New Experiences for Mia

My lips brushing against her soft baby cheeks at least 1000 times a day.

Daddy saying her name in a high pitched voice and tickling her until she giggles.

Macy's face lighting up when returning from preschool -and running to kiss baby sister. Mia in return throwing her little arm up and down in excitement and smiling at big sister's voice.

Laying in bed with her new family - her on Mommy's tummy - watching Daddy and Big sister giggle and tell bedtime stories.

Being a part of bedtime prayers - we laid in this same bed for over a year praying nightly for baby Mia. Now she lays here with us and we thank God that she is here with us.
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Brad was holding Mia on his chest this week making an elephant sound. After about the 20th time - she started trying to mimick him. She started with a simlar elephant sound and went on to repeat it over and over...her lips and tongue sounding more and more like a motorcycle and spit bubbles joining the party! Macy and I were both laughing so hard -we were about to cry. Macy has been telling people since then, "My baby sister is sooo funny!..."
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Mia had her first visit to see the pediatrician last week. She is in the 60th percentile for height, (27.5 in) and the 5th percentile for weight. Dr. Ball was very interested in her and our trip. He told us that nutritionally formula is going to pack the most punch for her gaining weight - and that other foods are just for her to learn with....so lay on the formula! We are hoping she will gain at least 3 lbs by her first birthday in August. She weighed 14.5 lbs. and is 9 months old now.

She did receive her first round of immunizations too (they have to be re-given after coming home to the states b/c there is no way to measure the quality of amount they received in the orphanage) - and she did GREAT during the shot giving. She only cried a second and I think it was more from me keeping her arms still for a moment than the shot itself. However, starting that evening through the next afternoon she had an extremely high fever....104.2 - and started throwing up everytime I would give her a bottle. I was afraid she was getting dehydrated and we were getting ready to take her back over to the clinic - we laid her down, prayed over her, and started getting ready - but when she woke up an hour later - her fever was down. Miraculously! She was BURNING up when we laid her down - and then it had come down by 4 degrees! Macy has never had a fever like this. She kept down some pedialyte...we cancelled the appt., and she was herself again by evening! Woo hoo!