The girls both have colds

A cold sounds so simple, but can be so complicated when you are away from home in an environment where the clinic opens when they feel like it and the phone system is not always reliable. We've been having trouble calling from room to room at the hotel so the prospect of having to make a 911 call, if needed, is pretty scary.

G is pretty much over her fever but still has a hacking cough. The baby had me scared most of the night with a fever that ran from 101 to 102.50 It's a really good thing that Family #2 is still here with us and has 4 children under their belt so to speak. I was a nervous wreck when that baby's temp kept going up.

We've got both girls on Tylenol and are hopeful that all this will pass in a day or so.

Here's a couple of pics that we took at the airport when family #1 left that we weren't able to post yesterday.

Afternoon sky


Marshall Islands Rainbow


Flat Stanley does the Marshall Islands

G has been sick

G has been sick for a couple of days-nothing that I could really pin down as a flu or cold but a fever, occasional cough. The baby has also started coughing so today we're making a trip to the clinic. I'll keep you posted on how that goes-pray for us that it is nothing serious. Our friends that just left had a child with pneumonia while here so of course that is in the back of my mind.

Last night we went to the airport to see Family #1 off-they had gotten their little boy's passport/visa yesterday and were heading back home to IL. We will miss them! I took some great pics of a rainbow at the airport and of R holding both girls with flowers in their hair but the internet connection is running slow (again) and I'm having trouble getting the pics up. Will try to get them up later and post an update after our visit to the clinic.


Big R and the Island Girls

Trip to Laura Beach

This morning after breakfast we set out for Laura Beach. Our understanding was that it would take approx. an hour to get there. The directions were simple-just drive past the airport and keep going until the road runs out-then you are there.

As we started out, R noticed that we needed gas in the "tuna can". We assumed that we would be able to stop along the way and fill up-hello Dorothy, you're not in Kansas any more-after we were 30 minutes into the drive, and after stopping and asking 3 people if there was a gas station up ahead we decided to turn around and head back to the hotel to fill up. So the first hour of our trip was basically a circle-remember that earlier post about how everything takes longer here?

Exactly 1 hour after we set out, we set out again. This time with a full tank of gas :-) After driving for about an hour, the road did indeed end, and we were at the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. We couldn't stay long because of the heat and the sheer power of the sun but we'll definitely take Aunt M back to visit when she gets here.


The "tuna can"


Laura Beach


Baby K on the beach

Hanging out poolside

Did I mention that everything seems to take longer here? At the moment we are hanging out poolside and G is swimming with her friends so I thought I'd take a moment and post. This morning we went out to get supplies-water, groceries, etc. We had to make 3 stops to get everything that was on our list. It wasn’t that we were shopping for the best price, it was that you can’t always find everything in one place.

Some of you have asked about the prices here. Some things are very expensive-a bottle of Tide detergent is $15, a bag of Baked Lays is $5, a can of Enfamil is $35, brand name diapers are available but also very expensive. Now just like at home you can price shop some things but the name brand items seem to all be about the same price at each store.

Today we picked up a pair of tennis shoes for G that were $1.49-regular price. I just have to think how is it that a pair of shoes can cost $1.49 and a bag of chips can cost $5?

Of course we're taking lots of pictures and I know that at some point they are all going to start looking the same to you folks but enjoy today's baby pics.


Jones family at dinner


Note the hair accessory


the Jones girls

Just hanging out

We are just hanging out today. It seems to take an incredibly long time to do things here. Yesterday, it took 2 hours to do one load of laundry. G had the opportunity to play in the hotel pool with the kids from Family #. That gave the adults some time to sit and talk-it was nice.

Today we are going to replenish supplies and try to make contact with Baby K's birthmom. We'd like to go ahead and setup PO Box for her if needed since Family #2 told us there were a few available.

The baby only got up once last night so everyone had a much better rest. I leave you today with a few pictures from around the hotel.


the view from behind the hotel

Internet is a little slow....

The internet connection has been a little slow for the past day and a half, even though it is supposed to be high-speed. It's probably on Marshallese time just like everything else here. You quickly learn that if someone says to be there at 8:00am that they really mean be there at 9:00am-totally different from being in the states.

Last evening we met the other family that is here to adopt-now there are 3 families-it's like having our own little travel group. Family #1 will most likely leave on Monday. Their papers are on their way back-based on their time frame, their stay has been 4 1/2 weeks. We're keeping our fingers crossed that ours follows the same route!

Family #2 had their court date yesterday and so they are a day behind us, meaning that we will have company the whole time we are here.

Baby K is getting used to us and we're getting used to her. The night time schedule is taking a little bit of time to get used to-in fact, R is going to take G out today so that Baby K and I can sleep:-)

More later and hopefully some pics if the internet is up and running.

Paperwork is done and now we wait.....

The past 2 days have been whirlwind of trips to meet with the attorney, get the babies medical exam completed, go to court, collect birth certificates, get Baby K's passport, meetings at the US Embassy, and did I mention that we just got a new baby :-)

Yesterday was an incredibly emotional day for several reasons-I watched my "baby" G turn into a big sister, we officially added a new addition to our family, and while we experienced the joy of the moment we also witnessed the sorrow for the birthmom and the fostermom. It was a very humbling experience to watch someone I had never met take the witness stand and relinquish their parental rights so that R and I could adopt this beautiful baby. I cried like a baby when the fostermom officially handed Baby K over to me.

In such a short time I feel like I have come to know these people and they have become part of my extended family, it has been an awe inspiring experience. It is so evident by looking at Baby K that the foster family has taken such great care of her. At her medical exam yesterday she weighed 11 lbs 11 oz and is 22 inches long. She has almost doubled her birthweight and is not quite 3 months old. Below are a couple of pics that we took yesterday-


Baby K's medical exam


G holding Baby K at court


It's official-the Jones Family of 4 and Baby K's birthmom