We're glad to be settling in at home. Matthew still isn't sleeping very well at night (last night he was up much of the night, and Aaron or I along with him) but he's slowly adjusting. We're seeing more smiles from him, more giggles, and we feel like this time is so important for him in terms of settling in.
Tomorrow we will celebrate Maya's belated 7th birthday with a picnic here at our house with family. I'm looking forward to making the day special for our girl, especially because we missed her actual birthday. She is so wonderful with Matthew--she loves to hold him and feed him when it's bottle time. She is really attentive to him, and on several occasions today, I saw him look up at her and grin.
I was thinking today about my own sister, adopted from Korea when I was a child, and how much I LOVE her and feel connected to her. These transitions of adding a new child to the family seem like a big deal at the time, but as the months and years go on, family relationships become so normal, so natural, and the friendships that will develop among my children have the potential to be some of the most important in their life. I don't know what I'd do or be without my brother and my sister in the world--they are some of my favorite people, and while I can't remember for a second any disruption when they were each added to our family, I do have a lifetime of history with each of them.
And so it will be for Maya, Sam and Matthew.
I promised a few more photos, and I'm quite exhausted and don't have anything brilliant or witty to write tonight, so I'll just leave you with the pictures that follow. If you are still praying or sending thoughts our way, we could all really use a good night of sleep, one that turns us back to the Pacific timezone and helps us feel more like ourselves. This jet lag can really be a drag.
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| Maya's first look at her new brother! |
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| How I LOVED hugging my boy once again! |
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| Marmie gets her first snuggle from Matthew |
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| Maya is happy to be riding on Daddy's suitcase |
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| The three Russell kids in the back seat of the Subaru (oh, mini van, how we need thee!) |
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| Playing with toys together |
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| Chillin' at home (thanks Keltie for the cute onesie) |
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| He's one adorable boy! |
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| Not to be left out, Sam wanted a shot of himself too! |
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| Maya giving Matthew a bottle (great big sister!) |
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| A kiss for Matthew at the airport |
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