Thanks!

Well we are finnaly feeling a bit more normal :) We seem to be caught up w/ our sleep and falling into a routine. Sova's doing great! She is a fish- she loves to swim and loves to jump into the pool and go under w/ out us catching her- we then have to grab one of her flailing limbs under water and pull her up- she comes up w/ the biggest laugh and smiles ever! Today she learned that cat food does Not taste good. She eats good, we comminicate well, she seems happy, she sleeps all night now w/ out waking up and she even naps in the afternoon...yahoo! The napping really helps me- it's the same time as Caleb's nap and this gives me some time to read to Jacob and do phonics and handwriting (getting ready for math.)

The boys enjoy Sova- Jacob realy loves her and...well Caleb is learning ;)

My days seem VERY long and slightly caotic- they really do seem to All talk at once- and I know it's only 3 kids but when I take them out to the bike path or park-Im so not used to 3 that I feel like I have a large brood and I notice that Im the mom w/ the most kids now...very strange feeling! When Mike and I got married we wanted 6 kids! Eveytime we had a child enter our family the number has gone down ;) Although, in Sova's orphange we were so overcome by the children begging for us hold them that we looked at eachother and wondered out loud if we can take more home...there is such a need for these beautiful little children to have families...they are so eager- my heart still breaks....but when I see my daugher fluttering through the house...I have such hope!

Thank you all for your love and prayers and for following our Journey to Sova- Grace...what an amzing experince this was...but really it has only just begun!

Twilight Zone

I went through the twilight zone last night...right as I was walking to my bed Caleb started crying...he was in so much pain from a Double ear infection he could not sleep, I was up most the night w/ him and when he fell asleep Jacob woke up from a persistant cough- he could not stop. At 4:30 just when I thought I was in the clear I found Sova in the kitchen crying- our house is small but I think she couldnt find us, she seemed to be lost. Needless to say we spent the day at Dr's and pharmiscists. What a day!

On a happy note...

we are slightly our of our haze athough Mike goes back to work tomorrow so Im in wonder of what tomorrow will look like! Sova is getting a wrong impression on this household- Caleb is constantly whining or crying- she stares at him and brings him a toy and he throws it cuz he is miserable...poor girl.

She is so good but does not know how to play- she will not sit w/ a toy, she kind of flutters around the house following me. Im going to have to teach her how to play I think- they had lots of toys at the orphange but the pre school room was small and overcrowded- they probrably didnt get much time to enjoy a toy before it got snatched away or something like that. She will not even look at a cartoon either- she actually dislikes it. I see this as a slight problem if I want to start homeschooling Jacob ;)

We try not to laugh when she runs- she looks like an ostrich- she cant run- she actually will fall- I really think her leg muscles need some work, she prefers being carried around to even walking!

She loves baths...she takes them for simple enjoyment throughout the day (or until we get our water bill) she is fascinted and kind of obsessed w/ our bar of soap- I have to hide it :) She's a true indian squatter- she wont sit on the floor- she only squatts.

The one thing that she likes is trying on a variety of clothes- she prefers pretty dresses and yes...her tutu! I felt like I got a fashion show today w/ her changing outfits. I kid you not this girl is a princess- her favorite thing to do is organize her small jewlery box- she takes out her bangles and hairclips- she puts 3 in her hair and you can imagine how that looks right now :)

She has a nervous giggle and laughs alot- she still only cries once in the middle of the night- and besides that she only had 1 tantrum (but she was exhausted)

She has been giving me lots of kisses today and I am truly amazed at how bonded I feel w/ her...it feels like she got the FYI newsletter on bonding and attaching and is simply putting things into practice!

She is still not comfortable at being alone w/ Mike- she is happy around him and laughs when he picks her up and tickles her but she gets a bit nervous and doesnt want to be alone w/ him yet. I know that will change real quick once she realizes that she has the funnest daddy ever.

It is fun wathcing her experince everything new- it's hard because I want this difficult tiring transistion time to be over but I need to stop and take in all these 1st moments that she is experiencing and not rush them by to get back to normal...which I feel right now may never happen...but I know it will...right?! :) We are having fun.

just tired

The last 2 days kind of blurred together for me...

It was awesome seeing the boys again- they ran in so excited- gave huge embraces, Caleb couldnt stop giggling and saying,' I missed you!" it his adorable voice- And Jacob would not let go of me, he rubbed his eyes and said, 'something is wrong w/ my eyes'...he was crying :) ANd so was I.

Sova watched us and got a little shy and nervous..the boys just could not believe that she was really standing there- they could not stop smiling! They greeted eachother w/ awkard hugs and then we sat down to a table full of Happy meals that mike and the boys picked up. Jacob and I were the emotional ones kind of laughing and crying at the same time while eating- it was such a special time that I will never forget.

The day felt like 100 hours- we kept on looking at eachother w/ this look like...are we going to make it? We were completely wiped out from traveling/ timezones...well we still are- I should not be typing ;)

But besides the tiredness things a good- Sova is doing so well. Food and comunication is no problem. She woke up in the middle of the night crying so I joined her in her bed and she fell back to sleep. SHe is so funny- I have some funny stories but I must go to bed! Days are pretty crazy around here at the moment but I'll try to write more later :)

Home!

We are home! Mike went to go get the boys at grandma's while Sova is expliring the house and I am trying to get some laundry in...she is asking for Caleb :)

What a Long flight- Mike was not even sitting w/ us so it was Very long for me! I have a meduim starbucks in my hand :)

All smiles

Sova's Shell is cracking and so is her smile!
We usually have to waker her up- and she is happy and chats away. Walking through the hallway yesterday a staff said, 'goodmorning' to her and she anwered clearly-'good morning'...her 1st engilsh word (besides mommy/daddy) we were pretty surprised! After breakfast the 2 girls hammed it up in the lobby- singing the months of the year and the days of the week for us in English w/ their strong Oriyan accents- it was beautiful. We drove through Old Agra past the India I always pictured- narrow cobblestone paths, rickshaws and oxen carts- people everywhere of course. Little tiny shops- pile of rice and fruit for sale. We went to Rajeevs home where he gave us the girls files and his wife made us the best lunch ever. The girls played on the couch for such a long time.
Next was the Taj- of course amazing! It was the hottest day we have ever felt though- (Lindsay I took great pics just for you- but unfortunatly I cant upload right now) We got the most stares yet at the Taj- we felt like one of the wonders of the world!
Saddly we had to say goodbye to the Millermons that day- it was such a blessing going through this process together- we will definatly be staying in contact!
Sova enjoys the pool- although she was not to keen on keeping On her bathing suit! She though it was weird that we wore clothes in the water- but the water she does love- she wanted to go under alot.
Friday when she woke up she asked for 'Mingy' (shasmita's nickname) who has left for good- we got a little nervous because she was asking all morning- but she is fine now. She wanted to give Mingy her bread left over from her dinner- and we coulnt help but crack up becasue all week we were joking around w/ the Millermons that Shasmita has been stealing our daughters food it was pretty funny that she wanted to do that. She did not want to go to bed last night but by the time I tucked her in- brushed my teeth and came back - she was really sound alsleep- she litteraly breaks records in the falling asleep division.
We are now homesick for the boys- we did more sightseeing today and we are about to go out to shopping and dinner again w/ Rajeev and his wife- we leave tomorrw but not until very late night- we get home early Sunday morning.
Im not sure if I will be able to blog again- I really hope to upload these great pictures but our wifi is not working and Im using the hotels.

Visa Done!

Well we are done! Rajeev has been doing adoptions for 15 years and has never seen visa’s issued so fast…2 families at that-he is so effiecient! So are we now back on schedule even after delays in Orissa that I will never forget. We are driving to Agra as I type. Im looking out at crowds of people in their little make shift tent homes- they litteraly sleep anywhere- there are also monkeys, cows, many dogs, I am told elephants and camels too but it is dark. Sova is sound asleep curled up under my arm. She is defintaly a Turner kid because she is a complete cuddle bug w/ mommy…although she wont cuddle w/ mike yet he has gotten 3 kisses so far :)
When we first met her she came in the room and walked over to us- I got on my kneees to hug her and and I tried so hard not to cry- she said in a tiny voice that was slightly choked up, 'mommy...daddy.' I said, 'mun thumor mommy' (I am your mommy) and she did a big exhale-it was the most emotional experience ever- (she is the bravest child I know- she does a lot of big exhales to help control her emotions- she also purses her lips into almost a fish face to try not to crack a smile when...although it's so close to cracking!) I did not want to make her cry so I carried her over to my purse and gaver her a tiny baby doll-she loved it and and happily played w/ it while we collected ourselves! She was happy all day as we walked freely around the orphange. SHe was proud to show her friends that her parents are here- other kids would call us mommy/ daddy and sit on us and want to be held- Sova made it clear to them that we were her's- although that did not stop us from holding nearly every child!
Her 'playschool teacher' loved her very much- in broken English she told me she too has 2 sons but she loves Sova as much as her own...that was a litteral prayer that came out of my mouth many times this past year- I was so happy to know someone had been showing her real love. The girls were happy all day but when the cars pulled up they got scared- what a sight to see the 2 of them hand and hand trying to get away! Needless to say there were many tears- but as we drove away past the little shanty town she fell asleep and woke up w/ out tears. She cried again before we got on the plane but she quickly fell asleep again.
She is timid but very loving. She holds us very tight- almost clings to my neck-She wants to be held rather than walk- when we are in a store she will look for me if I am a few feet away- walk over and say, 'mommy je boh.' (mommy let's go)
She woke up late this morning and asked for mommy and then some other unknown words. We understand the basics- she tells us when she has to use the bathoom and when she wants water. We have been able to tell her in Oriayn that we love her among quite a bit of other helpful phrases. She is a very good eater which is great because she is so very boney- her braclets we bought her slip right off- caleb (2) is bigger than her we think. We have been actually limitng food because they can consume quite a bit- and when we place a glass of water or juice in front of them they chug it w/ out stopping.
It was quite a bit of driving around to embassy- Dr. and back to embsasy- and then a lot of waiting around for the visa. The girls were amazing. Sova has been so quiet we have barely heard her adorable voice- when she does speak her language sounds so beatuiful. Sometimes we catch her just staring at us w/ those huge eyes and I cant help to wonder what in the world she is thinking! She has been so tired- she will curl up on my lap and fall sleep so easily- I think they are used to doing that when they get tired- I saw many kids sleeping on their chairs or in the middle of the playroom at the orpahnage.
Shasmita is the daughter of Joel and Ginger- it is so fun to watch them interact. This morning when we met for breakfast they said something to eacheother and then looked eachother up and down in their new clothes-checking eachother out-it was so cute. They are such girls- they love their jewlery that they wore home from the orphange- sova wont take off her gold necklace. Today she pointed to a street vendor selling coloreful beaded necklaces….needless to say she has added these to her growing collection.
A few months ago we sent a doll to sova with another family. That doll had become her secutiry object and she rarely puts it down. She held it tight all day feeding it a bottle I brought. We gave her a little backpack filled w/ a few small things and she guards it tightly- she wants it on her lap in the car- she does not play much w/ the items but likes to peer in often to make sure they are all there. I think she is proud that she has her own things and may be afraid of it taken away-
In the morning we will go to the Taj Maul- we are right down the street.

PS> Jacob & Caleb- mommy & daddy miss you so much! We will be coming home in a few days to give you Big hugs- Sova wants to see her brothers! We love you!