5.01.2010

Random Notes from Home

These may come out as discombulated thoughts, but I wanted to get my mental notes written so I won't forget the details of our first week home.
  • Grace can feed herself and does an amazing job. She is very intentional with her fork or spoon and keeps herself clean in the process.
  • Carter has this sweet, mature expression when he is amused with his baby sister. It's a look I'd never seen him give before, and for some reason it makes me proud of him.
  • Grace is very dainty and prissy, but she may also be a tomboy in the making. She loves to run after Carter outside and throw a ball. And she's got a good arm! She made her first hoop yesterday (with the help of Daddy) and was addicted to basketball thereafter.
  • She sleeps great now but still screams or cries out a few times during the night. I can usually pat her back to soothe her. I don't think she ever really wakes up.
  • I no longer have to walk laps to get Grace to sleep. She'll let me lay down next to her in the bed, and I sing until she falls asleep.
  • Carter and I LOVE the Imagination Movers on Disney. Scott and I both think the music is catchy, and I have been known to listen to the songs in my car....when Carter wasn't with me. :) Before China, our morning routine was for Carter and I to snuggle on the couch, with our OJ and coffee respectively, and watch an episode of the Movers. I had feared those days would be gone once we returned home...you know, with two kids and all. But since Grace sleeps later than our little man, we were able to enjoy the good ole mornings again. Such a little blessing but one that gives me joy.
  • My little princess wakes up with some major bedhead. These pics don't even show the worst of it. I have to spray her hair down with water to comb out all the tangles and knots and get it to lay down again.
  • It's impossible to keep the house clean. I still have random items laying around from when I tried to unpack. One of these days I'll get it all put away. It's just hard when Grace won't let me walk very far from her.
  • We spend HOURS in the kitchen. Grace is still hoarding food. Sometimes she is playing with it more than eating, but she finds comfort in sitting in her booster seat at the kitchen table. We don't see the attachment specialist until our appt on Wednesday at the International Adoption Clinic. I'm interested to see how much longer I should let her eat anything and everything. The child needs some meat on her bones, so it's probably good right now.
  • Just like her brother, Grace adores music. She moves her head and little shoulders and even tries to sing along. In Guangzhou, I bought a few cds with traditional Chinese children's songs, and she was so excited when I put it on.
  • Grace loves to blow kisses, wave, and play peek-a-boo. And she is picking up on English words like wildfire. Bye, NaNa, Emily, Carter, Hey, Hi, KaiLan, Mama, and Dad, are just a few words she's been mimicing. The most used are "Hey" and "Hi." She'll look in the mirror and say "hey! hey! hi!"
  • Carter and Grace play well together, but there's definitely been some conflict over sharing toys. And sharing Mommy. Carter wants to be held much more now than ever before. And sometimes the only way to appease both of my children is to collapse on the floor and hold them both at one time. We do this a lot around the house.
  • Carter and I love to read books together, but it's been more challenging with Grace. She doesn't have the attention span yet, so she takes them from my hands in mid-story. This doesn't go over well with Carter. :)
  • Yesterday, both kids were sitting at the kitchen table. (surprise) I wasn't paying attention at first, but I think Carter was trying to teach Grace a word. He started saying, "babababababababa." Then Grace would attempt a sound, and her brother would say, "No Grace. BABABABABA." This went on for several minutes. He was really intent on her getting the syllable right!
  • As I mentioned in my previous post, Grace loves her shoes and will bring me different pairs throughout the day to put on.
  • She knows her name! She will immediately respond when I say "Grace." I thought I'd call her Virginia Grace more often, but I don't. I love writing it out though. :)
  • We had our first trip to the grocery store and it was a success! Cheerios played a major role in that.
  • Some moments, I get a little nostalgic for China. Crazy, I know.
  • It still sounds strange to say "my kids" or "my children."
  • And it's been a long, hard week. But I still want more. Crazy? Scott thinks so. :)

8 comments:

The Scott family said...

How sweet! We're dealing with Leighton learning how to share mommy too. She's doing pretty well. I also feel weird saying my kids/children and totally feel nostalgic for China! We're teaching Leighton some Chinese and I just love hearing her speaking Mandarin in her little girl voice! Grace is beautiful!!

park it said...

Hi there
Welcome Home! Your daughter is beautiful! I wanted to give you my 2 cents about the food thing...my daughter was 14 mths old when she came home fm China - weighted about 18 lbs...she ate everything (salmon/vegs/eggs/etc etc...) I would not worry about the hording- Kimberly would get "upset" when the food disappeared (she ate it) so what I started doing in China was include some saltine crackers - they would break apart while eatting - but she got to "pick" up the pieces..and this helped her feel in control of the food - and she would loose interest as the pieces got smaller (we also used it to work on her pincher grasp..she had none -but by the time we got home was about to pick up peas etc...) Our girls are troopers - Just feed her healthy - and don't over feed - keep healthy snacks where she can see them - and "serve" from there (ie a bowl of apples) take her with you to the store - tell her we are blessed(use your own words) that our family has plenty of food etc...yes she is small - but the tone and consistency will shine thru. Best wishes on your journey into mommy x 2 -my daughter is 5.5 yrs old - and doing great ! If you want to reach me - post at your blog and it will send me an email - if you want access to our blog let me know..
Carol in Fl - just giving my 2 cents

Joel and Lee-Anne said...

Kelley- thank you for sharing even more into your daily life. Deep breaths, long hot baths, more coffee....be sure and make time for you - as to ease the stress that may be building. I know this is is SO wonderful and yet so hard all at the same time- I get that. Yet here I am going for #3....God provides what we do not have to raise our beautiful children.
Excited for you that you get to see the attachment specialist. I am so interested in what they have to say and hope that you'll consider sharing some tips....I think that's my biggest fear right now in adopting a 2 1/2 year old. Sorry to ramble.
Thankful for your blog :)

By God's Design said...

So many of those things sound exactly like our life ... it's like we're living parallel lives or something. ;o)

Alicia said...

So sweet! Sounds like you are managing so well! Can't wait to meet her;)

Kelley Brown said...

Carol, thanks for those eating tips! The idea of having a bowl of apples,etc. is so good. I'd love access to your blog...I know I'll learn a lot from you! :) My email is in my profile. Thanks for sharing your experience and help!

Unknown said...

Oh, I'm so nostalgic for China. I miss it! I loved following your blog and getting a small taste of it again! And, we've only been home 3 weeks! Can't wait to go back--I joke with Mark about going back for a Chinese boy. He just laughs at me. :)

My daughter Ashlyn can give your sweet baby a run for her money with the bed head--here's one example of how she wakes EVERYDAY. The girl looks like she deliberately messes up her hair at night.
http://raudenbushfamily.blogspot.com/2009/12/against-every-fiber-of-my-being.html
Kelly

Melissa said...

ah, man. i can't wait to meet that little girl!!!! we need to have a play date super soon. i keep thinking i'll run into you on a monday or wednesday, but not yet.

love you friend.

m