Up all night ... in a FUN way!

The plan was for us all to have a nice long night of sleep! So we turned in at 8 pm local time. But one by one, we Wessels woke up over here ... starting around 11 pm... I got up, then James, then Kate! She was just wide-eyed, looking all around. We would get her up, try to feed her, try to lay her back down... only to peek in at her a few minutes later to see those same big brown eyes! Sweet little girl!

We started with this baby...

So cute of course! But just timid and motionless. Other than swatting a bottle away before bed last night, she had made no other movements with any of her limbs! We were a tad worried but our sweet neighbors who are adopting too (for the 3rd time) assured us that this was normal. And we know God has called us to this little one, and we just fell in love with her rigth from the start... sweet little girl sucking her thumb! Still no luck with bottles, sippy cups, etc. Finally she started eying my granola bar... and next thing we knew, she was all over it!!!

So we ate some of that then I tried laying down with her in the bed. But wide-eyed she was again ; ) And her breathing is just super yucky - gunky, raspy, crackly, etc. She may even have a mild case of pheumonia, but thankfully I don't have my stethoscope and my medical knowledge has mostly turned to mush ; ) otherwise I would have way over-analyzed I'm sure  ;) But I thought we might should go ahead and start the antibiotic that we'd brought for her. So we used the dropper to give her the first dose, and she perked right up! Yum!!! She LOVED the medicine dropper! She then took about 10 ounces of apple juice and 4 ounces of formula dropper by dropper... and she was a DIFFERENT baby! She must have been so dehydrated. They didn't have bottles or anything with them when they dropped her off - and they'd come from a 4 hour drive - so she probably hadn't had any fluid since noon yesterday. And she had flat out sweated through 3 layers of clothes -she was SO hot and sweaty! So the fluid (and hopefully the antibiotic) really gave her some new energy!

All of a sudden, we started having little giggles... and smiles...

 

Then some rolling over and POP! Sitting up, crawling, playing...

So we played with her for awhile. She had a blast! She was clearly showing off all her tricks - rolling snazzy ways, watching to see us laugh, laughing herself... it was PRICELESS time! I mean, unreal! We were watching the most amazing transformation. How frightening to be left with strangers who look and sound totally different, have none of the same foods you are used to, none of the same sights and smells... just so shocking. But she started to trust us! It was the apple juice I'm thinking!!! Hehe. She started to holler when we walked away (to get other iDevices each time we maxed out the memory on one - oops! 2 full iPhones and a mostly full iPad after having her for less than 12 hours. Eek!) But she is trusting us! And having a ball!!!! It's just precious and James and I had tears just rolling down our faces the whole time. What a gift!

So I seized the moment and snuck in a super quick bath - which went great, thank you, LORD! She has never had a bath before, so it was all new. But she just opened her big eyes and took it all in! She is such a sweet heart.

Sorry I'm in a bathing suit! Didn't think through those first bath pics enough to make sure I wasn't in them! Anyway, she is all clean and in her PJs that both her sisters have worn - little lamb PJs. She was our little lost sheep that we came to get, so it seemed fitting to put her in those first. She loved being dressed and having her hair brushed! Her sisters are going to LOVE her!

Then we took one family picture and put her back to bed. She is all tuckered out - just spread out in jumping jack position lying on her back asleep. Precious! James is asleep too ; ) It's his birthday! What a gft to get on your birthday ; ) And I have temporarily given up sleep but I hope to take up the habit again shortly!!! ; ) Feeling so thankful for this precious angel and for all of you! Can't wait to bring this little bit home!!!