2 Weeks Home!

**** If you are starting with this post, keep going down, as I've posted many pictures. If you RSS feed and started with the Pictures first, well, here is the catch up post.****
**** Oh, and I fear this may be a really long post. This is what happens when 2 weeks go by. Sorry. ****

2 weeks ago today we arrived home with Baby Man (aka Malachi). I can't even believe that it has been 2 weeks. It sort of feels like yesterday (other than the fact that I'm over the jet lag), and at the same time - it seems like Malachi has always been part of our family. It didn't take long at all for him to become a Britton. I think he actually likes us! He at least most certainly likes the other children! I think I'll do this post bullet style from here on out, because that is how my brain is thinking at the moment. Try to keep up ......

• Upon arriving home from the airport, I made it through dinner before turning severly dillusional. I made it to about 7:30 before falling asleep (in the tub no less). All I remember is feeling more tired than I ever have felt in my life (even after giving birth), really really cold, and very dizzy.
• Malachi adjusted to the new time zone within just a few days. The only thing is that he is now waking up in the middle of the night to eat, where he didn't in Ethiopia. It's been sorta hard, as he doesn't want to go back to sleep right away. The last week that has been getting better though.
• The kids LOVE Malachi. And he LOVES them. Malachi actually does much better in their presence. He squeals with delight every time he sees them coming. They've actually turned it into a really cute game where they leave the room and come running back in together. He squeals and shakes his hands in excitement. Then they leave again - and his face turns sad. They come back ... well, you get the picture. So cute!
• Malachi is doing really well health wise ... all things considered. His first set of labs came back with elevated liver enzymes. (Anyone know what that means? Me neither.) So we had to go back for more labs. Problem is, they have been having a hard time getting enough blood. It's been torture. My heart breaks for him every time. The 3rd time we went in, I made Aaron go with him as I couldn't handle it anymore. (That and I had to take our other son in for an x-ray at the same time.) I'm glad I didn't go in, as his head is where they finally had to get it from. Ouch. Poor guy. Still waiting to hear the results. We are actually hoping it is HEP A, as that will just go away with no lasting side effects. Oh, and he's got Giardia. (sp?) Know what that is? Yeah, still neither do I. Again though, it is mild, and it is treatable. And hopefully it actually explains why he has been gaining weight so slowly even since being fed normally.
• Malachi is becoming more and more joyful every day he is home. He laughs all the time, and barely cries. (But when he does, it breaks your heart into little pieces, it is that sad!) He has learned he can manipulate any situation with his cuteness. He has come to really like attention. (I'm guessing he has never had much of it, and he's making up for it now.) In fact, if he realizes that no one is paying attention to him, or we have quit laughing at his jokes (especially at dinner) ... he starts this fake cry/fit thing. It's almost funny, except for the fact that it will turn into a full blown wail if you don't stop it.
• One of the funniest and cutest things ..... Malachi laughs like a chipmunk. I can't even describe it. It's a noise you couldn't make even if you tried, but you can't help but smile and laugh yourself when you hear it.
• Finally, Malachi, in my professional opinion, is adjusting so well. He feels safe with Aaron and I (and it shows whenever anyone else tries to hold him, or come to close for that matter). He looks us in the eye most of the time (which took about a week to happen). He's started to fall asleep the last few days in his bed! He says "Dada, Mama, Baba, Ni-Ni, and Hi", and we honestly feels like he actually knows what they mean.
  

Well, there it is. 2 weeks in one post. I think there was more, but between jet lag in week 1, being sick week 2, waking up at night, and trying to figure out 4 kids at home during the day ... I must have forgotton to store everthing else in my weary brain. (Lucky you!)

Thanks for your prayers as we've adjusted to the new normal. We feel them, and we see them being answered!