Ella Day

Today is Ella Day. Chip and I met our daughter one year ago today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After months of gazing at photos of a baby that would be ours, and wondering what she was like, we got to see and hold and touch our baby girl.

Having Ella in our family is such a gift. So often, when we first came home from Africa, people would comment on the gift we were giving our baby. The gift, I suppose, was the opportunity to grow up in America. I'll never forget when Ella and I met a woman while we were out shopping one day. Ella smiled and waved and blew kisses to the lady who turned to me with tears in her eyes and told me how lucky I was to have received such a gift. And that's how we think of Ella. She is a gift from Africa, from her birth mother, and from the people in Ethiopia who took such sweet care of her.



Ella’s brothers are equally smitten. Nathan's second grade teacher told us during our conference that Nathan talks about his baby sister almost every day. And Ian won't let Ella go to bed without lots of hugs and kisses. We have our frustrations - Ella is a walking, talking (running and climbing) 18-month-old daredevil in a pink tutu. But, most days, we have loads of fun and more love than I ever imagined.

Ella Update

I have been a very bad blogger lately. I like to think it's because I'm working so hard at being a fabulous Mommy! It's actually because I'm horribly unorganized. Sigh.

Many people have asked for a posting with new photos. Here it is:

In March, Ella cut her two bottom teeth. They came in right around Chip's birthday. She also started saying "Da-da" at about the same time.



In April, Ella sat up on her own, learned to wave, and started crawling. One day, I found her in her room with her toy basket turned over and a big smile on her face!




This month, she has learned to pull herself up to standing, and she has started cruising. She's all over the place, and FAST! It won't be long before she's walking. Hard to believe Ella is already 11 months old. Time is flying!

Bonding

I did all the research - read books, surfed the Web, completed the mandatory training provided by our adoption agency. And after all of that research, I was prepared to bring a baby into our family and struggle a little. I was prepared to have a difficult time bonding with our baby up front. All the experts (including my Mom) told me it was a possibility.

Instead, Ella and I bonded really quickly. She and her dad did as well. In fact, they have an even stronger bond these days. Ella just said her first word..."Da-da."

Was the bond instantaneous? Was it love at first sight? (Chip would probably answer "yes" to both questions.) I'm not sure. Our first few days together were in Ethiopia, and they were a bit of a blur for me. There was a certain euphoria that I experienced when we first met Ella. And that 30-hour trek from Addis Ababa to Dallas certainly helped us get to know each other well! But, it wasn't until we got home, and we settled into the rhythm of our new life as a family of five, that I realized the process hadn't been the struggle I anticipated.

The bond I have with Ella just kind of happened. She is so easy to love. And her brothers feel the same way - most of the time! (As I mentioned in an earlier post, we've had our hiccups. But, they are the kind of hiccups every family has when a new baby comes home.)

I think Ella is an incredible little person. All smiles and sweet - but feisty - personality. I do believe that we're all born with a certain nature, but I also believe that who we are is largely shaped by the influence of the people and energy around us. I think Ella's ability to love and bond is a result of the sweet loving care she received at the Gladney Infant Care Center in Addis. And I think the care she received is a testament to the Ethiopian culture in which all children are loved and celebrated.

Photos of Ella

Eleanor, my good friend and next door neighbor, was Ella's first babysitter. She and the baby spent a couple of hours together last week while I got a pedicure. Eleanor also happens to be a talented photographer. Check out her blog here to see the sweetest photos of the sweetest baby girl ever! Thank you, Eleanor, for capturing her personality perfectly. Can't wait to see more.

Ella at Home

We cannot believe our good fortune. Ella Serena is a fantastic, easygoing, funny, happy person. She fits. We've had a few hiccups the last couple of weeks, but for the most part, our family is functioning beautifully. Both Nathan and Ian have fallen in love with their Baby Sister. They have their moments of resentment because a 7-month-old requires so much attention, but the positive moments and feelings far outweigh the negative.

At the Airport

We've been home almost two weeks, and we've had lots of visitors. Many friends have come bearing gifts and dinner, and we are so grateful! Trying to settle in after our adventure overseas has taken quite a bit of time and energy, and our friends and family have been so thoughtful. I'd forgotten how many loads of laundry and dishes a baby can generate!

Ella with Auntie Kiersty (my dearest, bestest friend)

I'm trying to remember to take photos, but the days seem to get away from me. Here are a few images we've captured of life with Ella at home.