Day 11: Swimming in La Mesa

Today was another lazy day at our rental house. It also marks the 3rd day of our residency in La Mesa. Most likely we will be here for a total of 10-14 days, although some have had to stay longer. It is up the judge and her work load as to how fast we will get to the much anticipated 'SENTENCIA'! Sentencia is when the judge officially signs off on our adoption, thus making Samuel legally our son.  

Up until now, we knew the dates for each step in the process. But now that it's up in the air, it feels a bit never-ending. Fingers crossed that in one more week, we will have some news to share. For now, we will enjoy the weather, the pool and the long lazy days with nothing to do. Once we are home, our schedules will be packed full of doctor appointments, therapies, and all sorts of running to and fro.

Our adjustment to a family of eight so far has gone amazingly well. We knew which kids it would be easy for and which ones we thought would struggle, but there really hasn't been much of a struggle at all. More of occasional bouts of crankiness, which is to be expected adjusting to life with another sibling while living out of suitcases in a different country. 

Sam is the sweetest little boy, and he fits in perfectly with our family. We are so blessed to be on this journey with him. He has a smile that lights up the room and the biggest brown eyes. He loves to be held and is such a snuggle bug. 

"No" is Sam's favorite word and one of his only words. He says it all the time, even sometimes when he doesn't actually mean no. It's really the cutest! Often his "no" is followed up quickly with a big grin. He's such a ham!

Sam is slightly obsessed with Aria's hair. Whenever she is within grasp, he will make a move to grab it. Sometimes he's so motivated that he'll bear weight through his legs and take steps while supported to get closer to that wild head of hair. But Aria wants nothing to do with him touching her hair and shakes her head "no" and waves her arm "all-done". He's quite the mischievous little brother.

When Sam first came to stay with us, his startle reflex was in high gear. Every noise made him jump. But we've seen a huge decrease since then. Our household can be rather noisy at times so thankfully he is starting to settle into our chaos.

Today we had nothing on the agenda but play, eat and sleep. We are finally getting a decent routine down which I'm sure will end up changing again once we get home. 

Rose and I attempted to play wild game of ping pong. It was fun and I'm sure funny to watch as neither of us are good at the game.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the pool. We are taking advantage of the crystal clear water and hot temperatures while we can. 

Sam has become quite the water baby just like the rest of my crew. He loves to touch it and if it's not within reach, he will bend over with all his might to sink his little hand right in. Although, he is not at all fond of the bathtub. We attempted a bath today in a real bathtub (not the tiny inflatable) with his sister Kate assisting, but his pleas of "no, no, no" had me pulling him right out. We will try again another day.

Tomorrow is Shane's last full day here. On Monday he will be traveling back to Bogota to catch a flight home. It will definitely be an adjustment without him. Sam has become quite accustomed to Shane putting him down for naps and bedtime. He is such a Papa's boy, hopefully he handles Shane's absence without too much difficulty. 

The next several days will be quiet and low-key as we continue to wait for Sentencia.