Pool season

I made a welcome discovery yesterday... Semira loves the water! Good thing! I love the water and would hate to think that she wouldn't enjoy some of my favorite activities. We have a pool in the back yard that's begging to be used.

We spent our Memorial Day in a friend's pool, and since Semira seemed to enjoy it so much I decided to take her for a spin in our own pool. The water is still a little chilly so there was a bit of a protest when we first got in, but as you can see she clearly enjoyed herself once she got used to the cool water. That's her doggie sister Heidi checking on her in the upper photo.

Now that we're in from the pool, she's all dry and warm and 'reading' my new Scientific American magazine. Do I have an athletic scientist on my hands? I hope so!

Look Mom! I'm sitting up!

Semira started sitting unsupported today!! She may have her hands on the floor in this picture, but just before I took it, she was playing with that purple block with both hands! And she didn't fall over! She looks a little unsure about my excitement, doesn't she? The poor kid is still battling that nasty virus and her nose is so chapped. But she's getting better.

Rescue

My friends invited me out into the adult world for lunch today. I felt like I was being rescued! Semira has been sick and understandably cranky this week, so we've been staying home except for our doctor visit and related errands. She's finally starting to feel better, so we took them up on their offer. Semira played with a couple of un-sauced spaghetti noodles and decorated her hair with them. When I picked one out of her hair, she put it right back where it was. So she stayed decorated with spaghetti until it was time to leave.

No photos of Miss Spaghetti Hair from lunch today, but this is one I took on the plane ride home. When I was a kid, almost every photo my mom took had her finger in it. Evidently the act of bringing Semira home has transformed me into the mother who sticks her finger in her photos. Yes, I've already gotten harrassed about that by Semira's grandmother.

Finally some new pictures!

I finally managed to get my photos extracted from my camera today... you wouldn't think that would be such a hard task when all it needed was batteries. I've discovered that even rechargables have a life span, but it took me a few days to figure that out. I swear I'm going brain dead.

Hanna the orphanage director just before the hand-off.

An unsure Semira with her jet-lagged, travel-weary but elated new mommy.

Semira visiting the orphanage to tell her nannies goodbye with Lelena, who works for the adoption agency.

Our first attempt at rice cereal.

We're home!!

We made it!! What a crazy couple of weeks we've had...

The trip to Ethiopia was very smooth. As soon as we got to Addis Ababa we were able to go to Sele Enat and get Semira. So I've had my little girl with me since May 3!

We got back to Texas on May 9, and her uncle Jeremy, aunt CP, and lots of their friends met her that evening. Her aunt Merritt met her the next morning.

We got back home Sunday. Unfortunately, I arrived home with a little sinus infection that turned into a raging sinus infection very quickly. So Semira and I had a bit of a rough start to the week. But I'm doing better now and we're having much more fun.

My camera is acting up and I've misplaced my memory card reader so there will be a bit of a delay in getting pictures from the trip and afterward posted. But this is the last photo I received of her before I went to get her. It's so nice to finally be able to post it!

Semira has been adjusting very well to her new home. She likes her new doggie "sisters," and they love her. Especially at mealtime. She's sleeping really well in her own bed in her own room, she's trying all kinds of yummy fruits and veggies, and she's meeting lots of new friends. She loves story time and riding in her ultra-cool Jeep stroller. This evening she attended her first Guinness Night, and charmed all of the waitresses, several customers, and the restaurant owner's daughter. Tomorrow she'll make her Game Night debut. She's almost crawling. She learned to wave this week. She's also switched from saying "da da da da da" to "ma ma ma ma." And we're slowly but surely figuring out a routine.