Our First Night Together

Once we got back to our hotel room and broke open those backpacks we had wanted to take to our gotcha moment, we had a turn around in emotions quite quickly!

A couple suckers.  A new doll and blanket...

Some playdough- Lena was loving making cool things for them!

Bring on the smiles!

I had given them each a cup.  This is when we started to see just how opinionated little Miss Maeleigh is.   She decided the one Macie got was the one she really wanted and so she handed her the one she had gotten.

Bubbles were magical!  They brought out a lot of smiles and laughter too! It was wonderful!

 And they loved their sunglasses.

After playing for quite awhile, it was time for a bath!  We brought some color tablets to make the water a different color.  Maeleigh LOVED the bath!  She knew just what to do and she is quite independent and strong willed at times.  She wanted to wash her own hair and use the wash cloth herself.

 Macie on the other hand- she did not like the bath one bit. It was almost as if she didn't know what it was or hadn't really been bathed much before.

Sisters!

A warm towel, some mama love, and some lotion and jammies and she was back to being a happy camper!

 I think we have a daddy's girl here! ;)  Actually, both girls like both of us pretty equally, which is a first.  It's really nice and we're secretly hoping it stays that way!   But I do have to say that Rick is just loving this because it is the first time in awhile one of our adopted children just loved on Rick right from the start.  It makes me so happy for him- he really needed this!  

 Bed time!  We started with all of the kids in the big bed, but ended up with Macie and Lena together in a bed and Evan and Maeleigh together in another bed. We read a few books and eased into it, but the minute the lights went out and it was time to go to sleep the grieving returned.  We figured it would from experience. Night time is hard.  It's a quiet time and time to think about all that is going on and what they have left behind.   We couldn't help but think of how hard this night might have also been for their foster families who were so used to putting them to bed and now had an empty place.   I stayed in between the beds for quite some time rubbing the girls hands and backs.   Macie went to sleep first and then Maeleigh started crying and putting her face in the blankets. I got in bed and laid with her and comforted her until she was asleep.   I headed back to go to bed myself and not long after Macie was up again crying.  She had a lot of on and off crying for quite awhile and ended up in bed with me.  It didn't make for a good night sleep- I had a very small spot on the bed.  But it was what she needed and I'll do whatever it takes at this point to make her feel safe, secure, and loved.