February photos

Playing with her doll

SO cute

Reading her favorite book

Paxton and Kayla playing and loving

It doesn't look all that great in a photo, but the doro wat I made and the injera we brought home from Ethiopia were delicious!

Kayla is constantly making this face--sometimes just because she wants a kiss and sometimes because she's been caught doing something naughty, but it is always cute

We got to spend part of the weekend and the Kalahari in WI Dells with my whole family

Still SO cute--everywhere we go people tell us, like we don't know!

One GREAT grandpa

I'm so glad all my kiddos love the water

And a great dad

At the arcade

Kayla and I had some time today without all the boys, so I put little knots in her hair--mostly just to see if I could now that it's an inch long. I also painted her toenails pink

Ethiopia

I miss it. I want to go back. If someone were to give me a good reason, I would pack my bags and my family up right now and be gone. If you think I'm nuts and you don't get it, I'm not sure I get it either, so that's okay. I can't explain it. I have visited at least 20 different countries and I have loved many of them, but none have affected me like Ethiopia has. I don't want to go back to adopt another child. I'm not sure we'll ever adopt again. I just want to go back. I want my children to experience Ethiopia. I want Kayla to know her first culture. I want a simpler life for my family. (I also want to be done with snow, so that might be part of it!). I just want to go back. To visit, to live, whatever. I want to go back. I miss it. Give me a good reason, please?!?

We have a few more medical appointments for Kayla coming up soon. If everything continues to go well and her health continues to look great, I truly believe we'll start pursuing foreign missions this year yet. I am SO ready. It's going to be a challenge and it's going to be uncomfortable, but we are ready to take this challenge on--or at least to get the ball rolling. I doubt we'll end up in Ethiopia. As Chris said, "I'd go, but it would take a miracle." Well, God does sort of happen to be in the business of miracles, so I won't say it'll never happen either. Here's hoping!!!

Toilets

Ugh...we recently discovered that one of our toilets was leaking into the basement. So, we're in the middle of having that issue resolved. I hope to have the toilet back up and running this afternoon (well, I hope the guy we hired has it back up and running!). Here's what the lovely bathroom looks like now...the hole goes all the way into my basement office, of course. Lovely.

And in better toilet news, Kayla really does use the potty--as long as I'm willing to put her on it. After nap yesterday I decided to just put her on once an hour and she peed in there 3 times and stayed dry until bedtime. I sort of think it's crazy, but someone else did all the initial work, so I'd be an idiot not to take advantage of that. I will at least put her on it regularly enough that she doesn't forget what to do on the potty. Maybe (BIG maybe) we'll be done with diapers inside of 2011. Wouldn't that be great? Oh, but then what do I do with all these cloth diapers...? Definitely a problem I'll be happy to solve!

Today (& some other stuff)

Today was gorgeous! The thermometer hit 50 degrees and the sun was shining. After naps, I decided I needed to get outside so I took all three kids for a walk. We wore our rain boots! It was great to see so many puddles out there...the snow is melting. Perhaps Mr. Groundhog was right. I'm not counting on it, but I'll enjoy this weather while I have it. I'm sick of winter, being stuck inside and having to bundle up 3 kids anytime we do try to get out.

I think Kayla really enjoyed it!

The boys found plenty of puddles to splash in.Reily insisted on riding his new bike that Grandpa Rick got him for Christmas.

Gavin has been asking when he'd get to feed Kayla since before she even came home. For bonding purposes, Chris and I have chosen to be the only ones to feed her...until this weekend. The boys decided that Kayla needed some chocolate pudding just like them, so I told them they could give her a couple of bites. She loved it!

We LOVE visiting Children's Museums. Every year, my kids get money for Christmas from some of my relatives. We put it into savings and use a portion of it to buy a Children's Museum membership that gets us into all of the Children's Museums in the country and we use it a lot. So far in 2011, we have visited 3 of them. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera for the first two, but this weekend I remembered it, so here are few pictures (we were in Appleton).

We put Kayla in this area, but she just kept putting the bits of rubber in her mouth.Kayla crawled right up those stairs!My little firemenShe was giving me kisses through the window. She has gotten so affectionate lately.

Just because she's so cute!

For the record, the Children's Museum in Appleton is our favorite so far and we have been to lots. Also, for about $10 more, you can get a membership there that not only gets you into all the Children's Museums but also all Science Museums. It's a great deal if you like to visit these places as much as we do.

Stuff

So, we were told that Kayla was put on the potty a few times a day while in Ethiopia, but didn't even ask questions about it because it seemed so far fetched. Well, tonight I put her on the potty and she pooped. Is that normal for a 15 month old? It took forever to get my boys to poop on the potty. I don't think we're starting a streak here, or anything like that, but it's nice to know she can and I'll put her on there as often as I can beat her to it! I HATE poopy diapers.

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Another adoptive mom posted a link to the following youtube video about things people often say to adoptive moms. If you're any adoptive mom, it's worth watching. It'll make you laugh and shake your head in disgust. If you haven't gotten all/many/some of these comments yet, you will!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm9b6C9hBZ4

So FUN!

Today, I got a really fun email and it was completely unexpected. A while back (June to be precise), we learned that Kayla had been hospitalized with bacterial meningitis. I reached out online to other moms with kiddos in Ethiopia and one mom, in particular, was really helpful through that time. Oddly enough, I believe that her child is the one that infected my child, but it means that she had been through the same thing with her little baby and she was so supportive and encouraging. Well, we made a connection and have kept in touch over the months of waiting and transitioning these kiddos into our homes. Recently, she received a photo of Kayla that was taken in May by another mom who was in Ethiopia then and she recognized Kayla and sent me the photo. I LOVE IT. This is a piece of Kayla's history we wouldn't have had if not for the internet and the great adoption community that exists.

Thank you, Anna. This type of thing is priceless (as you know!).
Kayla being fed by her nanny at about 6 months of age. We previously had no photos from this time period.

GROSS!

So, I don't know how I got so lucky, but I made it through my first two babies with no, absolutely zero, blow out diapers. Not so lucky this time around. Ugh. I could have lived without that experience, thank you very much.

On our way home from my aunt's house tonight Kayla was very whiny in the car--normally she's just fine. When I went to get her out of the car, I could smell why. Then, I picked her up and I could feel why...all the way up her back (ew, right?). I carried her to the bathroom, stripped off her pants and realized it was all over those too. So, I started the bath and put her in--onsie and diaper still on. She started crying--the water wasn't as warm as I expected it to be (oops). I washed her up when it got warmer, head to toe, lotioned her like crazy, got her in her jammies, fed her a bottle and put her to bed after some rocking. She's just fine and sleeping soundly. I still can't get that grossed out feeling to go away. Honestly, yuck!