Home Sweet Home

We are finally home!! Still recovering. We definitely feel the jet lag and just plain tired from the trip. Lily's sleeping pattern, or lack of it doesn't help. She goes to bed fine after a little crying but is still waking up at 4:00 a.m. Yikes. Way to early for me. She didn't do this in China. She went to bed at 8:00 or 9:00p and got up around 7:00 a.m.. I am hoping this early rising stops soon. I have even been cutting her naps short, hoping she will sleep later. No luck. Any suggestions? I am wondering if she is waking because she is hungry. I still can not believe all that she eats. I am going to try and hold her off this morning for breakfast and give her just a few snacks and then feed her at a more reasonable breakfast time. We have been feeding her a full breakfast at 4 or 5 a.m. Maybe her stomach is getting used to eating that early. That's gotta change!

Over all we had a good trip. This experience has been amazing. Very difficult and exhausting but amazing. I am glad we got to see Lily's culture and her birth place. I don't think we will be traveling back any time soon though. Expensive and long flights. We found the Chinese culture to be some what rude and pushy. I guess you need to be with 14 million people living in one city (Guangzhou). Not my cup of tea. They cut in line, interrupt your conversations with people so they do not have to wait. The spitting, nose picking and children using the sidewalk as a bathroom was gross. You can only take so much of that. It feels great to be home. Good ole U.S.A.

In China Lily was a dream. Very easy. Not so much at home. Having many temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way. Doesn't want to get dressed, doesn't want to brush her teeth, getting in the car seat is a night mare, etc. I know she is experiencing many changes, trying to adjust. She really is going through a lot. New people, new food, new smells, new rules, new routine. These tantrums will get better, right? Please. Hard to feel all lovey when your going on little sleep and your nerves are shot. I am trying to have patience. I'm trying really hard. She is just so fresh now. Very sassy, hitting and demanding. Pointing and yelling for things she wants. Demanding things she wants really. I know she has limited communication with us, making her frustrated. I was in la la land thinking we were going to have an easy transition. Not so easy anymore. I guess this is where we have to find our inner strengths.

It's not all tantrums. She is still funny and silly. Loves to laugh. Loves to be tickled. Loves her bath. Loves to be naked and chased around. Still does her "happy dance" when she has a full belly. Loves Gavin and Sophie. She wakes up happy, full of smiles. She has great eye contact with us. Not so much with strangers. So it's not all tantrums. Just difficult to deal with at times. I guess I forgot what it is like to have a two year old.......