Updates!

I've been meaning to update for a while, but we have been drowning around here. Even with Rush working a lot less than usual, things have been crazy!

Week 2 with Rylie was definitely better than week 1. I think a lot of that had to do with us being more rested. We were able to get out and about a little more and get back into some semblance of a routine which helped a lot. Rylie still had a lot of issues in terms of sleep and hating life with our dog. We did see more and more of her personality come out every day. She definitely has a BIG personality. It will be interesting to see it in full bloom some day!

She had a lot of labwork done at the pediatrician's office and we got the results last week. Nothing too surprising, although we will need to make a visit to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist soon for a few issues. We also found out that Rylie brought a little present home from China. The dreaded "G" word of international adoption.....giardia. A lovely little intestinal parasite which is highly contagious. I half-way expected her to have it, so we have been very diligent when changing her diapers, but it was nice to get confirmation that she actually tested positive. She's been treated now even though she was asymptomatic, and none of us has been affected (although the Health Department has been bugging us and forcing us to divulge a lot of information you generally don't like to share!). Perhaps her little parasitic friend has something to do with how much she eats! She is tiny...less than 24 pounds and just fitting into some 18 month size clothes, but she eats like a horse! It will be interesting to see if her appetite decreases some now that she'll actually be absorbing more of her nutrients.

We've definitely had some more ups and downs. It's hard to believe we've only been home for 2 1/2 weeks. We have to keep reminding ourselves of that when we get discouraged at the slow pace of the progress around here. It definitely feels like she's been here longer and that we should be farther along than we are. But to think that just over a month ago she was still living in an orphanage, I think she's actually doing pretty well. I have to continually remind myself how much has changed for her in such a short period of time. I cannot say that the ride has been pleasant or even that we haven't second-guessed what we were thinking getting into this. But, we KNOW that no matter how hard things are on any given day, we are still doing what we were meant to do and that she is the child who was meant to be in our family. We see it in little moments here and there when she lets us see the real Rylie...when we witness her crazy, goofy, happy, silly self that meshes so well with Jonah and Reagan it's amazing. It's almost scary how well I know she will eventually fit in. It's a process though....it's not magic. It's not sudden or overnight. It's not a fairy tale. It's not love at first sight. It's a process that takes work, and patience, and troubleshooting, and tears and frustration. One day though.....things will be different. For now, we are trying to find the joy in the fleeting moments here and there and take them as they come....they are blessings that carry us through the less-joyful moments.

We did hit the pumpkin patch last week and get to go again this week with Reagan's preschool class.

Jonah is also wrapping up his fall ball season. Only 1 more game to go!

This past weekend, we had Rylie dedicated at church. Unfortunately, in the craziness of the day, we forgot to take pictures, so this is all we have. Maybe we'll have to dress up again and stage a picture!

Jonah had picture day at school, and decided to go all out.... :)

And today....ahhh, today was magical. Well, a little part of today anyway. And last night. Last night, in addition to going on a family walk in the amazing fall weather, Rylie actually pet the dog!!! It wasn't much, nor was it really voluntary, but she did it. We sat with her in our laps next to Bailey and took her hand in ours and had her try it. She was ok for a bit and then had enough, which was fine. We just want her to start to see that it's ok to be near the dog. Well, I thought that was a great first step considering she has continued to scream any time she even sees Bailey. Today, I worked with her a little bit again, using Jonah and Reagan as good examples for her...and this afternoon, for the very first time, she walked around the living room...one her own.....right beside the dog....WITHOUT FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!!! It may not sound like a big deal, or maybe it sounds silly, but I truly cannot over exaggerate how big this is. Her intense reaction to the dog, next to getting her to sleep at night, is the single biggest issue we have been dealing with. It has made it nearly impossible to get anything done at home, much less just function without collapsing due to the constant (and I mean CONSTANT, every waking moment) attention she demands because of her fear. Trying to balance that with 2 other kids, their needs and life in general has been difficult and frustrating to say the least. So seeing this little step forward is truly making me rejoice in a major way! In fact, I have a little video....which again, may not look like much, but it is one of the most wonderful sights I have ever seen!!!

Anyway, that's all for now. Thanks for all of your prayers as we continue through this transition! We definitely feel them!

Oh....and 2 more pictures, just 'cause I think they're cute. (You can do that when you're the mom.)