Week 2 in Review

Hey, so we successfully survived two whole weeks in the good ol' USA!  It has been almost 3 weeks since we took custody of the kiddos, and I am just as much a fan of nap time as I was on day one.  We are getting a little more sleep, thankfully, and settling into a semblance of a routine.

Poop: Jayce has had a dry diaper during the day for a few days now.  He has been able to sit on the big potty.  I was a bit concerned that he would be scared of the big potty, but he defied my expectations and it didn't phase him at all.  This is a relief for mama, since I don't have to clean out the kiddo potty anymore until Anya starts training.  Her diapers are more solid, thankfully, and a little less dreadful to clean up.  Still not my favorite task, and I get out of it whenever I can.  ::shameless::

Words:
Jayce is still not talking, though he understands a lot of what is being said.  He will say "wa! wa! wa!" when he wants water.  But he otherwise communicates with body language, pointing, and an occasional "meh!" of frustration.  He communicates very effectively though, but without words.
Anya, however, is doing quite well.  I am now "Mama" instead of "Mmmmmmmah" and Philip is "Dada".  She can say variations on many words: Muffin ("ma-mnn"), cat, puppy, yummy, fish ("fffffffff"), etc.  A few days ago I heard Philip in the kitchen talking, and ending with a cheer, "ta-da!" and after a very high-pitched "daaaaa!" from Anya.  I love hearing her practice sounds and learn.  She's so alert and eager to take in what is happening around her.  Her development seems really age appropriate, considering her recent changes, and we look forward to watching her progress.

An aloe vera plant

Anya isn't hitting Jayce anymore.  Thankfully.  Poor fellow was taking a beating for a while, as were the cats.  She is starting to be more considerate of Jayce, not taking away his food or trying to bowl over him in her exuberance for life.  He continues to share readily with her.  We joke that Anya is our resident "aloe vera plant".  Her graceful limbs kinda spread everywhere and are hard to contain.  Diaper changing, sleeping, eating, playing, etc.  She's about the most spread out baby girl you'll ever meet.  She can even make a mess of a sippy cup.  Imagine that.  Containment is not her specialty.

Speaking of cats, Peel and Nip seem to have accepted the kiddos as permanent fixtures in the home.  While they are not pleased, the two parties have come to a mutual agreement to ignore one another.  Both kids have learned to pet the kitties gently, and the cats are trying desperately to tolerate the inept affection for a few seconds at a time.  I cannot ask for more.

Jayce: blows my grid every day.  That boy is incredible.  I have never been so humbled by a not-even-two year old.  His compassion, kindness and selflessness is a challenge to me.  He is so alert to the needs around him, it's a bit scary.  He saw me on my hands and knees cleaning up the floor after he had thrown food on it.  He hasn't thrown food on the floor since.  He sees Anya get in trouble (usually for being mean to him) and he consistently brings her something to drink or eat, a toy, and her blanket to comfort her.  If we are not feeding her enough food (in his estimation), he will leave his place and feed her from his plate if hers is empty.  He is able to throw things in the garbage under the sink, put shoes away, put glass bowls away in the cupboard, sort silverware, and take his dishes to the kitchen after a meal.  He does not take only his dishes, but if Philip or Anya or I are done eating, he initiates and takes our dishes also.  We didn't teach him this.  He responds to his sister with grace, gently moving her hand away if she is a bit too eager for what he has.  He drinks from a regular glass cup, and has only spilled twice.  When he's done drinking he will put his glass on the counter.  A few days ago, Jayce and I were making faces at each other and giggling.  Anya comes by and mimics what Jayce just did, and continues walking.  Jayce turns to me with a smirk and a "isn't she adorable for trying to copy me" look.  Such a big brother!  Ha ha, I can't wait to watch this boy grow up!

Church today was great.  It was their first "real" church service and we weren't sure how they would do in a confined space with loud people and music.  Once again, they were golden. Several people came up and told us how distracted they were by our kiddos, simply because they were so cute.  Better that than being an actual distraction by shrieking to wake the dead.  We have done that too, but only at bedtime.

Bedtime.  For a few nights Philip was sleeping upstairs with Anya, so she could cry without waking Jayce.  Philip was kinda "done" with getting up with her every few hours, just to rock her for another hour trying to get her to sleep, just to have a few minutes of sleep before having to rock her again for another hour.  So, instead he has been sitting by her crib, patting her back and talking to her, rather than picking her up.  She fusses galore, but is learning that she can't manipulate him into not sleeping.  The last few nights Philip has moved in again, and all 4 of us are in the same room.  It's working much better now.

People have mostly been really great about giving the kids their space.  It's been a challenge and a balancing act for us,  encouraging freedom without compromising their security, and trying to be gracious to others while still drawing firm lines to protect the kids.  Both kids have done really well with meeting others.  We have kept most of their interaction in our home.  Friends and family have stopped by, sat on the floor and played.  The kids have warmed up quickly and been happy to play with their new friendly "climbing towers".

Last week, we had a group of about 5 people over.  Jayce took one look at the newcomers and ran away into the bedroom and hid in a dark corner.  Yeah, a little too much.  People visiting in ones or twos are best.  We have tried to keep our home fairly quiet, so lots of activity with people and noise is just uncomfortable in an environment that they need to feel "safe" in.

Something Philip and I have been taking about that I want to share with y'all.  We really feel that Philip and I need to be the only ones to "make" the kids do anything right now.  Here's the thing.  Several times in the last week, well-meaning people have forced the kids to "come give me a hug" or be picked up or have their cheek or hair touched.  These are people we love and trust, and in the long-run, the kids should be comfortable with these people, but at the moment they aren't.

Many people that are "family" to Philip and I are still "strangers" to the kids.  Jayce and Anya don't even know what family is yet!  They are barely beginning to grasp who "Mama" and "Daddy" are, much less extended family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc.  So, again, please be considerate of the kids' space and their wishes.  If I had given birth, and the kids didn't have a complex background, then things would be different.  Since this is not the case, and the kids are very new to this life with us, please don't force interaction with them.

Some specific examples: Please only pick them up if they raise their arms to you.  It's ok for family and friends to offer to pick them up, but don't force the issue.  Please don't make them come with you without checking with Philip or me, especially if you are leading them away from us.  Please only take things from them (toys, food) if they give them to you willingly.  Please don't crowd them physically so they have no escape from you.  In time, these things will not be an issue, Lord willing.  But for now, we are in a very sticky spot, and trying to navigate precious, delicate waters.

If the kids turn their face away from you, draw their hands closer to themselves, or make a disapproving noise ("meh!") please back off with a smile.  Just because they are not pushing you away does not mean that they are comfortable with you.  There will be a time when "being polite" and "you need to say hi" and "you must obey this person" will be requirements.  But, those requirements will come from Philip and I.  At the moment, we are just working hard to make them feel comfortable with us.  Feeling comfortable with the people we love will come at a later time.

Please do "high-fives" and "knuckles" and smiles with them.  And, PLEASE ask us if you have questions.  Thank you for understanding.  I hope I'm not stepping on any toes, but maybe being specific can preempt some future issues.

Other "firsts" this week:
Playing in the water hose
Bath time without fussing
Bubble baths!
Ice cream
Chocolate sauce
Tractor ride with Grand-Dad
Muffins
Coffee beans

Wow, I wrote this whole blog post in one sitting!  Now I need to go wake up my small folk from their nap.  Tchau!

Monday: Dr's Appt

No, I won't be writing a post every week.  Most of this is for myself, so that I remember various incidents.  You're sorta reading my journal.

We survived the doctor's appointment today.  We proudly delivered our poop samples that we labored so hard to get.  Er, rather, the kids labored for.  We (read: Philip) managed to not vomit while collecting.  Thankfully Jayce was able to revert to his orphanage habits of being potty trained.  We were really not looking forward to him sleeping in plastic wrap, so I put him on his little potty chair and he pooped!  Sorry, TMI for most of you.  I'm a mom now.  This is exciting news.  So, we are continuing the potty re-training today, and will hopefully get him comfortable using the potty in our home on a regular basis.

Both kids did great during the measuring and weighing part of their physical.  Jayce weighs 23lbs, 10oz, and is in the 10th percentile for his weight, but is 34" tall, and is in the 66 percentile for his height.  Anya is 20 lbs 9oz (17%) and 31" (70%).  The doctor didn't have any concerns about their well-being.  They are just tall and thin kiddos, which is no surprise to us.

The blood-drawing was another story.  We needed samples from both so they could do some extensive blood work.  Anya was poked a few times and they were not able to get enough from her.  She was freaking out by then, and Philip took her out of the room so Jayce could be poked.  He only had to be poked twice, but enjoyed no part of the process and let everyone in the hospital know about it (remember his excellent lungs??).  Anya was poked again and the nurses were still not able to get enough blood from her.   So, back to the clinic we will go at some point in the future so she can be poked again.  Lovely.  Poor Baby Girl. Part of the process involved holding each kiddo down while they flailed.  Not cool for Mommy, Daddy, or the two nurses.  We'll find out results in a week or two, though regardless of what the results of any of their tests are, we may not share them.  Thanks for understanding.  Both kiddos fell asleep promptly after the appointment.  Lots of stress.

I put up the Duplo legos and got down my wood blocks today.  I think the Duplos are a bit above their abilities for now, so that's fine.  I love these blocks because there are pics of leaves, cats, dogs, yatchs, unicorns, and other essential vocabulary words.  They are loving the blocks.

At the moment Uncle Jay and Uncle Daniel are over playing with Jayce.  Anya is not having a good "people" afternoon, especially after strangers poked with with needles.  Jayce was super happy this afternoon, woke up well from his nap, had a good snuggle with me, and a good play time with Philip.

Ok, kiddos are fussing now, thankfully it's almost time for bed.

Quick video of Jayce and Uncle Jonathan playing:

The First Week

Week one.  Well, almost.  Tomorrow night will be the official end of the first week.  But it's nap time now, and I have a few free moments.  Nap time.  Blissful thought.

Overall, we are super thankful for God at work in our family.  Transitions are not nearly as hard as we expected them to be.  Things that we thought would be a trial are ending up a cakewalk.  Then there are some things that we did not foresee at all that have caught us by surprise, even though they should not have.  

As I think I mentioned before, the kids came home and interacted in our home as if they have been here before.  Moments in Addis where we could not leave the room because it felt like "abandonment" are not even an issue here.  Philip 

*****

Ok, this blog post may take me three days to write.  I hereby give up having any semblance of order to it.  It will be a hodgepodge of thoughts as I can find time to type them.  Ha ha.  I guess this is motherhood at its best!

Neither child is sleeping through the night.  Jayce is at the point where I only really need to pick him up around 4am to change his diaper.  He's learning that crying at night doesn't really do him any good.  Mommy is here and will comfort him, but I won't let him go play just because he cries.  Baby girl is another story.  She went through 3 bottles last night, and wakes up every hour between 4am and 8am.  She is Philip's baby during the night, and the poor man has gotten virtually no sleep. 

Anya's diaper issue continues.  We have to collect fresh samples before our doctor's appointment on Monday.  Something about plastic wrap inside the diaper??  How the hey??  Yeah, not looking forward to that.  Pray for us Monday because both kids will go in for their physical, blood work, and general check-up now that they are in the States.  I'm not anticipating it being a pleasant experience.

The kiddos have met all of Philip's family that lives locally.  We introduced them in ones and twos because there are so many!  I'm still not sure the kids recognize them.  Philip was joking tonight that Jayce and Anya meet new people and stare like "Oh, look.  More white people."

A friend brought over her two daughters to meet Jayce and Anya.  Rylea is 6 months older than Jayce, and McKenlea is 6 months younger than Anya.  Rylea stared at Jayce for a long time, then slowly pointed one finger at him and said "black!"  It was hilarious!  

I think the biggest challenge of this parenting thing is how little time Philip and I have to connect and communicate.  It's great that he is able to be home and help 24/7.  I would explode without him.  Seriously, all the diapers he's changed....  This guy is the best dad ever! However, even though we are together all the time, any meaningful conversation and strategic planning between the two of us is haphazard.  We are working on being very purposeful about having time together, but its something we have learned on the fly.

I think the whole bonding thing is going quite well.  Much better than expected.  There are some bumps in the road, but I think most of it is two-year-old related rather than adoption related.  Jayce gets wigged out over the smallest things, like me cutting his scrambled eggs into bite sized pieces.  Eggs = 30 minutes screaming, and he loves eggs.  On the flip side, Anya likes to thwack him on the head with a lego brick, which elicits little more than a grunt of annoyance from him.  

We are working on the hitting issue with Anya.  It's not out of malice or attitude.  It's just one of her favorite past times.  Oh, look!  A cat!  I'm going to hit it!  Oh, look!  My brother!  I am going to smack him!  Oh, look!  Mommy!  A perfect target!  All with a very pretty smile on her face.  Turd.  

In contrast, Jayce and I have had several games of Run-Around-The-Bush-And-Get-A-Kiss-From-Mommy, amid many giggles and squeals.  He will absentmindedly play with my hair, or pat my back.  Baby Girl and I have had some tickling moments.  Her whole body wiggles when she laughs, it's adorable.  She has the brightest eyes and most perfect smile ever.

Both kids prefer us to strangers, which is really good.  Anya warms up to people fairly quick, and a few people have had an opportunity to hold her.  Jayce, however, does not like to be the center of attention.  He really does best when things happen around him that he can observe but not participate in immediately.  

Neither child is really talking much.  After all, English is their third language.  I think Anya will begin talking before Jayce though.  She is mimicking sounds (including Jayce's whining, unfortunately), and can call for MmmmmmmAh! (Mama) and Daddy.  She will also say cat and puppy and a few more words I'm too tired to think of.  I think Jayce takes himself too seriously to experiment around with sounds.  I think that when he begins to talk it will be in fluent English, in full sentences.  Maybe not, but it is just the kind of kiddo he is.  

Jayce is spitting out food less and less.  He actually seems to enjoy much of the food we have around here, and even ate 4 bowls of mac-and-cheese yesterday.  He continues to be neat and tidy, and will take his dishes (and any other available dishes) to the kitchen after a meal.  He helped me load the dishwasher earlier this week, and knows where the glass bowls go and can help me put them away.  He knows where the garbage can is, and where the shoes go.  He is a sweet little helper!  

Anya is a little tornado wherever she goes.  Not organized, not meticulous, but is a little whirlwind of excitement and smiles and fun.  Life is a party to her!  She is just like her daddy!  It is a little challenging to help her understand that there are boundaries, because no gentle coaxing seems to take effect.  Silly goose!  

********

We took the kids to church today.  It was an outside service followed by a picnic, which was a perfect introduction for the kids and the church family.  The kids were golden!  I couldn't have asked for better behaved littles, and we certainly didn't expect it.  I'd imagine the sheer volume of new white faces intimidated them into being subdued.  For the most part, people were really great.  There were a few times when the ring around them was pretty tight, and a few well-meaning folks patted their heads and cheeks.  Even then, the kids did well, and we didn't have any meltdowns.  No one sitting behind us was able to pay attention to the service.  All eyes were glued on our small folk, and the small folk melted hearts today!  

Nap time was a welcome event today for both kids.  I expect they will sleep well.

Oh, hey, I was able to make the picture things work.  Yay. 

pineapple juice in Addis

My friend's sister and son, Sammy, me, and Anya.
Sammy and Anya are just a few weeks apart

I about cried.  Yeah.  Jayce looking out over Addis, last looks
at the city where he has spent most of his life.  Lots of changes
ahead for the Little Man.

Airport

Siblings sharing....

Lots of sharing

The paper makes noise!

Meeting Grandma Bee

One of my favorite pics.  I'm so glad my mom's fluffy white
hair wasn't scary :)

Too. Much. Travel.

Our mercifully small welcoming party.  And, the kids' first
exposure to balloons. 

Sweet blankets made by a friend with their full names
and the month they came home

Out of Ethiopia: Almost Purgetory

The bottom line is that we are safe and sound, with kiddos in our home now, and they are hard to find in the dark because they blend in perfectly.  You can stop reading now.

Here's what really happened.....

We left the guest house at 6pm, after a wonderful Ethiopian dinner, and got to the airport shortly after.  The airline desk was unmanned and we had to wait several hours just to get checked in, get a wheelchair for Joni (we asked 3 times), and be able to go through security.  We were really praying that all the baby food we were bringing in larger-than-4oz containers would not be confiscated.  Praise God it wasn't.

We met a mom in Addis who gave us some kiddo-Dramamine.  She and her husband are American, just finished a 9-year teaching assignment in Ethiopia, and were on their way to Kenya with their kids.  She was right-- it really did help with the ear-popping thing, and neither kiddo got really fussy during takeoff or landing.  I am a fan.

We had booked and requested and re-requested a bulkhead row, or exit row, or anything that would give us more space with the kids.  Nope.  Because the airline's computer system was down, and because the particular airline is rather inept, we were not even seated together as a family.  I think the flight from Addis to Frankfurt via Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was about the most hot, cramped, and miserable I have experienced.  I ended up with a headache, sitting on the floor in the food-prep area with Jayce, just trying to survive, flight attendants sneaking sympathetic, concerned glances at my pathetic form.  I had a moment promising God that if He just got us home, I would never adopt again, or even fly internationally, for that matter!  Not a serious prayer, and He knew it.  But there were many "what have we done????" questions running through my head.  Thankfully we had a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt had it's own challenges, but we were blessed by a very kind airport dude...  or whatever those people are that wheel wheelchairs and help old people with their luggage and wear little burgundy vests.  Anyway, this guy went over-the-top for us, didn't let us out of his sight, and carefully toted us through all the hoops and barrels of an unfamiliar airport.  We tried to tip him well, but he sincerely declined, saying it was his pleasure and honor to help us, he appreciated what we were doing, and was blessed to be of service.  He was a serious breath of fresh air.  May his tribe increase.

I laughed at one checkpoint.  One of the airport staff looked at me holding Jayce (Philip was a distance away), and asked if "my man" (husband/boyfriend/whatever) was black?  "Um, no, he's that good looking white guy over there!"  Oh, the look of confusion was priceless.

Because we had kids and a wheelchair (Joni can't walk very far at all), we were part of the "pre-boarding" group.  Standing in line for that, Jayce began screaming, and the lady ahead of us glared and covered her ears.  Um, sorry ma'am.  I tried to hand out my little ear-plug packets.  She took one then declared the candy "disgusting".  <Insert rolling eyes>  May her tribe decrease.

We were not able to secure bulkhead seating ahead of time in Frankfurt either (remember, the airline's computers crashed).  Praise God that once we were on the plane, there were a few empty seats and the stewardess asked if we wanted the extra bulkhead seat with a bassinet!  I couldn't say "YES!" fast enough or loud enough!  That also meant that there were two extra empty seats between Philip and Joni, which gave them space to spread out a little.  One of the attendants was an adoptive mom herself, and had brought her daughter home from Ethiopia 6 years ago.  She was able to pull a few strings for me and allow me to stand in the back even though I was technically in the way of the other attendants.

In the first few hours of flight, they fed us lunch while Anya and I were sitting in the bulkhead.  We were eating, playing and laughing together....  and then she pooped.  All of a sudden, there was poop all over her, all over the carpet, the wall, her blanket, the airline's blanket, and the airline's pillow.  All.  Over.  Everything.  I don't think Philip initially believed me when I motioned to him and said I needed help.  He cleaned her up, and I scrubbed poop out of the airplane's carpet and bagged up the mess.  May I never have to do that again.  I felt sorry for the folk around us that had to smell the lovely smell as they ate.  People were very gracious.  It's not like there was anything I could have done about it.  It was still a frantic moment.

I was SUPER thankful for the earplug packets on that 10 hour flight.  Jayce set up a wail and refused to be comforted for about 4 hours.  The health of his lungs has only increased in the last months.  People seemed understanding, many accepted earplugs, and one lady commented how adorable the note was, and how we "have the love of everyone on this flight".  Aww!

Standing for hours at a time in the back holding a screaming, kicking and fighting Jayce, I had a good chat with God, asking for His grace and peace.  As I questioned the sanity of taking Jayce away from everything he knew and thought about his pain and frustration at his current circumstances, I realized my own position before God in a new way.  Sometimes we scream and fight against God, thinking we want our familiar life of sin back, and struggling against His best for us.  I am so humbled that He continues to hold us, restraining us when necessary, and doesn't write us off or put us down or walk away.  Before, Jayce had no family, no hope, and no future.  That isn't really what he wants to return to, but he doesn't know it yet.  It is what is familiar for him.  Without God, we have no Abba, no hope, and no future.  It can be a familiar place, but it is nothing compared to what God offers us as we abide in Him through the blood of Christ.  That change and growth process can be painful.

20 minutes before we landed, both the kids finally fell asleep.  Really???  Of course they woke up the moment we touched down.  We somehow survived customs and immigration.  I say "somehow" because I have never been stretched to my physical limit like that before.  I had gotten about 5 hours sleep over the course of 30+ hours travel, was pushing a wheelchair with one hand, and carrying a (very heavy, large) child with the other arm, and having to navigate twisty lines and endless distances.  My back felt broken, frozen into a kink, and there was no place to rest until we were able to recheck our baggage and make it to our gate.  All thoughts of having a welcoming party in Portland were gone.  I was DONE.  I had just given birth to twins, and didn't even have all the birthing blood and goop cleaned off of me yet.  I was still in the birthing room, and there was no one that I wanted to see me in that state.  We hadn't even had time to snuggle as a family yet.  I almost burst into tears a dozen times.

My mommy flew to Seattle to meet us during our long layover there.  It was blissful, and just what I needed.  Coffee, my mommy, and an extra pair of hands and eyes to help with the kids.  Joni was in much pain from the flights, and so she went and lay down to sleep for a while.  Anya and Jayce liked my mom right away, and Anya fell asleep on mom almost immediately.  Mom, of course, was in heaven meeting her grandkiddos for the first time.  She declared them beautiful, and couldn't take her eyes off them.  She refrained from changing the very poopy diaper, though.  Anya had used up allllll her extra clothes on the plane, and was wearing her last pair of pants during the layover.  She went through 4 diapers in as many hours.  (I have an appointment for her tomorrow morning at the pediatric clinic to do something about the diaper issue.)

The last flight from Seattle to PDX was fast and uneventful.  Praise Jesus.  Anya slept on mom the entire way, and we had a very small welcoming committee at the airport.  It was just Philip's dad and sister (who brought our car up to the airport), and my Gram with a family friend who brought her.  Thankfully, everyone else was understanding and was mercifully absent from this last stage of the process.

We got home, and as soon as everyone left, I burst into tears.  Nothing was "wrong" necessarily, just a lot of pent up emotion and stress and exhaustion.  The kids were awake until midnight.  Philip and I were falling over we were so tired.  Today we had a few visitors, most of them were brief.  We went on our first family outing: a walk with our double stroller.  It felt nice.  I am not sure the kids were a fan, but they will have to get used to it.

I have some pics, but I'm once again exhausted and will maybe add some tomorrow.  Please continue to be in prayer as we all adjust in the coming days.

Oh, Anya said her first English word, "monkey" last night.  It sorta came out "ma-hey", but that's ok.

We do want visitors, but please text ahead of time to ask if it is a good time.  Please plan to stay only about 5 minutes.  Jayce does best when he is not the center of attention, so please refrain from making a "fuss" over the kids, although Anya does a little better with new people.  Thank you!

Little Things

A few things I don't want to forget:

Jayce's first English word: "Look!"  ha ha, I guess we say that enough.

Anya is calling for me: "Ma!" and is perfectly adorable.

Jayce is a little helper- he loves to share his toys with Anya, and knows which "snugglie" is hers, and will take it to her if she leaves it laying somewhere.  He also took her her bottle last night after he and I were in the kitchen making it.

Both kids are making great eye contact, "checking in" well with us, and enjoy taking walks.  They aren't scared to leave the gate anymore, and are comfortable leaving the room to get a toy from the other room without us.

Yesterday, Jayce wanted to go upstairs, so I accompanied him.  We got to the room, and I couldn't figure out what he wanted.  He stood looking around, and then picked up the plastic bags we use to tie dirty diapers in, and handed one to me.  He wanted a diaper change!

Jayce was hungry yesterday and out his fingers to his mouth to indicate he wanted something.  He shakes his head "no" and will point to what he wants instead.  He'll spit out any meat he gets, and usually waits until I have a napkin ready at his mouth.  If I don't, he spits the bite out into his hand and throws it on the floor.  Not with an attitude, it's just where trash goes, right?

He's rather OCD about things, likes to be clean, likes to be a neat eater (Mama is happy!!!) and likes to have both shoes and socks on.  This morning, he pointed to his shoes and wasn't satisfied until I put them on.

Jaz yf detwzdasxaqahytrdfesthliu;oi
[

<Jayce's first typed message>


They are both learning how to play with toys, learning how to put big legos together, and learning how to interact with us.  Our hostess' daughter, Noami, is over today and they are playing together before lunch.  It's cute to watch the three of them.

I had a dress made yesterday.  It fits great, and is decidedly not American, ha ha.  Love it!  Joni is having one made today, and I'm having a skirt made.

Today at the coffee shop (first family coffee outing), one of the guys standing around (we had an audience of waiters, guards, and random strangers) asked Philip who Jayce's father was.  After a brief "deer in the headlight" moment from Philip, he said "I am!" and the guy cracked up laughing!  Epic.

The first 48 hours: all pics

This is a continuation of this post.

Banana on our way back from Embassy

Our cutest little jail-bird

A very happy grand-mom

More banana after Embassy

Gabri, our guard

Morning snuggles with my little man

Excited about his first ball.  And, it's even RED!

Yeshi, our hostess and friend.  She's the best!

Brave Little Man

Yes, Mommy taught him to water plants.  It is
a very important skill!

Playing with water