Blog Entry
Posted by Loren Alldrin on January 24, 2010 to Adoption blog
(click any image to enlarge) Strolling on the Bridge All the kids on Redding's semi-famous Sundial bridge. Mom and Samuel We had a fun walk along the river. Samuel is a trooper, keeping up as best he can with his short little legs. Slurrrp! Naomi had us laughing with her awkward (and sloppy!) approach to drinking from a fountain. I See a Boat! Samuel points to a boat on the Sacramento river. Cuteness by the River Between rain storms, we made it to the Sundial bridge over the river. What an amazing month this has been! We have been blessed in areas we didn't expect, and likewise challenged in ways we weren't necessarily prepared for. But we serve a big God, and He is taking very good care of us all. It's hard to believe Friday the 22nd marked four weeks since we landed back in the states. The weeks truly have flown by. We collected our last samples and took the kids down to the lab for blood tests. After looking at the results and consulting with an expert, our pediatrician finally prescribed some medicine for the kids' GI issues. We started them on the medicine and saw results the very next day. It was amazing, and we're really excited about the prospects of having everyone healthy and feeling their best. Naomi's head was shaved in late October at the transition home because of ringworm. Well, the infection is back. And now it's showed up on Anneliese's arm and cheek, and Mackenzie's cheek. We have a dermatologist in the extended family, and she set us up with a prescription for cremes and pills. So the red spots are no longer contagious (thank you, Lord), but they sure are unsightly. Thankfully, an oral ringworm treatment means Naomi doesn't have to be sheared again. But the pill tastes awful, and food couldn't mask the taste when it was ground up. So we did our best to explain to Naomi that it was either swallow the pill or have her head shaved again. (Anyone seen the Pixar short "Boundin'"?) She decided to give swallowing the pill and try, and SHE CAN DO IT! Chalk up another little blessing. Rain, rain, go away... We've had weeks of rain here in Redding, and we're all getting a little bit loopy from so much indoor time. Olivia loves to swing, and frequently asks to go out back and play. It's been sad having to tell her "no" so often. We thanked God for one drier day and took the kids to the Sundial bridge, where they had a blast on the bridge, by the river and on the trails. We captured a few cute pictures along the way. Kristen has completed two weeks of school with the new kids, and it's gone very well. The new girls are eager and learning quickly. What a pleasant surprise that Samuel will play quietly for extended periods of time, freeing Mommy up to teach the girls. I'm so happy that I can call Samuel "my mellow mini-man". I think a high-energy, high-maintenance two-year-old might have been the end of us. He's also using the toilet about 75% of the time, which is another unexpected blessing. Friday is cleaning day, and it's been fun to see the new girls take to their chores. These kids can clean, and we discovered this past Friday that Olivia does a great job with a vacuum. Naomi is able to help with dusting and wiping. Kristen went from dreading cleaning day with the new recruits to catching a glimpse of a future where the kids may do most of the cleaning. That brought a smile to her face! I started importing the 330 video clips that will make up our Ethiopia video. Add to those the many pictures we took, and I've got a large job ahead of me. But I'm committed to putting together the video of our trip so people can see what we experienced in Ethiopia. It's just going to take me a while. When it's done, we'll make it available here on the blog. Bring your own popcorn. Back to: Adoption blog We Look Back on Our First Month
