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. :)