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!