Back to Normal (Normal?)

Hi everybody! We are back and trying to adjust to life with an infant while homeschooling! Whew! It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. For example, we might be working on something and the baby a) wants to be held b) has a blow-out and needs an emergency bath c) wants a bottle d) has gas ... you get the idea. For the most part, she sits in the classroom with us and plays while we work.

Bobby and Shannon love the baby and help out with her a lot! I don't know how I did this when they were small and there was no one to help me. Well for one thing, I was much younger - it's certainly more challenging now. But anyway, the kids are so pleased to have a new, living plaything to entertain them. They enjoy putting her in various costumes and taking her picture. For example, they recently put a book cover on her head to use as a do-rag. They call her "extreme baby". One day, I put Kiera in some pants that Shannon said were too high-waisted and made her look like a nerd. So they put my reading glasses on her and gave her a calculator. I give you "nerd baby".

And finally, when Kiera gerts really excited, she starts screeching (I hear it's a girl thing) and she makes this face that makes her resemble the little boy in "The Grudge". Here is Kiera as "Grudge baby".
We do actually do school work some of the time...really.

Kiera is getting a band around her head to help correct her flattened skull that resulted from constantly lying on her back in her crib in the orphanage. This week her head will get casted, which we are not looking forward to. It's not painful, but the babies hate it and we will all be glad when it's over. She will weear the band for 4 months. I am just glad that we are able to give her any medical attention that she needs.

She is doing beautifully in her new home. She is very happy all the time, sleeping through the night, and almost crawling (she is scooting backward on her hands and knees) which is great considering that she couldn't even sit up alone when we first met her. She is trying a wide variety of food - I just put whatever we are eating in the "ultimate chopper" and she can join us for dinner. She is definately the right baby for us - she fits right in our family. We just can't love her enough. That's all for now. Have to go - Kiera is dialing the phone - I hope she's not calling China!