Well...now that our China adoption journey has come to an end and we are home, I've decided to start a NEW blog - "Davis Days".  Here is the link:

 

I hope you will come join me over at the new blog...which I promise to keep updated a bit better than I have been updating this blog.  As we are settling in to a more normal routine, hopefully I'll have a bit more time again.  Come join me as I continue to learn how to be a "stay-at-home-mom"...and PLEASE, I'm always open to any great advice/suggestions you might have for me...just leave me a comment on the new blog - you don't have to register to leave comments.

 

Thanks again for following us through our most wonderful journey to our little girl!  See you at Davis Days!

Yes...today for the first time ever, Rachel crawled on her hands and knees halfway across the living room floor! She's been getting on her hands and knees by herself lately, but has been unsure of what to do next.  And she has moved a inch on so that way before, but then would just fall back down.  But tonight, she was like a pro!  She got halfway across the living room pretty fast, too.  We were so excited.  Greg and I were clapping and carrying on, and Rachel was looking at us like we had lost our minds...and then proceeded to flop back down on her tummy.  But that is okay... she did it!  And we know there will be more of that to come.  Although I knew she would catch up developmentally once we had her home, it is still a relief to actually see her beginning to reach these new milestones.

 

On a less positive note...she can BITE.  Hard!  As I mentioned before, Rachel has a new tooth coming in.  I know it is hurting her a lot as she has been very irritable.  I put my finger in her mouth tonight to see how the tooth is doing and she screamed like crazy and started crying.  Since she obviously was having pain, I decided it was time to use the teething balm.  Well, she was already on high alert since I'd just stuck my finger in her mouth once...so when I came at her again with the teething gel, she literally chomped down on my finger and did not let go.  It hurt so bad that I screamed.  Well, my scream then terrified her and she let go to scream herself!  Of course, now that SHE was screaming her mouth was open very wide and I was easily able to apply the teething balm!  So...mission accomplished.  But, I'm thinking there HAS to be a better way to get that stuff in her mouth...

So these are the more difficult days of being a mom... and Rachel would say they are the more difficult days of being a baby!  Or is she a toddler  now?  I don't know.  She is 14 months.  I've heard people say that children over 12 months are toddlers.  But she isn't toddling!  Greg thinks that she won't be a toddler until she is around 18 months old or at least is walking.  I guess it doesn't really matter... 

 

Anyway, Rachel is not having the best week.  She had to get four shots a couple of days ago.  That was rather traumatic...for us both!  It was awful to have to hold her on my lap while she got two shots in each thigh.  Her face was so red and she was screaming like I've never heard her scream before!  It is hard because I know that she has no idea why her mommy would hold her down and allow people to stick her with needles!  It will be so much better when she is a little older and can understand the reason for things like shots. 

 

So we survived the shots, went home and had an okay day.  But then the next day was bad.  She ran a 101 degree fever and had a rough day.  Then that night she was awake four different times during the night crying...which made for a long night.  Then after the long night, she woke up extra early and although the fever was gone, she still was not in a very happy mood.  After a series of meltdowns over such things as me looking at her ear or wiping her nose or oh, just talking to her, I discovered that she has yet another new tooth coming in!  And she is none too happy about it!  Oh...where is that baby Tylenol and may nap time get here SOON! 

As of yesterday, we have been home with Rachel for one month!  It is hard to believe how fast time is flying by.  It seems like just yesterday we were waiting in our hotel room for the call that Rachel was on her way to our room...and we finally became a family of three.

 

Now that we have been home, I'm really working on getting life back to normal.  Well...as normal as life can be with an active 14-month-old!  I've got about 4 weeks worth of email that has backed up on me and I'm slowly getting caught up.  So...if you've written to me since we've been home and I've not responded, I do apologize!

 

I look around at the state of our house and am amazed at how my standards have lowered as far as keeping organized!  At this moment, I have a couple of loads of laundry that have been washed and are on the floor in the bedroom waiting to be folded.  Okay...so one of those loads has been waiting to be folded for a couple of days now and I just added the second load to the pile.  I have found myself just grabbing towels from the pile as needed and the pile is getting smaller!  I've just managed to get back into my office for the first time this week...as Rachel has decided it is okay to play for short periods of time in her playpen in the office.  My desk is literally piled up with stuff... mail that has come in the last few weeks, adoption paperwork, insurance paperwork, Rachel's medical paperwork from her pediatrician and from her physical therapist, pictures that need to be put in albums, thank you cards that need to be written and mailed, Rachel's baby book that needs to be updated, and my school work that has been all but forgotten.  Yes, I am going to have to request an extension as my semester ends next week and I've only completed about half of the work! 

 

But... Rachel is learning to stand up and is walking around holding my hands.  I've learned to change a diaper fast enough that I can now get the new one in place before she goes again (yes...we've had quite a few clothing changes from her tendency to pee as soon as a diaper has been REMOVED!).  We've discovered the joys of bath toys, rolling a ball back and forth, and playing with fallen leaves while taking a walk.  I've learned that I can get Rachel to stop crying by pretending her stuffed animals are talking in my ear and then telling her what they are saying...a trick I remember my own mom doing with me when I was little!  I also actually sing to Rachel... she is the only person on the earth who can get me to sing to them (and probably the only one on earth who would even want me to sing!).  So while the house may be a disaster right now...we sure are having a wonderful time!

Rachel really keeps me busy and time is just flying by!  We are all really settling in to a good routine around here and things are going well.  Rachel is making huge gains in her motor skills.  She is now able to pull herself up to standing, will walk with us holding her hands, will hold her own bottle, and can sit up from lying down with just a little help.  She is also beginning to eat more table foods.  This week she has had meatloaf, some bits of cheese, macaroni and cheese, watermelen, and small bites of chicken.  She also will eat pretty much any baby food I give her... including squash and peas!  It is amazing to watch her learn more skills every day.  She has another tooth that just finally came through... so now she has 9 teeth.  It was a pretty rough few days while that tooth was coming in...she was pretty cranky and had a bit more trouble sleeping.  She is becoming a more secure and will play happily on the floor without needing me to sit with her at all times.  And she is talking constantly!  Not saying anything we can understand...just babbling... but the sounds are just precious to me!  Oh, and she has learned that taking a bath can be fun.  She loves playing with her tub toys and does not mind me pouring water over her head anymore. 

 

I had to take her to have blood drawn for some medical tests ordered by her doctor.  I was so worried about how she would do...but she didn't even cry when they stuck her the first time!  I couldn't believe it.  Unfortunately, the vein didn't work and they ended up sticking her two more times in different places in order to draw her blood...and she did cry during the other two sticks.  It was awful to have to hold her while they did that!  I used to laugh when I'd hear parents say "this hurts me just as much as it hurts you", but now I so completely understand that statement.

 

I think probably the hardest part of being a mom is when Rachel is crying and I don't know why and can't seem to "fix" it!  We had an episode tonight where Greg and I were on the floor playing with her and she was laughing and having a great time...then suddenly started crying.  And nothing we did could make her feel better.  She didn't want to play.  She didn't want to be held.  She didn't want to be put down.  She didn't need a new diaper.  She wasn't hungry.  Oh, it was awful!  Finally, I just gave her a bottle and put her to bed a half hour early and she did go right to sleep.  SO maybe she was just extra tired tonight.  Or maybe another tooth is coming in... oh how I can't wait for teething to be behind us! 

 

We have had some professional pictures taken of Rachel and I think they turned out pretty good... see below!  Also, I included pictures taken of Rachel playing in the tub and of her in her "exersaucer".

Well, it is hard to believe that we have had Rachel for almost a month!  Time is just flying by so fast!  In the last month, I've learned so much.  I thought maybe I'd just share some of the lessons that motherhood has taught me so far...

 

1.  New moms must lose at least 15 IQ points in the first month.  I'm not sure if it is because they are so tired...or if it is the mind's only defense as it listens to songs like "Do your ears hang low" or "If you're happy clap your hands" playing repeatedly from various toys.  Maybe you just need to "dumb down" a little to be content to play with stacking cups all day.  I don't know.  But I do know that I'm a lot more forgetful than ever and intelligent conversation is sometimes difficult.  I also have found myself clapping and exclaiming "good boy" when Greg does something like bring me a glass of water.  I really must stop doing that!

 

2.  There is about 4 times more laundry to do when you go from a couple to a couple with a baby.  I don't know how that happens.  It makes no sense that adding one very small body to the family could cause so much laundry to stack up...but it does.  I do laundry every day now, instead of once a week like before baby.  Go figure.

 

3.  I never used to be one to have "pet peeves."  Now I DO have a pet peeve... public places like restaurants that do not have baby changing tables!  My gosh...I had no idea how aggravating it is to need to change your baby's diaper and there is nowhere to do it.  I also hate restaurants that don't have highchairs. 

 

4.  I am no longer quite as judgmental as I may have been in the past about parents with small children.  I used to think things like: "I'll never have baby stuff lying around the floor in my home...it will all have to stay in the baby's room."  Or "How can that parent allow their child to eat food off the restaurant table...what about all the germs?"  Or "I'll never let my baby eat Cheerios off the floor."  Or "I can't believe those parents let their child drop food on the floor in a restaurant like that!"  WELL...I'm now guilty of ALL of those things!  Yes, Rachel eats Cheerios off our living room floor.  She drops food on the floor in restaurants.  Our living room is somewhat littered right now with baby toys.  And even though I do have little disposable plastic placemats in the diaper bag...sometimes I'm just too lazy to pull them out and Rachel will eat food right off the table in a restaurant!  (**Note: When I say "restaurant", usually I'm referring to places like Taco Bell... NOT some really nice 5-Star restaurant.  I'm actually too terrified to go to any really nice restaurant with a 13 month old!).

 

5.  Dry-clean only clothing may as well be packed away to be worn again hopefully in a couple of years.  Not a day goes by that I'm not wearing formula, baby food, baby spit-up, etc.  Gosh, more than a few times Rachel has happily wiped her nose on whatever I might be wearing.  And no, I don't immediately go change my clothing when that happens.  Our laundry problem is bad enough as it is!

 

6.  There is nothing more wonderful than rocking your baby at the end of the day... looking into her sweet face and realizing you love her more than you ever knew was possible.   

Grandma Davis flew in from California last night...and today we had a belated 1st Birthday party for Rachel.  Rachel had a great time visiting with her Aunt Diana, Grandma, Aunt Debbie and Uncle Terry, BJ and Baby Riley, and Colleen & Rob (our friends who are leaving for China in November to bring home their new baby!).  She also absolutely loved the balloons that we tied to her highchair.  She was so cute with them.  When she got her cake to eat, she still would not let go of the balloons.  She held the balloons with one hand, and dug in to the cake with the other hand.  I think she was a little surprised that we were letting her just dig in to food like that and had fun getting it all over herself and her highchair.  She also enjoyed playing with Baby Riley.  Riley is 10 months old and is so cute!  She is bigger than Rachel and I think she thought Rachel was her own little toy!  The first thing she did was remove the bow from Rachel's hair, and then proceeded to try to sit on Rachel.  Rachel seemed a bit surprised by this other little baby crawling on her and wasn't sure at first that she wanted to share her toys with Riley...but they ended up getting along very well.  Rachel enjoyed her special day!

Yesterday was my birthday and once again, we are amazed by Rachel!  Greg wanted to take me to a nice relaxing dinner...so we asked our cousins, Debbie & Terry, if they would come to our place to stay with Rachel while we went to dinner.  I was SO nervous about leaving Rachel...but we felt confident that she was in great hands with Debbie and Terry since they were with us for the 2 weeks in China and Rachel knows them very well.  I still worried, though.  After Debbie and Terry arrived, we visited with them for close to an hour before leaving and gave Rachel time to get busy playing with them...then Greg and I quietly left.  I felt so strange being out without her.  We had a nice dinner, but then I was very anxious to get home to Rachel.  When we walked in the door, the pure joy on her face at the sight of us was amazing!  She started smiling so big and literally panting as she tried to quickly crawl over to us.  It is amazing how much she obviously loves us and is attached to us so quickly.  Our cousins told us that she was fine while we were gone and they all had fun playing with her toys and with their dog.  That was the greatest birthday present ever... a happy little girl!

I just had to share this news!!!  Tonight Rachel actually went to bed with NO CRYING!  None!  After she had her usual bottle and cuddles, I put her in her bed.  Usually if she is still awake when I put her in bed she will cry.  But tonight she just gave me a big grin and grabbed her stuffed monkey and hugged him... and went to sleep!  Oh...I think pigs must be flying somewhere tonight!

What a great day today was!  First...Rachel slept through the night!  Yeah Rachel!  That means Greg and I got to sleep through the night.  Then this morning I woke up feeling very rested...glanced at the clock and saw that it was 11:00 a.m.!  Well, then panic tore through me because I couldn't believe that Rachel had slept so late and I bolted out of bed to go check on her to be sure she was okay.  But to my relief and JOY, I found that Greg had already gotten up, had gotten Rachel up, changed her diaper, fed her a bottle, and was on the floor playing with her when I came into the living room!  Have I mentioned that my husband is absolutely wonderful lately???  Well, he IS!  It was just so nice to get that extra sleep...and I could tell that Rachel thoroughly enjoyed her morning alone with her daddy.

 

We got dressed and took Rachel over to Lighthouse Park...which is a nice little park on the shores of Puget Sound by the ferry dock in Mukilteo.  We had a great time walking along the shore with Rachel.  Rachel got to play with her first seashells and enjoyed watching the waves.  She was not so impressed with seaweed, though.  Then we walked up to the ferry dock and watched some people fishing.  We also found a large leaf on the ground and she had a great time playing with that leaf (see picture below!).  When we got home, Rachel took a 2 hour nap...and awoke to find that Debbie and Terry had come to visit her.  And even better than that, they had brought their DOG to see her!  Rachel was very excited to meet Bonaparte and had fun petting him.  She did pull his hair a few times...but he was very patient with her and seemed to really like her, too.

 

Now Rachel is playing with some blocks and watching a Baby Einstein Video.  Those Baby Einstein videos are SO great!  They really keep a baby's attention and they are very educational, too. 

 

Enjoy the pictures...and remember, you can click on each picture to enlarge it.

Today I was sitting on the floor playing with Rachel.  I was holding her hands and all of a sudden she got a very determined look on her face...then using my hands for support, she pulled herself up to a standing position!  We were SO excited!  And she was so very proud of herself.  She just grinned and looked so pleased.  Of course, wanting to see her do it again (and again), I kept having her sit back down and then held her hands as she continued to pull herself up to standing.  She thought this was such a great game and laughed as we clapped and cheered for her.

 

Yesterday we took Rachel in for an assessment for developmental delays.  Because she spent her first year in an orphanage, we wanted to make sure we took whatever steps needed to be sure that she catches up developmentally as soon as possible.  We were pleased to find out that she is pretty much on target in all areas except for gross motor skills (crawling, walking, etc.).  Rachel is able to sit independently very well, and she is just starting to do the "commando crawl"...scooting across the floor on her tummy using her arms to move forward.  She is not actually crawling yet, nor (until today!) was she attempting to start pulling up to a standing position.  Because of the motor delays, she will be getting physical therapy services to help her catch up.  The therapist who did her assessment did tell us that Rachel has good strong legs and that she feels certain that Rachel will soon be on target in this area also.  Rachel absolutely loved the assessment, by the way.  She enjoyed being the center of attention and playing with all the cool toys that the PT had.  After her assessment, they let us sit in on a "mommy and me" baby play group that meets once a week at the school (Little Red Schoolhouse).  Rachel had a great time in that play group also, and I enjoyed visiting with the other moms...so I think we will start going to this group each week...at least until my friend Colleen is able to bring her baby Linlee home from China.  Then I hope that Colleen and I will be able to find a great play group that we both can attend together.

 

Sleep issues are beginning to resolve for Rachel....really hoping that they continue to improve.  Also, I had a great conversation with my brother today...and he assured me that many of the feelings I've been having since becoming a mom have only been felt by every other parent on the earth!  So that was good news.  He also told me that he thinks the approach we are taking with Rachel with regards to sleep is a good one...and since I think his kids, John and Abbey, are such great and well-adjusted kids, I really trust my brother's parenting opinions.

 

Tomorrow I think we'll be visiting Toys R'Us to look for a new toy for Rachel.  Well...okay...Greg says it is really to get a new toy for ME to play with.  I'll admit, I'm getting bored with the few toys that we have for Rachel right now... and since I have to play with them, too... I want a new toy!

 

 

We arrived home on Saturday morning!  It is SO good to be home.  Rachel is adjusting very well.  She was a little nervous about her new (and bigger) baby bed at first, but now seems quite comfortable.  We have had some issues with jet lag.  While she slept very well through the night in China, she is having more trouble here at home.  We are not getting much sleep!  Hopefully as she grows more accustomed to her new home and gets over the jet lag, things will improve.  We've run a few errands with her and after just a bit of hesitation, she is doing very well in her car seat.  She will wave, grin, and talk to herself while riding in her car seat...as long as the car is moving.  If the car stops, though, she begins to get a bit frustrated.  She also will fall asleep fairly quickly in the car seat.  Our friend Colleen came to visit us, and Rachel's Aunt Diana came by.  Rachel enjoyed both visits.  Overall, we are just doing great... and will be even better once we are getting a bit more sleep!

Our journey is coming to an end!  We are flying out of China tomorrow! 

 

Today we went to the American Consulate and had our "swearing in" ceremony for Rachel and got her visa to travel to America.  She will now become an American citizen as soon as we land in Seattle!  It was a very quick ceremony.  There were about 30 other families there with their babies...and after we all recited the vows there were cheers, hugs, and congratulations for all of the babies. 

 

It is hard to believe that we've been here for two weeks... that we arrived as a couple and will be returning home as a family of three!  It has been a bit of an adjustment for me, especially...more so than I had anticipated.  It is strange to suddenly have a daughter...to be someone's "mom"!  But we continue to fall more in love with Rachel every day.  She is full of personality and has a smile that lights up the room! 

 

I am now going to go get us packed and ready to go.  We have to be ready to leave in the morning by 5:30!  Our flight will arrive in Seattle at 8:15 a.m Saturday!

Well today was a fun day!  We started the morning off by sleeping a bit later than usual...very nice!  Then we had our usual breakfast buffet.  Then Greg and I picked up our laundry, picked up some art work we had done for Rachel's room, and searched for some more of the formula we've been giving her.  Couldn't find the same formula...but found some Enfamil and she seems to like it okay.  Then we had to come back and stay in our hotel room until we got the call from Connie that all the paperwork had passed inspection at the consulate.  She finally called and everything had gone well at the consulate! Yeah!  No more paperwork!

 

Then Greg, Rachel, and I took a taxi to the pedistrian shopping mall street.  What an experience that place was!  VERY crowded.  Greg said it makes Manhattan look empty.  Rachel had her first meal at Pizza Hut.  Well...okay, so she didn't actually eat any pizza...but she sat at the table and ate her baby food while Greg and I enjoyed some pizza.  Below are some pictures I took of the shopping area.  There is also a picture of a young boy who walked up and introduced himself to me.  He was very nice and excited to be able to practice his English with us.  Then we came back to the hotel and Rachel and I both took a nap. 

 

Tonight we went on the Pearl River Riverboat Dinner cruise.  That was a lot of fun.  Well, the cruise part was fun.  Dinner... let's just say I decided to pass on the food.  There were plaques by each dish on the buffet saying what the food was...but it was written in Chinese!  Greg ate a few things.  He had no idea what they were...but said it was okay.  Then we went up to the top open air deck and enjoyed seeing all the brightly lit buildings of downtown Guangzhou.  It was really a fun evening! 

 

When we got back to the hotel, Rachel took her bottle and then immediately went to bed and is now sleeping soundly.  We are so fortunate that she is such a good sleeper!  I've heard from other families here that their babies just are not sleeping and they are really having a hard time.

 

Tomorrow is our appointment at the consulate...and then I get to start packing for our early flight out of here on Saturday! 

Yes...I'm counting down the days until we can come home.  China is a very interesting place and we've enjoyed our time here.  But it has been a long trip and entertaining a baby in a hotel for 2 weeks can get a bit tedious.  I told Greg it is kind of like that movie "Groundhog Day"... every day is basically the same.  Get up, get ready, get Rachel ready, breakfast buffet, walk around, lunch, Rachel takes nap, play with Rachel, walk around, dinner at Lucy's, walk around, play with Rachel, get Rachel ready for bed, go to bed.  And then it starts over again the next day. 

 

Yesterday was a bit different, though... as we had Rachel's medical exam for the consulate.  She did not cry too much until they made her lie down.  She hates having to lie down!  Anyway, she was deemed healthy except for some lingering infection in her throat.  She is still on her antibiotic.  She weighs 18 pounds and is 71 cm long...  On the Chinese growth charts she falls right at the 50th percentile in weight/length...yet is only at the 10th percentile on American growth charts.  We've been told repeatedly by different people that she does not look like a "Jiangxi baby".  Apparently Jiangxi babies are more petite that Rachel and have slightly darker skin.  The Chinese people here tell us she looks more like a Shanghai baby...fair skin and larger.  We have no idea...but we do know that ShangRao City (where Rachel's orphanage is) is right on the border of Jiangxi and is very close to Shanghai, so that is possible.

 

Yesterday we also completed all of our paperwork for the American Consulate.  Connie, our guide, was wonderful.  She basically told us exactly what to write on each form, so that made it very easy.  She is taking the paperwork to the consulate this morning, and we are supposed to wait in our hotel room until she calls us to tell us that everything is okay.  Sometimes the consulate will have questions for the parents, so that is why we have to wait in our room for the call.  Then tomorrow afternoon Greg, Rachel, and I will go to the consulate for our appointment...this is where we take an oath to always love and care for Rachel, and then the American side of the adoption will be complete and they will give us Rachel's visa so that she can travel back to the U.S. with us on Saturday.  Once she lands in Seattle she will automatically become a U.S. citizen.

 

Last night Greg and Terry went to a local shopping mall to walk around a bit and have dinner.  Rachel and I stayed at the hotel.  Anyway, Greg brought me back Pizza Hut pizza!  What a treat!  Greg told me that the special that night was "eel pizza", but that he stuck with pepperoni.  He and Terry had a good time walking around...he said it was incredibly crowded, just like when we went the other day...but was all lit up and very pretty.  I hope maybe tomorrow night we can all go back.

 

Tonight we will be going on a dinner cruise on a riverboat.  That should be fun!

 

Well, we are finally at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. It is really a relief to be here.  The beds are softer, the room is bigger, the food is better, the air conditioner works better, there is a park and lots of stores around the hotel for us to explore... I think we'll have a good week here.

 

I'm still sick and running fever of around 102.5.  Ick.  It is bad to be sick...but VERY bad to be sick when you are a new mom in a foreign country!  Greg has been wonderful, though.  He took Rachel out for a walk yesterday so that I could sleep some, and that helped a lot.  There is a medical clinic here in the hotel and I may go see the doctor today if I don't start feelng better. 

 

The flight from Nanchang was okay for the most part.  Rachel screamed during take off, but then she did well during the short flight.  It was funny during landing...Greg was giving her some fruit puffs during the descent into Guangzhou and she loves those things.  Once we were on the ground, though, he stopped giving them to her.  Well...we saw our very first tantrum.  She screamed.  She kicked.  She attempted to throw herself out of my arms.  It was actually pretty funny to watch.  She definitely is getting more comfortable with us!

 

We finally got out of the airport and in the van that would take us to the hotel.  Suddenly I felt a warm sensation on my leg.  yes...Rachel's diaper had spung a leak.  I was actually too tired to care.  It is funny how really gross things like that just don't bother you anymore when it is your own kid.  Once we got to the hotel, Greg told me he was going to run to the 7-11 across the street to get us some water.  I then proceeded to strip Rachel out of her wet clothes and diaper, and also took my clothing off.  I was tired, feverish, AND she had peed on me!  About the time we were both stripped down, I see the door to our room opening.  I thought it was Greg...that he'd forgotten something.  Well no...it was NOT Greg!  It was the porter bringing up our luggage.  He and I both froze for a second and then he just turned around and walked back out of the room!  I was so exhausted, I had not even noticed that our luggage had not made it to the room yet!  Oh how embarrassing!  I just hope that guy has the rest of this week off, because I really hope to never see him again!