Meetings & Outings

We’ve had a busy couple of days!  Sunday we took Laila to church with us for the first time.  It was so heartwarming (yes, I sound like an old lady but it’s the right word for the situation!) to have our church family embrace our new daughter and love on her the way only a family of God can.  Getting ready in the morning was a little bit trickier with three.  Jack had planned on taking Laila into his Sunday School class with him but she wasn’t ready by the time we had to leave.  I had to teach my Sunday School class (thanks for offering to fill in though Dawn!!) so Jackson, Emma, & I left Daddy at home to finish getting Laila ready.  Have I mentioned lately how unbelievably amazing it is to have a husband that will do that?!?!  I said, pack the diaper bag, give her the meds & breathing treatment she needs, get yourself ready and meet us at church and he actually did it!  Just for laughs, he had her braces on the wrong feet and forgot to pack her any toys to keep her happy but they were on time and looking good :)  She did about as well as we expected her to for being a two year old sitting through church.  She made it through about half of it happy and then was ready for a change of scenery.  She and I went and finished out the rest of the time in the nursery but we were still able to hear what was going on in church so that was nice.

Sunday afternoon Laila finally got to meet some more of our family.  My two grandmas came over with my parents for a visit.

Of course my dad made me cry by sheepishly asking if he could hold her and then kept pointing to himself saying “PAPA, can you say that?  I’m your Papa.”   I swear the hormones are just as bad when you’re adopting as when you actually give birth!

Emma was excited that she and Laila had matching dresses.  We didn’t even buy them together.  Laila’s was a hand-me-down from our friend Ahna and Emma has had hers for a couple years!

Jackson wanted to get his picture with her too :)

She was having such a good day on Sunday that we decided to let her lick on a sucker for awhile.  As you can see, she was very proud of herself!

I always bring her into the kitchen with me so we can cook together.  Again, since it was such a good day, I put some baby food on her tray for her to play in and lick while we were cooking.  She really liked that too!

Monday Aunt Jill, Uncle D, & Jaylyn stopped by for a visit.  Jill & Jaylyn had met Laila a few weeks before but she hadn’t met Uncle D yet so we were excited to have them visit.

Grandma Mary & Papa Tom also stopped by on Monday too.  They had been on vacation at the lake the since we had been home with her so she was excited to see them as well.

We even had a visit all the way from Michigan!  Amanda & Stephen came down to stay with us overnight because Stephen had a job interview in Indianapolis today.  Great timing!  We were hoping to see them soon and now we’re really hoping Stephen gets this job because with as much as we’re in Indy for doctor appointments it would be great to be able to see them while we’re down there!  Fingers crossed!! (ok, whatever God has planned but I’m voting for Indy!!)  Anyway, we can’t have a visit with Amanda & Stephen without a visit to the chocolate shop!  Only fitting for Laila’s first visit to the chocolate shop to be with Amanda :)  (I think she has a crush on Stephen!)

I also made my first venture out with the three kids by myself today.  It was so funny because we were supposed to go to the fair today because Laila was going to have a nurse all day but then she had to cancel.  Emma & Jackson didn’t even whine or get upset.  I’m so proud of them.  They did however ask if we could still go out to lunch.  I said I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go out by ourselves yet and Emma goes “Mom, she’s had a really good couple of days and you have to do it sometime so you might as well go ahead and do it today!”  She cracks me up, but made a good argument so we decided to go.  It went just fine.  We ended up going to KFC and my Aunt Debbie was working so Laila got to meet her.  I’m definitely glad to have Emma & Jackson as little helpers to hold the doors for us and everything.

Again, Emma & Jackson have just been wonderful with Laila.  Don’t ask me how they treat each other but for now they just can’t get enough of Laila.  Constant hugs & kisses and dancing and signing to make her laugh.  I think they play way more with her baby toys then they do their own!  This morning we were down stairs and they were playing blocks and they decided to include Laila.  They both scooted right over by her and were building things and then going “look Laila, this is how you do it.  Do you wanna try?”  I just love watching the three of them interact with each other.  What a blessing!

Tomorrow’s a big day as I have to take Laila for the second to last visit with her birth parents.  We had agreed to meet each of them once.  It’s going to be a very hard thing for me but I do believe they have a right to meet us.  They didn’t do anything to harm her on purpose they just weren’t able to take care of her the way she needed to be and since they decided to voluntarily give their rights away I feel that shows they do care and want what’s best for her.  Still gonna be hard though.

The process after that will be that our file should be approved on August 2 to waive the 6 month foster waiting period and we will be able to start paperwork with our attorney to petition for the adoption.  We are the family on record that the caseworker recommends for adoption and since the rights are terminated and she’s already in our home there is little to no chance that anything will fall through at this point.  We’re hoping to have everything final by the end of the year. Honestly though, it’s just a technicality on paper for us.  I already love her so much and feel like she’s so right to be here that no piece of paper is going to make a difference in that.  It’ll be good to have that out of the way in a few months but already in our hearts she has made the transition from Lania to Laila :)