One Month in VA!

Nyah has been home for 1 month today! Nyah, Brynn and I enjoyed lunch at one of the local Chinese restaurants while the boys went to watch football. I think Nyah got more rice on the floor than in her mouth but considering the amount of time the male waitstaff spent smiling and playing games with her, I think they won't mind the extra swipe of the vacuum. She is doings so well and even though collecting the blood for her bloodwork was worse than I pictured it would be (she is a very, very strong girl with tiny arms and hiding veins), the results that are in so far (they forgot to run a few of the requested tests) look great! She is also starting to venture away from me to play with others when we are out... she actually has a pair of dirty shoes now! Her brothers still adore her and still insist on picking her up all the time. The rides in the car are the best because they rotate being belted in next to her and then they interact with her instead of just carrying her; Evan takes care of her by giving her snacks and holding her drink, Caleb hands her toys if she fusses enough to get his attention, and Price plays silly games with her so she laughs. Brynn is still having the toughest adjustment but it gets much better each week. When she sits next to Nyah in the car, Brynn just tends to "tattle" on all the things Nyah is doing or might do that are bad, which gets a little crazy considering Nyah can only do and reach limited things in a car. We only let Brynn sit next to her on very short trips! :)

On the Charts!

Just a quick update about today. Poor Nyah had three shots at her first physical. Next week we will go back to Richmond and have blood drawn (lots unfortunately) to look to see if her immunizations in China were effective (less shots to do if they were), to look at her kidney function since we do not know what formula she was on in China, and to check on a bunch of other things.

The pediatrician thought she looked great physically and developmentally. She had seen her walk when Caleb had his appointment last week so that was checked off the list and today she was chatty in-between the torturous head circumference check, the stethoscope listening, and the ear and nose check so the doctor was able to hear her repeat sounds and see her mimic what we were doing. And of course, the pediatrician got a good look at all her incoming teeth as she was screaming. She was overall very impressed with how Nyah is doing and I think she was pleasantly surprised; she had mentioned last October how fortunate we had been with Brynn and her progress, as well as with our three boys, and that she was concerned that we might be pushing our luck with adding another child to our family (I know, kind of odd for a doctor to chime in on family size and she realized too late that she shouldn't have said anything but we both really like her so we are over it).

Nyah is in the 75th percentile for height on the American charts and she just made it on the chart for weight at the 5th percentile. She is 20.8 pounds, one pound higher than at her medical appointment 2 weeks and 2 days ago. It is all in the cheeks and belly.

After picking up Evan and Brynn from preschool, we stopped by the park. Nyah discovered yesterday at home that swinging is a lot of fun and fusses now when it is time to quit and today she discovered the slide and after 20 minutes, was climbing the stairs and sliding without me! It was so cute, but of course, no camera. We are now all ready for our first park play date tomorrow!

One Month...

Nyah has been an "S" family member now for 1 month. What a fun month it has been for the rest of us! I will never know what she is thinking inside that tiny head of hers but I do know that I have seen far more smiles than tears in the past few weeks so I think she has decided that we are okay people to be around.

Here is a picture of Nyah on the morning of September 1st when we first saw her in person. It is one of two pictures I have of the moments before we were allowed to scoop her up; in the other she has her eyes closed lightly and purposefully, shutting us out and trying to escape. I didn't know then that that was her coping technique. We have seen less and less of it recently and sometimes now she does it to be funny.

She looks so tiny and sad and not at all like the girl I see today. Below are pictures of her this morning, one month later.

I do not think it is fair to compare the pictures from then and now and say that she is happier now, with us, than before, as I am fairly certain that the silly, smiley girl we have in our home was also a silly, smiley girl in her foster home. She doesn't know that what she has now is a forever family (and maybe fattier foods since she is looking a bit fuller). We have not changed her personality; she is who she is AND I am sure who she was before we came for her. She was not looking for us, waiting for us, miserable without us. While September 1st was a great day for us, it was not for her. She was taken from her family and then put in a car for 2 1/2 hours. She was carsick. She was grieving and shut down. Everything was unfamiliar. The "Gotcha" pictures capture what was simply a terrible moment in time for her. I cannot wait to send her foster family pictures of Nyah now because I want them to know she is doing well and is happy here too. I can tell she was well cared for for her first 17 1/2 months. I want to thank them for loving her into the girl she is today. I want them to know that she brings us joy and laughter each day.

Really, Nyah has changed very little over the few weeks she has been home. She has adjusted so well. She is still a busy collector of things... here she is putting things in/pulling things out of her baggie:

Here she is chopping on a puzzle piece. She also likes to gnaw on Pokemon cards.

And if she for some reason cannot find a sibling's belonging to bite, then her fingers are good enough:

In the black and white pictures, she is sitting at the table. Eating is still her favorite thing and she has developed a little belly from her snacking. She has become a pickier eater though and I have learned that rice, noodles, goldfish crackers, and watermelon have to be dessert if I want her to eat anything else. And bananas are only good if they are eaten standing up with mommy or Evan offering the banana.

Because she spends so much time at the table, and it is the only time she is still, I have quite a collection of "eating" pictures and very few others that are not blurry (from her activity) or way close-up (from her breaks in my lap).

Pictures really don't truly capture Nyah... she is just very animated, very flirty and friendly (as long as she is secure in Mommy's arms or I am close by), and has a great sense of humor.

She still plays in her crib awhile before she sleeps, even if she is exhausted. But when she sleeps she sleeps. When I sing to her right before I lay her down, she joins me. Then again, she may be trying to drown me out!

Oh, and if you think she is a girly-girl because I have a clip in her hair... well, no. Today I decided to try one in her hair since it is getting longer and I don't see a haircut in her future for many months. I was successful because she understands "no touch" and believe me, I have had to repeat it about a hundred times. When she realizes there is no consequence for touching and pulling out a hair clip, it is all over.

We're in LOVE!!!! Hopefully she will still be too after tomorrow... her first medical appointment!

1 Week Home!

Nyah has been home a week. In all reality, her adjustment once we arrived home could not have gone better. She immediately was on a good sleep schedule. Bed at 8pm and up at 6:45am and 1 nap a day and she goes to sleep quickly as long as she can see mommy. She sleeps through the night. She is now comfortable in our house and in our yard, as long as there are no "strangers" around. Unlike in China, when she is not comfortable and is being held, she doesn't shy away or cry... she warms up quickly and flirts from her mommy's arms. She now answers to Nyah but I got so used to calling her Nyah Pei Pei in China and for a few days at home that now Nyah seems so short so I have been calling her Nyah Kate (which is her legal first name).

Her personality: playful, impatient, silly, chatty, playful, adventurous

She likes:

• when Evan and Price pick her up and carry her around
• to play with Pokemon cards more than dolls
• when Caleb walks in the room
• to dance to music
• to run on the couch even though she knows she will be "fussed at" by mommy
• to have her hair brushed
• to collect toys and store them in containers
• to eat... a lot and often
• watermelon, rice, vanilla soy milk, yogurt, and noodles the best
• to have mommy hold her sippy cup up so she can drink even though mommy has seen her get a drink without help

She dislikes:

• waiting for food
• waiting for drink
• waiting for someone to unbuckle her seatbelt
• waiting for mommy to pick her up when she wants to be held
• having someone else pick her up when she wants mommy to hold her
• when the doorbell or phone rings (puts her in a total panic)
• when she thinks we are leaving the house and no one is picking her up
• barrettes in her hair
• pears, cheese

She doesn't mind when she gets dropped or tackled by her brothers or when she falls down trying to run.

She does mind when her brother puts a baseball helmet on her head or when you temporarily need to take a toy out of her hand to change her shirt or to put her in the car seat.

She is extremely impatient when she knows someone is preparing food or drinks. This is manageable when it is food because if we throw a couple of Cheerios her way she gets quiet but if it is the bottle before bedtime, the screams go from the first glance of the bottle until it is in her mouth. I may have to spring for premixed formula.

Nyah now has four new teeth since September 1st. Two on the top just poked through in the last 24 hours.

For me, going back to changing diapers has not been a problem at all. Trying to figure out how to keep an 18month old awake on the ride to pick her siblings up from preschool so the afternoon nap isn't ruined has been a challenge. Adjusting to my new life as a stay-at-home-mom has been hard, though I got to run twice this week and that was good mentally for me. Remembering to move everything out of the reach of a toddler is making us ALL a bit crazy!

But she SO makes us all laugh with her antics.

I went back and read one of the "What to expect" books about toddlers last night and I think she is on target for motor skills. The book indicated an 18month old should be able to say at least a few words and we are not there yet if the words have to be understandable but if the writers accept babble, she would get an A+. I know I have written about it before but her "talking" is what makes me smile the most. She babbles on and on and points her fingers and looks so serious as if she is telling you the most important thing in the world and the best part is if you nod your head, she doesn't catch on you really have no idea what she is saying.

Here is another short video where I tried to catch the talk. I didn't get the finger pointing though so I am going to keep trying... problem is she knows when I am filming and she often stops. She will not venture out the back door to our screened-in porch yet but I am sure it is just a matter of hours.

So all is well! We are blessed!

A Sunday at Home

Nyah continues to be a trooper. Today she had her first ride in a stroller and after a 30 second protest, decided it was a pretty cool thing. She also, finally, had her first bath with just a small fuss at the start. Then, she did not want to get out! A few more baths and she may be totally clean. Nothing like the smell of a freshly washed baby!

She slept well last night - from 8pm until 6am and then took one 2 1/2 hour nap today. She was only really fussy this evening when she was away from home and around a few family members she doesn't know well yet. Caleb seems to be the one still really struggling with jet lag. Brynn is struggling too in her own way, offering me this afternoon a laundry list of ways I do not treat her right such as never reading to her (because she was not in the room when I was reading to her brothers), not allowing her in her own room (once, today, while Nyah napped in their shared room, a room that Brynn rarely plays in and has never slept in), and never letting her be the one to feed the sucker fish (that was Price's job while we were gone and Brynn's was to feed the other fish in the evenings). I have made a conscious effort to not focus too much on Nyah and more on everybody and I think I have done it well. We were expecting Brynn to have a rough time, just not so soon and at this point, we think it is not so much the new sister but more anger at me going away for 2 1/2 weeks. She did the same thing last winter when we went away without kids for a week. Brynn's mood cheered up at the end of the day when she even helped me get Nyah ready for bed voluntarily.

Tomorrow Doug returns to work and Price and Caleb to school so it should be a bit calmer around here noise wise but less help for me! But it is all good right now and I feel very blessed!

Nyah is home!

Just a short post to let everybody know that Nyah is truly home. For the first time since she was sick in Guangzhou, I am seeing her be happy, independent, and playful, in spite of the chaos our house holds. She was thrilled to see daddy at the airport, smiling widely and playing with him immediately. I know that had to be heartwarming for Doug because it was for me.

Today the other kids introduced themselves to her, over and over and over again, and she never really seemed terribly overwhelmed. She was running and laughing all over the house, fussed only a short minute when I finally made her sit in a high chair to eat, and cried only briefly on a car trips to the soccer field today (and last night coming home) when she had to be buckled into a carseat. She also watched fearfully as Brynn took a bath tonight; I was hoping she would want to get it in but she kept running away... maybe tomorrow. She took one nap today and went to bed at 8pm so I think she is doing well time-wise. I guess I will find out for sure tonight but I could not have imagined today going anymore perfectly, well, except for the fact that I am am very tired and not very patient, though my 2 1/2 hour nap this afternoon helped.

Of course, life started full force today with three soccer games. We are at Price's in the picture. Nyah made silly eyes and grins at the people who came over to us at the field. She is a trooper. It almost seems like she knows she is home by how relaxed she is!

Not many pictures today (just a lot of soccer ones that I'll go through later and post on the other blog tomorrow) but tomorrow we have no where to go so I hope to get a few to post of our family.

Thank you again for your well wishes while we traveled. I cannot even explain how wonderful it was for Caleb, Doug, and I to read the emails and comments on the blogs. While it was a fun journey, it is also a stressful one and reading kind and encouraging words always made the day a bit brighter. Thank you also for everyone who helped out on the homefront while we traveled... my mom, Doug's family, Karen and Denise especially! To know everything was okay at home and our kids there (and Doug once he was home) were being treated extra special definitely made the travel easier!

I'll post to this blog tomorrow, and then probably 1 or 2 times a month after that until Nyah has been home a year. The other blog will be up and running again tomorrow too and will be the one we use the most so visit us there! http://www.managingthemadness.blogspot.com/.

Wrapping up our time in China!

Thursday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG) was a busy but fun day! At breakfast I ran into another mom from Louisa who is adopting her second daughter! I recognized her first daughter from school... she goes to the same school as my boys do. How funny it is to think we met in a hotel restaurant across the world when we live a mile away from each other.

We met our guide Joe at 8am and headed to the Great Wall. He tried to take us by the jade market first but since we are not big shoppers and had been there last trip, we declined. I think that through him for a loop since it takes up time and I am fairly certain the guides get some type of bonus for sales when they take you to these places because they all seem to want to take you there.

Nyah, Caleb and I climbed the Great Wall and even though I ran 10 miles the Sunday before I left for China, my calves are aching from our climb!! The stairs are very steep and uneven, with some more like a step and a half and with others curved from wear and tear. We went higher than I did last visit (we climbed to the building on the top left of the pictures) and had a few laughs along the way thanks to a couple of ladies from Australia and Scotland who were quite comical. Caleb was again a minor celebrity and was asked to pose for a picture with a young Asian man.

We then headed to the Summer Palace and it was beautiful. There was a large man-made lake and beautiful walkways. We took a short boat ride across the lake. This picture makes me laugh because here we are surrounded by all this history and right there is the hugest tv I have ever seen... no doubt put there to showcase the Olympic events. Caleb had his hair rubbed twice and on a few occasions, when our guide was not around, we were surrounded by Asian tourist groups inquiring about Nyah. They rubbed her face and I heard some ooh's and aah's and saw lots of smiles. Most families tour Beijing before the adoption and we were the only caucasian family with an Asian baby that I noticed in our journey today so that might explain a lot of the attention. Well that and the fact that Nyah is just adorable!

So we had time after that so we let Joe take us to the Silk Factory which involved a short lesson on how silk is made and a LONG sales pitch. We didn't buy anything but it was beautiful. I may have been tempted at the start of the trip but at this point, I am too exhausted to shop or to pack anything else!

After the quick trip to McDonald's for Caleb's dinner and a pass by the Bird's Nest (the Paralympics are taking place so you cannot get close; this picture is from the van window and while you can't see it here, Caleb thought it was neat that we could see the torch flame above the stadium) we headed to the Acrobatic Show. It was again amazing and Caleb seemed to really enjoy it. I enjoyed it too since Nyah slept the entire time. Then it was very early to bed... around 8:30 but it was very much needed!

After a great night of sleep, on Friday we began our journey home with our 3:45 flight from Beijing to Newark. Nyah was GREAT on the plane... the quietest of the five children her age that I saw board. Other children crying doesn't bother me at all ever and this plane ride, I found it a relief as well to know that if she started up, she would be one of many and that I wasn't the only parent struggling to hush a child. She played with whatever leftover eating and drinking items were around... a spoon, a cup, etc., listened to the music, and even walked the aisles looking a bit tipsy doing so but having fun even though it seemed to annoy one of the flight attendants (and it wasn't meal/drink time either!). She only fussed when she needed a diaper change or wasn't able to switch sleeping positions easily. We bought her a seat even though she qualified as a "lap baby"and it was so worth it to have the space for her and I to stretch out and store toys. I didn't sleep for fear she would fall but I did get to watch 3 movies!!

When we landed in Newark she became a US citizen and she is now a Jersey girl like her mom! We arrived 30 minutes early which eased my mind a little having only two hours originally to get though immigration and customs and to switch terminals. We arrived in plenty of time only to have our plane to Richmond delayed by 2 hours. At that point we were cranky and Nyah had added another tooth to her tooth count but we arrived safely, got to the house around 12:30am, and headed to bed!