Getting to know each other

Jet lag is pretty much kicking our butts at this point, but other than that, the transition home is going beautifully.

I was so bummed to have missed our airport homecoming moment.  Especially since one of my college roommates who is a super talented photographer had driven up from OH to capture that time.  Since it didn't work out the way I had hoped, and since she her her hubby were already in town, they came over Friday morning and spent the day capturing all of our first moments figuring life out as a family. I shared the link to her blog post with some of the pictures she took in case you haven't seen them yet.  They are amazing!  It is a blessing that we will have the moments of that first day together as a family visually caught to remember forever.  :)

We have spent our first couple of days together letting the kids get to know each other and giving Ellie space to explore her home.  She is really not very keen on the cat so far.  She generally starts fussing and clinging onto one of us when she sees him.  She has gotten comfortable enough at times to try to touch him and she doesn't freak out or anything so I think she will be ok given a little more time.

She is such a laid back, happy girl that she seems to have a pretty easy time adapting to new environments.  Thankfully, she is attached enough to Marcus and I that her security seems established based on us being around when she is uncomfortable.  We are still being cautious about people holding her and will make sure for awhile that either Marcus or I am with her to be the one to meet her needs so that she can start to learn that she has a momma and a daddy that are the ones that take care of her and that she doesn't have multiple 'mommas' anymore.  I can sense her opening up a little more everyday with her physical affection towards us which I love.  :)

The kids have been rock stars with everything.  They are so super sweet with Ellie.  Mali is loving being a big sister and has already been teaching her how to play with babies and strollers and has the tendency to repeat everything I say to Ellie like a little momma.  :)  She is so gentle and sweet with her.  Whenever Ellie is sleeping, she repeatedly asks when she is going to wake up and says that she just wants to be with her.  When I tell her that she REALLY doesn't want Ellie to wake up before she should, I can't deny her the sweetness of going in to check on her and just look at her while she sleeps. :)

Noah isn't quite as focused on Ellie and has seemed to need more to catch up on time and attention with mommy and daddy but when he does interact with her, he uses the sweetest tone of voice and gentleness.  Friday night, as I was laying in bed with him telling him how proud I was of how well he did while we were gone even though it was hard to miss us so much sometimes, he said, "It was worth it.  I love our little Eleanor." Too stinkin' sweet.  And then last night, as Ellie was running around the house in her crazy tired mode, he said, "I love having a Chinese girl in our family."  Such innocent sweetness from a six year old big brother.  :)

We are so loving being home and basking in the reality of having three children finally.  God has been so good and faithful to us.  It still feels surreal at times but I see how fully God used the time we were waiting to prepare all of our hearts to receive this little girl and be able to whole-heartedly embrace her as our own.  We are in awe of the amazing little person she is and how she is blessing our family already.  As much as she might have needed us we needed her just as much.