Starting to find the new normal

So the past few weeks have been hard.  We knew that they would be, but no amount of preparation helps you become more ready for sheer exhaustion.  We're so grateful for all the support we've had this pat little bit.  Just knowing that people are out there praying for us has made a huge difference.

We survived the 15 hour flight from Hades where we were seriously very close to walking away from luggage and children at the endpoint, and either Heavenly Father took pity on us or the boys realized they were THIS CLOSE to making their parents truly snap, because they both slept during the last 2 flights home.  Looking back, I have no idea how we all made it home safely, and it reaffirmed our prior feeling that our family is now complete, because we are not going to repeat that experience any time soon.  

The current update is that both boys are doing really well.  We're still working hard on attachment, and on the boundaries in our home, and thinking back to two weeks ago just amazes me at how far we've already come.  The boys have made so much progress, and overall it's getting a little easier to manage life each day, which is definitely progress for Kerry and I compared to when we first got home.

Kerry and I are starting to experience moments where this parenting and family thing is actually fun again, which is weird, and gives us hope that those moments are the new normal that we're working toward.  Their personalities have been coming out full force this while time, but now we're starting to appreciate them more and more.

The part of this whole thing that has been the hardest has been watching Kate try to deal with all the changes and challenges that have been happening.  She really has done so amazingly, but it has been so hard for her.  The boys have required a lot of attention this first little bit, and learning to coexist with 2 new brothers has been difficult.  I've been so proud of how much she's been willing to share and help out.  Even with all the difficulty, there have been plenty of moments where she has a blast playing with the boys, and enjoys being silly with them.  We've been trying really hard to carve out some Kate time each day so that she gets some one-on-one with one of us.

The medical update is that the boys are both really healthy and within the normal ranges for growth and health.  Since there's no immunization record, they just have to start from scratch, and they've been champs with all the shots.  We're also having them tested for any other possible bugs, and Yeb is currently being treated for lice.  Yuck.  The boys also had their dental appointments today, where we found out that Yeb has wonderfully healthy teeth, and that Tam will have a premature pumpkin smile after having his top four front teeth removed soon.  It will be so nice to get all this initial dental/medical stuff out of the way!

We have hardly any pictures of the boys because any time the camera comes out there is an inevitable meltdown, so we've avoided bringing it out at all.  We need to get going, though, because I really do want pictures of this stage of our family.

Thanks again, everyone, for all the love and support!