "Praise God, a cleft palate could have very easily been a death sentence for our already hard to feed boy in Ethiopia.". Once again we were being reminded of how God's hand of protection has been over Nati even since he was in his birthmother's womb. 

We had explained over and over again how important it was for us to be there when Nati woke up and to be the first ones to comfort him so our nerves set in again when 30 minutes passed and they still had not come to get us. I went up to the desk and asked them to call back and check. The woman at the desk said that he was still in the OR but that as far as she could tell everything was ok. We waited another long 15 minutes before being called to go back to recovery. As soon as we enter the recovery bay I could hear Nati crying all the way at the other end. I walked as fast as I could without running and when I turned the corner I was met by 3 nurses and someone from the anesthesia team. One nurse immediately began helping me get the side rail down and encouraged me to pick him up. As I was trying to pick him up without tugging on any of his monitor wires or IV the woman from anesthesia began talking to Brandon. I could tell by her voice that she was pretty shaken up as she explained that she would strongly encourage us to never give Nati narcotics again. When the surgery was over they could not get Nati to wake up, even after reversing the Versed multiple times. His breathing was also still having trouble regulating even while I was holding him. She said she has only seen one other person in her career have this much difficulty with anesthesia and the narcotic.

Within another half hour we were moved to the pediatric floor where Nati's vitals and breathing were monitored very closely over the next several hours. He was also given a steroid to try to counteract any effect the Narcotic was still having. For the next couple hours his speech was slurred and he could not sit up alone. He cried for almost 2 hours straight after waking up from surgery and when he finally fell asleep he only slept for 30 minutes. However, by the afternoon he was holding down fluid and drinks and so they sent us home that evening. I can honestly say I am so glad they did. As soon as Nati got home and in his pajamas he went to sleep and slept through the night. I think he just could not relax in the sterilized environment of the hospital. Benjamin was also very relieved to have us back home. He had asked for Nati all day and on the way to Springfield kept saying " I'm going to get my mom. I'm going to get my mom."

The days since the surgery have been hard. We had been doing hard work to try to keep Nati's eating and drinking routine in place and all of that has been undone. We have been rotating Tylenol and Ibprofen every four hours and if we miss a dose Nati starts crying and pointing to his throat and saying "asamama" which is Amharic for hurt. He is still only eating soft foods and we are thankful that he is taking fluids very easily. We have been getting lots of extra cuddles as well and for that we have no complaints. ;)

In the last two weeks we have also had many really encouraging moments. We have had a huge answer to prayer in the surgery not undoing attachment for Nati. If anything he has allowed us to nurture and baby him even more which is really a wonderful thing. 

Nati has been working on his coloring skills and is now able to use multiple colors and different strokes. Before he would use one color and only draw straight lines. He also has mastered 3 puzzles and has learned to have fun while doing them. He is learning to do creative play with baby dolls and cars and trains. It is hard to imagine but, at the age of 4, Nati has had to learn to play. He has likely never had people sit down and show him how to roll the car instead of banging it on the ground or how to build a tower. In fact when we first took custody of Nati the only thing he wanted to do was pack the toys back safely into their packaging or cling to them desperately so no one would take them away. It has been such a joy watching him learn how fun it is to actually play with the toys. This is, of course, still a work in progress but we have been so encouraged to see so much growth in such a small time. 

Nati has also learned a few new English words and phrases in the last few weeks. His favorites are "I want it" (This applies to pretty much anything his siblings have or sweets), "more", and "come mommy/daddy". We are also continuing to learn more Amharic and there is still a lot of pointing. We are figuring it out and communication is happening which is the most important thing. 

We have now had custody of Nati for 9 weeks and we have been home for 7 weeks. I would say that our days are now mostly good with a few hard moments. Nati is learning what it means to be in a family and to have one mommy and daddy that will meet your needs. We are learning more about Nati's amazing personality everyday. All of the kids are creating a sibling bond. 

We are doing hard work, but it is also beautiful work. 

Life is starting to settle...and that is a really amazing feeling.

New Normal

Hey Friends,

It has been a few weeks since I updated you so I thought I would type up a quick post tonight. Things have been going well in our house over the past several weeks. Nati continues to adjust. learn and grow. We have had a couple appointments since our last update but other than that we have been mostly staying home. We did make an exception for an overnight trip to Branson that we had promised the girls earlier in the summer. All in one weekend Nati experienced his first fall festival, a day at SDC, swimming in a kiddie pool and outlet mall shopping. It was too much, way too much, and we were all exhausted for the next several days. 

First, I want to share our BIG praise. As many of you know we were very concerned about Nati having undiagnosed cardiac issues because of his Klippel-Feil diagnosis and some other factors in his history. This fear was compounded when we spoke to the ENT about how bad his sleep apnea is. Because we have no way to know how long he has been having these episodes it was impossible to tell how much heart and lung damage could have already been done. With this in mind we went to see a pediatric cardiologist on Friday. Nati had an Echo and an EKG done as well as a physical examination by the cardiologist. We have really good news to report!!! Not only is Nati's heart 100% anatomically correct but it is functioning at a really healthy level. PRAISE GOD!!! We are so thankful for this good news and will not even have to have any follow ups unless he presented with a cardiac issue in the future. 

Our visit to the ENT confirmed that Nati's tonsils were enlarged (in fact touching). They were so large that the doctor could not even see the adenoids so they will be removing them while they are in there just to be safe. The ENT is hopeful that this minor procedure will greatly improve Nati's breathing while sleeping and we are all very thankful for that. Even though it is a routine and minor procedure, because of risk factors, the doctor felt more comfortable doing the surgery in the hospital and keeping him overnight. Brandon and I felt better about that as well. So this Tuesday at 6 AM we will check in for Nati's first surgery. Please pray for no complications and as little discomfort as possible for little man. We are already stocking the fridge and freezer with jello, popsicles, Pediasure and a few easy things to swallow. Also, please pray that we will be able to nurture and connect after this procedure and that there would be no back slide in attachment progress.

Yesterday marked 7 weeks of having custody of Nati and today marks 5 weeks of being home. When I try to think of how to explain what our world likes like now it is hard for me to find the words. I know we are making progress with attachment, I know we are are finding our new routine/normal and I know that God is doing healing work in Nati's heart. I also know that there is still so much work to be done on attachment, I know that while I am learning so much about this precious boy each day there are still several times a week where I have no earthly idea what triggered him to tears, I know that he would still be perfectly content to go with anyone who would meet his need a second quicker than I am available. 

This is the "hard" I have longed to be doing for the last 2 years. Do not be mistaken, loving this boy is easy, but teaching him this kind of forever family love is hard. To a child who has had multiple caregivers over the 4 years of his life it is hard to understand one mommy forever. To a child that has had to fight his way through life it is hard to understand that he doesn't need to bite, hit, scratch to defend his stuff. To a child that has wondered if food/drink would be available, it is hard to understand that he will not go hungry even if he has to wait a few minutes for the food to heat, because what if the food isn't really there. To a child who has been left to soothe himself alone, it is hard to let mama be the comforter. 

So what are we doing with our days? We are trying so hard to teach Nati that mommy and daddy will be the ones to meet your needs, forever, no matter what. We are teaching Nati to actually play with toys instead of just gripping them so no one takes them away. We are trying to get that boy food and drink the second he asks for it and if it is going to take 30 seconds we try to hold him and reassure him that food is coming. We sit in the rocker and on the floor and walk a hundred laps around the same room holding Nati as he cries. Sometimes we know why and sometimes we don't but we let him know that we are a safe place to land. That it is ok to feel frustrated, scared, angry or sad in our arms. So we sing "Jesus Loves Me" for the hundredth time and we whisper in Amharic "Eshi" -it is ok and "Ewodihalehu"- I love you. 

Sometimes we even cry right along with him. 

So hear we are at week 7. I thought by week 8 we would be coming out of our cocoon a little and venturing out into the world. Honestly, now I am not so sure. We are busy doing hard, healing work for our boy and that includes keeping our world small for a little longer than expected. I miss all of you so much. I really miss fellowship with friends and worship with our church family. However, I know that ultimately this is what Nati needs right now. I know that when I am giving Nati his bottle, and playing trains on the floor and holding him as he grieves for things he doesn't even understand, I am worshiping. I know God is giving me his patience, grace and perseverance for the hard moments and days. I know that God will equip us with everything we need to parent Nati and our other four children. I know that he called us to do this and he will see us through even the difficult parts. It is such a privilege to get to show Nati what the unconditional love of  family looks like.

He is faithful. He is able. He is good. 

So, thank you from the bottom of our heart for all of your prayers, texts and encouragement. Here are a couple of specific ways to continue to pray for our family.

1.) Pray for Nati to continue to attach to us and to recognize that this is forever.

2.) Pray for our other four kids as they adjust to the new normal.

3.) Pray for us to continue to be able to establish a routine that works for our family. There is always an adjustment when you add an additional family member. We are getting there but still have some details to figure out.

4.) Pray for Nati's surgery this Tuesday. That he would have no reactions to anything and that his discomfort would be minimal. Prayers for peace for mom and dad would be great too. :)

5.) Pray for discernment for Brandon and I as we make some medical decisions for Nati in the next couple months. 

One Month!!!

Today Nati has officially been a member of our family for one month!!! It is hard to believe a whole month has passed since an Ethiopian judge approved what we had known for so long. Natinim Solomon was a part of our family FOREVER!!!

We have learned so much about each other over the last 4 weeks. There is still so much to learn but we are uncovering new details and layers to this special little guy everyday. I was able to spend the first 2 weeks in Ethiopia alone with Nati and I will always be grateful for that time spent together in his beautiful country forming those early routines for bonding. The last 2 weeks have been spent back at home with a few outings but mostly keeping our world small. 

Two of our outings have been to doctors appointments. The first was to the pediatrician for basic labs, a physical exam and to receive the needed referrals for specialists appointments. 

The second appointment was to the Pediatric Ophthalmologist to make a plan for Nati's eyes. The language barrier and developmental delay made the eye tests nearly impossible but the doctor was able to give us a diagnosis just from a few tests and observing Nati. Nati has what is called Duane Syndrome (Type I).  This is caused by the miswiring of several eye muscles and nerves and probably occurred  around the 6th week of pregnancy. It is due to poor development of tiny parts of the brain stem that control the eye muscles and causes his eyes to not be able to move outward. Typically kids would compensate for this by turning their head from side to side to see things but because of Nati's vertebral fusion in his neck he has limited neck mobility. For the time being we are going to have him wear glasses to help compensate. There is a small chance this could work well enough but it is more likely that he will have to have surgery on both eyes to help as a long term solution. We are thankful that the doctor was willing to take the less aggressive approach and give us more time to bond before we explore this option. We will go back two days before Thanksgiving to assess further. 

If possible, we think he is even MORE adorable with glasses! :)

One of the first things we figured out after taking custody of Nati in Ethiopia is that his breathing while sleeping is a little scary. He snores and gasps and sometimes quits breathing all together several times a night. As you can imagine this has made it very hard for him to sleep peacefully...mom and dad too. We were unsure what was causing this but it was definitely at the top of our list to explore when we got home. When we went to our pediatrician we found out that Nati's tonsils are pretty much touching. While we are unsure if removing them will completely take care of the sleep apnea we are hoping that is will significantly improve his breathing. We will be going to the ENT this coming Wednesday to schedule a surgery date. 

Then we will be going back to the pediatrician on September 18th to start Nati's vaccinations and possibly do more labs. We will also talk about getting referrals to other specialists, including a pediatric cardiologist and pediatric neurologist. So as you can see the medical appointments are keeping us pretty busy for the time being.

A few other things coming up in the next few weeks will be:

-Brandon going back to work full time

-First family photo shoot

-Starting school with the girls again

-First post placement visit with our social worker (These will be done at 3, 6 and 12 months and then yearly until he is 18)

-Hopefully getting the needed documents to start the adoption here in the states (Just in case you thought the paperwork was over) ;)

We are so thankful for your continued prayers as we adjust to our new normal. While we are definitely starting the hard work of reversing years spent in an orphanage we are also seeing big steps in the right direction. Nati continues to bravely trust us a little more each day and to allow us to do things for him that he has been doing for himself for years. Just this week we have experienced two really huge examples of healing behavior. For the first time Nati said he was done eating before the food was gone. I could have literally just sat there and cried. For a child that has not always known food is coming again this was a big show of trust on his part. Also, last night for the first time I was able to soothe Nati. I know this sounds so small but for the past several years he has been left to deal with his emotions on his own and having us comfort and soothe him is extremely difficult and uncomfortable for him. We have tried just about everything but most of the time we just hold him and rock him, letting him know we are a safe place when he is upset, mad or frustrated. Last night I was able to swaddle him up and offer him his pacifier and bottle. There were tears and a little bit of resistance but FINALLY he curled into me and the tears subsided. His eyes kept blinking closed and popping back open. I may have sang "Jesus Loves Me" 30 times but he snuggled in and fell asleep and there were more tears but this time they were from me.

God is so good and the healing of Nati's heart will only be accomplished through His mighty power. I know we have a long way to go still but month one has been a good one. 

We cannot wait to see all that God has in store for Nati and our family in the coming days and weeks.

I am so thankful I get to be his mommy.  <3

Transitioning Home

Our family has officially been living under the same roof for one week! It is so crazy to type those words. For close to 2 years we have longed to be doing normal life together and we are finally getting to do it.

The past week has been busy but not in a productive kind of way. 

Those of you who are parents will recognize the first week home after a new addition when you feel success at accomplishing such insignificant things that it seems a little silly to those outside the home. 

For the most part we have spent our days meeting the physical and emotional needs of one of our 5 children. At this point that takes up the majority of our days. The first couple days home there were plenty of tears from all of them as they processed the fact that mom was finally home and as they adjusted our new normal. 

Undoubtedly, the boys have had the most adjustment. Nati to a whole new culture and life and Benjamin to the whole new world of welcoming a sibling. The girls have slipped right into their big sister roles well and without too much adjustment. They love to baby both of the boys and they do it very well. In fact it has been so normal to them that 2 of them have already asked when we will be adding another sibling to the family. 

They have not received an answer on this matter yet. 

Overall, things are going so much better than we could have hoped for. The whole family is settling in and it feels like we have always been together. Nati is trying new foods and experiences and is taking it all in stride. I continue to be amazed at the strength and bravery of that boy. He has such a sweet personality and I believe he was somewhat relieved to have his siblings to play with after being an only child for 2 weeks. 

This past week we went in for Nati's first doctor's appointment here in the states. We have received our first referrals to specialist and have more that will be happening in the future. While his health seems to be much better than it has been at times there are still several things that need further examination. We will be seeing a pediatric ophthalmologist on Tuesday to determine if Nati will need glasses, surgery, neither or both. The following week we will be seeing an ENT for a surgical consult. Surgery to remove Nati's tonsils and adenoids will likely be scheduled soon after that appointment. From there we will likely be referred to a pediatric cardiologist and a pediatric neurosurgeon. We will be working hard to catch up on missed vaccinations and to reverse his malnutrition. 

We are so thankful to know that nothing will be revealed in these appointments or tests that God doesn't already know. 

He knit Nati together and He knew everything about him before he was formed. 

Please pray for God to give wisdom to all the doctors that will treat Nati and that as his parents we would have discernment about how to best move forward with his care. 

We are so thankful for all of the prayers, meals and paper products that have already been delivered to our house over the past week. We are so thankful that when God called us to this journey he gave us the BEST support system ever. Thank you for all of the practical ways you have loved on our family. You have made our transition home so easy and we are so grateful.