Pictures!

But Mom! There are no car seats in China!
I love riding in my stroller...
Pics are sometimes blurry because I just can't stop moving.

I

A little less tired...

Lily has been sleeping the last two nights-bed by 8pm up at 5 for bottle, sleep again until 8am. She does not like to nap during the day-I wonder if it's because she doesn't want to be asleep? Maybe she's scared? But the fact that she's sleeping at night makes me very happy.

I promise to post pics today or tomorrow-I'm trying to catch up on house work and a little sleep.

xoxo

Oh Sleep, Sleep, Wherefore art thou, Sleep?

Any tips on how to help a baby survive/overcome jet lag?

Lily went to sleep at 5pm last night-and try as I might, I could not get her to wake up. She slept until probably 1...and was ready to be up.

I'm tired....

We're Home..

Barely!

Orly and I became violently ill on the day before we left Guangzhou-our little Nanchang group really believe that it's something we picked up there as everyone of us got it at one point. It was horrible-vomiting and the other-horrible stomach aches, chills--you get the picture. For me it started on the way to the swearing in ceremony at the American embassy. The people there must have thought I was a crazy woman-I could not keep my head up-and running to and from the bathroom must have caused quite the scene. At that moment I was so sick I didn't really care what people were thinking of me-I really thought I was going to end up in the hospital! Poor Lily-her mom could not swear the oath when the time came! I was doubled over on Orly's lap. I'm told that at that same moment, another father from our orphanage group also got sick. He couldn't even make it to the bathroom! This is how sudden and violent this virus was-poor man. I'm thinking this is one day the official rendering the oath will not forget. After all was said and done she very kindly helped Orly get me to a freight elevator so I could get back to the bus. I'm saying it here---I've been through labor twice-no epidural-pain meds....that was more bearable than this process! Thank God for the parents-especially Liz and Bill from our group. They jumped right in and helped Orly with Lily while he almost carried me up to bed. By bedtime that same night he got sick also-what follows is our travel nightmare that I won't get into right now. We are home and we are safe. I'll write more when I'm more settled and will add pics soon too.

Thank you M for updating this site while we were away! Can't wait for you to see Lily-she's really a gift.

Hello from Guangzhou!

I've been so busy I've been unable to update the blog regularly-I guess I've forgotten how TIME consuming a new baby actually is-Today we went to a temple and had the babies blessed. It was moving for me because I really felt that Lily's birth mother was the one that should have been there with her. This little girl is too special to have lived the experience of abandonment. I write more about that when I've had time to process...

Lily is divina! She's very sweet and easy to get along with. Her sleep could be better, but we'll work on that when we get home. Poor baby wakes up from either napping or sleeping a night with fear in her eyes! She hasn't quite gotten used to the fact that we aren't going to leave her behind-but I'm noticing that she's getting more "secure" (if that is the right word) with us. The first couple of days were pretty scary - it seemed that she would cry as if she was terrified whenever we changed her position in any way. I don't think Lily has ever had any positive or "fun" experience with water-she would scream and become so upset when we bathed her-last night I finally let her sit at the edge of the sink and just dip her toes into the water. You should have seen her little body quake with fear! I've never seen such a young baby shake with fear before-little by little I let her touch and pat the water until I was able to get her to sit in the sink with the water to her waist without crying. This is how I'm going to introduce Lily to bathing...after all a Florida girl has got to like water! I've been thinking so much about how her life must have been up to now-I know that she was cared for in the orphanage, but I don't think there was much loving going on...she doesn't;t know how to reach for me or dad, even though she clearly wants to be picked up. How confusing all this must be to her-I can only hope that time, attention, and love will slowly erase any bad memories or feelings this little flower has endured. BTW-she's really responding to dad now-she coos at him and plays with him-he is over the moon in love! But I will say (and my family will understand) he's STILL getting left behind. But that is another entry.

Tomorrow we go to the embassy and swear that we will take care of and educate Lily. I'll try to get pics of that.

The countdown to home has started....H minus 4!