Santa and Dinner with the Brown Family

"This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life."

We met up with the Brown Family and had a great dinner, yummy steaks...ummm and then headed to Santa's house for the kids pictures and of course hot chocolate and the candy shop. It was cold but worth a little rain for the kids.It was a nice time and our families click, and its rare to find another family to "click" with and we just love them all. Nina was the FIRST to meet Aslynn... YIPPY... How did she do Nina!

DECOPOSH

“The life so short, the craft so long to learn.”

Makenzie and I decoposhing some bow holders for Aslynn and her room, it was fun messy but of course a blast and some mommy and Makenzie time together.

Are ya joking, its been since the 13th since a post?

OK people why are you not calling 911 on me that I am not updating my blog in a timely fashion, its so not like me. My goal today is to slowly update where I left off.
Hope you all are doing good, I am well, Aslynn is good, she is so happy she actually says DADDY, rolls around, eats jar food, smiles laughs, loves life, and is a part of this family as though she came from my tummy. The kids love her hang on her, Logan pees his pants once in awhile, I think its because he is too "busy" playing with her to run to the bathroom, so I am no upset at all, we are enjoying Jon having this week off putting xmas present together and being a family. Jon's father flew in from Oregon, he turns 80 in 16 days, we are deciding what and where he will live as he does not want to go back,I have my hands full! and house! BUT think of you all and please keep in contact love ya tons... ok updates now.... backtracking...

Saturday Morning Update December 13th

“Loving is a feeling that brings both joy and pain to my heart. Joy from being with you, being filled with an emotion so deep and tender that no other feeling can compare. Pain from knowing that I'm so in love, that I'm more vulnerable than I've ever”

Cutie Cupcake
Aslynn and Mommy

She loves being upside down, she laughs so hard its so funny~

I love feet, and this was Aslynn's first time in jeans!

sister love

Bonded for life

I am finally getting use to the time zone change, I think it did not help that Aslynn was still in Addis time, so while I was wanting to get rest to catch up, she was like HEY MOM.... I am awake! She is a doll, everyday I learn something new about her.

Her pox have stopped. The meds the doctor gave only allowed about 5 pox to come and then it stopped, did not spread or anything, I am going to take her Monday to see if its still contagious as my family has not even seen her yet. Nobody in the house has caught it yet, so that is a good thing. The bad thing is that I have cabin fever like there is no tomorrow with being in the house and not being able to take her out and about me with except in the car here or there, but not in public. I am NOT a house person, I am a GET OUT THERE, and DO SOMETHING person.

Aslynn still sucks her wrist when anxious or when she falls asleep, I have tried every type of pacifier, this will be something slowly that she will have to know to break away from.

I find her knowing that she is safe, in a home where she is loved and she is not afraid at all. At first the kids I think made her jumpy, they talk baby talk to her, which is sweet, but she looks at them like OK first I don't know English, Second, why are these little white kids all up in my FACE. ha ha they get right in her face, I have to tell them to "back it up" and they do. They just want to LOVE all over her all the time, which is so positive, but she needs to get use to it. NOW that its been over a week, she looks for them, she rolls from front to back and back to front and when she hears the kids she puts her head up and starts making these giggle noises. She is extremely in love with Makenzie. Aslynn kicks her feet and gets so excited to see her, to get her attention. its too funny, Makenzie is a little mommy, its cute.

Logan has taken the baby on so well, he keeps asking me when he is getting a brother, I said soon I hope. I could adopt a house full if God would allow me to. I just live for the kids, doing the mommy thing, and just being me. The time this past week has been priceless, the moments of quiet, outside in the nice weather where Aslynn just loves looking at the colors and green grass. We spent the day playing outside and taking some pictures. She is so full of laughter and just fits with us so well. I hope a 2nd one would do the same, I don't want to rock the boat, but Aslynn is such a good baby. I think she has her moments of now knowing how to "play" me with being spoiled, and YES the mommy I am will give in. I have no issues holding her 24 7. HA HA she loves the attention and she will whine to get a bottle and then not even want it, just smile to make the point that she got it. I laugh at her and tell her she is a stinker! but then give her the kisses all over her head, she loves it. The reaction when I walk in her room and up to the crib is one of joy and excitement, maybe she thinks I wont come back? maybe she thinks she wont see me again or has to go back there? we could only guess what goes through these babies minds going from 1 world to another. BUT I am here everyday, I reassure her that, as I do my other children. I love them all, all 3 of them and Jon. I am so blessed and at the happiest moment in my life. I feel so good about my decision, and going there and getting her. All the hard work, the papers, the interviews, fingerprints, the doubts, the conflicting emotions, lead me to Aslynn and now I have her in my arms forever. Its a wonderful feeling one that cant be expressed into words. A long time goal, but in a short time, wrapped up to a happy ending of a LIFE that I get to raise and see grow as a young woman and into the future equal to the others.

Jon and I look at the 3 of them together and just smile, because we know in our hearts we did the right thing, and through all the back and forth doubt or questioning, I am so glad that we did it, and I look forward to see if more babies are in our future. God will lead us down the road he wants us to end up at, I hope its a bigger family, I hope its the dreams and wishes that we pray for. We are truly blessed and luck in today's world and economy, I try my hardest to help as many people and others as I can knowing the blessings that I have received.

I need to now get more into the Christmas mood. I have been so busy with the adoption, travel, and getting use to the new settings that I have not even shopped yet. We finally got our tree up, but it does not feel the same this year. We didn't have time for lights, and to do now, would be pointless. Next year will be different, this year will be all about the wonderful gift God gave us Aslynn, and family. I need to get out this weekend, knock out xmas shopping and be done with it once and for all. I still have not gotten Aslynn a stroller, I need to do that as well. I have one in mind the Phil and Ted Vibe with the seat in the back for a 2nd rider. I found them online, but want to go to a store and see it in person again and see how functional it is now that I have aslynn. Maybe that will be my Saturday drive? :) At least Jon is home today, he enjoys being able to get time with all the kids, and then I can get out and get some shopping done. NINA where are you this weekend girl!

And YES I will take pictures of the baby room and the kids rooms, I know a few have asked me in email, and I will do that this weekend :)

!!!EMAIL ME TO BE ADDED!!!!!!!

“There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout:This is me damn it! I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love! I am a whole complex package. Take me... or leave me. Accept me - or walk away! Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don't fit your idea of who I should be and don't try to change me to fit your mold. If I need to change, I alone will make that decision.When you are strong enough to love yourself 100%, good and bad - you will be amazed at the opportunities that life presents you.”

IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS I AM TURNING MY BLOG ON PRIVATE DUE TO SOME PERSONAL REASONS. BUT I STILL WANT ALL MY GREAT BOARD FRIENDS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME ACROSS MY BOARD, AND OTHERS THAT WANT TO SHARE WITH ME AND MY JOURNEY TO STILL BE ABLE TO. SO IF YOU ARE A READER AND A FOLLOWER, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT jonandleahlitty@yahoo.com and I will add you to the list that can log onto my blog.

Thanks so much,

Leah

Pictures and updates to come this weekend, I have a lot to share :)

Aslynn's First Bath And First Night Sleep With Us

“Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath”

Snug as a bug
Look at her holding her hands! Precious
Love the belly!
I look half dead, time zone so tired, but hey, gotta give a bath in a sink

The first night we got to take Aslynn back to the guest house I got her into the sink and scrubbed her down. the water first turned brown. They have never bathed her before. They have only given her a "wipe down" they told me. She was filthy. I shampooed her hair about 3 times, she splashed in the water, had fun, and I tried to get every inch of her body. When I combed through her hair, there was piles of DIRT, black stuff, and just caked on cradle cap that was old and hard. The next day we stopped at a drug store and got some special shampoo and a soft brush to scrub it off with. When we came back home to the states, at 3am I stuck her in the bath again here. The water again was dirty. I decided to not even go for the baby wash, and just use the dove bar (the doctor agreed the best thing ever) and I soaped her up SO GOOD, got the q tips out (children's ones) got more in depth with cleaning now that I was at home and had my own stuff and was able to spend more time and detail in all the right areas. FINALLY we have a clean baby. She looks totally different from the first time they handed her to me on the video, to the picture on the opening of my blog. Its like not only did she get a good scrub down and 6 months of dirt removed, but also she has put some weight on, smiling, showing us that she is just overjoyed that she is here and WOW she must be in a state of shock.

I think that the only thing that frightens her so far is when the 2 kids come up to her fast. She is not use it it, and they want to talk and talk to her and she does not understand English or them, or her name. So she looks for me for comfort. I have to explain to them to take it slow, they understand and have been doing well. I think that toys also have to be introduced slowly. She cant be given all these things, too overwhelming. Little at a time! When I placed her in the swing she had the biggest eyes and was in shock with the motion and music, so I turned it down and the music off and she settled down.

I see that she wont take a pacifier, which my doctor is trying to get me to get her ON. She has found comfort all these months at the orphanage from not getting a "response" from crying or "need" that she sucks on her wrist as a comfort mechanism or out of panic. Its sad, when she does, I give her extra snuggles, take her hand out of her mouth and give it kisses, replace with the pacifier and tell her it will be ok.

On the plane she was great, when she heard other babies cry, she would wake up, jump, and kind get nervous, go right to her arm, make a rocking motion, I would whisper in her ear " Mommy and Daddy are here, you are going home, you don't have to go back there, you will always be with me" she would listen fall asleep. As she falls asleep she opens her eyes fast and "checks" that I am still here, I tell her " mommy is here" and she closes her eyes, grabs my fingers and falls deep asleep.

She needs love, something she has never had, she needs comfort, she needs a sense of security, something she longs for and anyone and everyone needs in life especially as a baby. I am here, I am here for her, for Jon, for Logan and Makenzie. It is my Job, I take pride in it, and I do it well and will continue to do it until the day I die and after that, I will watch over my children for eternity. They are my life, and I love them all the same and equal.

Logan and Makenzie just love Aslynn. They want to wake her up and play with her, its cute, they want her to be more "interactive." I have to explain that she is a baby and she will grow up and believe me, she will play! Who knows, if a 2nd one is in the near future, the age we get and the personality he or she will have, hopefully it fits like a puzzle piece like Aslynn does. We all mesh well together, its a warm feeling.

NOW, if I can just get my TREE, and my laundry done, and caught up! HA HA OH and on the right time zone would help too!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL, ALL THAT SUPPORTED ME, ALL THAT PRAYED, ALL THAT WATCHED COMMENTED, AND READ, THANKS.

More Pictures from Trip

“Poverty is the worst form of violence.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

AA Girls, Tania, Me and Lisa

AA Girls again, Tania, Me and LisaJon thought this was so interesting (his line of work), sticks for the buildings and rafters
Sitting, waiting,looking
Orphanage sign

famous blue gate
house
This sister was so proud of the little girl she was holding up to us, waving and talking, it was too cute!
The drive up to the gate for the first time
Street kids

nannies doing the laundry, they asked me to mail them the picture!
The famous Toukoul sign!

Bananas hung and fruit sold everywhere, the water is undrinkable, so even the locals walked around with bottled water

The streets were full of people, half built buildings, clusters of walkers just walking in the streets in front of the cars not caring if they get hit or not. Kids roaming around, people with dead animals over their shoulders, I assume dinner just killed for that nights super. Pollution was horrible, the smells of urine and feces and vehicles, gasoline. People urinating on the streets in front of you, was a bit shocking. It was hard to have the children come and beg for things, if you give 1 person something it would start a riot and so we were told not to give anything to anyone on the streets. HARD to do, as they would come to the windows, begging, sticking their hands in and touching us and the baby. A different world, so far away, but so close as Aslynn sleeps next to me and it is and has been all she has known. I wish I could save them, help them all. I wish I could build, teach, and help their country grow and give them the tools to survive. It's hard to see and watch daily while out driving around, and then to come back into our gated compound where its NICE, clean, flowers, home feeling, and safe from what lies behind the walls. I would lay at night listening to the Muslim prayer and just thinking how people survive, and some don't, how mothers live daily, and some don't, and how they have the strength to get up the next day, and some don't. Our problems are so minor compared to others in other parts of the world. I have seen this before as I have traveled around, but there in Africa, that region, it was different. Maybe because I was taking home my daughter, maybe because we possibly will be taking another one home. Its a different feeling, one that cant be put in a blog or on paper, its in the heart and the soul, tattooed forever and in the mind ever time I blink.

Meeting Aslynn

The moment, it was such a feeling that one could not put into words.

Our first time spent together

God...is able to do far more than we would dare to ask or even dream of-infinitely beyond our highest prayers,desires,thoughts or hopes.

Ephesians 3:20

After the nannies gave Aslynn to us, we went into this room with Tania and Lisa (with their babies too). We got to spend some time and see them full on, the first thing I did was TAKE OFF THE PLASTIC BAG that was used over her cloth diaper, it was tied on so tight and she was sweating hot, I took a picture so you get a idea of what I am talking about. We spent some time with them, then the nannies took them back because it was feeding time, then we went back after their nap and spent more time with them.

I put lotion on her, changed her diaper, let her lay on the floor on a blanket, talked with her, and she was just babbling and cooing and very excited. We just were in AWE over how she CLICKED with us and she is a perfect match to our family.