I just put Sena in her bed and said, "Night night."  She responded with her "ni ni."  Melt.my.heart.  She is really starting to pick up more words and it is SO cute.  She seems to understand a lot of what we say.  I told her to give her brothers kisses before bed and she went right up and kissed each one.  Her kisses sound like "mmmwwwaaahhh" and they are precious.  Her brothers are seriously smitten with her.  They have been such an enormous help, too.  I work MWF mornings and leave very early, so John is on morning duty.  On those days, Jack often makes Sena's breakfast (usually oatmeal) and feeds it to her.  The boys take turns sitting next to her in the van when we go places - Jack and Ethan can get her out of her carseat and that is a huge help.  I have to say that having older kids is a blessing.  The boys were all born within five years of each other, so I did not have that feature when they were small.  It is so nice that they are willing to watch her for a few minutes when I need to do something upstairs, unload the dishwasher, etc. without a "helper!"  She is more than happy to hang out with her brothers. 

A number of people have asked me how she is adjusting and some seem surprised when I tell them she is doing great.  I am surprised myself!  I had prepared myself for it to be really difficult, but it is only difficult in the sense that she is a toddler and that age requires close supervision.  I have done that three times before with three active boys, so this time around it just doesn't seem like a big deal.  I'm a little suspicious that God might be up to something, too.  You see, we went into this process thinking there was a good possibility that this would not be our only adoption.  After a process that was extremely challenging (and the final weeks EXTREMELY challening), I declared that I was done.  I would not be doing this again.  Ever.  And then Sena came and rocked our world in the most wonderful way.  We can't imagine our lives without her.  She has adjusted so well that I have started to consider "what if?"  Last night we had dinner with friends who brought their three children home from Ethiopia just two weeks ago.  Their little girls are 5 and 6 and they charmed our boys.  In fact, one of them casually mentioned afterwards that the next time we adopt (as if it is a given), we need to adopt an older girl.  I think that is incredibly sweet.  I am not saying we are going to adopt again.  But, I'm not saying we aren't.  I don't know what God has in store, but we have to be open.  If we had taken the safe route, we would not have a sweet bundle of love tucked in her crib in the next room.  I know she will not always be a sweet bundle of love.  There are challenges ahead of us - just as there have been with each of our children - but we know that just as God saw us through the process of getting to her, He will see us through the process of raising her.  I am just so thankful that I have a daughter!  God placed a love for that little girl in my heart over a year ago and it has only grown as time has gone on.  I look at her and I marvel that He chose us to be her parents.  I cannot wait to see His plan for her life unfold and I am thankful that we get to be a part of that!