Baby update

We've been home with baby for a little more than 2 weeks now. She is doing well, but it has been a challenge for Yvonne and I. We've been trying to make sure that baby is eating okay, getting her rest, and enjoying her play time. We're trying to introduce different activities to her--reading time, music time, etc. Combined with food prep, clean up, diaper changes (& blow outs), we are usually pooped by the end of each day. Baby is now a little more comfortable at home and can sit up now as well as grasp her toys better with her hands. She is trying to crawl but doesn't really go anywhere. Baby is also starting to show her true colors ---stubborn and cranky! At times, she will get fussy when she is tired but doesn't want to nap, when she is eating and doesn't particularly like the food we're giving her, and when she is not getting enough attention.

We arrived home!

It was a long flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong to LAX, but we finally arrived in Los Angeles at about 8am on Saturday, November 10th. Baby is slowly adjusting to her new home, and we're all trying to get back to living in the Pacific Time zone. Baby is doing well and still trying to adjust to yet another move. In the last few weeks, she has gone from the orphanage to a hotel in Nanchang, to a hotel in Guangzhou, to flying across the Pacific Ocean to America. We hope that she'll soon realize that we are home and that we're not moving any time soon.

Our Last Day in Guangzhou

..guest post by hubbie...
It has been a very busy couple of days here in Guangzhou. We arrived on Wednesday evening, checked into the White Swan Hotel, and then we had to get baby's photo taken and complete paperwork which took until 10 pm. On Thursday, we had to get baby's medical exam completed in the morning and then in the afternoon, we went to the US Consulate to get interviewed/sworn in and obtained baby's travel visa to return to the United States. The last couple of days with baby has been really tough on us. Baby has been showing signs of distress, and we aren't sure what is wrong exactly. Yvonne and I sat down last night to discuss some changes that we will try to make so that baby will be happier. Today, we are preparing for the trip back home.

Our last night in Nanchang

..guest post by hubbie....

Tonight is our last night here in Nanchang. Tomorrow, we fly to Guangzhou. It will be baby's first flight on an airplane, and we hope that everything works out okay. She is becoming more talkative with her baby babble, and she surprises us and makes us laugh everyday. She is very good at communicating her needs: when she is hungry, she will start sucking on her thumb vigorously. When she needs a diaper change, she will become upset when you sit her down but calm down right away when you pick her up...when she is upset and wants to be left alone, she will give you the mean eye and flail her arms and kick with her legs. She seems to be getting stronger and was even able to hold up her own bottle for a short period of time today. Teething is still a problem but her cold seems to be clearing up. She seems to have a good memory, because she now becomes clearly agitated when she sees either one of us with a q-tip, nose spray, or kleenex coming her way to clean her nose. Living out of a hotel room and taking care of baby has been very challenging, but we are still alive (barely).

Our guides (Karen and her mom) have been very helpful during our stay in Nanchang. Our visit to this city to meet baby will be one that we never forget (the picture of baby is from the first time that we met her at the civil affairs office).

The latest in Nanchang.

It's been quite a journey so far. "Hubbie" & I thought we were about to pass the bend with "baby's" cold improving. However, today she started to have some teething pain. She's got 2-3 teeth cutting in on the top. She started screaming because the pain was so bad in the afternoon. We did calm her down eventually but it was difficult to hear her cry for so long. Before today, she had only cried for short periods at a time. Overall, she is usually happy as long as she is fed.

We need reinforcements! Hubbie's gone crazy already!

This is the 2nd day we have our baby girl. She's been a challenge for the both of us as new parents of an infant. We definitely know that as long as you feed her on time, change her daiper, entertain her, and allow her to sleep, she is in the best of moods. Our baby definitely is a deep sleeper. She can sleep through anything.

Our little girl has some nasal congestion and coughing right now because the orphanage said she caught a cold last week. She's improving. She's even got her 1st "poopie" this afternoon. That was a first for mommy & daddy. Afterward, she's so talkative and such a happy baby.

However, "Hubbie" has to go take a trip to Walmart to purchase some things. Because we're first time parents, we're more cautious and so we've used more wipes, daipers, and formula than we should have.

Gotta go help "Hubbie" now with baby.