"How Are The Children Handling the Changes???"

I mentioned in this post the top two questions we've been asked since Gabriel came home. Firmly in third place is this question:

"How are your big kids adjusting to everything???"

Short answer: Stupendously, Amazingly, Great.

Longer answer: I really felt that they would do great with the addition of Mr. Gabriel...but they have far surpassed my highest expectations!

I found Elisabeth reading to Gabriel the other day. (This is also photographic evidence that I don't always have Gabriel in the Moby wrap!)

All 4 are so helpful...and usually all within earshot come running when Gabriel makes even the slightest unhappy peep.

Elisabeth has been trying to insist that I get her up to help with some of the middle-of-the-night "fun". "Pleeeeeease! I want to help...and you need your sleep!" (For the record - We do not get her up in the middle of the night to help!)

Heading out for Gabriel's first walk around the neighborhood in his stroller (he'd already been around the neighborhood in the Moby before)

Elisabeth also has been trying to insist that she doesn't want to do choir anymore, because she "doesn't want to be away from Gabriel!" Never mind that choir is only 45 minutes, once per week. (For the record-we are not letting her quit choir so she can be with Gabriel more!)

It has been so sweet to see our boys with their tender interactions with Gabriel.

When Noah holds Gabriel - and he thinks I'm not looking - he will play peek-a-boo with his free hand while holding Gabriel. So. precious.

In a word, Noah describes Gabriel as "awesome." (I happen to agree.)

I mentioned here how much Noah loves to read. Well, his favorite things to read are non-fiction, educational books with lots of interesting facts and information....

...and that explains how Noah knows this next fact that he informed me of several days ago: Gabriel doesn't have fingerprints right now...but he will develop them when he's about 3 months old.

I learn new stuff from my oldest son all the time.

Daniel is totally smitten by Gabriel...but he doesn't hold him as much as the others, but thankfully I caught some pictures of him doing just that.

The first time I put Gabriel in the pink bouncy seat (seen in 3rd picture from top), Daniel asked "Does he mind sitting in that girlie thang???"

I think he believed me when I told him that Gabriel would not be scarred by having a pink bouncy seat.

Another question that Daniel asked that had us cracking up took place when Gabriel was fussing one time a few days ago...

...Daniel said, "Mama, are you going to go milk him???"

Lily Kay's reaction to Gabriel has probably been the biggest surprise for me. Not that I thought she would dis-like him...I really thought she just wouldn't be very interested...or give him the time of day. I was dead wrong.

She is forever asking to hold him.

And she is forever kissing him.

And she says about 100 times a day, "I love my little brudda." (o.k., maybe not 100 times a day - but seriously at least 10 times a day.)

When we were parked at church last Sunday and our friends pulled up next to us, Lily Kay yelled out the open van door - while gesturing wildly toward Gabriel - "HEY! Look what we got!"

*******************************

I feel extremely blessed. How did we get the 5 most precious children in the whole world? I could just eat all of them up. We knew that the Lord called us to adopt Gabriel...and we knew that it would be good. But I had no idea how good it would be.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)