Adjusting Well

In my post yesterday I told you all that Zola is adjusting quite well. I thought I'd give you evidence of things she likes and how she is adjusting so well.

Things Miss Z likes to Eat:
Sweet Potato Puree
Carrot Puree and Pieces
Hummus
Bananas
Peaches
Chicken
Yogurt
Yogurt Bites
Puffs
Rice Cereal
Gluten Free Honey Rice Chex
Pancakes
Black Beans
Bottles ;)

A Couple Dislikes:
Green Bean Puree and Pieces
Apple Puree
Peach Puree

From our food list, she's doing pretty well! :) She is putting on some weight, at least it looks like it anyway. She hasn't been weighed since last week when we she was at the Dr. but she is getting some chunk on her legs. There is nothing cuter than chubby baby legs.

We are working on loving the car seat, but she is getting better and better at being strapped in. We go on lots of walks, so those straps are helping her get comfortable in them. One our of favorite things is when we get in from taking a walk, she lights up and gets so excited to come into her house. Yesterday she absolutely lit up when Kyle came home from work, so so sweet. Today, I had to go into work and when I got home, I got lots of smiles and kisses!

Zola is quite the explorer around here. She takes everything in and is wonderful at mimicking what we do. She likes to swing, she loves the sprinkler, she really likes to dump things, pull her books off the shelf, and play with her play food. It is amazing to see how well she truly is adjusting. She acts a little shy around people at first, but then warms right up.

To say the least, we are insanely blessed by this little one. We are still in awe she is ours. We know it isn't all roses and perfect moments, but I am loving the fact that at night, we have toys to put away and baby clothes to wash. What a blessing this has been and continues to be. 

Home for a Week and a Half?!

To be honest, I can't even believe I am typing out the sentence that we have been home for a week and a half... with OUR daugher. Yes, that's right, not just home from Ethiopia, but with our sweet Zola.

The night I wrote my last post to Zola was the last night we had to wonder when we were going to have that little girl in our arms. How amazing is that. God answers prayers like no one else can is to say the least.

When Kyle and I were submitted to Embassy we had braced ourselves for the fact that the US Embassy may ask for Zola's birth father to come back once again to the capital to be interviewed. Now, we completely understand why this is asked of so many, but it just didn't sit well with Kyle and I. We had talked numerous times about how hard it must be for the birth parents to come back and reopen this wound. I also understand that this can be a good thing for birth parents, as they get to meet the adoptive family, and maybe they need more closure. But, we just struggled with someone demanding he come back to the capital, travel from his home, miss work, and possibly repoen a wound that he had already started heal from.

With our conversations, came lots of prayers as well. We prayed every night that if he is already healing from this decision, and if he doesn't need that closure, and that if it would be too difficult to leave work then that he wouldn't be asked to come to Addis (the capital) We also prayed for him and that he was healing from this decision and that he is so proud of his decision.

We were pleasantly surprised when we got an email at 3:30 am, but we didn't check it until 6am that we were cleared for Embassy and we needed to send an email with what dates we would like to travel to Ethiopia. We did just that! We got those ducks in a row, and then called a travel agent to book some flights.

I'm going to skip ahead here and tell you that we are all adjusting well. Zola lights up when Kyle or myself come into a room or are playing with her, she gets a huge smile on her face when we come inside from taking a walk, she likes to eat, and she loves to sleep!!

She is sleeping about 12 hours a night with at least one long nap during the day. I think she is loving the quiet and she is growing. We have had visitors and she seems to try to figure everyone out at first, and then warms right up. We are so blessed by all the texts, facebook posts, visits, and most of all prayer. She is one loved little girl!

Once I get my computer up and running I'll add some pictures on here and explain a little more about (both) of our trips.

Thanks for the continued prayers and thoughts, we couldn't be thankful for the support system we have and have had for the past 2  years. God's timing is perfect, because we are so lucky He called us to be her parents.