Getting back into the routine...

Well, we are back stateside and I am finally sitting down to catch up.  My dear friend, Sarah, left a note  expressing her desire to have an update...so here it goes:
Our flight home was actually palatable as we had the first seats in the economy section.  That meant we didn't have anyone sitting in front of us which made the 20 some hours on the plane more manageable! The entire flight I just kept thinking of how Mekdes will do when we bring her home.  What activities would she enjoy, what would she eat, how would her ears do when the plane takes off?  My heart aches I miss her so much and I find myself getting a bit weepy at times just thinking of her and of our experience in Ethiopia.  There is so much that needs to be done in preparation for Mekes' arrival!  My head is spinning and I cannot seem to stay focused and on-task.  I believe we are going to take diapers on our second trip as that is what the orphanage director said they were in dire need of.  Coloring books, crayons, nail polish, stickers are also items that the children really enjoyed.  If anyone would like to contribute to this list, just drop it by the house.  Just a box of crayons is a gracious gift for these beautiful kids!  
We know the real journey is just about to begin, so we would truly appreciate your thoughts prayers as we transition to being a family of seven.  We know that there will certainly be tough days ahead as she grieves the loss of everything familiar.  There will possibly (if not probably) be times when she shuts down and rejects us, when she gets angry and frustrated, when she cries and we don’t know why or what to do.  There will be a language barrier for a while since she doesn’t speak English.  In many ways, the hard part is ahead of us as we learn to parent Mekdes well.

We’ll be “cocooning” for a month or so while she transitions to being a part of our family. Right now she thinks anyone could be Mom or Dad.  So cocooning is a process of teaching her who her Mom and Dad are and what family is.   We have been told to strictly limit visitors at first, and to be the only ones to provide her care, so she can start making a connection with us.  It is hard, as we are excited for you to meet your beautiful, new niece, cousin, friend, grandchild, playmate.  This is temporary, and we thank you for your understanding and patience while we try to form family attachments with our new daughter.   Again, thank you all so much. We are incredibly blessed to have the privilege of being her family, and we can’t wait to bring her home!

Margo in her traditional outfit.  

A BIG thanks to my folks who stayed with the girls while we were gone!  They didn't miss a beat!!!  I love you, guys!