Mar 22, 2010

Our first week home with our little princess!

I love being outside!





Out to breakfast to celebrate my great-grandmas 96th birthday! I wanted Nicholas to hold me:)








Mama, if we walk down this way Gymbore* is right there!







I wanted to have breakfast with my mei-mei Emily:)





Please, can I have just one more sucker?







Nicholas pushed me during our very first walk at home this weekend...he did a great job and is an awesome big brother!









I love the porch swing on Papaw and Grandma's back porch:)




I'm starting to get sleepy!




I loved Uncle Tony and Aunt Cheryl coming over and when Uncle Tony and I were playing football I laughed so hard I couldn't even stand up!!
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Gabriella's giggles, smiles and laughing are priceless!! We are learning so many things about this precious little girl that reflect she is truly her mommy's daughter:) When we offered her milk/formula out of a plastic sippy cup she won't drink it however if you give her straight milk in a glass she will drink the entire glass in record time! She also enjoys crunching her suckers as soon as she gets them to her mouth ~ she nor her mommy will ever know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop:)
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Gabriella's first week at home has been amazing! We arrived home on Sunday night and she was sleeping through the night by Wednesday:) She LOVES her brothers and watching her relationship unfold with them is priceless! The boys are ever so patient with her as she tends to "hoard" everything ~ toys, food, their snacks etc. and they are doing a great job encouraging her to share...each day it is getting a little bit better:) The mourning she has for her foster grandparents is decreasing and for that we are thankful. My heart breaks knowing how much she misses them from time to time and though I know we can't ever replace the family she loved and grew up with during her first two years, yet I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is with her forever family that God has chosen for her. Gabriella continues to share a little bit more of her amazing personality with us each and everyday and she is such a perfect fit with our family; she is also learning several English words and enjoys seeing the expression on our faces when she says them for the very first time:) As we reflect back to three weeks ago today when we first became a family we are in awe of what a wonderful gift God has given to us!


6 comments:

Joanne said...

I could just eat her up, Teresa!! You have a ~beautiful~ daughter!!! Cherish these memories, for they grow up so quickly.

I am headed out tomorrow with my brood to Grandma's and then DH will meet me for our flight on Thursday. Wish us luck!!!!

Enjoy that little girl!! (I know you are over the moon.)
I am thrilled to see your joy and delight.
Joanne

The Whitledge Family said...

Now that is precious. I have wondered about you since I knew that you were leaving. I forgot to look at the blog!! Silly me!! I am so glad that she is home with her forever family and can't wait to have a daughter in my house full of boys.

Tami said...

Teresa,

Gabriella is beautiful! Looks and sounds like she's fitting right in:-).

Welcome home!

Tami

Steve n Coco said...

Oh Teresa!!! I'm so sorry that I have been "absent" these last few weeks, so I am just now catching up on how things are going for you. I LOVE these pictures, they actually gave me a little tear in my eye :) Such an incredible blessing. And in the last post, you mentioned Curtis likening Gabriella to a flower, opening up more and more-- just wait and see!! I'm still seeing LilyJoy open up and it is beyond the coolest thing ever. Your boys are just precious with her! Look at how Nicholas just beams in the pics with her. So sweet.
Be blessed and know that you have been on my mind TONS lately!
Courtney

Sally-Girl! said...

Your adoption of Gabriella reminds me of when we brought home our daughter from Korea 14 years ago. Her older brothers adored her. It was wonderful. She is darling!!!

Sarah said...

Oh my! You are being graced with so many smiles and giggles! So happy to have found you all safe at home with your little beautiful "flower" opening up a little more every day.

 
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