Surprise! We're home!

Actually, we've been home for a couple of days but I've been just basking in the time alone with all my girls! We left Arkansas on Friday a.m. with the intent of getting home and surprising everyone--two days later and lots of catch up errands, we still had our surprise but we had to bring Grammy, D-daddy, and Aunt Mary in on the secret.

They told the girls that they were coming over to the house to decorate in anticipation of us getting home and you can imagine their surprise when they walked up to the front door and there was a "Welcome Home G and K" sign. I had hoped to get pictures of their surprised looks but everyone was so anxious to meet Maddie that the camera was laid aside momentarily.

Still have lots to fill in from our last couple of days in Arkansas but here are just a few of our first day home pics.

To Binky or Not to Binky

To binky or not to binky? That is the question..... The nurses gave Maddie a pacifier at the hospital and we've used it a little bit-at this point she doesn't seem particularly attached to it and I'm thinking that is a good thing. Neither G nor K took a pacifier when they were babies. At about 18 months, G had a small blanket and a favorite doll that she used to be particularly attached to and K has just started showing an interest in a Gloworm doll. It will be interesting to see if Maddie bonds with any one particular thing.


To Binky or Not to Binky?

Yesterday Alicia came over and spent some time with us and then showed us around Springdale. She took us to some of the Marshallese stores--I bought some guams--and showed us where she worked and some of the places that she and her family like to go. It was a nice treat to have the "insider's tour".

She also shared some of the Marshallese customs with us--one concerning the baby's umbilical cord. She said that in the Marshall Islands when the cord drys and falls off that it is given to someone that has a skill that you would like the child to grow to have. For example, if you want them to be a good fisherman, then you would give it to someone in the family who fishes or if you wanted them to be a good farmer/gardener then you would give it to the family member who gardens.


Alicia and Maddie

We finished our evening up with a great dinner at the OK China Buffet. It has a hibachi grill area and also a regular buffet--a great selection of really good food. I'm going to miss it when we go home!

Before we parted for the evening, Alicia gave us some beautiful handicraft gifts that I will take some pics of to share in the coming days. She gave R a handmade bolo (sp?) and myself a wut (sp?. She also gave us the most beautiful handmade picture frames with pics of us and Maddie in them. She still has family in Majuro that make the traditional handicrafts and I'm hoping she can help me coordinate getting some more of the traditional Marshallese baskets.


Our Arkansas Family

It's time for the hair accessories

A girl can not have too many hair accessories, nor can she start wearing them too early! I had gotten this particular hair band for K when she was a baby and it was almost too tight, on Maddie, it was sliding down over her eyes :-)



We went on our first shopping trip to the mall today and my littlest girl was a real trooper! I was going to put her in my Baby Bjorn until I realized that she needed to be a minimum of 8 lbs and 21 inches, so that will have to wait awhile. It was a bit "bulky" carrying her around in the infant carrier--actually R carried her and I shopped :-) I was doing our part to support the local economy!



She looks like such a little person in this picture with the little pants and long-sleeved shirt on. You can't see it but the pants are rolled down at the waist to keep them up-both are newborn sized and still a little big.

More later, gotta get ready for my late night party :-)

She's growing!

I think the late nights are starting to catch up with me--I feel my resolve to post every day slipping a little :-) Must take a nap, must take a nap,.......

Yesterday Maddie had her post-discharge follow-up with the pediatrician. The pediatrician said that they like to see newborns back up to their birth weight by two weeks. Our little over-achiever has regained and surpassed her birth weight by 1/4 ounce. She has also grown 1/4"--all this at the one week mark.

R and I are also amazed at how much more active she is becoming. She's definitely getting more alert and staying awake a little longer between feedings. She's trying to lift her head and if laid on your lap, will kick and try to push off with her legs.

We had a great dinner with Alicia and family on Sunday night. She had suggested a local chinese buffet and it was really good---more authentic food than what we find on the buffets at home. I definitely overate and am hoping we can hit it one more time before we leave AR.

Still have to finish up some paperwork with the attorney and am hoping that happens today so that we can start our countdown to coming home. The "open-endedness" of this trip has been and continues to be a challenge. Even though we were on an open-ended trip to the Marshall Islands in 2009 this definitely seems harder and I know it's because the girls are not here with us.

More later and will try to post some new pics!

1 week down and not sure how many left to go

We arrived in Arkansas one week ago today. In some respects the time has flown by and in others it has crawled. Getting to know Alicia and her family, witnessing Maddie's birth, bringing Maddie home--those things seem to have flown by. The paperwork on the other hand seems to be moving at a snail's pace.

We Skyped home today and I miss the girls so much! They look like they have changed so much in only a week! I'm also amazed at how much Maddie has changed in a week's time--she's more alert and for longer periods of time, she's eating better and eating more, and her little personality is starting to shine thru. She likes to have her legs rubbed, doesn't mind being burped, but doesn't like the car seat!

Tomorrow our lawyer will file the initial papers at the courthouse. Say a prayer that the paperwork is adequate and no other documents are needed. If all is in order we could be coming home in 7 days but if there are additional requirements, then it could be 2 more weeks.

More tomorrow and hopefully some pics!

Maddie's First Bath

Maddie had her first official bath today. It was a sponge bath since we are still waiting for her cord to dry up, but since she was completely bare we'll consider it the first official bath:-)

Have I mentioned lately how cute she is? Once her hair was washed and dried it was soft and fluffy and she smelled like baby soap. Now she'll be all ready for her late night party---the one that she and I have been attending the past couple of nights.



Wanted to post this pic of my girls back home--thanks Miss Rhonda for sending it!

Day or Night?

We have just passed the first 24 hours of having Maddie with us. We spent the day at the hotel just getting to know her and cuddling with her. I'm not positive but I think she may have her days and nights a little mixed up. (My friends at Toddlin' Time are probably laughing about this.) She got up at 2:30am this morning and was awake for at least two and half hours. I loved watching all her little facial expressions and movements but I think I could like it a lot more if it was during the daylight hours:-)

At the hospital, they were feeding Maddie every three hours. Over the last 24 hours, she has eaten sometimes every three hours and sometimes every 2 hours. We were initially concerned because she didn't seem too be latching very well at the hospital but she's doing great now--she's so cute when she's hungry, turning her little head from side to side and putting her hands up to her mouth.

I'm really missing my girls back home! G had her last day of cheer camp today and they did a special presentation. One of our friends sent me some pictures but I can't figure how to get them from the phone over to the computer---times like these that I really don't like technology! One of the pics was of G, K, and G's best friend--it's only been a week but somehow K looks like she has grown in my absence.

I leave you with these pics as we continue to trudge thru the paperwork here-


This was at 9:00am this morning-note that both of them are sleeping :-)