Some people have said, "It will all work out fine; you guys are great parents and it will all be fine." We appreciate the encouragement but know that it's not reality. Read 1 adoption book and you'll find that there are plenty of challenges; especially with kids who have been institutionalized. After the first day we wondered if maybe she was not going to have some of the typical attachment issues. But it's pretty clear now that she does. She has rarely let Beth out of sight or touch. And she is currently sleeping on our floor after throwing a fit that Beth was holding my hand. Beth told her "no" a few times & she cried & fell asleep. We know that lots of times, toddlers need to attach to one parent before they let anyone else into their world. They need to know that at least 1 person is trustworthy before they are ready to trust two. So that may be at play here. Anyway, Beth and I are tired for different reasons. It's been a long 48 hours but we are hanging in there. Shurabe has puked in a car, bonked her head (we feared concussion so we checked on her throughout the night), and has had some little emotional spells. But she has also done well with some things.

We will definitely be doing all the things that they tell adoptive parents to do in these situations. We'll be keeping her pretty close to home & make sure that we are the ones to provide any need she has for a while.

We can't wait to be home, although the trip is daunting. Pray that we will be healthy. We think her upset stomach this morning was caused by motion sickness, so we bought some medicine (cost us 20 cents - great prices here). When you see her, you can say "Selahm" (Say-Lom) which means Hi. But don't expect anything back in return yet.

We look forward to settling in & seeing you all in a few weeks. Cole & Levi, we love you. Mommy cried when she thought about you yesterday because we miss you so much. And I can't wait for big hugs & lots of playing next week. I'm not working so I'll be home all week with you.