Bella is 8 months old today!

Dear Arabella,

You are 8 months old today, we hope you have a wonderful day with your foster family. We had the best week with you last week and we miss you very much. Mommy and Grandma Charlene are coming to visit you in 7 weeks and we can't wait! We know that Karen and her family love you very much and will take very good care of you until we can bring you home.

Love always,

Mommy and Daddy

Here is an email that Daddy sent from Bella while we were in Guatemala that I thought you all might like to read if you didn't get the email:

Hola mi familia y amigos (Hello my family and friends)

Bella here, I just wanted to send a little note to all of you back home. When Karen, my foster mom, told me that Mommy and Daddy were coming to see me, I got a little nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would they know how to hold me just right? How would they know what to feed me or how to change my butt when it got dirty? Would they be able to find my tickle spots? Could I go to sleep and then wake up to find that they were still watching over me?

Well, I wondered on these things until I showed up and met them. You all, they are wonderful. I could tell Momma really loved me the first time I laid eyes on her. She had the biggest grin on her face and I could tell she was just as anxious and happy as I was. I soon found out that they could take care of me just fine. Mommy was the best, she really loved on me so I didn't want to chance it with Daddy just yet. He has this really weird stuff on his face and I didn't know what to think of it. Then, I noticed that he took real good care in making my bottles and even changed my diaper a couple times - he wasn't too bad at it. So I thought I would give him a chance too. Guess what, he is almost as good as Mommy. I will let him do about everything except put me to sleepy. I even let him give me a bath one night.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi to all of you. I know I can't come home for a little while but I think it will be grand when I do get to come home. Mommy keeps showing me pictures of my room but I don't think I will let her keep me there. I will want to stay with her all the time. I am really anxious to meet all of my cousins, too. I have heard all kinds of great things about you all. In fact, I want to talk to some of you about how fun Daddy can be. He throws me up and catches me and I just love it. He also takes me on morning walks. I just make him think that we are doing this so Mommy can get dressed but it is because I like to spend the time alone with Daddy.

Well, I am going to go for now, but I just wanted to thank all of you who sent me clothes and shoes and toys. I also want to thank everyone who gave money and helped out in making the trip for Mommy and Daddy possible. I believe they know that you are just as excited as they are. I also want to say thank you to all the grandmas and grandpas, great grandmas and great grandpas, uncles and aunts, cousins, friends of the family, and all those wonderful people at church for the love I can feel all the way down here. I haven't met you all yet but if you are as great as Mommy and Daddy, I know I will be just fine when I come home.

Love lots,

Arabella Josey Boster