One week ago....

One week ago, to the minute as I type, we pulled into the driveway with our newest bundle of joy.  She was sound asleep, exhausted after 22 hours of traveling with very little sleep.

Three beautiful boys were waiting excitedly with Grammy and Grandpa...

watching out the window for our car to appear.

Finally, the moment we'd all waited so very long for arrived!

But, someone forgot to give Sadie the memo that this was the moment that she was supposed to be giggling, and smiling, and running into her brothers arms.

She was less than impressed by what was taking place.

And, totally uninterested in meeting those who had loved her for over a year and who had been praying for her for so very long.

Every so slowly, Sadie's eyes began to open,

and she saw three anxious, loving, and overjoyed boys starring with bright eyes at her.

A smile spread across her face at these...her brothers.

Luke begged to "hold her" - because to him, he's the big brother and she's the baby.  Never mind the fact that they are exactly the same size and he's actually the younger one.

He was so proud that he took the opportunity to steal his first kiss. 

After which he cried, "Her like me!  Her like me!!!!"

The sleep slowly lifted and her eyes grew brighter.

She began to babble to her siblings and they were smitten from the start.

Because what's not to love... 

about a girl who's smile lights up the room...

who instantly wraps her brothers around her finger...

and who opens her arms to love this crazy crowd of ours?!

A huge thanks to our sweet friend, Valerie Butler, for the amazing photos of this special moment in time!

Last two days in Bulgaria...

Hi, guys!  I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday at all, but I honestly didn't take any pictures.  We were tired, grumpy and ready to go home.  Those of you that adopt and spend weeks upon weeks in your child's birth country, my hat goes off to you.  You are amazing!  It's been 7 days since I saw my boys and I am ready to have them in my arms again!  We are all tired of this hotel room (although, thankfully, it's been very nice and comfortable), we are tired of the food and we are tired of smelling cigarette smoke all the time.  Even Sadie is ready to GO!  If we are hanging out in our room for too long, she brings us her shoes and fusses until we put them on.  Then she brings us our shoes and gestures for us to put them on, goes to the door and bangs on it.  We've taken multiple walks each day, for several miles each.  I will be in great shape when we return home!!

Thankfully, the days have had many sweet moments in the midst of the anxiousness to get home.  Sadie has started kissing us more and more.  She has fallen asleep in my arms several times.  She reaches for me when she is scared or when she perceives that there is a threat that she might be taken away from us.  I watched her climb 7 flights of stairs without stopping (for a kid with DS, she is STRONG), she has been eating great and has been chewing and swallowing better than we expected her to.  

Yesterday, we had our Embassy appointment in order to complete Sadie's VISA.  Our appointment was at 2:30pm, we arrived at 2:15 and finally had our interview at 3:30pm.  Sadie was a champ and climbed into my lap at the beginning of the long wait, laid her head on my shoulder and fell asleep.  She slept until 5 minutes before our name was called.  I was so thankful for this - it was such a sweet blessing!

She's been sleeping well each night, but we've decided that Daddy is much better at putting her to bed than Mama.  I think she thinks I'm there to play.  Daddy sits close, but reminds her that it's "Night, night time" and doesn't mess around.  She goes to sleep much quicker and better if I use that time to Skype with the boys rather than being in the room.  It will be interesting to see how the bedtime routine pans out once we are home, especially since Luke and Sadie will be sharing a room!

We fly out at 6am from Sofia to Germany, have a 5 hour layover and then fly straight in to Orlando.  Our flight arrives around 5:45pm.  Please pray for us as we travel - for safety in the air and for Sadie to do well with the flights!  Pray that she would sleep when she needs to sleep and be content to play quietly the rest of the time.  She can be a LOUD child, so prayers on our behalf and on the behalf of the other passengers would be greatly appreciated!  

My next post should have pictures of this sweet, beautiful girl meeting her brothers!!!!  

Hip hip hooray!!!!!  

Now to get packed and set the alarm for 4:15am...good night to all with much love from Bulgaria!

Getting to know you...getting to know all about you!

Y'all my heart is so full tonight with gratitude and joy that I feel it might explode.  Our daughter is beautiful - inside and out.  She's funny, smart (so smart!), and incredibly sweet.  She exudes love and happiness.  It just seeps from her pores.  Her smile lights up a room and lights up my heart.

As I type, I'm relegated to the hotel lobby where I just finished Skyping with the boys, Grammy and Grampa.  Right after I finished, I got a text from Andrew saying that I needed to stay put.  He'd given Sadie a bath and she was snuggled into him sucking her fingers and drifting off to sleep.  He wanted the time to bond and snuggle and cuddle.  This man - I adore him.

I could give you a play by play of the past two days, but I don't want to bore you.  So, I'll give you some snippets and lots of pictures (which I know is what you really want to see, anyway).  

Sadie loves sitting by the door to our balcony while she plays.  We've been keeping the door open most of the time to let in fresh air and she loves watching the cars pass by.

Yesterday afternoon, we made the mistake of letting her take a 3 hour nap.  Because of this, it took her FOREVER to get to sleep last night.  Finally, at 9:30pm, she gave in while lying on our bed.  We wanted her to get good and asleep before we transferred her to her crib.  After about 10 minutes, though, she rolled over, sat up and then dove head first off the bed.  Fortunately, Andrew was right there to break her fall, but that woke her up completely.  She didn't fall asleep for good until 11pm.  Thankfully, she went on to sleep through the night and woke up at 8:15 this morning happy as a clam!

This is what she looks like when she is mesmorized by a show on the ipad.  So far, we've learned that she loves anything with music (Baby Genius being the favorite) and Peppa Pig.

Cheese!

This "Juice in the Box" cup is AWESOME!  She isn't a drinker and we are really struggling to get liquid in her.  This is the only cup she'll use.  She won't touch a bottle, which I'm actually thankful for - we won't have to break her of it later.

The jammies she wore last night say it all.  Andrew said I jinxed us when I put those on her.  Good thing I don't believe in that sort of thing, or these might be burned ;).

A new day to dress girly and watch the cars pass by!

We discovered today that Sadie LOVES the Tula carrier!  We took her on two walks in it and both times she started out the walks with sunglasses on, waving and blowing kisses at all the trolleys passing by.  Both times, she also fell asleep.  I am so thankful she likes it and am hoping (and praying!) that it will be a great thing on the plane ride home!  However, let me tell you, I am not cut out to walk 4 miles in this thing!  I'm am going to be hurting tomorrow!  Hello, Advil!

Now that I'm looking at this picture, I'm wondering if that back support should be down farther?  Tula people - help a girl out and tell me if it needs to be fixed!  Also, any suggestions on how to not make her face lay on the clip thing?  I had to use a sock for a cushion!

After she slept, we bought our girl some lemon gelato and she smiled, giggled and waved to all the people walking by our outside table.  Then we headed down to the park.  She ran around, chased the pigeons, and fussed at us whenever we steered her in a different direction than the one she preferred.

We had the opportunity to witness her make a new friend.  She went up to this little fellow, gave him a hug, talked to him and handed him his toy.  She is so friendly!  I can't wait for her to meet the boys and to see them interact!

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She wore the crazy pigeons out!!

More Peppa the Pig!

She ate the best dinner tonight - better than we've ever seen her eat.  I think she's finally relaxing a little bit.  Afterward she was WIDE OPEN!  We were dying laughing!  I think she was so happy to have a belly full and to just feel good!

  

Waiting to Skype with her brothers!

Zonked out on Daddy!  

So, that's been our days.  It's been a blessed time of bonding for all of us!  Andrew and I have gotten a bit stir crazy at times and we are itching to get home to our family, but we are also trying to enjoy the one on one time that we have with her now.  God has been so good to us!  We thank you all for your love and your prayers.  I truly believe that she is doing so well because we have prayer warriors pleading with the Lord on her behalf.  With all of our hearts, we thank you, and we give God ALL of the glory!