A little update...

I was hoping to be able to blog more over the past few days...but things have been a little hectic at the Willis household. And we wouldn't want it any other way!!!
Between the jet lag and the transition from 1 to 2 kiddos...I have felt like I'm treading water! Add the things we are working through with Owen and Gracie...and I am just paddling away! Through all the chaos, I can't help but think that things are going so much better than they should. Owen is doing SO well. We have our moments, tantrums, hitting, screaming...but there is already so much progress made. Gracie is doing really well at being a big sis. She does have her moments of "Hey! Wait a minute!" but she does love Owen and does love her new role as his big sister. The struggles we are going through are all the norm. We know that because we have been blessed with some pretty amazing friends and family who have been so encouraging.
The past few days have been full of blessings. It's so exciting to see Owen experience so many "firsts". He freaked out at the sight and touch of ice! And to be able to experience life TOGETHER as a family of 4...well...it doesn't get much better.
The time we spent in Africa...rocked my world. I won't take things for granted like I did. I also will never forget the other children at the babies home. In the villages. On the roads. At the hospitals. Even the families we met while there who were also adopting. Things are just so different now. And I'm going to walk this new kind of different one day at a time with my SAVIOR. The same savior who provided a miracle every step of the way to Owen and back home with him to our sweet little Gracie.
I am also now officially a stay at home mom! So excited about that!!!
We took Owen to the international adoption specialist doc today at Children's in Dallas. The doctor's name is Dr. La Tour. I have never experienced such amazing, caring people who love children and their parents the way they did. We are so thankful our social worker referred us to her. They ran LOTS of bloodwork. We should be getting them back in the next week. We did already hear back today that he is anemic but that's no biggie and can be fixed. They also redid his chest x Ray and it was good! Praise the Lord - no TB for our little man. He was exposed to it but the woman who helped him had him immunized and we are SO thankful. We are also going to do some testing on that big belly of his to see what is going on in there. We had to explain to Gracie that there "is no baby in there.". Ha! It's a little tough explaining the symptoms of malnourishment with a 3 year old. The doc also agrees that he is doing exceptionally well with his development and attachment from what we can tell. She says he is about 22 months old. She also said that the scars and marks we see on his little body indicate that he is quite the overcomer and that it's nothing short of a miracle that he is of such good disposition. It's hard hearing that...so hard...but it's yet another bit of proof that God is in the miracle business. Our amazing God has left no doubt that Owen was always supposed to be a Willis. Gracie's appointment with Scottish Rite is the first week of December.
We want to thank everyone for the prayers. They have carried us, given us hope, and comforted us. We genuinely believe that if it weren't for so many of you, this wouldn't have happened the way it did. And we love you.
Here are a few pics we were able to capture this week!



Our first attempt to walk around the block was a success!



They even hug (briefly) :)



Mommy's lap is a hot commodity.



The handsome Willis boys!


To Our Sweet Owen,
You make our family complete. We know that everything about our family of 4 is right in line with what God has always had planned for us. We are so excited that we get to be your parents. And we thank God for you every day.
Love you more,
Mommy

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