Meeting Great Grandma!

Yohanna was finally able to meet one of her three living great grandmas this past weekend. Grandma didn't really get a chance to hold Yohanna as she was VERY active exploring her surroundings at our cousin's house, playing with baby Dean, and teasing a very large lab.

Yohanna is talking like crazy! She says so many words and phrases in English now - her brain is a little sponge soaking up everything it can. She says "I love you" but it actually comes out "I lo lu." A few of her other cute words are "Amen," "Good Girl," and "Puppy No."

Nap time remains preceded by a ride home in the car from a strategically scheduled errand or a stroller ride down the street. The other day I decided I was going to get her to sleep without the car or stoller.....well....over 1.5 later I gave up. I put her in the stroller and she was asleep by the time I got 6 houses away from my house! Bedtime is improving....usually she is asleep within 30 minutes now and resists much less!

Friends are fun and so is the dog water bowl!

Yohanna had her first photo shoot thanks to the youth group photo day. She had fun playing in the park with 5 wonderful children that belong to our dear, dear friends! Of course, all the attention from the teens was a blast!

Yohanna is really starting to enjoy the dogs.....well, a little too much. Today she managed to start playing in the outside dog bowl! Yuck! But before I could get her hands out of it she managed to dunk her face in the water! The girl LOVES water! At least it was bath time soon!

Adjusting well...I think

It has been a fun week. I am trying to adjust to being home all day long with a toddler. The day goes by soooo much quicker when I actually get out of the house! So far, I have found that she likes water, slides, swings, trampolines, and stroller rides. She went on 2 runs with Daddy this week. She also loves young people - other toddlers all the way to high schoolers! They captivate her and make her giggle. She experienced her first small group bible study at our house this week.

Yes, Yohanna is adjusting well to home, mommy and daddy, meeting lots of new people and the dogs! No, she doesn't like naptime, bedtime, or food being rationed or taken away from her. Sometimes she falls asleep well. Other times it turns into a 2-3 hour ritual. BUT, praise the Lord that she sleeps well through the night once she is asleep. We put the highchair away in the closet between meal times to avoid major meltdowns due to food - seems to be a good trick so far. Yohanna now allows the dogs to be nearby while she plays and occassionally tries to give "tea" to them - even including a slurping noise. Her favorite words right now are "Arni" and "Daddy." She is quite a climber as I have already witnessed her jump from a chair to a bed (Yes, I am an alert Mommy but that one got away from me) and stand on the dining room table (YIKES!) So far she hasn't climbed over baby gates so I can contain her a bit. Let's pray she never learns that trick. So, from what we can see....she will either be a runner or a gymnast. Ha, Ha! She has to learn to run without falling first!

Meeting friends (and future babysitters!)

Well, Yohanna Dinknesh is starting to meet our friends here in our hometown! I have heard that people have been driving by our house very slowly in hopes of a "Dinky sighting." Sounds like a bunch of stalkers!!! Good news....we are out of isolation and open to visitors! So come say "Hi" to us!!! If Yohanna can't come out and play....I will let you know! Our friends and family are such a blessing to us - we just can't stay away from you any longer! This week Yohanna met Keren, Kristin, and Korie - which happen to be 3 of the sweetest ladies in the world (and of course, 3 of the best baby sitters in the world!) Keren was able to say a few words in Amharic to Dinknesh, Korie managed to get a kiss, and Kristin got the best smile from Yohanna. She was a little shy with Keren at first but by the end she almost got in the car with her! With the help of these ladies...Scott and I might be able to go on a date (in a month or two!)

Meeting (some of the...) family!

Sunday was a BIG day at the Klockow house for Yohanna Dinknesh! She was able to meet CJ's family and Scott's Dad and Step-Mom and......she was able to play with her cousin, Dakota! She was also able to "swim" in her kiddie-pool for the first time. (It is HOT! Summer has arrived!) The day was full of food, fun, and visiting.....and of course, a few grandparent gifts for Yohanna Dinknesh! It might have been a little too much excitement for her as she was afraid to sleep without touching one of us!

This week she gets to meet friends in our hometown! Yipee! On Friday, she will finally meet Aunt Carrie, Uncle David, and cousin Drew! I am expecting more great pics! Oh, and she also has to go back to the doctor on Friday...let's hope she produces a poopy sample for them!

This week has been a blast!

This week has been great! It has been so nice to be home and to have some quiet time to adjust. It has not been without challenges....trouble sleeping, daily meltdowns by Yohanna Dinknesh, and even a little cabin fever! We are slowly introducing Yohanna Dinknesh to our family! Grandma Jeanette came to visit on Thursday morning and Uncle Curtis (all the way from Seattle) came to visit Thursday night and Friday morning. She will meet my parents, sister, and nephew on Saturday and Gordon and Nancy on Sunday. So far Yohanna Dinknesh is doing very well with meeting new people. She is shy at first but no crying.....and slowly warms up. She will flash a smile then will share a snack then......she is ready to play and give hugs! Today is Scott's first day back to work....I think he was ready to get out of the house but I was a little nervous for a full day home alone. So far, so good! Thanks to Veggie Tales and popcorn, Yohanna Dinknesh and CJ are happy! Enjoy the new pics!

You want to do what???

Today we had our Dr.'s appointment in Chicago at the University of Chicago's International Adoption Clinic. Besides the fact that Yohanna Dinknesh is a typical girl and cannot stand getting her height and weight measurements, it went well. Oh yeah, and she wouldn't poop on demand so we have to take back a "sample." Turns out there are many similarities between the vet and the pediatrician! Of course the worst part for us was seeing them take 11 (yes, eleven) viles of blood from our little pumpkin! Actually, she didn't cry at all with the blood draw (was there sedation in her sippy cup? we will never know!) We gained a lot of good information and will go back in 1-2 weeks for a follow-up to determine if she needs any special treatments, vaccines, or diet. The two main things that we are working on right now is eating and sleeping. So basic, but for her to self-regulate those things is very difficult. Bye for now!

Hanging out at home

The three of us have been hanging out at home. We have visited the backyard garden and pond-not very eventful but maybe a little exciting for Yohanna Dinknesh. We went on a successful short car ride today - she actually didn't scream the whole time she was in her car seat. Our schedules are all messed up and we are trying to get settled to this time zone, easier said than done with a 19 month old! Our house was so neat when we came home, now I have never seen it so messy! (Sorry Mom!) Toys, luggage, presents, laundry, and souvenirs all over the place! Tomorrow we will see a doctor at the International Adoption Clinic for a full check-up. We are soooooo anxious to introduce her to our friends and family but....we need to take things slow for her sake. Allowing her time to adjust is the most important thing!