WE'RE HOME.........BUT GONE AGAIN!!!!

I really don't remember what my last blog entry was, so I am going to backtrack just a little bit, to make sure I have shared ALL of our big adventures. We left Shanghai last Sunday afternoon (China time) at 4:30 PM, and we were due to arrive in Dallas/Fort Worth at around 4:45 on Sunday afternoon (USA time.) For some unknown reason, our plane was late leaving Shanghai, and when we finally arrived in Dallas/Ft. Worth, it was after 6 PM. Our flight to Nashville was scheduled to start boarding at 7:50, so that gave us less than two hours to get through immigration and customs. The immigration line was LONG....VERY LONG, and we had the sinking feeling when we took our place in the line, that we were going to miss our flight. That sinking feeling became a reality. It was around 7:30 before we finally reached the officer who processed our paperwork. We couldn't have asked for him to be any nicer and accommodating that what he was, but he told us there was NO WAY we would make it to our flight, and that we needed to go to American airlines to see if we might get on a later flight. Unfortunately, the 11 o'clock flight was totally booked, and the likelihood of five seats coming available was almost nil. We were told the best thing we could do was get a hotel room, and come back the next morning, if we wanted to be on stand-by. We were given tickets for the 4:45 flight on Monday afternoon---that's the earliest guaranteed seats we could get. SO we caught the van to the Holiday Inn Express, and attempted to settle for the night, thinking we would got back at 7:30 the next morning, in hopes of getting an earlier flight. Roger and the girls went to bed, and I got Eiley Joy settled around 2 AM, and very eagerly hit the sack, knowing we would be getting up EARLY to go back to the airport. Our van driver had told us that we WOULDN'T get standby seats, and the clerk at the desk had pretty much told us the same thing, but we hadn't ruled out trying.....UNTIL Eiley Joy woke up 30 minutes later. Apparently, she thought it was NAPTIME, and felt that a 30 minute nap was ample. She was up and going strong, and didn't go back to sleep until 7 AM. Needless to say, Roger and I decided NOT to spend the day in the airport with a two year old, and two five year olds, but to just wait for the flight at 4:45. Evan and Shea had planned to pick us up on Sunday night when we were originally supposed to have arrived, and had already started for Nashville when we found out we wouldn't be able to get a flight that night. Because Evan had a JV soccer game on Monday night, he wasn't able to pick us up, so my sister-in-law, Phyllis came to get us.

When we got back to Murray, we met Evan and Shea at Applebee's for a late dinner, and for them to get to meet their new little sister, and then we headed HOME!!!! We were greeted by B.B. and Sophie Grace, our faithful dogs, and our cat, Allie. As we expected, our little fearless girl wasn't afraid of them at all!!! She was also VERY WIDE WAKE!!! I began doing laundry, and she followed me and made herself at home. At 6:10 AM on Tuesday morning I finally put her in her pack 'n play. She screamed and cried for about 20 minutes, and finally went to sleep, as did I. Unfortunately, we had appointments on Tuesday morning, so it meant only a couple hours of sleep.

On Tuesday we got up (I had to wake her up, needless to say) and headed out for the day. Eiley Joy made her first visit to North Calloway Elementary!!! I think she was a hit!!! Then we headed to Pagliai's for her first playdate with Charlotte. We had a fun lunch with Kendra, Charlotte, and Kim Crouch. Eiley Joy seemed right at home there. Afterward, I had to take the girls to dance, so EJ and I went to visit Uncle Steve and Aunt Phyllis during that time. I picked the girls up from dance, and we went by Gran Gran's (my mom's) so she could meet her new granddaughter. After we got home that afternoon, we turned around and headed to Paducah, as I had Gymbucks I needed to spend. LOL :) Roger sat out in the play area at the mall with the girls. Eiley Joy LOVED climbing on all of the things there. Once, she got out the door, and Roger had to chase her two stores down to catch her. She is FAST!!!!

Once we got home, we were SURE she would be ready for bed. NOT!!!! After trying to rock her to sleep, I finally gave up and put her in her pack 'n play. She screamed and cried for a LONG time before falling asleep. She did sleep until after 11 on Wednesday, when I had to wake her up so I could get the girls to school on time. We went to eat with Gran Gran, then went and picked the girls up from school. On Wednesday night, Eiley Joy went to church for the first time in her life. She did okay in the nursery. She wanted to push the younger babies over----not really aggressively. She has a lot to learn in interacting with other children. I know it was survival of the fittest at SHH, to a certain extent, and since she was one of the smallest in the toddler house, I'm sure she had to be rough sometimes to survive!!!

 

Wednesday bedtime was the pits, AGAIN...... I kept thinking she would go to sleep, because I knew she was VERY behind on her sleep. It just didn't happen, though, until she had screamed and cried (with no tears) for a LONG time.

 

Thursday was our first day to get to stay at home. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! By this time, I was so far behind on sleep, too, and we didn't get up until after 11:30. I began thinking about vacation!!!! YES.....we were leaving for Florida on Friday---the next day, as soon as the girls and I got back from Molly Kate's and Callie Beth's preschool pumpkin patch visit. It was after two that night before Eiley Joy went to sleep, and I pulled an all nighter----I wanted to try to have everything packed and ready to go when we got home from the pumpkin patch. Poor Eiley Joy.....I had to get her up a little after 7 so we could leave in time for the field trip. She really isn't a morning person when she hasn't had a good night's sleep. She looked AWFUL!!! Her little eyes were red, and she was obviously SO tired!!! It had rained during the night, and I have to be honest----I was in hopes the pumpkin patch trip would be cancelled, BUT it wasn't. Two VERY excited five year old girls, and an EXTREMELY tired mama and two year old headed to Paducah. I don't think Eiley Joy was overly impressed with her first trip to the pumpkin patch. I had given her a bottle on the way, and somehow it had leaked, so her shirt was soaking wet when we got there. It was damp and cool outside, and my girls were the ONLY ones there with shorts on. HEY.....I had just gotten home from China, and I just hadn't had time to get out fall clothes---ESPECIALLY since it had been HOT up until that day. We all survived, even though I don't think I got one smiling picture of EJ. We rushed home, and I frantically tried to finish packing everything. It was after 2 before we were able to get on the road, though.

 

We started on our journey to Florida----a very tired Roger, who was still suffering from jet lag, ME, who had had a total of 11 hours sleep in four days, a pitiful sleep deprived baby girl, and two happy 5 year old little girls!!! We had a hotel reservation in Fayetteville, Georgia. We were to meet our adoption friends, the Cooke's on Saturday morning for breakfast. Their precious daughter, Hannah, and Molly Kate were roommates in the orphanage before they both were adopted. We have gotten to be with them the past three years when we've gone to Florida.

It took us almost two hours to get through Nashville because of the backed up traffic. The farther we drove, the more exhausted we became. We stopped in Chattanooga for dinner, and I think the full stomach pretty much finished Roger off for the day. The farther he drove, the more dangerous it became because he couldn't keep his eyes open. He didn't want me to drive, considering I hadn't been to sleep at all. FINALLY, he pulled into what I call a fleabag hotel, went in, and got us a room for $44. He thought if we could just rest for an hour or so, maybe we could make it the rest of the way to Fayetteville. He slept, and I played with Eiley Joy who was in no mood to sleep. She had slept quite a bit after we left home, so apparently she got her nap out. About an hour and a half later we hit the road again. We finally made it to Fayetteville around 3:30 AM. Eiley Joy was still wide awake. This time Roger took the baby shift and I fell asleep. When the alarm came on a couple hours later, she was asleep in the floor. Roger had let her run until she pretty much collapsed. We got dressed, packed, and went to meet our friends at McDonalds. We had a wonderful visit with them. They are just another of the MANY friends we have made ALL because of adoption. They are a wonderful Christian family, and we feel blessed to count them as friends.

Once we were back on the road, Roger felt rested. I slept quite a bit as he drove. Eiley Joy rested well, and Molly Kate and Callie Beth were good as usual. We made good time, and were relieved to arrive at Orange Lake around 8 PM. I know it was probably stupid of us to try to make this trip so soon after coming home from China, but we truly felt like it would be good bonding time with Eiley Joy, and THAT it has been. Even though Roger's phone has rung continuously with insurance related calls, it has been SO nice to not have the normal duties we have at home, and to be able to just relax and enjoy each other. Eiley Joy didn't go to sleep until 3 AM on Sunday morning, BUT she slept until 1:30 PM Sunday afternoon. AND, when she DID go to sleep at 3 AM, it was without any crying and screaming. On Sunday night, she was asleep by 12:30 PM, and slept until 11:30 Monday morning. Tonight, it was after 1 AM when she went to sleep, but we didn't get in until late, and again, she went to sleep in my arms without any crying or screaming. She is getting caught up on her sleep, and is one HAPPY little girl. She is our spunky monkey!!! She is into EVERYTHING, but is just SO happy all the time. She absolutely LOVES the water!!!! Yesterday, when we took the girls to the pool, she put her head and face in the water the first thing, and she even let me drop her underwater. She floated on her belly with her face in the water. We think she may be the little mermaid in real life!!!! I expected her to love the water, just because of the way she had reacted when I gave her a bath. I never dreamed she would love it as much as she does, though.

We have had two great days at the pool, and three nights of scrumptious dinners. We are looking forward to the rest of the week of fun, rest, and relaxation. I guess when we get back home on Sunday, we are REALLY going to have to get back to reality, but hopefully this week of bonding is going to help make things easier, once we get back home. I decided here to not put Eiley Joy's pack 'n play in our bedroom. I have it set up in the living room area of our condo, and it has worked out great. We are in the next room, so I hear her if she makes a sound. I think it is going to be best for her to sleep in her own room when we get home, though. We are going to try it, anyway.

Sorry for my boring, play by play entry. I may not be adding a lot more to my blog, other than pictures. I am attaching several that have been taken throughout the week. As you can see, we have another happy little girl on our hands!!!! She is a PERFECT fit for our family, even if she IS going to keep me on my toes!!!!

Thanks so much for sharing our journey with us!!!!

Vicki :)